Episode 8: From Depression to Purpose - A Journey Raising Two Autistic Children

In this heartfelt episode of Beyond the Spectrum - Conversations with Parents on Autism and Beyond, Clint sits down with Erica, a teacher, mother of two children with Level 3 Autism and ADHD, and soon-to-be published author.

Erica shares her family's journey from the early signs of autism through diagnosis, school challenges, separation anxiety, masking, meltdowns, and the daily realities of raising two neurodivergent children with complex support needs.

The conversation explores:

•  Early signs and diagnosis of autism in boys and girls 
•  The hidden impact of masking 
•  School refusal and separation anxiety 
•  Supporting siblings with very different needs 
•  Why self-care isn't selfish for parents 
•  Trusting your instincts and advocating for your child 
•  Finding hope, strength and purpose through adversity 

Erica also discusses her upcoming book, The Bonds Between Us: A Mother's Journey Raising Two Neurodivergent Hearts, and why she hopes it helps parents feel less alone on their journey.

Whether you're at the beginning of your autism journey or years into it, this episode is packed with practical insights, honest reflections and a powerful reminder that there is support, hope and community available.

"Your child hasn't changed. You're simply learning to understand them differently."

🎧 Listen now and join the conversation.

If you enjoyed listening and found this content valuable we'd appreciate it if you could provide a positive review and to share this with your network to potentially reach and help more parents and families 🙏

Transcript

[00:00:00] 
Welcome to another episode of Beyond the Spectrum podcast. I'm your host, Clint, and today I'm joined with Erica. Erica is, soon to be releasing a new book about her journey with her children , and autism as she's navigating. We, had a great chat about, her two children who are level three ASD.
, How early intervention was, vital for them, as well as how she navigates her, the daily challenges and what she does to have some downtime and self-care. Hope you have a good listen to this episode, and if you're looking to be , a guest, hit us up. Love to have you on. Cheers. 
Speaker 3: Today's episode of Beyond the Spectrum Podcast is brought to you by Autism and Beyond. We provide support for children on the Sunshine Coast. Head to our website, www.autismandbeyond.com.au to find out more
[00:01:00] 
 
Clint: welcome Erica. Tell us who you are and a little bit about your family.
Erica: Yeah. I have two neurodivergent children. Both have level three autism and both ADHD as well. Live with my husband. I'm a teacher. I've been a teacher for 22 years. Wow ... stepped it back to part-time after having children, and even this year have, with the challenges of raising two level three kids, it's just become quite huge if I'm being honest.
And I've had to reduce my days again. So at the moment, just for this term onwards, one day a week teacher. And also I've just signed a contract with a publishing company, so now I can say I'm an author. 
Author. Wow. Congratulations. 
Thank you. Yeah, so based on my journey raising my two children.
Oh ... yeah, I guess it kind of steps through the process of diagnosis and [00:02:00] the challenges we have and how challenging this life can be, but also how beautiful it can be and the deep love that comes- Love ... 
Clint: with this journey. It's like the questions that I'm about to ask you i- is written exactly for it.
Yeah. . How old are your children? 
Erica: So Ella, my girl, she's nine. She'll be 10 at the end of this year, and Thomas has just turned 
Clint: eight. Nice. And when did you first notice something was different with them? 
Erica: So quite different for both of them, to be honest.
So Thomas had health challenges from the very start. He wasn't able to swallow properly and so he aspirated. His milk would go to his lungs. So we were in and out of hospitals quite frequently. And to be honest, a neurologist when he was only nine months old first mentioned the word autism, which is so early.
Yeah ... and at that stage he'd flap his hands. Then I guess when he turned three or four, that's when we noticed he was so rigid with his rules, and only [00:03:00] boys can sing boys songs. Only girls can sing to girls songs, and no one was allowed to touch his toys or allowed in our house and- ... there became rules for rules and it was quite obvious by the time he was four.
Whereas my daughter, so he got his diagnosis when he was five, whereas my daughter was by far the more challenging child and still is. And even as a teacher, I actually didn't recognize the signs in Ella- ... with autism. Girls obviously present so much differently. 
Yeah. 
And- It was simply because we had just gone through the process with Thomas that I thought I had nothing to lose in asking is, are there some red flags with Ella because sh- she's just such a difficult child in terms of big emotional outbursts, just frequent and so quick her emotions will change from laughter to crying to screaming to being so joyful all within a minute.
And [00:04:00] yeah, so we went through the process for her- Yeah ... when she was six. So I know it, it's still quite early for a girl. Yeah. But had we have not had Thomas, I don't think we would've picked it up as soon. 
Clint: Were they hesitant to diagnose your daughter or were they straight on it- No
technically or they were like- Straight 
Erica: onto it and oh my God, the mom guilt. So I took my daughter and I- we were so lucky in that we had access to a psychologist and speech pathologist. So I, because I work in education, I knew school psychs who could give me contacts. And like looking back now and the journey that so many other parents have with the wait lists, I'm just filled with gratitude that...
yeah. 
Filled with gratitude that it was during that stage when pediatricians didn't have three-year wait lists and whatnot. Yeah, so I actually phoned and she s- we had a conversation on the phone first and she said, "Look, there are multiple red flags. Bring her in for an assessment."
And during that time I [00:05:00] remember I had to step out of the room to talk to her at the end, and I think we spoke for about 10 minutes and Ella came out, I think she counted 22 times just to check in that I was still there. And she was like, "Yeah, this is not normal." But also the guilt because we were there, for an hour and she just told me so much about my little girl who I thought I knew intricately.
Yeah. 
And I was devastated that- 
Speaker 4: ... I thought, 
Erica: I learned that I had so much more to learn and how much she had- Been trying to cope and not coping, if that makes sense 
Clint: Yeah. Yeah, definitely, 100%. Yeah. And, that masking and, and- Oh my goodness, 
I see it a lot because, 'cause I do support work sessions and, all day at school they just have to be this person, and then as soon as they get home, like I usually see them after school and that's when the, the explosion happens or the, the anger, and it's it's funny- Yeah
And I guess what I do well is meet them where it's at [00:06:00] and, sometimes our sessions are we just sit on the couch and watch TV without, talking much and, just quietly. That suits me fine 'cause I'm not a, I'm not generally a big talker and- ... i'll just check in and like we're watching a show.
I'm like, "You good, mate?" He's "Yep." And, and- That's it ... and that's all we need, just that, that, that check in- Correct ... correct. And there's plenty- And Ella ... plenty of them. Yeah. And girls, as they say, girls are very good at the masking and which makes- She is so good
it very hard with that diagnosis it is, 
Erica: and I find it in my son as well, but he is such a good masker at school. But Ella, I remember she was always... she'd just been like this radiance about her with this smile. And when we went for our assessment, the speech pathologist said, "You don't seriously think she's this happy all the time, do you?"
And it just broke my heart because- Yeah ... yes, I did. 
Clint: Yeah. Yeah. That's just 
Erica: a mask she's been putting on. 
Clint: Yeah. Are you, in hindsight glad that you've got the diagnosis early with her? Or would you rather live in that happy bubble of, "Yes, she's just," "magically h-" or [00:07:00] are you like the Band-Aid, upsets you and that guilt and drama or trauma around it, but now you know, you're like okay.
Now we know what we're playing with. Let's go from there." 
Erica: Oh, I'm so grateful we found out early for a girl. Like I said, six years old, and she didn't present at school. When we asked, it was, "No, she's fine. She sits perfectly." Yeah. She's got no challenges academically. She just fits in beautifully, and Ella was, she is such a social butterfly and in everyone's personal space bubble.
But, that's part of the social skills as well that w- ... I wasn't so contrasting to my son Thomas, who- Yeah ... is just happy in his own little corner, and solitude is his dream. 
Speaker 5: Yeah. Yeah. 
Erica: But no, I'm so grateful because she can be herself, and I just know, through talking to people- the mental health battles from masking when you get older and pretending to live a life that's not your [00:08:00] own.
It's so important that we got that diagnosis, for sure. 
Clint: And are the kids aware of their diagnosis, or are you Are they, y- you've got this? Or is it more, "Hey, you're just a little bit different," or w- are they- no ... 
Erica: they're so aware, and I feel like we've had to be, and I'm pleased that we are, because it teaches one about themselves, two that can advocate for themselves and say what they need, while they are at school, while they're at home.
But also Thomas and Ella are so different, so we've had to teach them about each other. So Ella comes with that- ... radiance, and that she's so full of energy and loud, and Thomas can get so overwhelmed by that. Yeah. So we need to explain how their brains work differently and, yeah, how they see each other.
Speaker 6: I- is that the, you know- It's the jackpot ... an achievement? D- do they give you an 
Erica: award for that one? I think they should,
Clint: I get it was, yeah, they- they're kids and [00:09:00] they probably know how to push each other's buttons, but are they do they have the understanding of each other's needs quiet versus loud? Or are they still just- I would love 
Erica: to say yes, but- ... I think it's a barrier that's gonna be hard, and we're continuously trying to reword and educate.
But it is tricky when, with their relationship. They're so close in age, and the reason they're so close is because we thought they'll be great friends. Let's have one after the other so close together. Just 
thought we were thinking. 
Isn't that right? I know. Yeah. But I don't think- I don't feel that they have that understanding, if I'm being truthful.
Yeah. And I think it's a journey that's gonna take quite a while for them to understand each other's needs. 
Clint: Yeah. Yeah. It's, Yeah ... I guess it's that empathy piece, isn't it? Where, you know- Yes ... the it's hard to see outside of themselves and their needs. You might just need a bigger house and designate one side of the house and the other and "This is the noisy zone, and this is the quiet zone."
Yes. 
Erica: I know. We [00:10:00] actually used to have taping marks down the playroom and different areas of the house zoned off. Because the conflicts just kept coming. 
Clint: Just kept going. Noise-canceling headphones and... Yeah. Yeah. We, 
Erica: we've got everything. Yeah. 
Speaker 6: Or 
Clint: what are those like silent booths where you can just go in and just yell and scream and you walk- Well-
out and you're just calm. 
Erica: That's right. Yeah. Yeah. So I often visualize myself in my headphones cooking dinner. Wouldn't that be nice? You j- just 
Speaker 6: can't hear anything. "Ah, 
Erica: it's all 
Speaker 6: peaceful today." That's 
Erica: right. That's 
Clint: right ... And then talk about support and school. Has school been beneficial?
Have you had good support there, given that you're a teacher? Are you able to, make the connections to, to give them what they need, or have you found school lacking in- Do you know, 
Erica: We've been so lucky in our schooling journey. Lucky and unlucky. Lucky- ... in the fact that we have a fantastic school who are willing to listen and provide supports and honestly try [00:11:00] anything they can to make the experience better for my children.
And I know it's ... A lot of parents would say that's so unheard of, so- Yeah ... grateful beyond. But mine struggle with the separation anxiety. Yeah. Yeah. And it has just been so difficult to get them to school every day of the week. 
Yeah. Yeah. And it's got to 
the stage, this has been our most challenging year by a mile for both children.
But it got, it's got to a stage where Ella will go to school but not go to her classroom, so she'll have an individual support all day, which obviously takes resources and everything else. But they're just doing everything they can slowly to get a relationship going with EAs, which she's, she has an amazing relationship with her EA.
But it's just such a long journey, and for the first time this year we've taken them out for two days a week. 
. 
Erica: Both kids, and it has made such a difference to their mental health and just after school, less meltdowns, before [00:12:00] school, calm that we never see.
And the school has just taken that on for us without any negotiating, without- Trying to s- you know, not saying no to us 
Yeah 
They've been so understanding.
We meet every two weeks, and it's a long meeting, it's a thoughtful meeting, and they're always coming up with new strategies to help. 
Clint: Yeah, that's good. Yeah. May- maybe it's different in your side of the country. You're Perth, aren't you? ... 
Erica: Do you know, I think we are just so lucky that we've Just-
got this school Yeah. Yeah. Even as a teacher it's so easy to look and think, "Oh, this teacher's not doing this. This teacher could be doing this better." But until you have the lived experience yourself- 
Yeah ... 
you just, I can't expect people to completely understand- ... how challenging and complex my kids' needs are when, there's 30 other kids in the classroom.
Ideally, if we were well-resourced and financially secure, we could offer less days at school and come up with another [00:13:00] solution- ... but we're not in that position. . And I think Ella's complexity would also not allow us that every day homeschool, if that makes sense. 
Clint: . It's that fine balancing act. I worked with a young fella who had the school refusal, and, it got to the point, had the separation an- anxiety. So I'd take him to school of a morning and then, spend the morning with him playing handball and then it like, "All right, mate, I've gotta go."
And then, he'd just sit there and just cry. You're just so upset,
Speaker 6: Yeah ... 
Clint: i'm 
Speaker 6: like, "I'm 
Clint: so sor- I've g- I've gotta go. I can't stay with you, mate." And then, I'd message mom, and then she'd have to organize somebody to come pick him up. And they've moved to homeschooling and I touch base with mom every so often and she said it's the best thing they've done.
But- Brilliant ... yeah and, I know families that do the , distance ed thing as well, but- 
Erica: Yes ... it's 
Clint: not always achievable for everyone, is it? It's- It's 
Erica: ... , it's challenging, and I just, I feel I don't have the skill set that my daughter needs. 
Clint: Just wanna take a quick break during our chat here [00:14:00] and just mention something that I have created. It is our Friend Finder program on our website. ,
Something that a lot of kids struggle with is finding friends. That is the reason that we created our Friend Finder program. , You can find it on our website under www.autismandbeyond.com.au/friendfinder. At the moment, this is only set up for Sunshine Coast and surrounds. , But hopefully if it's successful, we will increase the range.
If you're on the Sunshine Coast and your child is looking for friends, head to our website and add your details in, hopefully we can connect you with other friends. Back to the show. 
Erica: Because she's also the 
PDA profile. So the two days are a challenge in itself, but- Yeah ... it has resulted in such positiveness in terms of the anxiety has dropped significantly. [00:15:00] 
Clint: Ah, that's good. Do they know how to push your buttons, or are you quite calm 
Erica: i'm so lucky. I feel like I'm the world's calmest person. And I don't know how, but I've got a husband that's so calm as well. Probably not as calm as myself, but I'm so lucky that I can manage my own emotions and keep- Very calm and collected in, yeah, the heat of those eruptions.
Clint: That's a handy, definitely a handy skill to have and , again I'm lucky 'cause I work with the kids on that outside influence so if they're having a meltdown I'm I'm "Ah, come on," "All right, done," or, "What do I need to do to help you?"
And, talk through, but when it's mom or dad, it's just that energy and presence. So yeah, no, jellyfish on Valium. I 
Erica: know. Just relaxing. Isn't it just? 
Clint: Yeah. Yeah. 
Erica: But even my husband, it's taken him a while to learn. Yeah. And to see, to, to recognize the triggers- Yeah
in his own language when he talks to [00:16:00] the kids and whatnot, but now he'll even give me the eyeballs and, "Careful, Erica. Don't step 
too 
far."
Clint: The whole PDA profile is a, is an interesting one to deal with, isn't it? . It's challenging, isn't it? You've got a couple of kids like that and look, na- naturally I'm, for lack of a better of a term, a bit I'm a shit stirrer.
So like I do... A- and look I always do it in fun but I'll, yeah, I'll stir the kids and, I guess my role is I'm the big brother, uncle, that fun, and then I'll, always pressing the buttons and seeing, yeah. But obviously, yeah it... I can see when it's getting out of control workup, so then it's like, "All right, let's back it down."
A young fella I work with, he loves wrestling, so we're always wrestling and always checking in as "Are you okay?" Or, "Too much?" And then- Yeah ... and we tap out or we say, "Stop," and then it's like straight away we just stop. It's "Too much." And, you know- No, it's good ... so it's important that you have that check-in of, it's fun, it's no longer fun, and then me carrying on, "Oh, it's still fun," and, but, it's like, "Oh, stop. Okay, we [00:17:00] stopped." . 
Erica: And how lovely for them to have a male that understands it so well. 
Clint: . Yeah. And as it's... I haven't had a- any formal training. I just I don't know, I just naturally fell into this sort of space where, I just connect- Brilliant
with kids.
Erica: That's brilliant. 
Clint: so at home what does overwhelm or the masking look like at home? So if they're start- the kids are starting to get overwhelmed, what sort of signs or symptoms or things can you notice?
Erica: Yes. So again, both kids are quite different. So overwhelm for Thomas will be tears, like instant tears, and then he'll run somewhere and throw his body on the ground and cry. But what I find easiest with him is actually holding him tight. 
Yeah. 
And just a gentle soft voice, whereas if I did that to my daughter, she would isolate even further.
Yeah. She'll 
put a blanket on top of herself and whatnot. But if it gets to the point where she's quite distressed, [00:18:00] she'll end up throwing every item- 
Yeah ... in the house. 
Yeah. It become 
quite, it becomes quite physical, to the point we would need to remove a child from the house. 
Yeah. 
Massive big behaviors.
So you just have to be really clued into her triggers, and just the tiniest change it's 
almost like 
a quick change in personality that you notice that you can try and put it out before, yeah, something major- 
Clint: Yeah ... 
Erica: starts. Yeah. 
Clint: And do you, have you missed it many times where it's gone too far?
Are you getting good at it now? 
Erica: Do you know what? There are so many times that we miss it. Or it's like there was no warning. So it's, there's gotta be a warning, but when you're trying to cook dinner and manage another boy with, you know- Yeah ... level three autism, and you're just bound to miss moments, and before you know it, it's a full-blown storm.
. But then, like last night, we had a moment where it really could have gone south. [00:19:00] But just a quick connection and side by side and, yeah, just a relationship moment, and you can calm her and settle her back to level,
a mix of both, I'd say.
Clint: . That's it's good when you can identify that. My, my nephew, when he first was diagnosed he was using the, I think it was like the traffic light red and that sort. And we took him camping, and he had a moment. I was off doing something, and my partner Amy was looking after him, and hear this calling, "Glen, come over.
He's having a meltdown." I just, I come in and, again, way I handle it, very bloke is like, "All right, mate, what's wrong?" And it's "What color are you on the... where are you on the scale? What color are you at the moment?" And it's like orange or red. I don't remember.
Red. "Okay, what do we have to do to get it back to green?" And it was so- and for him it was just something simple. It was like, "I j- I just need this." It's like, "Okay, no worries. Fixed." 
Erica: Oh, I love that. "
Clint: Are you good to go?" And he's "Yep." And I see it 'cause I do previously I was doing a lot of nature stuff outdoors with kids and getting them climbing trees and, you can see 'em, that, [00:20:00] that anxiety creeping up and, they'll have a meltdown.
It's "What's wrong?" And he's "There's an ant." It's like, "Okay." Okay. "There's an ant. I'll move the ant out of the way. We're, we good to go?" "Yep." 
Erica: It's like- So if only it wasn't that simple. I was gonna say, 
Clint: Not so complicated as your challenges. Certainly not comparing the two. 
Erica: My goodness.
I would just love that. But I do feel like that even between my own two, two children, that one is just such a simple fix. It just... Yeah. And why can't it just work on the other as well? Yeah. They're all so different from the same family. 
Clint: Yeah. "These tags annoy me." "Okay, 
we'll cut it off. Does that fix it?"
"Yep. Done." And I walk out, I'm like, "Thank you. Solved everything."
But, and how has the journey affected you personally? It was I guess a lot of growth for you along the way. Have you been, had many down moments or are you still calm and collected and... Yeah. Oh my 
Erica: goodness.
It's been a rollercoaster. Generally it's transformed me in every way possible. Yeah. But before I had [00:21:00] kids I had quite severe depression. 
Yep. 
And I can honestly say that since having them and this purpose of being the best mother I can be to them it's saved me. It's been- ... an incredible journey.
And while on this journey I guess I realized I needed self-care, which I know you ask about and I- 
... I 
think I'm Read, I read your profile earlier and thought, "Oh, I think you'll find that you can relate." Good. So as part of my journey with parenting, it was during both of their... So they both got diagnosed level three autism in the same year, and I was working as a teacher, and it was just so full on that I gave myself, I'm not quite sure what, why, the aim of completing an Ironman.
I don't know what I was thinking really. Yeah. Anyway, so this very much comes out in my book- Yeah ... about how it really made me a better mum, but also gave me time to myself and [00:22:00] to make me stronger as a mum but as a person and that self-belief. 
Speaker 4: Yeah. 
Erica: And it just had the best effect on me and I've just learnt that I always need to carve out those moments of self-care- for myself. Yeah. And I make sure, it's so important that I go out for a ride or I go out for a swim. Even if it's literally 15 minutes and I can chuck the joggers on and run. 
Yeah. Yeah. It is just 
so good for my mental health, and it is- it's what keeps me calm. If I didn't have it, I don't think I'd be the calm,
Clint: Yeah
in such 
Erica: a chaotic house that we have. 
Clint: And your husband, he's, he, you do you tag team, like he needs that- We do ... get away and,
Erica: we do. So he works full time, and he's gone at 20 to 5:00 every morning, which is harder. But he knows on these days of the week after work, mom goes swimming, mom goes running then.
Yeah. And on the weekend, mom gets the morning. And then he also, his, he loves his sport as well, and he's a sailor and yeah, it's a lot of tag-teaming to make it work, but we are a good team. Yeah ... it does work. Yeah. 
Clint: Nice. And it [00:23:00] is good to have that outlet, when you're hurting on the bike or swimming, everything, nothing else matters really.
It's just like you're having to- Exactly. ... focus in on this- Different thought ... this narrow, yeah. 
Erica: Yeah. Yeah. Otherwise, you worry, and you think, "What's tomorrow gonna bring, and what's it gonna be like when I'm home?" And- 
Yeah ... "School's 
not going well. Am I gonna have to find a new school for them? How are they even gonna go when they get to high school?"
So- Yeah. Yeah ... all those worries just, they go away in that moment, which is so good. 
Clint: I've started doing jujitsu and that for me, that's my outlet because yeah- Oh, 
Erica: brilliant ... 
Clint: whe- when you can't think about anything, you, it sounds dramatic, when you're fighting for your life, someone's choking you, and you can't be like, "
Speaker 6: Oh, I gotta do this 
Clint: tomorrow." 
Speaker 6: It's, 
Clint: it's, it's- No, you can't ... you're in the moment and what I love is yeah, everyone, just such a friendly bunch of people. There's surface level conversation. I'm not having to, go into my day and the drama.
Having that outlet, I think, i- is the most important.
And it's interesting that you said with the the depression how it turned it [00:24:00] a paraphrasing, turned it around for you and gave you that purpose, and I guess- ... for a lot of people, that's what that the depression is. It's not that purpose, and then having kids and, somewhere to direct that energy.
... And out of adversity, , positive things do come. 
Erica: That's right. So it's important. And this life can be so tough, but as I said, it can be so beautiful as well, yeah. 
Clint: Grow, 
Erica: you very much grow into it, I think 
Clint: Yeah, look, and I'm not religious or spiritual, but I do believe...
I have spiritual moments. But, you're always given stuff that you can handle. You might not see the way at the, at that point in time, but I think you're always given something that, that you can handle. And, you get through that, then you've got the next one, and the next one, yes. So- 
Erica: So many people have said that to me. Just give me a little break now and then. 
Speaker 6: Yeah. That's right. You walk away. Er. Easy for them to say. Isn't it just? Yes. 
Clint: So do you have any other self-care things that you [00:25:00] do or that that work for you? You like a long soak in the Epsom salt bath after a run or,
Speaker 5: massages?
Erica: Do you know what? I just, I appreciate that s- time so much that when I come back, I'm instantly bouncing on a trampoline with the kids or- ... or doing something. They're very much kids that want you beside them every step of the way. Yeah. Self-care. It... Honestly, if it's a chat on the phone with a friend that gets it.
Nice. There's not many people in this world that really understand- 
Yeah. Yeah ... what it's 
So when you find those friends, you really hold onto them. ... 
Obviously 
a conversation, a walk along the beach, a swim at the beach. 
. 
Erica: That's all my self-care. It's very much movement based.
. 
Clint: Ah, music to my ears. I love, that, that movement stuff is super important.
What advice would you give a parent who just got a diagnosis today for their children? 
Erica: I would say your [00:26:00] child hasn't changed. They're still the same child. You're just starting to learn them differently. ... And now that you've got that diagnosis, you really can start to support them. It's a good thing.
And go with your instinct because you as a mum or a dad, you know your child better than anyone else, so they've only got you, so it really matters that you advocate- ... and, yeah, get the best for them 
Clint: I think that's the big thing is, people I've spoken to is, a- again, for lack of a better term, be that annoying parent who's always- Yeah
pushing for what the kids need. Because, they don't know how to, or, they may not understand it. So you need to be, . be that, that- And I- ... squeaky wheel. 
Erica: Yes. And I speak about that in my book because I'm quite a shy, introverted person. Yeah. And it's something I really had to learn with my kids because we just, especially with Thomas and his health issues, we just couldn't get any help for so long.
And it taught me to really [00:27:00] speak up and use my voice because as you say, they haven't got one. And as it turns out, we had, we had tests and procedures and everything with him, and it turns out that all the specialists that says n- say nothing is wrong, there's actually quite a problem.
So you need to, you really need to follow your gut and trust- ... your instincts as a mum. 
Clint: Nice. Tell us a little bit about this book, author. 
Erica: Thank you. So it's based under my name, Erica Leigh. It's called The Bonds Between Us. It's a memoir. It's called A Mother's Journey Raising Two Neurodivergent Hearts.
So it'll be available in September, and it goes through my journey pre-autism, and I speak about the severe depression I had, and then how having children changed that direction of life, for me. It talks about the Ironman and how I gained strength through the Ironman, but it talks about when they got their diagnosis, how [00:28:00] they got their diagnosis, the feelings that came with it, the advocating for them, and I guess the place that we're at now.
Not that... I would never say this life gets easier because I don't think, despite the therapies and everything else that we've had, I wouldn't say it's got easier. But as I said before, we grow into this role as a parent- ... or a caregiver. And ultimately, I hope through people reading it is that they feel less alone.
... So much of this we just hold on our own because people just don't understand it. So I hope that someone can read the book and think, "Oh my goodness, I'm not the only one out there that's going through this. There are other people." 
Yeah. And 
also in the hope that educators can read it and bridge that gap between what happens at home and what happens at school and why behaviors look like they do.
. Fingers crossed. .
Clint: , That's good. What's one message you'd love every parent on this [00:29:00] journey to hear? 
Erica: Ooh. The message that probably that I just gave you, that you're not alone. Yeah. That there are people out there going through the same thing that do understand that same journey, and if you can find a person that understands, even if it's just a friend, a special friend, then you know you- you're not alone out there.
. 
Erica: No one ev- should ever feel like they're alone 
Clint: Yeah. If you find that person, buy them flowers and chocolates just to keep them on your side. Like mail and bribe them as much as possible. Hold on 
Speaker 7: to them for dear life.
Clint: Perfect. And last question. Are you open with connecting other parents?
Are you happy for me to share your email or that, or your details for people to, if they wanna connect you or reach you, are you happy for me to do that? 
Erica: Most definitely. I have a website and it has my socials- Yep ... and my email address on there. Yep, definitely. It's why I wrote the book so that people can connect.
- 
Clint: Perfect. Very good. Thank you. Thank you so much for your time. I [00:30:00] appreciate it.
Erica: Thank you so much.