Meet The Honest Autism Mom
Who I Am
If we were sitting together on my back porch, chances are I’d have a cup of coffee in my hand, my chickens would be wandering around the yard, and I’d probably apologize for the toys scattered across the floor before you even had a chance to notice them.
Life in our home is beautifully messy.
I’m a wife, a mom to two incredible children, and a nurse by profession. But the role that has shaped me more than any other is being my son’s mom.
My son has profound autism.
His little sister keeps us laughing, keeps us humble, and reminds me daily that childhood is still full of joy, even in the middle of chaos.
I never imagined motherhood would look like this.
Like so many parents, I had dreams about what life would be. Instead, I found myself learning a new language—one filled with therapy appointments, sensory needs, sleepless nights, meltdowns, safety concerns, and celebrating victories that most people might never notice.
There are parts of this life that can feel incredibly lonely. Parts that are difficult to explain unless you have lived them yourself.
Somewhere along the way, I also realized I had lost pieces of myself.
There were seasons when I barely recognized the woman staring back at me in the mirror.
Writing became one of the ways I started finding my way back.
Not because writing fixes anything.
But because putting words to the things I was carrying somehow made them feel a little lighter.
That is why The Honest Autism Mom exists.
Not because I have all the answers.
Not because I am an expert.
But because I know what it feels like to wonder if anyone else understands.
I created this space to share the parts of autism parenting that are often left unspoken—the exhaustion, grief, fear, guilt, isolation, fierce love, unexpected beauty, laughter, and complicated hope.
I want to share our story honestly while still protecting the parts of my children’s lives that belong to them.
You will find pieces of our real life here, but my children’s dignity and privacy will always matter more than a story, a post, a page view, or a moment of attention.
If you have ever felt exhausted...
If you have ever loved your child so deeply that it physically hurt...
If you have ever grieved the life you imagined while fiercely loving the life you have...
If you have ever wondered whether anyone else could possibly understand the weight you are carrying...
I want you to know something.
You belong here.
When I am not writing, you will usually find me outside in my garden, tending to our chickens, dreaming up ideas, spending time with my family, or simply trying to soak in the quiet moments whenever they come.
Thank you for being here.
It means more than you know.
I hope that every time you visit, you leave feeling a little lighter, a little more understood, and a little less alone.
I do not need you to know my name to know my heart.
Here, I am simply:
The Honest Autism Mom.
🌿
About this Website
The Honest Autism Mom is a personal storytelling and support platform created by myself, a mother raising a child with profound autism while also caring for a neurotypical young daughter.
This is a place for the parts of autism parenting that are often left unspoken: the grief, guilt, isolation, exhaustion, fear, fierce love, unexpected beauty, and complicated hope.
I am not here to pretend that every difficult experience has an inspirational ending. I want this to be a place where families can speak honestly about the complicated truth: we can love our children more than life itself while still grieving the life we once imagined.
The Honest Autism Mom says:
You are allowed to love your child more than life itself and still admit that this life is hard..
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Finding beauty, honesty, and hope while raising a child with profound autism.
Why This Site Exists
I created The Honest Autism Mom because raising a child with profound autism can feel incredibly lonely.
There are so many parts of this life that are difficult to explain to someone who has not lived them—the constant worry, exhaustion, grief, guilt, isolation, fierce love, and fear about the future. Sometimes, you do not need advice or someone to tell you how to fix everything. You simply need to hear another parent say, “I understand. I have felt that too.”
I want this to be a safe and honest place where parents can recognize themselves in another family’s story and feel understood without having to explain every detail.
A place where we can grieve without being judged.
Where we can celebrate progress that others may not fully understand.
Where we can acknowledge how difficult this life can be while still recognizing the beauty, love, and meaningful moments within it.
I want to offer encouragement without pretending that a positive attitude makes the hardest parts disappear. I also want to share practical resources, personal experiences, and the lessons I am learning as we navigate this life as a family.
This site is part of my own healing journey too. It gives me a place to process my grief, preserve our memories, make meaning from some of our hardest experiences, and turn the loneliness I have felt into connection with other families.
More than anything, I want another parent to come here and realize:
My feelings are valid. My story matters. And I am not alone.
MISSION STATEMENT:
The Honest Autism Mom shares the unfiltered realities, complicated emotions, unexpected beauty, and enduring hope found in raising a child with profound autism, so that families walking a similar path know they are seen, understood, and never completely alone.
VISION STATEMENT:
To build a compassionate community where families raising children with profound autism can speak honestly about their lives without shame, judgment, comparison, or pressure to make every hardship sound beautiful.
6 CORE VALUES:
Honesty
We tell the truth about autism parenting, even when the truth is uncomfortable.
We do not pretend that love erases exhaustion, grief, fear, resentment, loneliness, or uncertainty.
Compassion
Every family is carrying a story that others may not see.
We speak with kindness toward children, parents, siblings, caregivers, professionals, and families whose experiences may look different from our own.
Dignity
Children with profound autism deserve privacy, humanity, respect, safety, appropriate support, and a meaningful place in the world.
Stories should be honest without humiliating or dehumanizing the child at the center of them.
Connection
The site is built around the words:
“Me too.”
Its greatest purpose is helping another parent realize that someone else understands.
Hope
Hope does not mean pretending everything will become easy.
Hope may look like:
One peaceful afternoon.
A new skill.
A moment of connection.
A sibling’s laughter.
A safe home.
A parent surviving another difficult day.
Finding meaning in a life that looks different than expected.
Beauty
Beauty can exist beside grief.
The Honest Autism Mom looks for quiet beauty in ordinary moments without forcing painful experiences to become inspirational.
THE CENTRAL TRUTH
Two things can be true at the same time.
I can love my child beyond words, and this life can still be incredibly hard.
I can celebrate who my child is, and still grieve the experiences he may never have.
I can be grateful, and still feel exhausted.
I can find beauty, and still acknowledge pain.
I can hope for progress, and still accept my child as he is today.
I can advocate for my autistic child, and still recognize the needs of his sibling.
This emotional duality is the heart of The Honest Autism Mom.