We were lucky to catch up with Tiffany Simpson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tiffany, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

I started journaling as a teenager. My journal was a place where I could face my negative thoughts and feelings and hopefully find inner peace. When the school day got too hectic, I would use my break time to slip into the library to read a book or to write in my journal.

When the excitement of a new school year wore off and there was still so much time left before summer break, I would use my journal to help me make sense of the blur in between. I used my journal to pause time and learn about myself. It didn’t seem like a big deal as a teen, but little did I know this practice had a purpose.

For me, journaling was about acceptance and a refuge for my thoughts and emotions. Ten years after I started journaling, I had my son. He was diagnosed with autism. Journaling became the ideal solution. Somehow, self-reflection made sense against a life-altering diagnosis. Journaling was the perfect antidote to overcome the many obstacles that autism presented.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Through journaling, I gave up whatever discontent I had towards my son’s autism and began to teach myself to create computer games and mobile apps to help him overcome challenges with his speech and social skills. The results were amazing. My son went from being a non-verbal autistic boy at age 3 to creating his first video animation course for sale at age 8. We kept records of our progress and we felt encouraged. We have been on an amazing adventure where we get to control our destiny.

My son and I run a culturally responsive children’s book club, where I write the stories and my son illustrates them. We write and publish books about autism awareness and cultural diversity. My son is almost 17 years old and has overcome many challenges in his journey as an autistic teen through graphic journaling (his dyslexia does not allow him to write well). Despite his challenges, he is in control of his future.

During the pandemic, it became clear that I need to offer this solution to other autism moms so that they can also heal their journey. In 2021, I founded the Moms of Autism community where we would write about our journey. Beyond the ability to heal through reflective writing, I also help these moms with more practical solutions like how their journals can help other autism moms and sustain their journey. We publish the journals in our yearly book series, in our monthly magazines, on our website and our social media channels.

This practice has helped many autism moms gain a sense of balance after the autism diagnosis. I am also the author of the book, Hold On Tight Autism Mama, You’re In For A Beautiful Ride. This book is for autism moms who have recently received a diagnosis. This book helps autism moms shift their focus so that they can start to heal from the trauma of the diagnosis and the subsequent journey ahead.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

We are a bounce-back type of family. It is just me and my son. His journey on the autism spectrum has been a challenge for him. My son also struggles with moderate to severe dyslexia which challenges his ability to write.

As a mom and therapist, I am always helping parents help their children handle big emotions through journaling (book writing), but I could not help my son in the same way. A few years ago, the idea came to me to encourage my son to draw. He was reluctant at first because he was not comfortable holding a pencil and his hand mobility is still underdeveloped.

During the pandemic, he started to develop his illustrating skills. This new graphic journaling solution has helped him to deal with all the big emotions of his teenage years. He is almost 17 years old and has a thriving business illustrating books and other publications. Illustrating is also helping him beat dyslexia.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I graduated from college as a Math and Physics major and was on my way to becoming an engineer. I took a break from my studies. That break became indefinite. And then I got pregnant. And this changed everything. Not only did I give birth to my son, but he was diagnosed with autism a couple of years after he was born. My hopes of becoming an engineer quickly faded.

It’s a very vulnerable feeling not being able to help your child. Strangers who are “experts” could pinpoint in a matter of seconds that I was a single mom who did not have control over her situation and her household. I watched as my son was unable to contain his emotions because he was not able to communicate his wants and needs. The tantrums were wild. I knew there would be future outbursts and all I could do was brace for impact.

After a short 4 years in the school system, I decided to homeschool my son. I was very naive in thinking that my life as a mom would include arts and crafts and bedtime stories. I dreamt of picking up a happy child from school with a craft in his hand. What I had to deal with was the unforeseen need to pivot in order to save my child.

I had to accept that no parent is truly prepared for the future. The fact that I was a single mother did not make me “less prepared”. No mother truly knows what hardships her child will have to endure. And then I was told that my son’s autism was punishment for having him out of wedlock. This is when I knew I could not trust society with his care. Why would they lie to me? Why would they blame me because he could not fit into their mold?

It is so easy to believe lies about motherhood once you become a mom. It is easy to think that you are not capable of the journey ahead. I had to face the reality that my son’s challenges were a part of his makeup. I had to work on a plan that had his future in mind, not just his current circumstances.

Through my journaling practice, I was able to face the unknown of this autism journey with the assurance that there is a greater good ahead. In the first 18 months of homeschooling, my son was reading, he started a business and had his first for sale by age 8. I am now able to help other autism families pivot away from the lies of the system and help their children find their shine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.momsofautism.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momsofautism