In this powerful episode, host Rashidah sits down withChristina Bell, a mom, special education graduate student, and fierce advocate for her 5-year-old son Joshie, who was diagnosed with autism at 3.5 years old.
From the moment Christina suspected something was different, she didn't hesitate — she Googled, she asked questions, and when the diagnosis came, she met it with clarity and courage instead of fear.
Christina takes us through her family's journey from thatfirst pediatrician conversation to starting ABA therapy, enrolling Joshie in preschool with full services, and watching him flourish within months. She opens up about the emotional layers of the process: the isolation of not having a local community, the learning curve of understanding sensory needs, and the mindset work required to stay grounded when the road gets hard.
Connect with Christina:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/christeenaeve
Facebook: Christina Araujo
In this episode, we discuss:
Timestamps:
0:00 — Show intro
0:39 — "Build Stronger by Autism"
3:55 — Meet Christina Bell
4:26 — Noticing the signs & path to diagnosis
8:53 — Early intervention11:14 — Shifting the stigma
13:01 — Finding community
14:49 — How Joshie changed Christina as a person
16:30 — A career pivot into special education
20:27 — Staying positive on hard days
22:14 — Celebrating milestones & holding onto progress
26:27 — Vision for a local autism moms’ group
29:49 — Manifesting & retraining the brain
35:25 — Advice for the mom who just got the diagnosis
37:07 — Peaceful mind, peaceful heart, peaceful soul
40:33 — Learning through your child's lens
44:08 — What makes Christina a badass?
45:19 — Where to find Christina
If this episode resonated with you:
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Instagram: www.instagram.com/theabmpodcast
Facebook: www.facebook.com/theabmpodcast
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