There is help for navigating autism

By Beth Newcomb

Many parents who learn their child has autism spring into fix-it mode, immediately trying to change the reality of the situation. “We’re constantly thinking maybe this vitamin will work, or that doctor will help. The reality is, we just have to accept our children for who they are and love them for where they’re at,” says Maritza Molis, author of Autism in Our Home—The Making of a Bitter Sweet Family.

Maritza’s new book was a decade in the making. She recently compiled a wealth of journal entries and blog posts into one succinct guidebook to help other parents, like her, better cope with the realities and life changes a child with autism brings.

“At the time of my son Jaiden’s diagnosis in 2008, I couldn’t find a book that encompassed all the support I needed,” she explains. “I needed more help spiritually as well as coping with the day-to-day issues like therapies and things like that.”

Autism in Our Home brings God into the mix. “I tell parents they should let God help them in their everyday battles,” Maritza notes. “It’s okay to be depressed and angry, but you also have to remember that when you get the diagnosis, your child needs you more than ever. My husband, Kevin, and I have always tried to put Jaiden in the best situations for success with the hope that he’ll slowly progress year by year.”

As parents, Maritza and Kevin know they’ll look back with confidence, having done everything they could for their son. And parents struggling with a new diagnosis will have her book to lean on. “I wish I’d had a book like this to guide me when Jaiden was diagnosed,” she says. “I’m hopeful it can help other families.”

To purchase a copy of Autism in Our Home-The Making of a Bitter Sweet Family, by Maritza Molis, visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com. To host Maritza and Kevin for a speaking engagement, email molisfam@gmail.com.