Finding Practical Solutions for Autism Families
When Autisable was launched over 10 years ago, I didn’t have a clue as to the challenges families face on a daily basis. Personally, none of my family members knew what journey we were about to embark on. In short, we were heading down a path that few families before us already have been… but as it is with the diagnosis, each path has its own twists and turns.
Within the first year of Autisable launching all those years ago, I was bombarded with questions about autism, about therapies, about IEP’s, as well as legal issues… and I was dumbfounded.
Caught like a deer in the headlights, I had no clue what to do. After all, I’m not a doctor or a therapist or educator. I’m definitely not a lawyer. I’m just a husband to a beautiful wife of 25 years and a father to a boy who has been diagnosed with autism. And as much as I wanted to help in these areas, I didn’t even know where to begin. I was still stuck on how to be a dad, and how to be a husband.
So, I focused Autisable on one thing, letting people express their journey on the site. It didn’t matter if I agreed or disagreed with someone’s opinion, it’s their experience (your experience) that needed to be shared. With each blog post, with each moment shared on Autisable, we saw nuggets of truth that bypassed all political, economical, and religious beliefs. Ultimately we discovered a series of common pain-points that most autism families have experienced in some way.
With this understanding, my hunt began in finding practical solutions to help the autism community.
As we move forward in this effort, I have several initiatives being launched this year. The goal of these initiatives is to address those common pain points within the community.
The initiatives will initially be addressing such topics as finding a qualified and highly recommended therapist in a specific area… to helping to address legal challenges.
As with any initiatives, please understand that although it’s taken us 10 years to reach this stage of assistance, we know that no initiative is perfect. But, it’s a start that we know will provide at least a course of action for families to look into and explore for their specific situation.
As we find more common pain points within the community, we will continue to expand our efforts and let everyone know what we would recommend as a possible course of action for you to look into for your situation.
I appreciate you following us on our journey, and I know that what we are aiming to do will indeed help the autism community.
In your journey, what have you found to be the most challenging? Please leave a comment below.
(Disclosure: Anything that is shared on Autisable is for informational purposes only. Any action taken from information read on this site is the responsibility of the person taking it and Autisable will not be held liable)
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You’re such an amazing person and resource for everyone on our journey in autism. I am not a parent. I was a special education teacher for 40 years and have had the privilege of knowing you for the last 10 years. You have coached and mentored my partner Robin and I in so many ways over the years. The world is a better place because of the selfless and tireless work you do to help others every day. Not to mention the fact that you are an amazing father. I love listening to your interactions with your son when we talk over the phone and now on Zoom.
Great article!
Thanks! I look forward to sharing what we’re doing soon!