Autism from a mama who has been there.

Over the years, we (our family) has mentored dozens of families, some from the day of diagnosis. In 2017 I decided to write a post a day for Autism Awareness Month, and several friends encouraged me to write a book. And a couple of years later, we, Chris, and I did. A few of them. 

Together, my husband and I have decades of experience with autism. When we were raising our son, who has autism, there were no relatable picture books. With the help of his psychologist, we started writing social stories to help him with different aspects of his life. While my husband was stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, I worked as a teacher’s aide in the early intervention special education classes at Luke Elementary School in the Dysart Unified School District. I was able to bring home everything he was learning and apply it 24/7. One of the most important concepts was using concrete language and repetition.

How do you reach children on the spectrum? You start with picture books (social stories) about a little girl just like them. Lottie is a multi-racial, military brat who uses questions and creativity as she and her parents discover how to cope with life’s challenges. With topics from moving again to breakfast, our Lottie stories cover (hidden) issues that are relatable to every child regardless of gender, race, or ability. With back matter to help both the child and the parent, these books are necessary today as more children are diagnosed. The first three books are due to be released this year!

​My posts, “Autism from a Mama Who Has Been There,” were the beginning of my writing journey. I am going to re-post them along with some originals. I am hoping to post every day this month. Please feel free to ask questions in the comments.