The Hidden Superpower and Game Changer for Moms Navigating Autism

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

Why do people do the things they do or think the way they do? Those are burning questions we all have, which is why I chose positive psychology as a specialty. 

I study happiness and have found that optimism and internal locus of control are strong predictors of happiness or what we call subjective well-being or our own perception of our own happiness. 

Internal locus of control is us taking responsibility for the outcome or feeling we had some control over the outcome. Whereas, external locus of control is blaming it on others and not accepting any of the responsibility.

In the world of autism, things can shift quickly. So, it is hard to predict what comes next. But as moms striving to stay a step ahead to protect our children, we strive with all our might. Right?

We fight to control the outcome because we want to keep them safe, but that is not always possible. We put a lot on ourselves and it feels so heavy. I know. I am right there with you. 

In this episode, we explore a game changer that will open up many possibilities for change, not only for you, but your child too.

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

Please share the podcast with other moms to help them grow in their autism journey. 

You can also do this by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I appreciate you

Be sure to subscribe to the Thriving Moms of Autistics YouTube Channel!

Building Stress and Behavioral Shifts Weigh On Autism Moms

Moms raising autistics are unique in their daily experiences. They have a heavier load of managing many tasks at once, such as the usual day to day, unexpected shifts, melt downs, communication struggles, keeping their child safe and alive, and so on. 

With that great responsibility comes significant stress and exhaustion. We are usually pretty good at anticipating many of our child’s needs or what they are communicating to us, but there are those times that it all gets lost in translation and it all escalates. We do our best. 

In those events we do our best to help our child through it and find the best ways to keep ourselves in check and maintain our own sanity while we walk through it. 

It is easy to beat ourselves up when things go South, or we don’t manage it as calmly as we would have liked, or manage it as quickly as we could have. 

Did you know that there is a trick to that? Oh, but there is. Most people are not aware of it.  Sometimes, I want to scream it from the mountain tops because it makes such a difference.

The Game Changing Resource That All Moms of Autistics Have and Don’t Even Know It

We are all different creatures, which I am thankful for. It would be so boring if we were all the same. Right?

We were created in such a way that prepares us to go through life, even though it feels like we are lacking. Life is hard no doubt. We aren’t cookie cutter, and there is a good reason for that. 

I often see moms dive into the unknown with all that they have after their child’s diagnosis. They might not have been strong students in school, but they are in high gear learning all they can about autism and finding ways to support their child. 

This is the character strength of love of learning. This is a great example of lacking awareness of a strength to find that it really is your thing and helps you get through difficult times. 

You might have noticed that you were more quick to give your opinion or jump into something without thinking it through prior to having your child. However, you see that you are more controlled now th