Ezra does not have many words. I will say that over the last half year, he has definitely made huge strides in his communication skills (words and sign language) and we are so excited for this! I believe communication is one of the biggest obstacles in our Autism journey so far. There are few words that Ezra uses consistently, that demonstrate comprehension.

Often times, Ezra becomes very frustrated because he cannot communicate his needs or wants. I cannot imagine how trapped he must feel to not be able to express himself.

There are patterns in Ezra’s behavior that, as his parents, we have been able to pick up on and we can sometimes guess what is bothering him or what he wants. Other times, as Ezra’s frustration mounts, we are left scrambling to try to understand what the cause is and often times we feel helpless.

Each day we have a new opportunity to try to connect with him, learn from him, and get into “his world”. Each day we have a new opportunity to find a way to communicate our love to him.

I am so thankful that there are ways to communicate other than using words. Other than using my words to say “I love you, Ezra”, I show love to my sweet boy by laying on the floor with him, rolling his toy car back and forth across the kitchen floor, tight squeezes and hugs, and dancing to his favorite tunes.

He may not always be able to bring himself to look me in the eye, but he has a beautiful smile that will stretch across his face. In moments like these, his incredible smile is all the communication I need. His smile communicates happiness. His smile communicates excitement. His smile communicates love.

I cannot begin to express what joy it brings to my heart to see my sweet boy’s smile. His smile is one of God’s many sweet reminders that everything is ok!

I have faith that the words will come. It may take time and hard work, but they will come.

But for now, a smile is worth a thousand words.

Love In A Different Language