Karson, 5, peeks out from another room in her father’s card shop. Cody Copas, 29, named the shop “Karson’s Cards” in honor of his daughter. The shop opened a little over a year ago. 

Karson lines up magnetic squares in front of the Karson’s Cards storefront window. Arranging objects is a comfort activity for Copas. 

Karson looks up at a television at Karson’s Cards. 

From left, Nicole Aldana, 36, her daughter, Karson, and her partner, Cody Copas, walk into Loftus Early Childhood Center. Karson goes to a school that carefully caters to her needs for three hours a day, four days a week. 

Karson, right, is comforted by Maggie Oswald, an early childhood special education teacher, in a sensory room at Loftus Early Childhood Center. Copas spends 15 to 30 minutes in the sensory room each day before school to help her adjust to the new environment. 

Karson drags her foot on a turf carpet at Karson’s Cards. Cody had bought and installed the turf carpet earlier in the day. Once Karson arrived, she rubbed her feet on the turf to inspect the new texture of the floor. 

Nicole Aldana writes the ABCs on one of Karson's toys while she watches at Karson’s Cards on. Despite Karson being non-verbal, her parents still teach her the ABCs, colors and basic numbers.

Karson, left, and Nicole Aldana hold hands in the back seat of the car after a therapy session in Knob Noster. Karson goes to Knob Noster three to four times a week for speech therapy.

Karson watches bubbles drift by her while standing on the front porch of her home. “They told me I couldn’t have kids,” said Karson’s mother Nicole Aldana. “Then I got pregnant and the blood test told me it was a boy. But we had a girl. We had a queen.” 

Karson cries while being bathed by her father, Cody. Karson can easily become overstimulated and protests when she has to do something she does not want to.

Karson Copas hugs Cody Copas in their living room. Karson only accepts physical touch when she wants to, and initiated the embrace with her father. 

Karson reaches up at the television to touch a character in a YouTube video. Karson becomes most energetic at night, and flaps and runs around the room to express herself. “We never know what her sleep schedule is going to be like,” said Nicole Aldana, her mother. “We take shifts watching her when she’s awake at night.”