<![CDATA[Mocha Autism Network - In the Spotlight]]>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 15:31:47 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[QnA: Kpana Kpoto of @AutisticSeas]]>Wed, 30 Apr 2014 16:55:49 GMThttp://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/in-the-spotlight/qna-kpana-kpoto-of-autisticseasPicture
 1: What was your first action item after your Son's diagnosis?

My first action item was to request a recovnene meeting with the school district to amend my son's IEP. He needed more approproate services including an ABA SEIT and a 1:1 paraprofessional in the classroom. I dealt with the action items that needed to be tackled after his diagnosis before coming to terms with the emotions under it all. 
 
2: How were your extended family and friends helpful? 

They provided a lot of emotional support. I also started blogging and through that I was able to expand my support system. My mom and father in law have been the biggest help to us in terms of hands-on support. 
 
3:  You are currently working with parents in the Bronx. What is the biggest area of need? 

Our biggest area of need is access to appropriate schools, resources, and support for our children. The Bronx is the poorest and most under served  borough in NYC. We need so much. Through my support group, we hope to be able to provide support, resource information, and bring more awareness to the needs of Bronx autism parents. As an advocate, I have found a big gap in access to information on what our children are entitled to under the law in special education.
 
4: Your son is now in school. What has been the biggest challenge and biggest accomplishment of the school year?

His biggest challenge has been getting him to be focused and attend during classwork and therapy. I have a great team with his teacher and therapists and we are working together to help him. His biggest accomplishment has been becoming an emergent reader. He can read short books. We help with the words he does not know but the interest is there and this is a huge deal for him. 
 
5: If someone were to ask you to define your son in 10 words or less, what would those words be? 
He is resilient, motivating, inspiring and my reason for being. 

]]><![CDATA[QnA: Sharisse Smith]]>Tue, 29 Apr 2014 13:38:10 GMThttp://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/in-the-spotlight/qna-sharisse-smithPicture
About Sharisse Smith: 

A mom of four, Sharisse was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, raised in the Southern California sun and remained in the golden state for three decades.   This Real Housewife of Orange County New York turned her key in the OC of NY for five years before moving to a suburb of Seattle, Washington just in time for them to win the 2014 superbowl. Sharisse holds a MFA in Nonfiction from The New School’s Writing Program, an  M.S. in Educational Counseling from The University of La Verne and a B.S. in Child Development from California State University, Northridge. 

Sharisse’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in The New York Times, Babble, My Brown Baby, Ebony, The Los Angeles Review and Salon.
1: What was your first action item after your Son's diagnosis?


I love that you asked for the first action item after my son’s diagnosis. So often we are asked for our initial response which we most can agree is some stage of grief. But, the action response signifies power, control, and accountability even. With that being said, I turned into an information mama. I collected any information I could gather on Autism which, by the way, even only a few years ago was confusing. Only to be further complicated with an Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnoses. My quest for information was insatiable but ODD literature wasn't as easily attainable. Much of what I've learned about the disorder I've learned from my son. This is what prompted me to write my Ebony.com piece, Please Don't Kill My Son. I wanted to highlight not only autism but ODD as well.

2: How were your extended family and friends helpful?


To be honest, I don't have extended family and most of my closet friends live out of state. This can happen when you're a military family. My mother lives with us and helps out as much as her health allows but she's partially disabled. Any help we receive has to be paid for.

3: what does Autism activism look like where you are?


We're new to our area so I'm unfamiliar with Autism activism per se in my location. I live about an hour outside the Seattle area. I can tell you that I came prepared and knowledgeable on what services my son should qualify for. We moved during the summer, an already difficult time for some autistic children. The first transition, despite months of preparation, was not smooth for my son. Due to administrative changes at the time of our enrollment at a new daycare and the mishandling of paperwork, my child was treated in a manner unfitting to any child. I think I took it harder than he did.

That little mishap made me even more appreciative of the services we had at our former place of residence. I was determined to make sure my son was treated fairly. I resumed information gathering, placing calls to the Amundsen and various other professionals to assist me in obtaining the appropriate services for my son. As with most parents of children on the spectrum, I was already an expert on knowing what my son should have, the battle was getting and keeping those services in place for him.
4: what is the biggest challenge and accomplishment you have had recently?

My biggest challenge and accomplishment, recently, go hand in hand. One of the areas my son struggles with is in his social interactions with his peers. I talk to him a lot about appropriate social interactions, model behavior etc but it’s difficult at times. He’s a very kind hearted kid but he favors adults. His conversations are more adult than six-year old-ish, and some of his behaviors are easier for adults to empathize with. In the six month of school he finally had a recess breakthrough and started playing a regular game of tag with about five classmates. Normally, his recess is spent indoors, on or near a computer, with an adult. It’s amazing something as simple as a game tag that I certainly take for granted with my daughter, and never thought twice about with my older sons takes on a whole new meaning with him. All the talking, modeling and coaching finally paid off one day on the playground. He’s now somewhat of a recess regular. An accomplishment.

The challenge is that in two short months school will end. Summer presents a new set of challenges for autistic children as their routines are severely disrupted. It is very difficult to mimic a school routine if one is not in school. My son loves school. So the social accomplishments most often stay with that school year, with that class—those classmates. We hope to have similar accomplishments in the new school year. Despite efforts in summer programs, the bonding time that my son has required in the past is just too short. He makes friends easily but is not a fan of groups nor change. My biggest challenge.

5: If there was one thing you wants people to know about autism, what would it be?

When your loved one is autistic, you can’t help but be an activist. Not everyone will march in a parade, run marathons, buy, sell or even wear royal blue t-shirts. But when they are fighting with and for their family member daily, living the many lows and celebrating the highs they are the activist and their loved one is their hero.
]]><![CDATA[Our Autism Diet - Adventures in GFCF & Paleo]]>Mon, 28 Apr 2014 17:17:49 GMThttp://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/in-the-spotlight/our-autism-diet-adventures-in-gfcf-paleoPicture
 
Written by Natasha Cornin of Full Spectrum Essentials 

My son's diet is deceptively simple. On the surface he appears to only eat bun-less burgers, grapes and sweet bread. He also drinks cold-pressed, homemade juice and takes occasional sips of water. With closer examination you may classify the aforementioned dietary items as delivery systems in my contrived, elaborate scheme to pack his meal plan full of fruits, veggies and pharmaceutical-grade vitamins and supplements. 

Jaeden follows a GFCF/Paleo hybrid diet and a biomedical vitamin/supplement regimen. As a result: I have totally removed gluten and casein from his meal plan. I focus on feeding my son organic, whole foods to create an alkaline internal environment that will optimize brain function and reduce inflammation. For one, I cook with ghee or healthy vegan fats, like coconut or olive oil, as opposed to dairy or soy-based butters. I've found that seemingly small changes can definitely add up to better digestion and vitamin/mineral absorption.

I also add enzyme-rich Manuka honey to the cold-pressed juices that I make for him throughout the week. I infuse the juice with his vitamins and supplements and use his condiments, mainly ketchup, as a delivery system for digestive enzymes, nutritional yeast, and good fats like avocado, during meal time.

I must admit, it felt a bit daunting when we began the GFCF/Paleo protocol. I mean, wheat and dairy are hidden in places you couldn’t even imagine, like milk in McDonald’s french fries! It became imperative to read every label or better yet opt for label-less whole foods, foods as close to the way they sprout from the earth as possible.
As a basic guideline: I add greenery, tomatoes, peppers and any other typically savory vegetables to savory dishes like burgers, meatballs and tomato-based sauces. I include sweeter foods like yams, bananas and berries to dishes that are primarily sweet in taste like pancakes, muffins and sweet breads. However, I also use greens mixed with fruit, in the form of juicing pulp, in his breads; I freeze the pulp throughout the week after I juice and add it into recipes when applicable. Oatmeal is another fantastic meal in which to hide nutrient-boosting elements and sweet, light-colored, fruits and veggies (e.g., coconut manna/butter, squash, bananas; chia, flax and hemp seeds, etc.). The key is to find undetectable ways to add more nutrients to foods or drinks that our kids already tolerate well. Just add new elements slowly until they can handle a possible change in texture or taste, and as a means to monitor any behavioral or intestinal reactions to new foods.   

As I explore food options on GFCF/Paleo mommy blogs and forums, I’m encouraged and inspired by the rainbow of options available to our kids today. There are so many GFCF alternatives on the market, from nut-based flours and milks to the endless range of organic meats, seeds and healthy fats that we can experiment with to create new recipes our kids may love. I also find that my son is more willing to eat new foods when I get him involved in the preparation process: he feels proud that he helped, learns a new skill and is then more motivated to eat the end product - everybody wins!

Lets face it, many kids turn up their nose and slide -- or fling -- the plate away from them at the sight of any foreign greenery on their dish at meal time. Although I know that the goal is to get our kids to eat veggies and fruits on sight: Until we reach that point, I see nothing wrong with feeding them the nutrients they need disguised in a food or drink they already love. My theory is that the ends always justify the means, and we have to get the good stuff into their bodies by virtually any means necessary. We have enough daily challenges related to the management our kids’ therapy schedules, preparation for IEP meetings and being clairvoyants in order to foresee the next outburst or fixation we’ll have to handle at any given moment. I try not to stress the small stuff anymore and look to offer myself a sliver of the compassion I dole out in heaps to my son. 

I recently wrote a blog post that details our journey from diagnosis through where we are today with my son's biomedical protocol. If you'd like to read the full article, please see my article here: 

Natasha Cornin is runs the Full Spectrum Essentials blog: The goal is for families to stay connected. For more information they can be located in the following places online  

Web Site: http://fullspectrumessentials.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fullspectrumessentials
Instagram: http://instagram.com/fullspectrumessentials
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FulSpectrumEsen
]]><![CDATA[The Beauty of Diavionne by Brittney Jackson ]]>Thu, 24 Apr 2014 22:14:48 GMThttp://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/in-the-spotlight/the-beauty-ofdiavionne-by-brittney-jacksonPicture


My daughter's name is Diavionne, but she prefers to be called Dee. She was diagnosed with autism on her 2nd birthday. At the time she was non-verbal, wouldn't make eye contact and preferred not to be held. Today, she's just like any other 7 yr old. She can read, write, and has an active imagination. Early intervention was truly instrumental! 


Brittney Jackson can be found on Instagram at @isp3ak_my_mynd
]]><![CDATA[Observations On My Life As A Black Autistic Lady by Anne Ade]]>Mon, 21 Apr 2014 14:03:44 GMThttp://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/in-the-spotlight/observations-on-my-life-as-a-black-autistic-lady-byanne-ade“You know, the one thing I can't figure out are these girls real smart or real real lucky?”
“Don't matter. Brains'll only get you so far and luck always runs out.”

-       Det. Slocumbe & Max in “Thelma & Louise”

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As I get older, I find myself to be a Black/African/Christian-American Autistic lady variant of former Det. Jay C. Landsman, Det. John Munch and US/British Royals Marine Sgt. Brad Colbert.[1]  I find myself a loner, hermit, and not liking people in general very much.  I find myself quite hesitant to type these words.  Between the micro-/macro-aggressions related to my race, gender and disability, being in my late 30s, frequent stretches of unemployment, aging parents and a niece to help look after, and being a “career” student, hustling (legally!) on little money, I am also observing myself to be bitter, sarcastic, mean, crabby, and, to a certain point, hateful – at home, of course! Kind and funny in the street, cross – and sometimes, even hateful in the house!  Yes, I used the actual “H”-word.  A “cranky Cathy,” if you will.  But, hey, hatred and (when used correctly!) lets you know when something is amiss.

I find myself resentful to the high Heavens to being asked to have “understanding” and “compassion” for people who are different from me (i.e. White, and/or male) who behave in an inappropriate and disrespectful, and sometimes, dangerous manner, whereas, had I did the exact same actions, I would be (severely) punished (and should be!).  A great deal of people would have a hard time believing that I am autistic. For Black people, especially Black women, they only believe two things: you are on drugs (esp. “crack” cocaine), or you are HIV-positive.  Only White people, especially boys/men, are believed to be autistic, hence, the earlier diagnoses, and the ability for them to obtain help quicker in their lives than Black girls/women. Thankfully, I was diagnosed at nearly two years old.  My sister and I were discussing a recent case of a White disabled male athlete, Oscar Pistorius who (allegedly) killed his girlfriend.  I said to her:

 “Oh, my God, if that had been me, they would not have cared that I’m autistic! They would have been like, ‘Send that n****er b***h to jail!’”

We laughed and exchanged high-fives, knowing full well that it would have been true.

[1] I hope I am not coming across as anti-White/man/Semitic, but I noticed the following: 1) They are all White Jewish men; 2) Two of the aforementioned men are in the military/law enforcement, & one is a fictional character portrayed by an entertainer, Richard Jay Belzer, who shares the name Jay, only it is his middle name, and also, is the first name of Jay C. Landsman.  Yes, we’re all human…but it’s something I just noticed.
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I was raised in the East Coast/Mid-Atlantic area, near Washington, D.C.  I am the youngest girl in a big, Nigerian family.  We were raised to be respectful of other people as human beings, and to be aware of what and how our society views and values us simultaneously. Going to school, I grew up around different types of people.  I was first in special education classes from a school focused on disabled children to being mainstreamed in a regular school once I gained the skill to speak, read and write.  If it were possible to rewind the time in my life, I would have had counseling to deal with the consequences of being an autistic person – not just as a child, but as a growing teenager, and an adult.  I/we was/were in denial about it because I was no longer mute.  However, other problems came along, such as me having certain obsessions over television shows and movies, and music.  I also spoke to myself as well.  My family was fearful that I would be sent to a mental institution.  There was a great deal of culture shock, especially junior high and high school.  Fellow students would be very disrespectful towards me, and faculty would allow it to happen.  When I fended for myself in these situations, I would be punished.  I wish they also had counseling to help me and my family deal with that situation.  I also could have used more discussions about being a woman, in combination with being Black and autistic. 

Also, some people tell me that I am gifted and smart, and a good writer.  A couple of people tell me that I would be a good artist as well.  As much as I know of my talents, skills, and education, there is the theory, fantasy, and the actual practice.  While I can do without a lot of people in my life, dealing with the lack of (good) employment is quite hard to deal with.  Either it is me, the co-workers and supervisors I dealt with, or both. And even my mother did not want me to do that job!  In my last job, I had a job coach who was not too thrilled with the job she had. Look, I was not thrilled with working in the backroom sorting out stuff to sell, either, but…money is money.  She wanted to be a beautician.  While I respected that, she really did not want to deal with the ‘r****ds’. She could barely deal with me as a human being.  And, I had another job coach who was just as bad before that!  What got me fired was that, I was joking with an incoming co-worker – who then thought I was coming on to him in a personal/sexual manner! No joke!  I finally had it with working with people, with the exception of volunteer work, which is more fun.  I don’t have to worry about being fired.  If I knew all of this stuff beforehand, and could rewind my life, I would have also gone to school for transcription work, so I could have worked alone!  But through all the mediocre jobs I have worked in my life, I learned that I am a team player. Now, I just want to work with a good team for me. Even if I have to work with just a few people.

And that, I find, is the long-winding, arduous, tedious road to happiness, positivity and peace for me.  Because I will not live until eighty-or-ninety-years old without all that awareness. Because at some points, it’s comedy or a jail sentence!  And I am not trying to go to jail, so…

Sources:

Moving up the ranks as a family
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2004-03-19/news/0403190265_1_landsman-homicide-unit-police-department

March 19, 2004 Joe Nawrozki, Baltimore Sun Staff
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Belzer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Landsman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Colbert



About the Author: "Anne Ade" can be found on Twitter at @DetTerriStivers
]]><![CDATA["A day in the life of Chauncey" as told by his Mother, Nichole Little]]>Thu, 17 Apr 2014 13:28:48 GMThttp://www.mochaautismnetwork.com/in-the-spotlight/a-day-in-the-life-of-chauncey-as-told-by-his-mother-nichole-littlePicture
My Son, Chauncey, is a very special boy. Not any more special than either of my older Sons or any of your Sons or Daughters for that matter. As with most parents, I was very protective of Chauncey as he moved throughout school but he always let me know that he had it under control. Educationally and socially, Chauncey was able to adapt to every situation and acclimate himself as a welcome part of his school family. By the time he entered Middle School, he was officially on a mainstream track and exceeding all of my expectations. Even with his Autism diagnosis (which he received at the age of 3 ½), Chauncey has proven to be a ‘normal’ 11 year old boy. If that’s the case, why was I so shocked to discover that my son … my sweet chunky baby boy … is becoming a man. I don’t know if it was Old Spice but someone sprayed a man on my Son. 


By golly, I have another Tweener on my hands. Give me strength!

Chauncey, Chunk for short, attended his Cousins 13th birthday party in March. I was shocked at how he showered, combed his hair, brushed his teeth and got dressed without my prompting. He knew that there would be dancing and food at the party and he was so excited to get there. When we arrived, he noticed the dance floor was filled with balloons. Chunk experiences anxiety around just one balloon … he hates to hear them pop. Fifty balloons proved to be terror and he spent a great part of the first half of the party outside. It was hard to watch but he continued to entertain himself so I didn’t bother him. When Chunk disappeared, I went to a few of his ‘hiding spots’ to see if he was okay. When I couldn’t locate him, I became afraid and almost went into a panic. That is until I saw a juggernaut rushing toward me. It was Chunk! He ran into me so hard that I almost fell to the ground. I asked him what was going on and he answered, “Mom!! You won’t believe it. Gabby is here. I have to overcome my fears so I can dance with her”. First … Who said you can like a girl so much that you’d knock your Mom to the ground?! Second … What can I do to help you calm down?
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After some deep breathing and affirmations, Chunk went onto the dance floor and started hiding the balloons under the refreshment tables. Once he had the balloons out of site and out of mind, he walked over to Gabby and asked her if she wanted to dance. She smiled and told him yes. His face lit up as he walked her to the dance floor. I stood, behind a pillar, and watched my little boy grow up right before my eyes. He has liked Gabby for so long and he finally got up the nerve to tell her. As the night progressed, he continued to enjoy the party. Whenever the kids would remember the balloons, he’d let them play with them for a few minutes and then he would round up the ones not being used and place them back under the table. The others … he'd wait until it hit the ground and hid it too. When I asked him if he needed any help, he looked at me and said, ‘It’s cool, Mom. I got it’. And he definitely had it under total control. 

At the end of the party, Chunk walked over to Gabby and greeted her goodbye and gave her a kiss on her cheek. MY BABY HAD HIS FIRST KISS!!! And he was so cool about it. It was no big thing. YEAH RIGHT!! He was so happy for the rest of the weekend. He has so much more confidence in himself. He takes a greater interest in his appearance. He’s a Tweener. 

My take away, and one I’d like to share with other awesomely awesome parents of awesomely autistic kids, is to allow Chauncey to experience his life. I don’t want to build the boundaries around him so tight that he can’t learn who he is and how he relates to the world. I’m never going to stop hiding behind the pillar to watch him but I’m also not going to try to direct his story. His autism makes him special but not. He will have the same challenges and trials that his older brothers did and do. Autism 
notwithstanding, my Sons are Black Men living in a society who does not understand them. Chauncey is 5’5” at 11 years old so I know well enough that society is really not going to understand a big black man who is sweet as a lamb but doesn’t always comprehend. So my job is to empower him to learn his environment and how to safely navigate it. I know my ‘baby’ will be okay. How do I know … because he told me so. 

Work It Out, Chunk!! 
Nichole Little, is the Executive Director of SHERO, A Sexual Health and HIV Awareness organization in Oakland, CA.
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