You don’t have to navigate disability services alone! Join the Community for parents and caregivers raising neurodivergent kids.
Experiential Life
Embracing Yesterday's Tomorrow
Raising a Neurodivergent Kid is an Emotional Rollercoaster
The day the pediatrician said, “you should have your son evaluated for autism,” life changed.
You remember that feeling, right? The, “what does this mean, what do I do, how will I do it?”
I followed my gut and immediately jumped into research mode. I wanted to know everything, connect to other parents who might mentor me on this journey, and find the best doctors to help him.
I didn’t know how hard making that happen would be.
Riding the Highs and Bracing for the Lows
The feelings of overwhelm and anxiety still fester, even more than a decade later.
Everything feels like two steps forward followed by two steps back. Whether it’s celebrating milestones like reading, counting money, or making new friends – or – on the flip side, finding a great provider who suddenly drops your insurance, getting a new diagnosis, or coordinating services, supports, appointments, and life.
The highs and lows can be extreme and send my stomach plummeting just like it does when I ride a rollercoaster.
And much like a rollercoaster, the wait (for pretty much everything I need to support my autistic son) can be long. The anticipation builds as I approach the front of the line, and my expectations can either be exceeded or leave me feeling defeated.
And frankly, I am over the whole metaphorical and yet equally emotional ride. It’s time for a change, and I think you’ll absolutely love what I have planned.
Parents and Caregivers Raising Neurodivergent Kids Need Support
The feelings of overwhelm, loneliness, frustration, and hope resonate with every single parent and caregiver I meet.
When you look at studies on mental health for parents and caregivers of neurodivergent kids, the findings aren’t great. And just about every research paper I’ve read on the subject recommends parent support and better access to resources and information as a way to alleviate some of the stress that accompanies caring for a neurodivergent child.
I don’t know about you, but finding parent support, figuring out where to get information and resources (never mind finding the time or trying to make sense of it all) is NOT an easy task. In fact, it made me feel even more hopeless.
What, do I just run around telling every person I know that my kid just got a diagnosis – hoping that it will lead to parent support??? Seriously, where’s the manual?
I got so frustrated, I built what I needed, knowing that every time I spoke to a parent, they needed it too.
And, here we are, a decade after building the first solution, and not much change in supporting parents is happening on a large scale.
It’s time we fix that.
What if you could access all the information you need to support your neurodivergent child - from the palm of your hand?
The Experiential Life App brings together parents and caregivers raising neurodivergent kids through community, webinars, parent support, and downloadable resources, all contained in a convenient app on your favorite device.
It’s perfect for parents and caregivers who:
👉 Crave community, and
👉 Need help:
✔️navigating the education and healthcare systems,
✔️communicating with all the providers and professionals, and
✔️ finding trustworthy information and resources.
It’s the solution I wanted and needed when we first got the diagnosis. It’s the solution that would have saved me time, energy, frustration, and confusion. It’s the solution that we needed yesterday.
Join the Community for Parents and Caregivers Raising Neurodivergent Kids
If you, like me, are looking for an easier way to navigate the systems that support your neurodivergent kid, want to meet other parents and caregivers who are passionate advocates like you, and want access to easy to find and understand information and resources, you are in the right place!
This community empowers parents and caregivers to support their neurodivergent kid(s) with confidence through:
💡 Interactive webinars that you can binge watch at a time most convenient for you,
💡 Downloadable resources and information from the most trustworthy professionals,
💡 Parent support groups, so you don’t have to awkwardly ask strangers where to find your people,
💡 Ask Me Anything sessions with yours truly. I’ve spent over a decade in healthcare and disability advocacy. I founded a nonprofit, accepted insurance as a provider of disability services, served as the Director of Operations for a State Council on Developmental Disabilities, and consulted with organizations and agencies working to improve life for neurodivergent people. I’m your new “insider” BFF.
AND, if any of this resonates, please share this article with your network and subscribe to the newsletter to get instant access to future articles, updates about the app, and invitations to future events, like parent support groups.