Christian Neurodivergent Advocate and Educator
In a season when I needed support, education, and understanding, I instead felt isolated, misunderstood, and increasingly afraid for my children...but that was not the end of our story. The Lord used that season to teach me more than I expected, and what I’ve been given, I now want to share for the sake of other families who feel alone.
My parenting journey began in 2009, and it quickly became clear that it would look different than I had imagined. My firstborn son began showing signs of autism, and before long our family was navigating therapies, medical appointments, and multiple neurodivergent diagnoses. While I was pregnant with our third child, our secondborn was diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening blood disorder, adding long hospital stays and medical uncertainty to an already overwhelming season.
By God's grace, our son eventually entered remission and was later diagnosed with autism. In time, our third son was diagnosed with ADHD and learning disabilities, and our fourth son was diagnosed with autism and complex medical needs. Today, my husband and I are raising four wonderfully unique neurodivergent children.
As I searched for resources to help me understand my children, I found that most fell into one of two camps. They either acknowledged neurodivergence but left God out of the conversation, or they focused on faith while overlooking the unique ways God designed neurodivergent children.
As we learned to parent each of our sons as individuals, I discovered how differently neurodivergence can present, how strengths and needs vary from child to child, and how deeply parenting requires dependence on the Holy Spirit rather than formulas.
Those wilderness years became the foundation for The Understanding Way. God called me to encourage Christian parents with both biblical truth and a deeper understanding of the minds He created. My hope is that what you find here reminds you that you are not alone, that your child is not a mistake, and that God has not overlooked your family.
I married my husband in 2007, and together we have the privilege of raising four incredible, neurodivergent boys. I’m neurodivergent myself, and I, along with two of my sons, live with multiple complex health conditions and disabilities. Life in my home is anything but typical, but I never laugh and love harder than when I am with my family.
My work is shaped by counseling training, including:
Counseling and Social Work studies through Northern Kentucky University
Over twenty years of biblical counseling education and training
Ongoing education focused on ASD, ADHD, and specific learning disabilities (SLDs)
Professional CE conferences
And I have personal experience with and experience supporting families navigating:
Autism (Levels I, II, and III)
ADHD
Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NVLD)
Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia
Twice-exceptionality (2E)
Childhood Apraxia of Speech
Selective Mutism
Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)