At church a few months ago, our pastor asked the poignant question, “What are you doing with the gifts you were given to help others?”

I knew I could pass that question with flying colors. After all, I’ve been a public school teacher for the last 23 years—my passion and gifts are obvious.

Then he asked the question again, worded in a slightly different way: “What are you doing with what you’ve got?”

This brought another thought to mind: my journey over the last nine years to make a difference in my daughter’s life.

My oldest child, Hannah, was diagnosed with autism at the age of 18 months.  Although this felt like a tragedy for our family, we were also blessed the autism was detected so early. Early intervention made a huge difference in her life.

Right before Hannah’s diagnosis, I found out we were expecting our second child, Connor, and that autism could be genetic. While excited about the arrival of my son, I knew my chances of having another child with autism increased significantly, as autism presents more often in boys than girls.

Only 20 percent of marriages survive an autism diagnosis. Ours did not. We were both educators who felt helpless trying to teach our own daughter. The guilt of a special needs parent is enormous.

Hannah is now 11 years old and in the fifth grade, while Connor is nine and in the third grade. Hannah enjoys art and piano; Connor enjoys Tae Kwon Do and his Legos.

And, me?

I teach during the day, run the kids to their evening activities, cook, help with homework, take care of the house, and try to fit in exercise. In other words, I try to keep my head above water. Some days I do better than others.

So, when our pastor asked what we can do with the gifts we were given, I felt the need to give the autism community a website specifically for families and friends of those affected by autism—a place not only to better understand the daily struggles of individuals on the spectrum and their families, but also to feel security in knowing that one does not have to be alone on this journey.

I look forward to publishing a new blog post on the first and third Monday of every month, to inform and encourage.

Take care,
Lori