# 509: Opening Up About My Journey as an Autism Mom Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/side-hustle-pro-219020/509-opening-up-about-my-journey-as-an-autism-mom Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/side-hustle-pro-219020/509-opening-up-about-my-journey-as-an-autism-mom.md Podcast: [Side Hustle Pro](https://stenobird.com/podcast/side-hustle-pro-219020) Published: 2026-04-10T07:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/side-hustle-pro/episodes/opening-up-about-my-journey-as-an-autism-mom Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/659c22ccb31581001651ebcd/e/69d87abc97d78f9e2b28d511/media.mp3 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/side-hustle-pro-219020/episodes/509-opening-up-about-my-journey-as-an-autism-mom Duration seconds: 1922 ## Resource This episode is one of the most personal and vulnerable conversations I’ve ever shared. I’m opening up about my journey as an autism mom, from the early days of pregnancy and motherhood during the pandemic to navigating the realities of developmental delays, diagnoses, and advocacy. What started as subtle concerns about speech delays turned into a life-changing journey through early intervention, therapy, and eventually receiving an official autism diagnosis for my son. Along the way, I’ve had to learn how to advocate fiercely, navigate complex systems, and redefine what motherhood looks like for me and my family. This episode is about the hard moments, the emotional weight, and the unexpected beauty in this journey. It’s also about community, resilience, and learning to see strength in a path that looks different than what I once imagined. Highlights Include 00:00 – Why this episode is deeply personal 02:00 – Pregnancy, birth, and early milestones during the pandemic 04:30 – First signs of speech delay and comparing developmental milestones 06:30 – The emotional impact of early evaluations 07:30 – Starting early intervention: speech and occupational therapy 09:00 – Transition to specialized preschool and navigating the system 11:00 – The hidden challenges of parenting a child with special needs 12:30 – Communication barriers and emotional regulation as a parent 14:00 – The moment I realized how much I’ve been carrying 16:40 – Understanding gestalt language processing 19:30 – Getting an official autism diagnosis 21:00 – Advocating for my son within the school system 23:30 – A “guardian angel” moment that changed everything 27:00 – The role of faith in navigating this journey 29:00 – Finding community and learning from other moms 30:30 – Lessons autism has taught me abo… ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/side-hustle-pro-219020/episodes/509-opening-up-about-my-journey-as-an-autism-mom/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/side-hustle-pro-219020/509-opening-up-about-my-journey-as-an-autism-mom.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.