In 2018 my oldest daughter was diagnosed with autism. In 2020 I pulled her and her younger sister out of school and daycare to homeschool until everyone in our family could receive a vaccine. As self-employed start-up farmers two hours away from our closest family, we had no money and no support.
What I did have was an arts degree and the time to read everything I could get my hands on regarding early education, supportive therapies for autistic individuals, and brain development. So I forged my own path: custom-designing my girls' education and my oldest's therapy program, writing and illustrating targeted books and worksheets, creating custom therapy games, and compiling exercise routines that targeted her specific deficit areas.
Today, my girls are back in public school and I am too - as a substitute teacher. Being in a public school on a daily basis has broadened my understanding of the challenges children (and their teachers) are facing at this critical stage of post-COVID schooling and a growing understanding of neurodivergence. I share not only what I am learning from my own family's journey with autism, but also what I observe and experience as a teacher.