What My Heart Longed To Hear: Hope Grows

I think of Erica Daniels as a trailblazer in the autism world. She is the go-to person for information about cannabis for autism, and she works tirelessly to help children with autism and make the world a better place for them. And she never ever loses hope for her son Leo. And she’s  a great cook! You can check out one of the recipes from her allergy-friendly cookbook, Cooking with Leo, here on the blog. She was one of the experts on my Autism Expert Panel. She’s also a really cool person. Speech can be one of the biggest challenges in autism. My son Christopher, who has severe autism, is currently minimally verbal. But we continue to see gains in speech, and I am inspired by the successes of my fellow autism moms. I am so grateful to Erica for sharing this story of hope that really hits home for me.  

When Joanna asked me to guest blog and shared her theme – about moments of hope when you knew your child was “in there” – with me, I knew exactly which moment I wanted to share.

May 5, 2010 I had my first spontaneous conversation with Leo, he was 5.

There was a time when Leo did not speak and I wondered if he would ever speak. All my heart longed to hear one word…. “Mommy” all of the time. Now, mommy is one of his most used words. He is always calling for me…”Mommy, Mommy…” almost repetitively looking for security. I will never get tired of hearing him say Mommy, no matter how many times he might say it in one day or even one hour.

Leo’s language is still limited, functional mostly. But with treatments, particularly cannabis, his language has been blooming like crazy. I can’t wait to hear what he has to say next.

Our children are in there. Talk to them as if they understand everything you say and one day they just may let you know that they do hear and understand you.

Erica Daniels is the author of Cooking with Leo: An Allergen-Free Autism Family Cookbook; Founder of Hope Grows for Autism, a nonprofit aimed at improving the lives of families affected by autism through research, education, and advocacy; CEO of Autism Advisors LLC, a research & advisory firm which provides strategic consultation and solutions to healthcare professionals, product manufacturers, and universities to empower them in making data-backed business and healthcare decisions involving autism.