CBs

As mentioned in another post, Cooper, like most siblings of autistic children, worry about their siblings future.   Ever since he was little, he has worried about what kind of job Bailey would have as an adult.  Like all siblings of special needs people, Cooper would like Bailey to have a meaningful life as an adult.  He would like Bailey to have a job he enjoys and friends he can socialize with. 

One day during in-home speech therapy, Bailey told his speech therapist that he would like to be a "cooker", aka chef.  This got Cooper thinking.  He decided that when Bailey and he are adults, they would own a restaurant called CBs.  This would be a place where Bailey could do what he likes to do, cook, as well as have a job that brought joy and meaning to his life.  It would allow Bailey to socialize with people in a safe environment. 

Cooper has realized at a young age what many researchers and members of the Siblings Leadership Network have discovered.  When the special needs person in a family has something to do during the day whether it is a job or volunteer work, it provides less stress and brings joy to the rest of the family. Cooper's insightfulness  and wisdom beyond his years continue and will continue to amaze me on a daily basis.