509: Opening Up About My Journey as an Autism Mom

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 about boundaries and perspective 31:00 – A real-life parenting moment at the barbershop 33:00 – Choosing celebration during Autism Awareness Month Links Mentioned in This Episode • Save the Date: Start the Podcast That Builds Your Exit Plan (Friday, April 17) Watch & Listen Watch this episode on YouTube and listen on all podcast platforms: Apple Podcasts: Spotify: YouTube: Announcements If you’re ready to build a podcast that becomes your exit plan from your 9-to-5, sign up for my next live class: Start the Podcast That Builds Your Exit Plan Save your seat here . Social Media Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You can listen to 509: Opening Up About My Journey as an Autism Mom online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

509: Opening Up About My Journey as an Autism Mom is an episode from Side Hustle Pro by Nicaila Matthews Okome | Side Hustle Pro Media.

This episode is 32:02 long.

This episode was published on Apr 10, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Side Hustle Pro when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.