Ep. 126 - Who I Told - And Why Everyone Else Had to Wait with Kanisha
From Autism for Badass Moms by Rashidah Cartwright
February 17, 2026 · 59 min · Season 1 · Episode 126
About this episode
Kanisha shares her journey navigating her daughter's autism diagnosis and the importance of disclosure and community support.
In this episode of 'Autism for Badass Moms,' host Rashidah welcomes Kanisha, a 40-year-old registered nurse in Houston and mom to five-year-old Zoë (diagnosed at 2.5, verbal with limited communication), shares her journey from early concerns and self-referral for evaluation to an ADOS-based diagnosis and the therapies that followed. She opens up about balancing full-time work, navigating limited support, starting full-day ABA, and witnessing Zoë’s significant progress. At the heart of the conversation is disclosure. Kanisha explains why she told only a small circle at first, choosing privacy over overwhelm and commentary. She reflects on finding community online and encourages moms to move at their own pace, trust their discernment, and protect their peace. In this episode, we talk about: 00:00 Welcome to Autism for Badass Moms (Show Intro) 00:46 Today’s Topic: Who Do You Tell First After an Autism Diagnosis? 02:18 Meet Kisha & Zoe: A Diagnosis That Changed Everything 04:42 Early Red Flags: 12–18 Months, Speech Concerns & Being Dismissed 07:58 Two-Year Turning Point: Sensory Signs & Suspecting Autism 11:22 The Daycare Wake-Up Call: Social Struggles & “Final Piece”…
People in this episode
Host: Rashidah Cartwright
Guest: Kanisha
Topics covered
- autism diagnosis
- parenting
- support systems
- therapy
- community
- disclosure
Keywords
- autism
- diagnosis
- ABA therapy
- parenting
- support
- community
- disclosure
- progress
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Houston
More episodes of Autism for Badass Moms
- Ep. 142 - How an Infection Led Us to Autism with Nykyta · June 9, 2026 · 38 min
- Ep. 141 - Finding My Footing in a World I Never Planned to Enter with Quanisha · June 2, 2026 · 42 min
- Ep. 140 - Beyond the Diagnosis: Rethinking How We Support Neurodivergent Children with Roshenna · May 26, 2026 · 55 min
- Ep. 139 - Two Sisters. One Child. One Autism Journey with Jessica · May 19, 2026 · 1h 6m
- Ep. 138 - Bonded Without Words: A Sibling Love Story with Brittany · May 10, 2026 · 1h 12m
- Ep. 137 - Let's Talk About It: CPS, Meds, and the Truth Behind Closed Doors with R.S. Cole · May 5, 2026 · 1h 2m
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