Evenings used to feel like the hardest part of our day.

Not just a little hard – more like everything slowly started to unravel right when we were supposed to be winding down.

More emotions. More resistance. More exhaustion (for all of us).

And for a long time, I kept wondering what I was missing. Because it didn’t make sense… how could a child who “held it together” all day fall apart the moment they got home?

Over time, I started to understand something deeper was happening.

What is nervous system overload?

One of the biggest shifts for me has been learning to see behavior through a nervous system lens. read more

When Anderson was in his preschool day program, his teachers would tell me the same thing every single day: recess is his favorite part of the day. Looking back, I didn’t realize how important outdoor play for autism would become for us.

Every day. Without fail.

And I would smile and nod – and then go home and… not really take him outside much at all.

It wasn’t intentional. It was just that after long days of school and therapy, we were both exhausted.

He needed to decompress.
I needed to survive. read more

I Thought I Knew What Language Development Was Supposed to Look Like

If you didn’t know… I used to be a speech-language pathologist.

I don’t say that to establish credentials, but because it matters for this story — and maybe for yours too.

When my son Anderson was diagnosed with nonverbal autism at 2.5 years old, I went into research mode immediately. I read everything I could find about autism and language development. And because of my background, I thought I had a head start.

I didn’t.

Because what I had learned in graduate school — and what was being modeled in Anderson’s early therapy — was only half the picture. And that missing half cost us time we didn’t have to lose. read more

He Couldn’t Tell Me He Wanted Eggs: Why We Finally Got Anderson an AAC Device

For over a year, Anderson would walk to the refrigerator, pull it open, and just stand there.

He couldn’t point to what he wanted. He couldn’t say it. He would just stare — and I would start pulling out food, one thing at a time, watching him push each one away.

He was hungry. He knew what he wanted. And he had absolutely no way to tell me.

That was our life before AAC.

A Little Background

I used to be a speech therapist. I haven’t practiced in years, but that background gave me a different lens through which to experience Anderson’s journey — though I want to be honest: it didn’t make it any easier. read more

Why Some of Our Biggest Breakthroughs Happened Outside the Therapy Room

When Anderson was first diagnosed, I thought therapy meant one thing: a scheduled appointment, a clinical setting, a therapist with a plan.

And that absolutely has its place.

But some of the most powerful moments in Anderson’s development? They didn’t happen in a therapy room.

They happened in an elevator. At the park. In our backyard. At a children’s museum on a random Tuesday.

And it took me a while to realize — those moments were therapy.

What Is Natural Environment Therapy?

Natural Environment Teaching (NET) is actually a well-established approach in autism support. The idea is simple: learning happens best in the context where that skill will actually be used. read more

If you’re searching for how to calm an autistic child naturally – especially during meltdowns, aggression, or constant overwhelm – you are not alone.

Many autistic children live in a state of nervous system dysregulation, often stuck in fight-or-flight. This can look like hitting, yelling, extreme reactions, or behaviors that feel impossible to manage.

I know this because I lived it.

This is the story of how we went from crisis to calm – and the natural, nervous-system-based approaches that helped my son regulate, connect, and finally feel safe in his body. read more

Autism and Dyspraxia: Celebrating Small Breakthroughs for Autistic Kids

Most people don’t realize that autism and dyspraxia often go hand in hand.

Dyspraxia is a motor planning challenge – meaning many kids want to do something, but their body has a hard time organizing all the steps to actually make it happen. It’s not a lack of effort. It’s a disconnect between the brain and the body.

A Simple Task Can Be a Big Challenge

For Anderson, one of the most obvious examples was something that seems so simple—drinking from a straw or an open cup.

For the longest time, he could only drink from a specific type of sippy cup. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t coordinate all the steps to take a sip. He would get frustrated—and eventually give up. read more