This video is so impactful. I don’t even have kids with special needs but watch and cry with you. Keep advocating, you are amazing! I mean that from the bottom of my heart ❤️

My son is 22. We live in Minnesota and have excellent services for him. So frustrating that you had to go through all that in Florida. Finally you are getting the help you need!

If anyone ever says ANYTHING negative about your parenting again I really hope you don't give those trolls another thought!!! Also we ALL look back when our kids were little and have big regrets! wish we could change things. but we are looking back to a time when we didn't know what we know now. so...... your beautiful children have the best parents for them! they are very lucky! and so are you!

These children are orchids.. beautiful and complex. Lawyers can really help.even if you can not move. I love you guys

My mom went through something similar with fighting the system for me. But, in her case, they didn’t listen. I didn’t get services/a diagnosis until I was twenty. She had a lot of guilt about not getting me that autism diagnosis sooner. I can honestly say I don’t have any resentment toward her for it. It would have helped me a lot in school to get that help, but it’s not Mom’s fault. I know it’s like that for a lot of us in the autism community whose parents tried. It makes a difference when you fight for your kids, even if you don’t get the answers early on. We see it, and we know you tried. :) I watched the older video as well, and I’m glad that you took time to ask Noah about some of those topics and that you made sure he could take them out if he wanted.

I used to watch y’all when Noah was very young and WOW has he grown up!! My mom used to work at an ABA clinic as a Behavior/Therapy counselor and it was so cool to see all the kiddos’ personalities. It really gave me a sense of how children (and adults) on the spectrum can truly learn so much overtime when they have someone that cares. I was only 16 at the time, but it gave me SO MUCH more appreciation and awareness to just sit down and get to know them before judging them. Noah is such a cool guy and I cant wait to see how the rest of his teenage years go! Goodluck to you all and thanks for sharing your journey!

I just started the video but the fact that you allow your children to have a say in what you tell about his story is absolutely amazing. We as parents are going to make mistakes but you privated those stories and you continue to make sure you share nothing that he is uncomfortable with. You’re the best mama and I love the landing crew!🥰

I 100% understand your shoes with blaming myself. I missed so many things that I look back now and think why didn’t I catch that. Your channel has helped me tremendously.

Is it just me or does Noah look so much like Penelope in the baby pictures so adorable 🥰 love your family

I love the continuous respect and love in the Landing crew. Stephanie ❤ I appreciate you and you're a great mother! Noah, hope you're doing well! Thanks for sharing as always it's so impactful and has helped me in so many ways!

Thank you for sharing your story! It definitely makes a difference to parents who are just starting this journey.

Awesome video! It makes me cry to hear your story but I’m so glad you shared so other families can get help. I’m not currently working but I’m a pediatric nurse who worked with children with special needs.

Wow! Love that hair style on you. It looks FANTASTIC!

Thank you for sharing, especially the lessons learned. This video WILL help other parents dealing with similar issues - the real issues (parent guilt, denial, etc). Also thank you SO much for respecting his wishes related to posting content and having his back. You are an amazing mom!!!! 👩🏻‍🦰🤍🤍🖤🖤

I am so grateful for you Stephanie. I’m an aspiring BCBA and currently a behavioral therapist. Your frank and detailed accounts of your children is so valuable.

I forgot to tell you Lex looks just like my oldest when he was little! Every time I see him it melts my heart! My son will be 40 years old this year!!! It blows my mind! lol

I love that you stay informational but so respectful of Noahs wishes and all your kids wishes and privacy.

I have watched your older video and fully respect your and Noah’s choice to leave out what you did leave out. The important thing is Noah is now getting the right help for his needs and that you’re spreading awareness for the difficult process your whole family has been through.

Aww hey Stephanie!! I remember when I First started watching your channel.. years ago now!! I’m glad to see your growth and get older.. i say that because as you get older you become wiser.. no parent is perfect!! No parent knows in and everything!! You’re a great parent and I’m glad to have witnessed such a great story and journey!!! ❤️ love u all!! Stay great!!

So proud of you and all that you've done! 💗

First of all, youlook so pretty. I love your eyes in contrast with your hair. Thank you for sharing. It is comforting to know that I am not alone in this colorful journey.

Thank you for sharing all your stories. I just found your channel. My son was diagnosed with level 3 autism yesterday and I was looking for videos to help me understand a little better and your channel came up, thank you. You have made me feel so much better.

Love you all. Please trust yourself from now on. Thank Fathering Autism. Thank you guys for sharing our hystory for in this way we can learn better ways to help other kids and teens. Thank you Steph!

Listening to your story breaks my heart and so familiar. Took my son to neurologist and he told me I was just a bad Mom and recommended a book on discipline. We finally got answers after a friend went hiking with a therapist. She was the only one who looked at our son and knew what was going on. Thank goodness for her. Bless you bless you for your advocacy. You are amazing.

We love you guys you guys will always have a spot in my heart

Noah's when you talk to him seems so smart. I might be biased but you have taught him so much. My struggles were more to do with can't handle it. I do bite my finger. Process information slowly but I can figure out the same material. Having time in school to complete the work gave me the extra time it would take me over someone else. Accommodate not expect an unfair bar to keep up. I learned algebra in science class because they didn't think I could handle it.

He's come a long way since I first started watching your channel! He's doing great!!

Thanks for knowing what ur kid is ok and not ok with this is the first channel I’ve actually seen do that for their autistic children 😄

Tears. I relate so much to what you were saying about the inaction, the blaming, and the guilt. My child's pediatrician and friends and family were so quick to say oh, every child is different, every parent has these worries, you're doing too much for him, basically it's your fault for the developmental delays. Mine finally did get the ASD diagnosis, but I just wonder what could have been if someone had simply listened to my concerns a little sooner. Why is it that people who are supposed to help and support can be so dismissive and so reluctant to truly listen, to investigate, to help? Believe parents when they say something is up! Thank you for sharing.

I am so grateful to have found this channel….my 4 year old is autistic, and I too feel alone. None of my friends have autistic children, plus there aren’t anyone else in my family that’s autistic, however I do strongly believe that I am. Watching this makes me feel like I do have someone to relate to in some ways. 💙

I love you all so much! Great vlog as always. I love your family! I love Autistic kids and people! I like the way it sounds. Sorry I am so late I was in Vegas all week last week! I love being a member of your LANDing Crew!

You’re amazing! Thank you for this information

You look absolutely amazing! Love seeing your face back on here again!!

Your sharing is so appreciated

Thank you for sharing us your story. As a parent we need to fight for our children. Not everything the dr told are correct. Believe what’s right for our child. I also have to change drs. The school system is out of wack! The center of autism takes more than a year for evaluation. If you think the therapies are not working with your child, find a different one that fit your child. Much love and appreciate all your videos. I hope more parents will take from your experiences. Thank you. ❤️

Thank u for sharing Noah's story ❤️❤️ love u family

Omg I’m crying with you! It’s so natural for us moms to blame us for everything.. I also felt like it was my fault that I didn’t do something and it’s hard suuuper hard.. there’s days where I just cannot stop think about one day, one decision that I took .. and we feel guilty we feel like a failure and it’s just sooo hard to overcome that feeling 😢 I’m sending you lot of love and a virtual hug from south texas .. we are not alone

Thank you so much for posting this and all of your content. Both of my kids are on the spectrum. I will say that when my daughter just stopped talking around 2 [and other things], her pediatrician was very well informed about developmental disabilities and sent us to a school to get her tested. That was the 1st time I ever heard the word autism. My family blamed me for having a messed up body [was in foster care and forced to take loads of meds and abuse]but eventually a relative [she died recently] told me that I had a great aunt relative who was autistic. I remember meeting her as a child and she was exhibiting the same behaviors and all! The family told people that she was poisoned by drinking kerosene since Autism wasn't known to them. Right now, my son and I, are stuck in a different state due to covid restrictions,etc. Due to what I learned from my daughter's experience, things were easier to handle. Alot similar to Noah. Even now at 11, he is naturally hyper and can do gymnastics, parkour,etc. and just from watching it. This area we are in. The school district is limited and since it's a small town, I'm in constant battles. My son was recently chased outside and around by multiple adults during school hours. They suspended him for a day and refuse to admit they put him danger. Even though I've contacted people who agree with me,I feel alone in this battle. Watching your videos continue to give me courage. Ty so much!

Noah is a great person and he is smart to

Wow, you are so strong to get through such a horrendous, frustrating experience in florida.

Amazing video. Thank you so much !

Thank you for the video! I'm in such a low right now.

Everyone in my life says my son is Autistic. His teachers, his doctors, his speech therapist, his early intervention therapist. And there is no waiting list in the state I live in, but my insurance refuses to cover the evaluation. We tried to pay out of pocket. But the first appointment with the nurse, was a 30 minute video chat cost us $1000! We just can't afford it. I want him to get an official diagnosis, but we just can't afford it. Lucky for us he's getting some services through his IEP after he aged out of early intervention.

Thank you so much for pushing out content, you have no idea how soothing you are to my possibly neurodivergent brain 🧠

We, understand I’m glad Noah can be who he is ….he’s a really cool person

Thank you for sharing his story. My daughter is delayed in 4 out of the 5 areas of development. I knew she was but it was still surprising to hear. So now she will have in home services to help her comunícate better. I believe she is on the spectrum. The company that is providing the services won’t evaluate her for autism until she is 3 years old. And she is currently 21 months old. I hope these therapy sessions will help her for the time being. And if she does have autism those therapy sessions will be swapped out for ABA therapy. I have Spastic Cerebral Palsy and also have struggled with my learning disability. I have help my daughter with her delays now. It’s crazy how things turn out. Thank you again for sharing Noah’s story 💕

My son’s name is Noah, he’s 3.5 and he was just officially diagnosed in January ❤️ love watching your videos!

My diagnosis was also PDD- NOS and I got diagnosed in the 90's at 4 years old 💗 The Specialists clearly weren't aware if I was Autistic either, now I'm much older and all grown- up.. Having looked into things further, now I'm most certain I am Autistic ☺♡♡ Thank you for sharing your story really appreciate it, Noah he's such an incredible young man, said with love and kindness always ☺💕 xox

Loving your hair!! Looking good!

I loved living in Saint Petersburg 🎉but Colorado to me is way more advanced in health and education. You're an amazing advocate for your kids! These videos give a lot of encouragement.

Thank you for sharing Noah’s story. I have my 7 years old daughter with autism with spectrum level 2 and I still feel helpless cause she still denies me her ABA therapy. I don’t know what else have to do and makes me feel I failed her.

I love your channel, I feel so much of whats in this video im at the stage I feel so unsupported and look at as if I'm the problem and all I'm doing is trying to find help for my daugther who is 9. We need to help our kids work out who they are we can't change them just learn to understand them, I think you need a nice drink after that video I felt every emotion

Hi Stephanie, I love your hair it’s so pretty!!

Wow, just wow woman. Noah couldn't have better parents. The worst thing is when professionals won't listen and believe. I was in so much pain one time that I went to er twice and both times they just thought I was drug seeking. I felt so hopeless and scared. More than I ever have been in my life. Finally another dr found the problem and helped me. But I was in total despair. What uve been thru is so much worse, that u r super mom for hanging in there and fighting like u have. I was brought to years with ur story bc I know how horrible I felt in my little situation and just thinking how urs has been 100 times worse. Especially it being ur child. I'm really proud of u! Many blessings!!

First off I love your hair it's so darn adorable I just want to come through the screen and cuddle with you sorry just me being friendly. Second wow I can tell Noah was and is alot different then me with autism , from the moment I was born I showed signs like not wanting to be touched and I'd hunch my back, in school I had a rap around who'd hang out with me. I also had to repeat kindergarten and I was originally diagnosed with PDD which is autism and Intalectual impairment sorry can't spell good. As an adult now I can tell you I struggle being 24 there's nothing for people who are autistic least idk being autistic where to find adult services. Your story also made me appreciate my parents alot more because I imagine they went through some tough times too which we lived in Pennsylvania most of my life so it was easier for us when we was kids verses where you lived but still you helped me realize what my parents went through too. If I may ask when Noah has meltdowns does he cry/bail? That's what mine consist of and I still do that at 24. Also does Noah have any special interests? Mine are highways and I carry around maps

I feel you on dealing with an autistic kid with behavior issues. My son Tom is an adult who still has behavior problems. He was especially bad on the school buses, and every program he was in he ended up being kicked off the school bus. For everyone whose school district says they can't deal with your child's behavior, keep in mind that they are required by federal law to find a program for your child, even if it costs a lot of money. This is where Tom ended up, at a private school paid for by the state and town. It was the only program that could address all his needs. Please know that you did NOT fail Noah, but the school districts, state of Florida, and some doctors very much did. It shouldn't matter where you live for your kid to get services, but it very much does. Keep strong. You really are a special needs super mom, and anyone who say different couldn't walk a day in your shoes. Ignore any trolls you encounter. Throw them back under the bidge! Or block them.

I have been lucky enough where people are helping me and not just brushing my sons delays away. He was very delayed like Noah and they put my son in Early Intervention at 10 months, decided to help him with feedings with Speech therapy at 12 months and pediatrician has agreed to get my son evaluated by a Developmental Pediatrician. I can't imagine how stressed you guys were after not being taken seriously. My son has made huge improvements and is finally using both legs to army crawl at 13 months, sitting up and getting up in sitting position on own and many more. He still has problems with feeding but is a lot better now. I am unsure if my son test with the developmental pediatrician will say he is autistic or not.He has been titled as sensory processing disorder by many of his therapist but not sure if it's the only thing he has or not. I know either way I will love him no matter what! I just want to know why he is delayed and does the stuff he does and get the help he needs. I also want to add that when you talked about being honest about your kids delayed, I agree completely. I was honest all the way with everything and it was helped my son in doing so.

I'm so sorry that you and your child were not getting the help he needed for so long

I love your hair Stephanie.

noah is a great kid and i love you family

Love your hair!❤️

I never realized how much Nellie looks like Noah until I saw his toddler pics today!! Twins :)

Thank u for this

I love Noah's story he's grown up so much

It’s astounding that this happened only 11-16 years ago. It seems so 1950’s.

EBD classes are for children who have difficulty coping with the traditional class. The kids are supposed to get a LOT more one on one time and more attention to the IEP goals. Sometimes, it's a beautiful thing....sometimes it's a disaster. A LOT depends on the teacher and admintrators. Thankful my son's school has a magnet program for children with ASDs. All classroom teachers are specially trained to support students who often started in a self contained setting and progress to an inclusion setting when possible. Thanks to the education I've gotten from your videos, both of my kids were able to be evaluated and get appropriate support services. I just remember crying when my younger son got put out of two different preschools and not knowing what to do. Even now, I get so tired and sometimes don't feel like I know what I'm doing. We are still working on not throwing furniture at school when he gets frustrated 🥴. Was very (weirdly proud?) yesterday when he told a child to shut the "f" up and DIDN'T throw anything...at least he used words!

Respect This is really painful to talk about Great story sad tho

Love you love your channel keep being you you look great

I love your hair color. I know totally off topic but looks really good 😊

I have Autism AD HD OCD, I am 65 now, I did not find out until my late 40s

Thank you 💙💙💙 the pediatrician said "your son doesn't talk because you do everything for him" now 1.5yrs years later we are waitlisted for a Alternative Communication Device. I have a lot of guilt I didn't push harder, but it was during covid lockdown and I thought since I wasn't getting him out he wasn't talking

I know a small glimpse of how you felt. Feeling like doctors didn’t care or weren’t listening. I knew something was wrong with my daughter from around a year old. I begged her doctors to do testing on her. She saw 4 different neurologists in three different states and countless pediatricians. Finally when she was 3 years old someone listened to me and she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease. I wish someone would have listened to me sooner. My daughter struggled for a long time. But she’s 8 now and doing so much better.

Ugh I hate doctors that are like that ! A mom always knows best!! I love how you didn't stop fighting for him , you are doing a great job Supermom 🦸‍♀️

I am binge watching your videos after my daughter's diagnosis. You give me strength. I have a question when noah started to understand you? When can i expect my daughter to understand simple commands?

I’ve been with you for a few years now so I’ve heard Noah’s story before & every time it breaks my heart when you say that you were blaming yourself & just felt so isolated with no support. I can only imagine how hard it was then & to see how you had to move across the country to get adequate care for your kiddos, is just crazy! How is it 2022 & we have a healthcare system that tells you that you’re too young & then you’re too old for help? The entire system makes no sense to me & (from my understanding), is basically useless to most of us. I’m sure that sharing this isn’t easy, so thank you, Stephanie! Your mama bear powers are impressive & your kiddos are so blessed to have you as their mama! ❤️❤️❤️

I have such a great connection with people with autism a lot of my friends in my public school sped class I think I can say I want to become board certified behavior analyst to make the difference in my friends life

You are awesome you did great for Noah it’s a shame how the system works

WOW! Also I joined the discords, glad to have another Autism community to be part of.

This is so similar to my own story, except with a different disability. I am visually impaired and lived in Michigan until I was 18. I have several conditions including Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH), nystagmus and astigmatism, and have 20/70 visual acuity in one eye and very little vision (Mostly light and shadow perception when the better eye is covered). None of my conditions are degenerative meaning I wont lose the vision I have thankfully. I was told I didn't qualify for hardly anything due to my visual acuity in my better eye, however, nobody considered how the drastic difference in vision between my eyes affected me. I would constantly trip over things as a kid and still have a pretty hard time with depth perception. It took up until the 10th grade for me to get a 504 that was hardly enforced (I met with someone for two months and then never again). I had to advocate for myself with absolutely everything. Within three months of moving to North Carolina last year I was connected with a counselor in my city, and then connected with an Assistive Technology specialist, Orientation and Mobility specialist, Career transition and pre-career transition specialists, and so on! I graduated high school with a 1.6 GPA and just ended my first year at community college with a 3.2. I also am now a part-time user of a white cane which helps me feel a little more confident when walking on my own. You guys are doing a great job from what I can see through your videos!

Unrelated but I am LOVING your hair

Noah's an awesome boy

My mom didn't know about my autism till I was 12 when a police officer told her that it was a possibility and I agreed with the officer I even looked into it and I could see so many social issues I had that just went together with it but didn't get diagnosed until it was too late and I got tooken by the state and put into a Behavioral health boys reformatory type thing and then met with the doctor and about 3 moths later I was moved to foster care and I was finally diagnosed

My cousin is autistic but he still doesn't have a diagnosis because there are no professionals who can diagnose him where we live and his parents can't afford going to a specialist. Is sad because I feel like every year he's getting more and more isolated and It could be prevented with a little of help

You really went through a lot in Florida. I am so happy you are in Colorado for your kids. It is so great the help they are getting now that you moved.

Have they ever had ARFID love ur channel so much

Your so not alone

Noah was cute as a little guy and still cute now!

Did Noah’s psychosis just go away? We are at that stage. After this story I feel my son is so similar to Noah. Especially when you said how Noah wouldn’t even watch TV and just ran around. I’m exhausted and we are stuck :C and the adult dosages of antipsychotic they aren’t working for him. Hes 7 years old now. This started when he was 5. He was diagnosed autistic at 1 years old and had stims like your Penelope’s. Now everything is much different with behaviors.

I have autism ,I’m a teen and I go to a behavioral school and there’s 3 kids in my class and three teachers/case mangers ur not alone my mom struggles whith it too and I have behavioral issues (severely) ur not alone and I’m sorry😢💖

Don’t beat yourself up, you can’t know what you don’t know. The state failed you and they failed Noah. It was their job to tell you about the services and what Noah would need. It was their job to evaluate him properly. They didn’t do their job and I’m so sorry you had to go through that, I’m so sorry Noah had to go through that. Thank you for educating and advocating, we need more parents like you who call the state, doctors, etc out on the BS they call “care” and “support”. Keep doing you, you’re an amazing mom and your kids’ progress is very much largely due to your support and persistence. ❤️

Hey! Thank you for the information. My child elopes he is 8 right now… how do you manage eloping when they are i their teens? Do you have any suggestions or ideas? ( not sure if Noah was/is eloping at this age range) Thank you! You have a wonderful family:)

Noah looks so much like Nellie in that pic at 3:00

I also see Lex in Lonnie Junior's face when Lonnie Junior was 6 years old. I feel like people who came from the same parents all look like each other, just not in the same age ranges, meaning that if I had a brother who is ten years older than me he would have looked almost exactly like how I look today eight years ago. "We all look alike, just not at the same time." -Scoops

My so was an eloper who had violent meltdowns and he was not able to get a diagnosis until til he was 16

You Rock

O my goodness I had no idea how much crap you guys had to go through just to figure things out! I’m so sorry 💔

Did you get bangs?? Looks so good

As a young parent in Oklahoma, our daughter definitely has autism, however we never got an official diagnosis. They started the evaluation and never got to finish it. We have a new pediatrician and I already feel like she is underestimating us. I feel scared we’re not going to get her to refer us to a psychiatrist for an evaluation. Our kiddo is already in OT and speech and they have that it says she has SPD

Autism used to be considered childhood schizophrenia in the DSM until 1980. I find it interesting how some cases are still misdiagnosed as such.

Aww man I stay in Jax it sucks they didn't give him the proper help