Little Honey Doula Services LLC

I have the honor to work closely with several autistic families. What I have learned is that every family and every individual that I work with are so, so different. We hear the word spectrum, but people often times put autistic individuals in a box. It’s literally nuts. I’m sorry for those that never felt heard, seen, or loved. I work in the field of ABA and it is heavily debated, which is extremely fair. One thing I work on with my kiddos is how to communicate what they are feeling. This sounds simple to most, but people often times do not realize that first you must know this child, who they are, what they love, what they hate, what makes them sad, etc. The whole individual. One of my favorite parts of my job is that I have to figure out how to communicate with each individual that I work with so that I can help them express to others how they feel. This may look like a game of tag with lots of twists and turns, this may look like squeezing their arms and giving compression when they are overwhelmed, or maybe it looks like them screaming at me and me simply acknowledging their frustration. I am thankful to be here through these moments with them.

With that being said, I have learned so much about how to advocate for those that can’t advocate for themselves. I have learned from the many autistic adults that have expressed their experience, and I hope that they/you continue to share so that I can continue to learn. I am sorry on behalf of so many that didn’t listen to your actions or words. This beautiful community is so special in that each story and experience is so different. And to you parents, you have to find your village. You cannot do it alone. I have worked with parents that have tried, and I often remind them that this is a marathon, not a sprint. There are people that care and want to support. Below I will list a great resource for parents.

You are loved and I hope you find your village.

Love,

Melina❤️