09/10/2025
🧩 Hunter’s Heart 🧩
Smashing Milestones One Step at a Time 💚
First things first… watch this video. Hunter played ball with me. I threw it to him and he threw it back several times. I wish I had captured more, but our cameraman (Hunter’s grandma) turned the camera off too soon. I gave her plenty of grief for cutting it short, but I’ll let her slide this time. We’ll fire her today and rehire her tomorrow 😂🎥💚
This moment in the video may look small, but it’s monumental. Here’s why.
🌟 New Wins for Hunter
Hunter is doing things today that once felt impossible:
✅ He now puts an electric toothbrush in his mouth without sensory overload 🪥
✅ He tolerates having his hair towel dried with no resistance 💆♂️
✅ He blows whistles and blows kisses, even waving goodbye on his own 💋👋
✅ He uses his tablet to request a diaper change and has even brought wipes to his nanny after realizing he needed help 🧻📲
✅ He goes in search of toys and puts them together, something he hadn’t done since infancy 🧸
✅ He wears headphones, blows bubbles and gives the tightest hugs with the brightest smile 🎧🫧🤗
✅ He knows his therapy routines and even helps put equipment back in place before we do 🏋️
Every single one of these is progress. Every single one is hard won.
💡 Why This Matters
For many children with autism, the world is overwhelming. Sounds, textures and transitions can feel unbearable. Progress is not just learning new skills, it is gaining access to life.
📊 1 in 36 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder
📊 40 percent of children with autism are nonverbal at age 4
📊 Sensory processing challenges affect at least 80 percent of children with autism
That means milestones like brushing teeth, tolerating hair drying, or playing with toys are not just everyday skills. They are breakthroughs.
📚 A Brief History
Autism was first described in the 1940s. Back then, progress stories like Hunter’s were often hidden and many children were institutionalized. Today, with early interventions, therapy and integrative approaches, children are breaking barriers every day. Families and therapists now celebrate the “small” steps, because those steps build bridges to independence, communication and joy.
🌈 The Bigger Picture
Hunter is not just making progress in therapy. He is making progress in life. He is participating more in school, showing less resistance and his teachers send home positive notes. He is finding his voice in new ways and his spark is undeniable.
🙌 How You Can Support
You can help children like Hunter keep climbing:
💚 Celebrate progress and cheer on every step
📖 Educate yourself about autism and share what you learn
⏳ Offer patience with routines, sensory needs and communication
🤝 Support therapies by sharing resources or donating
👫 Include and invite every child into friendship and play
💬 A Call to Community
These kids do not have an easy road. Outside of school, many spend hours in ABA, speech, OT, PT, and integrative therapies. It is work. But they do not give up. They fight for every connection, every skill, every smile.
So today, let’s celebrate Hunter. Drop him a message. Tell him how proud you are. Remind him and remind all the kids walking this road, that every milestone matters.
Because when a child with autism picks up a ball, blows a kiss or waves goodbye for the first time, it is not just progress. It is proof of possibility 💚
