Autism Awareness

This week we heard from Robin Talley, who came to us from the University of Washington Autism Center. If you missed her talk or would like to see her presentation slides for your own notes, they are here. Included at the end are helpful resources for further reading.

At the end of the hour, good questions arose that led to more conversation and valuable insight from our speaker and other moms. For example...

What are some tips for how to support moms of kids with Autism?

• Offer childcare. Friends and family in particular will know the child and their needs, so this would not only be a break for mom, but peace of mind for her in knowing that her child is well cared for by someone who understands.
• Create a space in your own home that's comfortable for the child. When they visit, mom can be at ease knowing it's a relaxing environment for her child.
• Talk about it, share in it, understand, and just listen. 
• If your friend has more than one child, offer to watch the other sibling(s) during appointments and meetings your friend and her child need to attend.
• Just be there.