Ep 31: TWO WOMEN, ONE CLEAR MISSION: Shifting Perspectives about the Autism Community
What does it mean to be an Autism Shifter? For Vicky Westra, the CEO and Founder of Autism Shifts, and Attorney Kimberly Jackson, the Executive Director of the Institute for Strategic Policy Solutions at St. Petersburg College, it means advocating for a new understanding and acceptance of the often-feared diagnosis. They join Sarina Fazan on this podcast to discuss what they learned throughout their families’ Autism journeys, the new membership program that Autism Shifts has developed to help shift perspectives about Autism, and their hope for the future of the Autism community.
Vicky’s family began their journey through the world of Autism when they received an Autism diagnosis for their daughter Gabbi at the age of four. For many years, the family lived in a place of anger, fear, and worry, which Vicky calls the “Red Zone,” because they didn’t understand the diagnosis or Gabbi’s behaviors.
So, Vicky began to search for the knowledge, tools, and processes to help them rediscover happiness at home. And, what she learned not only created a life-changing shift in the family’s perception of Autism, but it led to the foundation of the nonprofit Autism Shifts, where Vicky continues to share her message today.
Vicky says, “Sometimes it’s a very lonely journey. You don’t have a lot of resources. You’re trying to deal with the day-to-day that’s happening, so you might not have an opportunity to even to get the training you need, or really to understand Autism the way you need to, or to connect with others and find out what’s working, what are the things that I can implement in my own home, that can help my child, that can help us to lead a better life here as a family. And, that is what this is about.”
Starting in September, Autism Shifts is expanding its services even more with the launch of its new Shifter Membership Program, which offers specialized training, resources, and connection opportunities to the Autism community. The overall goal of the program is to provide a path from learning about Autism to becoming a leader in the community. Vicky defines a Shifter Member as an advocate who is on the leading edge to create a new world for Autism.
Kimberly is a great example of a community advocate and Shifter Member. She began her career in law, eventually serving as Assistant City Attorney for the City of St. Petersburg. Now at St. Petersburg College, she is dedicated to her students and helping them achieve their goals. As a mother, she’s put that same focus toward advocating for her 14-year-old daughter Emerson, who has Asperger syndrome, and for other families who have children with cognitive disabilities.
Kimberly says, “Emerson’s journey transformed who I am as a person. As an attorney, I was always engaged in community work, but not in the same way after having her. My empathy kicked into a very large level.”
She continues, “If you’ve met one Autistic person then you’ve met one Autistic person. My daughter at the time [of diagnosis] had tremendous sensory challenges, and if it weren’t for community engagement and resources where you’re connecting, I can’t tell you. She’s done the Nutcracker every year for six years with the Academy of Ballet of Arts. She’s done theater at American Stage. She has done equine therapy and water therapy and cooking lessons, and all of this is a support, because someone has paved the way. Like Vicky says, just teach them how to live.”
“I’ve been very blessed with resources and listening about how to implement those into my life, so we could have normalcy to the extent you can. Because the truth is, no matter how engaged you are, it is an isolating experience. It just is,” Kimberly adds.
Her search for more resources and community connections lead Kimberly to Autism Shifts – and to Vicky.
Kimberly describes that meeting, “When I learned what she was doing, I was just in awe. Because again, as an Autistic mom, you’re always looking for what does the next level look like. You don’t mean to do that, but you’re just sort of looking for what does life looks like next. And, so when she told me she did, I thought that’s exactly what our population needs.”
Vicky explains, “Shifters are advocators. They’re going to go out and do something. But we’ve got to remember that a big part of our population is in a place where they’re just trying to make it day-to-day. They don’t know where to turn. You know, sometimes they’ve lost hope for even, like what is the future?”
She continues, “So, you know, part of the process is getting them into our community and helping them to understand Autism in an even different way than what they’re used to. You know, we’re kind of used to seeing Autism through the lens of its challenges, everything that’s hard about it. And, what we’ve been able to do through our program, and me as a mom, I’ve been able to shift that perspective and start looking at the whole diagnosis differently. And when I do, I can see the capabilities, I can see the possibilities for our community. And, really, that’s the opportunity we have, is to help people in our community see that. As they start to rally around that, then we’ll see more and more happening for our community. An empowered community can change everything, and I think that’s where we stand right now.”
Kimberly agrees, “You get fixated on what’s challenging, instead of seeing their gifts, which are outstanding. And, their contribution to the workforce is why I really appreciate Vicky.”
“There are just issues that are singular to us that we have to sort of navigate, and they’re not just practical issues, but employment issues. Navigating the healthcare system differently. Navigating education differently. Teaching them to advocate for themselves because they want the same things that their peers do. There’s just this, I would say, cornucopia of things that you just want someone else who’s been down that road to guide you,” Kimberly adds.
That’s exactly the purpose of the Shifter Membership Program. There are three different plans, including free, individual, and family options, all offering educational opportunities and resources.
Vicky says, “Basically, it’s a learn-as-you-go process…This is where you’re getting information every week. You could get a training video this week. It could be on a topic like understanding how emotions play into creating the home you want, you know, the environment you want. And then next week, it’s a tool or process that you could use. The following week, it’s a podcast or we could be interviewing somebody who’s already a Shifter. That’s why we would like to highlight people that are Shifters, because people can see, oh that’s what that looks like! They’re advocating. That’s what they did with their child at home. But you can learn all these processes, right? So, you could start at this learning stage, and you could move to evolving, then achieving, then mastery, and then advocating.”
That process from learning to leading is central to the mission of Autism Shifts. “When you shifted your household, when you shifted your perspective, you’re affecting everyone around you, and so that’s how we can influence our community. So, all of us play a role in the shift happening,” Vicky states.
She continues, “Today the world we look at for Autism doesn’t look that great, okay? Because there’s not tons of people with Autism living their life on purpose.”
But Autism Shifts has a clear vision for a different future. “With vision, our children can go out and work, and businesses can understand how to create an environment to support them,” Vicky explains.
In addition to the membership program, Autism Shifts is also offering two online training courses for young adults (18+) with Autism, designed to help students better understand themselves, the business environment, and the “neuro-typical” world around them. In partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation, the four-week online Employment Ready Course provides students with the skills needed to move into the workforce with confidence. The two-week virtual Self-Discovery Course teaches students the tools and processes they need to determine their next steps and gain clarity about their future.
“I piecemealed all these things to get the information I needed to create my village of support. What she’s offering is something that would have been transformational at the time, instead of relying on the goodwill of well-intended but over-burdened either care, providers or educators, who are just giving you good nuggets from time to time. Vicky is offering the totality of the package,” Kimberly declares.
Through that package of training, resources, and community connections, Autism Shifts is working to promote a new understanding of Autism and a new reality for the Autism community.
“What Vicky is saying is that it doesn’t have to be that complicated. Everyone has a center of excellence, and when you find that, you’ll find a meaningful career,” Kimberly states.
To learn more about Autism Shifts or to register for the Shifter Membership Program, visit their website at www.AutismShifts.org or follow them on social media @autismshifts.
Listen, Watch, Review, and Share With A Friend! Sarina Fazan is a multiple-time Emmy award winner and journalist with over 20 years of experience. For more discussions like this one, make sure to subscribe to the podcast On The Record With Sarina Fazan.