Parenting the Child, Not the Autism: Nancy’s Holistic Approach to Raising an Autistic Child

The Resilient Heart Podcast

Parenting a child with autism requires a holistic approach that focuses on nurturing the whole child rather than solely addressing the autism diagnosis. This comprehensive strategy recognizes that each autistic child is unique with their own strengths, challenges, and potential. By adopting a holistic perspective, parents can create an environment that supports their child's overall development, including physical, emotional, and social well-being. This approach emphasizes the importance of understanding the child's specific needs, interests, and communication style rather than trying to "fix" or change their autism. Parents are encouraged to celebrate their child's unique qualities while providing tailored support for areas of difficulty.

In this episode, I am joined by Nancy Masannat, who offers a refreshing and holistic perspective that emphasizes nurturing the child as a whole, rather than focusing solely on their autism diagnosis. As a certified Life Coach specializing in supporting parents and caregivers of autistic children, Nancy advocates for an approach that celebrates each child's unique qualities while providing tailored support for areas of difficulty. This episode delves into Nancy's personal journey as a mother of an autistic child, exploring the challenges, triumphs, and invaluable lessons learned along the way. From navigating the diagnosis process to finding joy in parenting, Nancy shares insights on mindset training, building better relationships, and designing effective self-care plans, all aimed at helping parents reclaim their lives and find more joy in their parenting journey. Tune in to gain insights on what autism looks like and how to effectively support, advocate for, and empower children with autism.

Timestamps

[03:10] About Nancy Masannat

[04:27] What the diagnosis process looked like for Nancy’s son

[10:41] How mums can include and create capacity for “normal kids.”

[13:00] What mums with autistic children need to know about their own self

[16:00] Conversations Nancy had with her daughter about his son

[18:59] Things that were a griefing process for Nancy as a mum with an autistic child

[24:08] Processing the grief of the dreams you have for your autistic kid

[27:10] Lessons Nancy learned from being a big advocate for her autistic son

[31:56] Steps new mums can take to help their autistic children

[38:18] Finding joy for yourself

[44:50] How to find an understanding community

[48:23] About Nancy’s type of work

[50:16] Nancy’s final remarks to mums with autistic children

Notable Quotes

• “If your kid asks a question, you need to answer the question in a way that they can understand it.”
• “The grieving process is an ongoing thing.”
• “Sometimes you have to take the wins that you have and celebrate them big, maybe not for them, but for you.”
• “.Our hopes and dreams don’t typically manifest in our kids no matter what.”
• “Do your best until you know different and then do your best with that information, don’t beat yourself up for what you don’t know.”
• “Lean into your intuition when something is not right.”
• “It’s okay to take care of yourself and make time for yourself.”
• “Just getting to share your story sometimes makes a huge difference when you get to talk to somebody.”
• “.If you are an autism parent, you have to remember to parent your kid as a kid and not parent the autism.”

Resources Mentioned:

Welcome to Holland Story By Emily Perl Kingsley: https://www.emilyperlkingsley.com/welcome-to-holland

Connect With Nancy Masannat:

Website: https://simplejoydesigns.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simplejoydesigns/

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100028875413008

X (Twitter): https://x.com/designs_joy

Connect with me: Gabi Garland

Website: http://www.gabigarland.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabi.garland/