Borrow a little hope

A is a newly 3 year old and has difficulties with attention to task and following directions in loud environments. After 6 months of being in TEIS (ST and OT) A has made great gains in these areas.

This last weekend he was the first kiddo to sit down when directed to at soccer practice. He also absolutely crushed the obstacle course which happened to look a lot like an OT activity we do. So proud of him!

✎ Rebecca, Murfreesboro

My name is Nicole. I am a single mom of two amazing boys. I am also a person in recovery who has experienced many challenging, traumatic events. Being a special needs mom has been the hardest experience of my life.

The most remarkable thing about this journey has been realizing that verbal communication is not necessary to express love. Connor expresses his love in the unexpected eye contact, the couple of tickles, the laughs, the rare interactive play.

When he grabbed my face and put his nose to mine and gave me Eskimo kisses while he giggled. That only happened twice but it was the most special moment.

When you have a child with special needs life can be lonely, dark, scary and filled with anxiety but! It is filled with moments of pure innocence, joy, love and light. Connor makes leaps and bounds of improvement and then will regress and it ebbs and flows. Every success no matter how “small” is celebrated loudly by the village. I’m so grateful for the people that have been walking alongside us. It truly does take a village.

Let me leave you with a hopeshot, I know this isn’t the life you thought you would have. I know you don’t hear “I love you” or go to baseball games. I know you sit outside the party room while everyone else celebrates. The hopeshot is that you gain so many beautiful life lessons, moments, experiences and perspective that others do not get the pleasure to experience. If nobody has told you today I love you, you are doing a great job, we are the village.

✎ Nicole, Murfreesboro

Ellie is four years old and has always struggled with fine motor skills. Because of this, she has avoided drawing and attempting to write letters at all costs because she is a perfectionist and is so petrified of doing something poorly.

After lots of DIR Floortime work with her OT Alyssa that worked on prewriting, she picked up a marker, and during play drew x’s on a cardboard box. I had NEVER seen her draw more than 2 seconds of scribbles and this was an incredible win for her.

✎ Taylor, Murfreesboro