Most parents of a special needs child will go to great lengths and try just about anything if it offers a glimmer of hope for helping their child. Even a tiny improvement is worth any amount of effort. That’s why Josiah’s morning routine when he was younger was rather daunting.

As soon as he woke up, we would put an adhesive eye patch over Josiah’s right eye and his glasses on top of that. Then, a pair of too big headphones around his little head, held in place with an elastic head band. He listened to his sound therapy C.D. (to reduce hypersensitivity to sounds and improve auditory processing) through the headphones while his diaper was changed.

Immediately afterwards we ‘brushed’  Josiah with a small plastic sensory brush to help reduce tactile defensiveness. We brushed Josiah’s skin with firm pressure, a technique we learned from one of his therapists. Following that, we gave Josiah deep joint compression on his arms and legs, fingers and toes. Then he was dressed.  We strapped Orthotics on over his socks and tied his shoes. Then he ate breakfast.

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Josiah loves water. Bathing in it, swimming in it, playing in it. If there is a body of water anywhere near, Josiah will find it.  He loves to immerse his entire body under water. And stay there. He stays under water entirely too long. I used to count the seconds he was submerged. Sometimes I had to stop counting because I was way past comfortable. I would scoop him up out of the water so he could take a breath. He didn’t seem to need it. But it certainly reassured me.

One beautiful summer day, completely unattended,  Josiah walked out the front door. None of us saw him leave. Five minutes later, we realized he was missing and took off running. My husband got to him first.  Josiah was down the street, around the bend, heading straight for the lake.

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An extra pair of hands is a huge blessing when caring for a child with special needs.  There are many reasons for this.  For one, the long, sleepless nights take a toll after a while.

If sleep deprivation was ever used as a torture tactic, if anyone ever forbade me to sleep until I told them what they wanted to know, I’d spill my guts almost immediately.  I’m one of those people who thrives on a full 8 hours a night. That’s why I have always been grateful our children all slept through the night from a very young age.  Even Josiah. Until something changed.

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Following is an essay recently written by Breanne, one of Josiah’s older sisters.  She is 18.  Growing up with a sibling with a disability is not a road anyone would choose given the option.  Reading her words, it is evident there is great compassion and growth that results from such an adventure.

I think the most valuable lesson I have learned in my eighteen years of living is that hardship is everywhere, and excuses are never acceptable. It is a lesson I have learned through time, through personal struggles and pain, and the strength I have found in myself to overcome them.

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Josiah is our fifth child.  Even as a baby, he was very different from the others.  Josiah was content to spend lots of time alone, engrossed in musical, light-up toys.  He rarely demanded much attention.  He didn’t make eye contact.  I remember holding Josiah close, wiggling my fingers quickly back and forth in front of his eyes when he was a baby. He didn’t flinch.  He didn’t blink. He just stared.

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