July 14, 2026
Uniquely Human
The Power of Trust
This photo is a fun illustration of my family trusting each other to safely cross a stream in the Smoky Mountains. Trust is a foundation in families, as well as in my work as a speech language pathologist.
Currently, I am enjoying listening to Barry Prizant’s book called Uniquely Human: Updated and Expanded: A Different Way of Seeing Autism. He has a chapter on trust and how important it is for autistic children and their families. I was struck by the trust I have built with two of my little autistic friends who each sat on my lap during sessions this week. One sat as we focused on his favorite activity of drawing numbers while I worked on modeling past tense verbs. The other climbed into my lap as we returned to his rocketship tent to blast off while I worked on filling in verbal routines and word combinations: “5,4, 3, 2,1…Blast off!” One mother said to me, “You are part of our family!” which made me smile.
As a clinician it is easy to want to try and fix and force progress. Instead, what Barry Prizant talks about is being present and walking with families as they navigate a different path than was planned. Doing life with families and honoring their individual journeys is a privilege.
I am a trusted partner who sometimes has the answers, sometimes does not, and recognizing that is okay.
This week is the Preschool Autism Summit and last night I had the privilege of hearing from Abbey and her mother Christine from the Netflix series Love on the Spectrum. Abby and her mom so beautifully trusted us to listen to their journey.
May we focus on truly listening, being present and building trust with our families.
May we all celebrate being “uniquely human” together.