Faith & Autism

Sue Vock is a Christ follower, wife, and mom to three, who has worked for nonprofits her entire career. Her daughter Molly is 30 years old, and was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 17 after years of evaluations. Sue ministered at a church for over 18 years, worked at an autism nonprofit, and is currently the Director of Development & Marketing at Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha & Jefferson Counties. She is currently leading a support group at her church for parents of children with autism, and serving as an advocate and resource for those families and others she has connected with on her journey. Sue believes God has a plan for every child, adult, and family living with autism as we all reflect the image of God in our own circles of influence.

It's easy after reading Sue's bio to know why Chelsea wanted her to be the guest for this episode.

There's a lot of "noise" in the space between noticing something is different about your child and getting a diagnosis. Quieting that noise allowed Chelsea to hear God's heartbeat again, and it sounded a lot like the peace she remembered before it seemed her parenting journey was flipped upside down.

Chelsea and Sue talk about what practicing their Christian faith looked like before children, verses from the Bible that carried them through those years of raising children, and how the faith community might support its neurodiverse members.

Content that may be unfamiliar in the order it comes up in the episode:

• "What to Expect When …" books: "What to Expect When You're Expecting" (Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, and Sandee Hathaway; rev. 1996), "What to Expect the First Year" (Heidi Murkoff, 1994), "What to Expect the Toddler Years" (Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, and Sandee Hathaway; 1994)
• Waisman Center
• neuropsychologist: For the purpose of this episode, a specialist serving as a clinical evaluator and diagnostician. "Clinical Neuropsychology is a specialty field ... dedicated to understanding the relationships between brain and behavior, particularly as these relationships can be applied to the diagnosis of brain disorder, assessment of cognitive and behavioral functioning and the design of effective treatment." (American Psychological Association)

Podcast includes an introduction for episodes 6 and following at the beginning. Transition music, "Taking a Vocation", by Noey Budde.

Closing narration for episodes 6 and following.