Tenacity is Our Super Power: How Autism Moms Can Reduce Stress and Gain Community

Welcome back to another episode of the Thriving Moms of Autistics Podcast! I am your host, Dr. Christina Wilson. 

Let’s play the old game, Have You Ever…

Okay, ready?

Have you ever been in a place mentally where you felt so alone and just wanted another human being who has been there to listen to you? You know.. Vent!

Have you ever rushed around trying to find someone to watch your child in an emergency?

Have you ever wished your child had more friends and that your family had friends who understood first hand what you were going through?

Does having these things seem impossible?

What if I told you that it is not impossible?

In this episode, we explore the benefits of community for moms of autistics and how to start finding YOUR support network. 

Find the full transcript for this episode on your favorite podcast app. 

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What Hinders a Mom of an Autistic Child When They Try to Find a Community of Others Who Get It?

Finding others who get it is hard, but it is not impossible. Does everyone in your community have to have experience with autism?

No! There are people who are willing to learn when given the opportunity. 

I started out with virtual connections, such as facebook groups for parents with children with special needs. I also had the professionals involved in my son’s care.

Those groups are so helpful when it comes to finding resources for your child. They also offer some support too.

This was a great start, but I needed more. 

As moms, we go through our journey thinking that we can do it all. We have no choice, and finding others who get it is too hard. 

I promise that day will come where we realize that it is so much bigger than us.

We all know that big things can happen at any time. We just hope it doesn’t.

Well, that day came for my family. 

I had been in and out of the hospital and developed sepsis from a picc line. I was in bad shape. I wasn’t sure I would leave the hospital at one point when I was vomiting blood and it was coming through my stomach tube.

The previous hospitalization, my organs were shutting down and I needed blood transfusions. It got scary very quickly. I stabilized for a while then things got worse.

My son was in great hands with his dad, but you all know what happens when there is a change in routine. 

I could only see him via FaceTime due to hospital regulations from COVID. I really didn’t want him to see me like that anyway with tubes coming out of me and such.

We had a nurse coming to the house. I had to measure my med dosage,  prepare my meds, and give myself my injections. In addition, I had to clean my ports, measure my stomach contents, and empty them periodically. Imagine what that was like for a child watching it all. 

I got my tubes out and was on my way to recovery when my husband had multiple blood clots out of the blue. 

It was terrifying. I tried to remain calm. I put my son in his room after the ambulance arrived. I did not want my son to see them working on his dad. Once they left, I got on the phone frantically trying to find someone to watch my son. 

You and I know that not just anyone can watch our child, right!! People are amazing, but knowing how to keep an autistic safe is a whole other level. Our kids do not know how to assess danger. Then there are the meltdowns and the list goes on.