Hi Friends! Most of you know that much of my medical practice includes evaluation and care for autistic children. I delight in their gifts while I also recognize the challenges they and their families face in navigating a neurotypical world. Along the way, I meet people who are making a positive impact in autism care. Tamara Hull is such a person. She’s a mom to a 19 year old autistic son and the creator of autism & ADHD Connection. I find her work is a wonderful resource for the families I serve, as well as for my professional understanding. Tamara and I had a chance to connect, and I trust you’ll enjoy my Q&A with her below. Subscribe to her Substack (https://autismadhdconnection.substack.com/) and website (https://autismadhdconnection.com/ for up-to-date credible resources. 

Why did you start Autism & ADHD Connection?

I created Autism & ADHD Connection in May 2020 after I finished my graduate degree. I first had the idea in 2014 because I saw how other parents were struggling the same way I had when my son J was diagnosed with autism at age 4 and then ADHD at age 6. When you have a child with both autism and ADHD, you face different rewards and challenges than just one or the other. However, I couldn’t find many resources that discussed topics from both an autism and ADHD perspective.

I had so many learnings from what we had been through that I wanted to share them with others so that they could learn from our experiences and make things easier. Life got in the way, but I finally was able to make time and prioritize creating the blog.

Many readers may not have close connections with autism. What is one thing you’d like to let them know?

I’d want them to know that autism isn’t an illness or condition; it’s a different wiring of the brain. Autistic people see the world differently, and that can be really good because it brings more diverse thoughts and ways of approaching things to our world. Autism is also on a spectrum, so people who are autistic have a wide range of capabilities and abilities based on where they fall on the spectrum.

What do you wish doctors would understand about caring for autistic people?

We’ve been blessed to have had wonderful pediatricians and specialists who understood autism and were able to help us navigate all the care and services that my son J needed. However, since my son has gotten older and moved on to a family practitioner and now an internal medicine physician, I’ve found their understanding of autism isn’t quite as good. Fortunately, J doesn't need to see his regular physician very often, but I find as a parent that I have to do a lot more research to help find solutions that may be related to autism now that he is over the age of 18.

How does your son feel about your work?

I think J appreciates what I do with the blog and volunteering locally for our autism community. We set some ground rules about me talking about him on the blog such as I don’t use his full name, don’t share any photos of him, and never talk about anything too personal that would embarrass him. Overall, I believe he is glad that I am using what we’ve learned over all these years to help others.

When you think of mothering, what comes to mind? What has been a surprise?

I knew when you become a mother that you love your child intensely, but the level of intensity was surprising. That and the strength you have to overcome challenges in life that you didn’t think you could battle because you desire the best for your child. 

I never expected to have a child with autism, and that took my life down a very different path than what I had envisioned when I was pregnant with him. Yet, I am surprisingly grateful because I have learned so much. My son J would not be who he is without autism, so I never wish he weren’t autistic. I do wish the world were more accommodating for autistics, and I am glad to see more acceptance of those who a neurodiverse than in the past. As a society, we still have a long way to go.

What’s next for you?

For Autism & ADHD Connection, I’m working on printables that I will make available through Etsy. I want to make even more resources available for parents of autistic children, and I have some downloads available on my website. I also wrote two e-books, “Autism and Your Family Finances” (I’m a certified financial educator) and “Advocating for Your Autistic Child,” that are available on Amazon Kindle. I’m working on more e-books, social stories, guides and other materials to help parents along their journey.