She’s the One

Quite possibly the most impactful person on our son and our family is Cassidy, our behavioral interventionist.

She's the one who makes our son to say to  himself "I'm amazing" after each session.

She's the one who takes a head-butt from my son, works through the moment while her eyes are watering and nose is bruising and describes the moment as a great session, "he is after all displaying his emotions and working through them...go take a shower and relax mom. Dublin and I are fine!" 

She's the one who communicates with him, despite the fact that he is not using intelligible words or phrases and often not even looking in her direction.

She's the one who patiently teaches him to sit at a table, to put on his clothes, to wash his hands.

She's THE one and only one that he asks for daily.

"Cassidy? Cassidy? Cassidy?"

She's the one who showed us that it is not autism that impacts Dublin's unwillingness to communicate, it is our inability to read his cues and our inability to then communicate with him in a way HE understands. 

She's the one who doesn't avoid playing with Dublin. 

She doesn't receive his lack of eye contact or words as signs that he doesn't want to play.

She knows that he does want to play, which is why she's the one I can hear from my kitchen laughing with him in his room most afternoons.

She's the one who notices I need a chance to regroup and forces me to do so.

She's the one who makes sure I treat myself.

She's the one who counsels my parenting practices.

She's the one who helps us with her careful thoughts better our family.

She notices us, our whole family, our needs, and nurtures us as if we were her own family. 

She's the one who makes us feel like we are growing and thriving.

Before she was assigned to our case, the light in our house was feeling a little dim, a little fearful, growth was stagnating, Dublin was frustrated.

She's the one who pulled on the chain of, brightened the light, and is constantly reminding us that Dublin is, we all are, just getting started. 

I love her. So much. She is my family. She is my dear friend.

"Cassidy! Cassidy! Cassidy!"

She is my wisdom. She is my strength.