We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sparkle Hoston. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sparkle below.

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.

Hello! My name is Sparkle Hoston and I am the content creator and founder of Autism with DJ, an advocacy project aiming to increase awareness and support families impacted by autism. Autism with DJ was created in March 2022 and is largely based on my experiences as a mother raising a child on the spectrum. My son, De’Unte Hoston Jr. (“DJ”), was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and developmental language disorder in January 2021. He was 3 years old.

Autism with DJ initially started as Abstractions by DJ in December 2020. My family and I were struggling to adjust to the changes that the COVID-19 pandemic caused, particularly the closing of DJ’s daycare center, and I was desperate to find something to occupy my son’s time. My sister suggested that DJ take up painting and she provided him with some materials to get started. One day while watching my son paint, a thought came over me- “You should create a Facebook page, post pictures of DJ’s artwork, and sell it!” And so, I did just that.

DJ earned quite a bit of money for his paintings and they were in high demand. He would use his earnings to buy some of his favorite things, like toy cars, puzzles, and chicken nugget happy meals from McDonald’s. After his autism diagnosis, however, the focus of Abstractions by DJ shifted and we began using his earnings to help cover the cost of services he needed, like ABA therapy.

Overtime, DJ’s interest in painting faded, largely due to my push for him to create and sell more artwork. I started to feel like I was forcing my son to paint and that wasn’t a great feeling. Moreover, matters with my son and his diagnosis were weighing on me and I needed help. I turned to YouTube hoping to find educational videos on autism. I came across a lot of useful information, but it was presented by individuals and families who weren’t of color. Another thought entered my mind, “Create your own YouTube channel!” I began recording, editing, and posting videos of DJ on YouTube under the name Autism with DJ. Shortly after, I changed the name of Abstractions by DJ Facebook page to coincide with the YouTube channel.

Many things took place within my family following the start of Autism with DJ YouTube channel. The most challenging of them all- separating from my husband and adjusting to life as a single mother of a child on the spectrum and another child on the way. I needed an outlet, an escape- something positive and impactful that I could devote my time to. It was then that I decided to revamp Autism with DJ into an advocacy project. I created an Instagram page, TikTok page, and launched Autism with DJ website with the help of friends from Raspy Entertainment and Flava1 Radio. I continued to post videos of my son’s journey and the highs and lows that I experienced while trying my best to support him. I also shared moments with my daughter, Salem, who was born just a few months after Autism with DJ began.

Slowly but surely, Autism with DJ’s following grew- people seemed to really enjoy watching me and my children go about our daily lives. It was a video of my daughter cooing to the sounds of Mariah Carey, however, that brought attention to us and pushed our following to new heights. I started receiving comments and direct messages from people across the country and world thanking me for sharing my family and experiences as a mother raising a child with autism. People also shared their experiences caring for their children and asked for advice and support. With this, I began posting videos sharing general information about autism- what it is, signs and characteristics, resources available, and so on. Later, I added blogging to Autism with DJ’s website and created a parent support group encouraging parents, guardians, and others impacted by autism to join me once a month virtually.

In January of this year, me and my husband, De’Unte Sr., reconnected. This caused the dynamic of Autism with DJ to shift a little where conversations concerning love, marriage, fatherhood, and the black family are now taking place. Our followers are overwhelmingly supportive of our reunion and enjoy learning about autism from a father’s point of view. My husband is really involved- responding to comments, answering questions, and sharing parts of himself that people find relatable and entertaining. De’Unte Sr. also works behind the scenes, helping to produce programs and services that meet family needs.

Autism with DJ is on the move and we have some great things coming soon including a men’s support group, podcast, and t-shirt line. We’re also preparing for our very first virtual conference, 1 Stop Autism Shop, taking place Saturday, April 22 – Sunday, April 23, 2023 and we recently launched our financial award program called Create and Celebrate Autism Kids! We recognize the impact that our project has on individuals and families and we’re most proud of being in a position to help.

If you’d like to learn more about Autism with DJ, visit our website at www.autismwithdj.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @AutismwithDJ and contact us via phone at (209) 565-4965 or email at info@autismwithdj.com.

How did you build your audience on social media?

The main piece of advice that I can give to anyone looking to build their social media presence is post, post, POST! Consider having a schedule or calendar outlining what you’ll share on your pages and how often you’ll post your content. Make sure that you post your content regularly. Your content should also be relatable, influential, and entertaining. And most importantly- BE YOU!

Aside from DJ and autism, I like to share videos that show who I am as a person. I also enjoy creating content that bring smiles to people’s faces and joy in their hearts. This was the case with the video I posted of my daughter, Salem, cooing to “Always Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey. This video went viral on TikTok with over 1.5 million views. Would you believe me if I told you this started off as a joke?

One day I came across a video on TikTok of a baby boy singing a song and thought, “Salem could do that!” I then recorded a video of my daughter cooing while I held her. I watched the video several times, amazed by how it sounded like she was actually singing, ad-libbing perhaps. I searched through songs to add to the video, but was having a hard time finding a perfect match. That was when the intro of “Always Be My Baby” began to play in my head. “Oh my gosh”, I said to myself. “It really sounds like she’s singing this song!” I posted the video almost immediately and jokingly thought, “we’re gonna go viral”.

Comments poured in from people all over, praising my daughter for her cuteness and vocal ability. Viewers really believed that Salem was singing and I started to feel bad about it- like I was being fake or phony. I responded to several comments on the video sharing that Salem wasn’t singing, but cooing. Viewers kindly rejected my comments, saying things like, “I don’t care what you talking about, that girl is singing!”.

Comments quickly turned personal. One person shared that she had a miscarriage and seeing the video of my daughter gave her hope that she’d have a child someday. Another person shared that she was having a rough day, but watching Salem helped her to feel better. Others tagged Mariah Carey herself, adding things like “look at this baby!”, “you better watch out”, and “Mariah who?”. Mariah Carey never responded to the comments or even liked the video. In my mind though, she saw it, and that’s good enough for me.

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

If I can be honest- as a wife and mother, particularly a mother of a child with autism, I feel like I am always pivoting. It’s frustrating sometimes.

Several weeks ago, I received a voicemail and email from my son’s school informing me that he would no longer be able to attend the school because we moved outside the district. I knew that I’d have to enroll DJ into a different program eventually, but I figured it’d be best to keep him in his program until the end of the year. DJ was doing very well and I was concerned that removing him from his school so abruptly would cause him to regress. Furthermore, the process of enrolling DJ into any program takes weeks and I just didn’t have the mental space or time to deal with that.

I took to social media to share my frustration and receive support. Many people responded, offering words of encouragement and information on the school system. People also suggested that I request an interdistrict transfer.

I reached out to DJ’s teacher, principal and vice principal of the school, the program specialist, and the district board to request either an interdistrict transfer or that DJ be allowed to stay in school until the end of the year. My requests were rejected with the excuse that the school was impacted. With this, I decided that I’d homeschool my son. I’ve been acting as DJ’s mother and teacher for a little while and, although I’m exhausted, I’m confident that a blessing is on the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.autismwithdj.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autismwithdj/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AutismwithDJ
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@autismwithdj
• Cash App: https://cash.app/$AutismwithDJ