We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Melina Gipson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Melina, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

2020 was a year that changed us all! The three of us (Jordan Gipson, Markus Trujillo, and Melina Gipson) were in discussion about purchasing a property together. The market was looking pretty good, and we thought it was a great time to invest. As we started the process we wanted to really think about what we were looking for, we started thinking of the long term vision. To give some insight on the three of us, we are all in the same field of work. We all work closely with kids on the autism spectrum. For years we have collectively worked closely with families and saw a need for families to relax, get away, and reconnect as a family. A lot of the families we came into contact with were too nervous to travel, scared that their kiddo would have a hard time or wouldn’t be safe. This was what started the dream of a location that can feel like a home away from home for families with members that have autism. We looked into options for autism friendly vacationing, and there is quite a lack of resources like AUTxcapes. We tried to think of all the things that could be helpful for families to feel relaxed and feel that their child would be safe. Examples include; alarms on doors, limited glass, a low sensory area, sensory swings, and so much more. Beyond all of this, we are located on a 5 acre property, so there is a ton of privacy as well.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Markus Trujillo is from Southern California. Markus finds the utmost enjoyment in being part of a team of his friends, all with the shared passion to serve the families in the autism community. Outside of AUTxcapes, Markus overlooks a pre-kindergarten readiness program, leads autism diagnostic processes, and is part of a team furthering research on inclusion in schools utilizing his knowledge from being a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. He also enjoys making friends with his ADHD by embracing new experiences and learning opportunities, playing sports and exercising, and starting but rarely finishing non-fictional books.

Jordan Gipson is an Aussie native with construction, business, and working with individuals with special needs all in his repertoire. He is passionate about creativity and inclusivity, and brings this approach into his service as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Beyond AUTxcapes, Jordan has a podcast along with his wife Melina called The BC(BAes). It is a podcast from the perspective of two married BCBAs discussing life, love, and ABA. Melina Gipson is from California. She has always had a love for the youth, from babies to teens! Formally a teacher, Melina found a calling to work with kiddos with special needs. She pursued her BCBA credential in hopes to help not only the children she works with, but the families too. Melina also writes an informative blog called livingtothrivemg.blog, covering the basis of parenting, education, and more. Both Melina and Jordan also have and Etsy shop called SensoryInnovators, creating sensory tiles as a combo of both sensory play and decor.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Community building is a huge part of what we are passionate about. We love to get out to community events to get to know the families that we created the house for. Not sure if we approach our families as clients, we honestly want them to feel seen, loved, and heard. This is what we are the most passionate about.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

This whole housing project was an uphill battle. It was a project that required literal blood, sweat, and tears. What people often don’t understand about this project is that we didn’t have financial backing. We took the three of us and looked at what we could afford to do. We spent every weekend traveling to the desert for over year to try and get this project finished. It was difficult, but seeing our families enjoy and connect in the home makes it all feel more than worth it!

Contact Info:

• Website: autxcapes.com
• Instagram: @autxcapes
• Facebook: @autxcapes
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
iluvframes (family photo) Mattie O’Neill (aerial view of the house)