Host Kerri Rivera and Holly Anderson talked about autism and building a strong family relationship during the May 26 episode of "Champions with Kerri Rivera" on Brighteon.TV.
Rivera, an author and speaker, asked Anderson what motivated her to become a "raw and real autism mom." Anderson, who hosts a YouTube channel called Raw and Real Autism Mom, said it was all about her son Ezra, who has autism.
According to Anderson, she had some mixed feelings after getting the official diagnosis of her son's real condition. (Related: How to recognize the early warning signs of Autism.)
She also mentioned that she had to call her mom and aunt to talk to them.
"And I was just thinking about things that my aunt had said and my mom had said, and I was like, I need to connect with people. I need more answers. I wanted to really search for any information that I could get that would help my son, help him communicate, help him thrive in the world, help him live the best life that he possibly could. And I mean, honestly, at that time, I felt like someone had just put me in a pool and said, 'You have to swim now.' And I had no idea how to swim," Anderson said.
Anderson, who has her own websites 7-ahead.com and rawandrealautismmom.com, said she wants to connect with real people who are also going through the same issues. The Raw and Real Autism Mom YouTube channel host added that sharing embarrassing or vulnerable stories is one way to connect with people.
"And I wanted to also just become smart. I wanted to learn about what are all the words or the vocabulary words I need to know now. I wanted to be able to represent and be an advocate for my son. And have people respect me when I walked into that IP meeting or when I walked into that doctor's office. I wanted to really hold my head up high and say and know what I want for my son. So that is really how Raw and Real Autism Mom got started," Anderson explained.
Inspiring parents to find joy in their children
According to Anderson, the purpose of her family's channels is to help inspire parents to find joy in their children and to build a strong family relationship.
"And there are many ways you can do that. You don't have to uproot your family like we did. You can go on a walk in the park and point out how much you appreciate the things that God has given. You know how much you see. And they'll start to see that through your example. Because when you teach kids, sometimes they listen to what you say and sometimes they don't, but they always listen to what you do," Anderson said.
Anderson shared her family's journey to try and figure out how to help Ezra, as well as her early struggles taking care of him.
She also talked about having family activities, such as a kids' night, with the parents spending quality time with their children. The mother of five also shared the schooling that her children do when her family is on the road and traveling on their RV.
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Watch the May 26 episode of "Champions with Kerri Rivera" below. "Champions with Kerri Rivera" airs every Thursday at 11 a.m.-12 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.
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