Stories of Hope

By Rachelle Alston When I was pregnant with my son I felt I did everything “right.”  No caffeine, lots of sleep, health food and every vitamin the naturopath told me my child needed. Landon was born a week late at a healthy 7.7 pounds. He hit milestones as he should, even walking by his first […]

This month two WAAA families are sharing some of their good news from the past school year. School can be a challenging place for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Part of WAAA’s mission is to help parents advocate for a good education for their children, ensuring that kids have the right supports and encouragement […]

Today Chloe is a happy, enthusiastic second grader who enjoys art, play dates with friends, and going to school, thanks to one determined momma who refused to give up. Chloe was diagnosed with autism at age 3. Her mom Amy says by 2 years old, they noticed that Chloe was having difficulty communicating compared to […]

By the time their son Braylon was nine months old, Carmen and Ordale were starting to suspect he wasn’t following along with typical developmental milestones. “It was very apparent there was something going on. He wasn’t sitting up or crawling. He screamed and cried. He would rock back and forth on the floor and stare […]

Where is the reset button?  Whenever I would think about my son, I would find myself asking this question. What a journey it has been with my son Marley, who has autism. On St. Patrick’s Day, he turned 12 and I spent the majority of the day in deep reflection over the last 12 years […]

Our family moved to Tacoma, Washington, in the summer of 2007.  It was soon after our move that our son, Bode, started showing certain signs that were worrisome.  He was tiptoe walking, lining toys up and not sharing them, and he also lost eye contact.  The few words he had learned early on just vanished.  He […]