Then Mark wouldn't have a channel. hehe JK of course! ...But... 😂💜🙏

Maybe for the camera.

@truesavings1988 Thank you.

My son does, too. Most are real angels! 👼

people with Down syndrome are the real sweethearts

Ain’t that the truth

No he doesn’t

👍

cBDS Very much needed Daily. Check them out. Life saving Mind saving

I hope you have a lot of support. I couldn't imagine

I'm sending you as much hope and love as I can. I may not remember your name on her, but I will remember you both.

Your not alone❤️🩷💙🧡

My grandson is nonverbal with horrible outbursts of SIB. So very tough and hurts my heart. Sending love your way. ❤💙

You’re doing a great job Mom! God Bless you and RJ! ❤❤

@@kristis4571 Thank you! Many blessings to you and yours also.

Hi Wendy, I just watched this yesterday but I just wanted to tell you how wonderful you and RJ are. I’m the sister of an autistic brother who is a lot like RJ. So many of the things you described about him remind me of my brother Derek. He’s 34 now and I have always felt like his second mom. I still try to help with him as much as I can even tho I have two little ones of my own because in my eyes, he’s like my third child and always will be. You also remind me so much of my mom with your patience and strength. And believe me, I know this road is not easy. We have hard moments but also beautiful ones as well. Im so glad I stumbled across this video and I just want to wish many blessings to you both. You’re one hell of a mom!

Your an Angel ❤

Bless your heart Wendy; thank you for being who you are. Much love to you and RJ.

Your Gran sounds like my Mom. So funny & wise! 💜

I know, she has the patience of a saint!

My mantra (and I have 12 grandkids) is That's why young people have children. Us "old" folks raised ours and were happy to leave the baby making to them. 😅

Stay strong. My autistic son was diagnosed as non verbal. Wasn't talking at 5, but has started now at 6. Be hopeful. I'm hopeful.

No levels....

Level 3?

level 3 already, man hes been grinding

if I get diagnosed im going to speedrun to level 100

😊Thanks, Jean. We'll get up that way one of these days. I know he'll have plenty of big hugs for ya!!!

You are blessed with an innocent. May l respectfully ask if you used oral contraception? My closest friend has a non verbal too.

@@davepowell7168 no It took years and years for me to conceive my son. It was all natural. Autism stems from genetics. Alot of people are undiagnosed and there's different levels on a spectrum. I suspect my dad has autism, he's very reserved and is a maths whizz and extremely smart. My brother was supposed to have tests for autism as an adult but decided not to. I've always struggled socially so I suspect I probably have it on some level. But my son is the only one in the family who has it as severe and non verbal.

Dont know if it might be helpful, or if u hv found it already…fathering autism is a great channel

@@Truecrimewatcher no I haven't come across them. Thank you so much! It's really kind of you. I'm going to search them now.

❤️ How Wonderful! The love is beautiful!

As a single mom of a 28 year old autistic son, the poem hit on so many levels. I would never want to change my son. He wouldn't be the same if autism was "cured". He's wonderful just the way he is. ❤

Still weeping.

R.J. and his Mum is one of the most heartwarming interviews I’ve seen. A Mothers unconditional love and her sons love for his Mother is a beautiful thing,

My son is autistic as well. I divorced as well. I felt all of this. The unmatchable passion! Being in the presence of someone who loves and is fascinated by particular things with all of themself is so inspiring. His interests and his passion for them are a gift to everyone around him.

Good for You Sweetheart. The lady who said that she would change her son if she could made me sad ! People who have special needs people in their life have a whole different world open up to them IF they ARE Willing to buck convention. These children ARE often special in ways that not all can see or appreciate. They ARE the one's that I truly feel Sorry for ! To be So Ignorant to another humans plight that they can't see the Forrest for the trees, is MISSING so Much from their lives and it goes to their very core as to how Ignorant they really are. It takes a very Special parent to raise a very special person, so until You yourself have walked in these people's shoes or walked their life's path then in ALL actuality YOU DON'T KNOW SQUAT and it truly makes YOU look Ignorant, insensitive and morally Bankrupt. So maybe don't post your Ignorant responses here because it let's the rest of us KNOW what a shallow, ugly empty Soul YOU ARE !!!

I just think: well, *they* sure are missing out! 🥰

Sending love ❤️

This is so sweet, thank you for sharing !

My son is 33 now; he had the same reactions but manages them quite well now. Wish you the BEST! Yes, hope SWU does more like this!💜

Cheese 🧀

Yes, I'm on the spectrum and suffer from PTSD from childhood related trauma, but also being generally misunderstood by my family and in trying to express myself. We feel very intensely and get frustrated, overwhelmed by loud noises, sharp lights, etc. And when feeling things very intensely we explode from the inside out, especially when not feeling heard (understood) being a child / non verbal must make that even more difficult as even with full use of words it's not always easy for me to communicate what I'm trying to say (what I actually mean, not just the words that come out while trying to form thought externally). I also feel very bad when having a meltdown and care more for animals and people, the planet, etc than people might realize. Especially if they had to hear / see me during such a time. For many it just leads to withdrawal socially / depression and self medication eventually as it's discouraging and already difficult to get through a day and be productive with neuro diverse challenges, people relationships feel like an additional burden due to the complications / misunderstandings that's involved, but it doesn't mean we don't need comforting / love / touch / hugs, etc. The space is just rarely there for some of us due to social challenges to be on the receiving end of it.

Yes I hope they post the high functioning autistic people too

@@francoisnel5253 Thank you for sharing.

❤

You go dad!

Well said! Amen! & Ditto, Dad! 🤗💜

Just wait. It gets better. It seems like they develop amazing skills and abilities in subjects that they are drawn to. Encourage and nurture. We were chosen to do a special job and I'm glad to have been chosen 💙💙💙

Great interview, mom Wendy and her handsome son RJ are the best. Seems like people I would love to hang around with.

So sad about the fathers. Maybe their absence (and the absence of disputes over care) makes it easier in the end. I've always been grateful that we don't have to share my son with *them* ...💜

I have personally known two families where the MOTHER left. IDK what happened with one of them, but in the other, when I said I was sorry to hear that she rarely saw the kids, I was told, "Don't be; she's a really, really bad alcoholic." I've actually seen plenty of THAT kind of thing in families with NORMAL kids.

You have hit the nail on the head.

This is my constant worry about my son, who is very similar to RJ and has almost identical diagnoses. What will his life look like when his dad and I aren't here to protect him? Unlike most people, my child will always be a child and every bit as vulnerable.

Happened to a dear and amazing friend of mine ❤️

Thank you for being a wonderful human being.

Thank you, Mary! My son went to a *great* high school. Y'all are today's unsung heroes & true angels on earth! 💜

Thanks Mary. You are an Angel ❤️🙏

My son is 5 with severe autism and non verbal. He LOVES Occupational therapy. He can say a couple things like dada, mama, and yeah. When we pull in the parking lot for OT he yells T! Teeee! He loves his teacher, too. She is so patient and kind.

No, it's absolutely ridiculous.

@@naelyneurkopfen9741 agreed but that's how they feel then so be it.

My son has non verbal autism and ADHD. I don't understand parents who think there's nothing to cure etc. Why would you want your child to experience the difficulties and hardships that they go through every day??? If I could take all the pain and all the anxieties and struggles my son has, I'd take them away from him in a heartbeat. You can love your child with all your heart for who they are, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't want to change what they have if you could

No, it’s not! No one wants to be autistic, and no one hopes that their child is born with autism. Do they? This “nothing to cure”idea, is taking away the incentive to find the cause and cure of this epidemic.

@@stephx8811unfortunately we can’t cure everything and understanding suffering is a mystery.

Having a 33 yo w/ASD = OMG! He is soo easy to love. The patience I had w/him as a newborn just goes on & on. And I know he'll always be w/us. 🤗💜

yes it would be alot. I couldn't imagine... Wendy is remarkable and any parent or person caring for special needs on a daily basis ...

Share this video with your son. Give him this gift. As a mom of high functioning autistic son, there was so much in this that filled my heart.

❤❤❤❤❤❤

You might feel differently when you're in your 60s and still taking care of him

I share your sentiment. My son is 23 with the soul of a little boy. I knew his dad and i were chosen by the universe to be his parents. I wouldn't change him for a 'normal" son. I love him exactly the way he is.

​@@DonnellOkafor-pd7ynI am in my sixties and still caring for my autistic son. My love for him gets stronger and so does my gratitude for being his mom.

@@DonnellOkafor-pd7yn My husband and I already know he'll be with us forever. We've had time to get used to it. He's set up with a trust (like his older sisters) for his future needs. He will never be institutionalized. You make it sound like a burden and he's not. I want him to be with us, even when we are 60. It's what a parent does.

I grew up with my dads youngest brother Ralph, my uncle.. he had Down syndrome, high functioning though, when I had my own kids I realized he had the mentality of about a three year old.. he worked at a coffee shop for 25 years! But growing up, my grandmother would do respite for parents of other kids with disabilities, she’d have parties for them in her basement. I remember being little and walking around in the middle of these parties filled with kids of all different mental and physical disabilities. Some of them scared me, but my uncle was such an angel I always had fun there. My dad said my grandma even took in foster kids with disabilities when he was growing up, even though she had five kids of her own! I feel blessed beyond measure to have grown up accepting of these types of kids.. I had friends growing up who were intimidated by my angel of an uncle and didn’t know how to act around him.. he always wanted to hug everyone and a few times people took that bad somehow! Someone even called the cops on him once after my grandma had dropped him off for work early, he was stretching outside getting ready for the store to open and some ignorant fool called the cops to report him! I remember how bad he felt after that.. I love these kids and I should have gotten into working with them as well

Yes they are special teachers for humanity...

These people are not " mentally impaired". They can't control their bodies or what they say, but Inside they are fully aware, knowledgeable and intelligent.

Apart from a Dads

@@user-kh1vm6gt4b True!

You obviously haven't been watching many SWU uploads, if you believe that.

Not in my life.

She is! 🌎👼

God only gives us what we can handle❤

ME TOO!!! I cannot live w/o my fan-i have 2 portable fans that I take with me when I leave the house-they go around your neck with a propeller aiming at the right side & ine on the left side of your face😂😊They have saved my life, lol. They are rechargeable & u get them from Amazon

​@@danielleterese402thanks for the info 👍

I understood him when he says it gives him air, it probably has to do with being in 34:06 a claustrophobic situation

I feel like this is the best way for a parent of an autistic child to look at it. Provided they are able to love them unconditionally

@witchywomen6650 Blessed be! 😊

You can be & probably already are so much more wonderful than you think! I'm 56 & have a 33 yo son like RJ. If I hadn't gotten ill - well, we had grand plans. But don't worry - it's hard sometimes but because you *want* to be the best for him, you *will* be! Blessings to you both!💜

You sure they're angels??

I remember a 10 year old autistic boy who memorized the whole map of Chicago and replicated it on paper - I kept just adding paper for him to complete it - he remembered all the roads -intersections as a passenger in the car his mom drove

​@@caribcarib4337amazing

@elizabethcarrington5819 The paperwork is insane. I hate it. RJ lost his benefits three times - one of them was he turned 18, another because they still had him listed under my husband's name and mine. (Long story) My biggest concern right now is what will happen to RJ when I can't care for him or I pass on. That's more terrifying that the paperwork!

So sad you have to worry about paper work, for heavens sake. You parents do an amazing job, paper work is the last thing you should have to worry about. Bless you all.

@@wendyschmoll8087 after I’m gone what will happen? That is the one thread that ties us all together. When my son was only 6 months old when I met another mom whose 6yo daughter had Down Syndrome and she told me then “I hope she dies a few seconds before me”. I completely understand this sentiment as normal. There is no good system in place to care for these individuals if their caretakers die or become too sick or elderly. There are so many people in this position.

@@elizabethcarrington5819 I feel that this is truly our darkest area of having a disabled loved one. The system(s) suck. For those of us who have loved ones with dual diagnosis, it's even a bit more difficult. Facilities are short-staffed, underfunded, and educated in more common disabilities. I know this from first-hand experience, in that RJ's main diagnosis is Williams Syndrome, secondary PDD-NOS. Despite all I tell them, they work and deal with the autistic tendencies first. For them, it's much easier than trying to figure out Williams Syndrome. Mistake. It causes regression and behavioral issues. Therefore, our kiddos are labeled "difficult". I totally understand the Mom's thoughts of her daughter passing away before her. This is also a thought of mine. But not yet, of course. Not yet. If our children get placed, I guess the best thing we can do is prepare them as best as possible. It will be totally life-altering for them. I am in a situation where if that happens, RJ will be sent either 1/2 way across the State to the south, or the other side of the State to the West. There is nothing available for him here. This will be done not only because of shortage of space, but also because of him having both cognitive and intellectual disabilities. I have yet to figure out the logic there. This is what I am doing and have done to prepare RJ since we have no family to care for him when I'm gone. I taught RJ what death is. I literally showed him as he is a visual, hands-on learner. I also taught him about spirituality at that time. (We hospiced a terminally-ill dog) I have also taught RJ about DNR orders - for both him and myself. He seems to comprehend what I am showing him. Occasionally, when we're just sitting on the back porch, I'll bring these things up to him. Not to upset him, but to keep him aware. I am also working on "daily living skills" with him - self-care, helping with chores he'll be expected to do wherever he goes, etc. I was hoping that he could go to a facility or home for short respite, but there aren't any openings to do that. Then, of course, there's that damnable paperwork. If we don;t have the "I's" dotted and the "T's" crossed, it's a mess. Our wills may say our wishes, but if our guardianship paperwork isn't complete or matching, our wishes might (probably not) not get followed. It definitely is a living nightmare. One we should be aware of and be ready for, but try not to let it consume your enjoyable quality of life with your son now. It's hard to do.

@@elizabethcarrington5819 Here's another thought about the future. For us: If RJ were to pass away before I do (and I survive that), I could very well become homeless. All I have done for the last 28 years is be a caregiver. I used to be an office administrator, payroll, a/r, a/p, a transcriptionist...but that was years ago. To find employment in any of those areas at my age, I would be looking at entry-level at best. Today's economy is horrid. We survive on a monthly budget. Just another bit of food for thought. Make sure you yourself are provided for.

YES!!!

YES!!!!!