22/03/2026
Absolutely! Our Ambition Arena pitch
was born from the idea of a young person diagnosed with Autism. Not only did she come up with the idea, plan the pitch, she also absolutely smashed performing it on the night to the audience and gained the money for the project to be delivered. This was a total shock to her mum that she managed all this. We never know what kids can achieve without the opportunity there to give it a go and the safe network of support to help them manage challenging stuff 😇
5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Having An Autistic Child...
______________________________
1) The sleep deprivation is REAL.
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🌛 👩🍼 😫 🛏 💤
We're not just talking, run-of-the-mill infant who doesn't sleep through the night for a month or 4...
Nope.
We are talking colic,
acid reflux,
protein intolerances,
breath holding spells....
A child who doesn't sleep through the night until age 6...or 7....
only to start
sleep walking,
having night terrors,
developing incontinence, or apnea
at 8 or 9
before settling BACK into a pattern of Insomnia/delayed sleep phase around age 11 or 12.
They might STILL be in the FAMILY bed as teens--
either for their own safety
or to benefit from co-regulation.
💚💚 💚 💚💚
_______________________
2) The whole "milestones" thing doesn't work, for them.
Because their development
is ASYNCHRONUS.
________________________________
🍼♟️ 🤸♀️ ⚛️
They might do subtraction at 2,
but not speak until 5.
The same kid who can read a blueprint,
and apply color theory to
FX makeup techniques,
may struggle to use forks
or be unable
to walk backwards.
They learn and grow on their OWN time-line, and that makes school a CHALLENGE!
💜💜 💜 💜💜
________________________________
3) People have this belief...that Autistic kids lack creativity.
But those folks are WRONG.
______________________________
🧪 🎥 💃 🛼 🧝♀️ 🥁 🕵♂️🏴☠️ 🛡
Autistic creativity is simply EXPRESSED in different ways.
Ask my 14 year old
to write a short story
or invent a funny limerick
and he might balk.
But give him Lego and challenge him to build
a city that could
survive monsoons,
or a playground that
could accomodate
wheelchairs,
and that boy will ASTOUND you!!
🩵🩵 🩵 🩵🩵
____________________________
4) The same people who QUESTION your child's Autism diagnosis because they are so CAPABLE,
will complain when your
child's Autism
actually disables them.
_______________________________
🧠 🙋🏿♀️ 👀 🚫♿️
Society has a bizarre double standard for Autistics.
Communicate articulately--
and you couldn't
POSSIBLY be Autistic.
Do exactly what someone tells you to do, because you BELIEVE people when they use WORDS say things like
"No, really...
*sigh*
I want you to go first.
It's fine. Go ahead.
*eye roll*"
I don't mind at ALL."
(And so you go first,.missing all the unspoken cues)
But then, you aren't seen as a person whose disability is causing communication breakdown.
Nope.
You're just an a**hole who is
CHOOSING to be clueless. 😡🙄
🩷🩷 🩷 🩷🩷
___________________________
5) When you adapt social situations to accomodate your child's "unique" needs,
it can help WAY MORE
people than you reallze!
_______________________________
🎧 🍚 🧸 😎⏳️
For instance....
Carrying bland, single texture foods for my picky eater
(pasta, saltines, 'Nilla wafers)
has benefited
adults with nausea,
other picky eaters,
and even older relatives....
who are protective of
their remaining teeth.
And when I brought a bin of Lego to a funeral luncheon, it probably seemed strange....
But a dozen ADULTS built Lego with my kids, and it provided a distraction from their grief.
_______________________________
What do you wish someone had told YOU?
