Did you know that over 70 million children and adults are affected by autism? Our little guy Eddie is one of them. Like each of you reading this, Eddie has his own set of unique strengths, challenges, and potential. To reach that potential, he and the autism community at large, rely on organizations like Autism Speaks for free access to information and resources, for political advocacy and scientific research, and to raise awareness and acceptance of autistic people in the communities we live.

Our Story:

Eddie was officially diagnosed with Autism in January 2024. Since then, our family has devoured countless books, articles, podcasts, educational courses, and therapies to figure out the best ways to support him. The first thing we learned was how incredibly ignorant we were about autism. Having limited exposure to autistic people, the only thing I knew was what I saw on television. But unfortunately, because autism manifests itself differently each individual, Hollywood grossly failed to prepare us for this new journey. 

Almost immediately we learned how confusing and divisive this community can be. How could it not be when there are so many conflicting studies and theories about causes and "cures"? We've been bombarded with an excess of companies pushing products and gimmicks that are not only incredibly expensive but riddled with messages that whisper, "you’re a shitty parent if you don’t try everything,” to me in my sleep. 

Our attempts to navigate the state's disability program, the public education system, and our medical insurance have been nothing short of infuriating and incredibly time consuming.  And after 7 months of research, evaluations, and expert consultations, I still feel like a total novice! I literally have no idea if we've made the right decisions in terms of therapy, schooling, or even in how we discipline him--and I'm almost paralyzed by my fear of saying or doing something that unintentionally offends the autistic community. So much so that, until today, I haven't spoken about his diagnosis publicly at all.  

The only thing that I’m absolutely certain of is this:

Autism gives Eddie a unique way of experiencing the world, and while it comes with its own set of challenges, it also brings him incredible strength and extraordinary abilities. We don’t need to change Eddie; we need to empower Eddie. We need to help him learn how to harness and appreciate his unique neurodiverse qualities so he can THRIVE in a society that has been primarily designed for neurotypicals. The way I see it, is it's not enough for our little circle of close friends and family to provide Eddie with support and understanding and to celebrate his differences. We have to simultaneously advocate for societal and policy changes that lead to a more inclusive world--one where people like Eddie have an opportunity to shine.

This is a lofty goal, and if I’m honest, I’m not sure how to accomplish it. But I hope that sharing some of our story is a good first step. Speaking of steps…we’d love for you to take a “Step for Tep” by joining our team at the Autism Speaks Walk, in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday, October 12, 2024. If you are unable to join our team, you can support the team by helping us reach our fundraising goal and/or by taking time to learn about Autism so you can be an advocate in your community.

You can find out even more about where your fundraising dollars go at autismspeaks.org/our-work. I also found this link helpful: autismspeaks.org/autism-speaks-controversy.