Let’s talk social media. I’m an 80’s baby who was raised in an era where cell phones, computers and social media are paramount. Throw in special needs parenting and I’m tempted to say that social media damn near keeps me going at times. Do I get tired of feeling so attached to devices? You betcha. Do I think life would be better without the constant (and often overwhelming) stream of information? Absolutely not. You see, being able to reach out to thousands of other special needs parents at the tap of an app has taken the often isolating task of raising a kiddo with autism and allowed me to feel anything but alone. I scroll through my newsfeed and read posts from all over the autism spectrum ranging from teenagers struggling with potty training to young men applying for their first job. In an instant, I am grateful my son has excelled at potty training and also forced to ponder whether Mason will one day be deemed employable by the harsh world we live in.

I sometimes encounter parents of older kids with autism and think to myself , “wow—they survived parenting before the time of social media.” Those parents are my heroes. Seriously.

Autism is a moving target and being involved in several online communities allows me to get feedback from other parents with the click of a button. If you’ve seen one doctor or sought out one therapy, then that’s all you know. BUT when I pose a question to a group of 20k+ moms, I suddenly find myself receiving guidance from SEVERAL vantage points. Maybe it’s a type of therapy that I never knew existed or a method I’ve never even thought of trying. Having thousands of experiences at my finger tips is just priceless.

I firmly believe that in order to navigate this crazy world, we have to find our village. My village just happened to emerge out of the social media world and I am so grateful to have found fellow autism parents—even if I never meet them face to face. #masonandme #autismacceptance #autismandsocialmedia