Raising children is exhausting! And when sensory needs, resistance to self-care tasks, and language delays come into play, it's easy to become overwhelmed. We'll have plenty of posts to seek advice, and upcoming videos to provide education and strategies for some of the challenges. In this post, lets lift each other other up. Introduce yourself by sharing something you LOVE about your kid, or about your ASD parenting journey. I'll start. When I was in college, learning to be an OT, another student came over to my house and saw my son toe walking across the grass. She asked if my son was the reason I was becoming an OT. I looked at her blankly, and asked, "no, why?" My son was not yet diagnosed at the time, and being a new mom I didn't even realize he wasn't developing along typical milestones! That woman said to me, "oh, no reason. Just know that you're in the the right field." I look back at it and laugh now. My son wouldn't be diagnosed for two more years from that day, but traveling that journey has allowed me to empathize and build trust with the families I work with, in a way I never could if I hadn't experienced the process myself. My son is now a young man, living in a group home just a few miles from me. He is also developing his own online community related to his passion; I couldn't be prouder!