Ep. 133 - Becoming His Voice When I Was Still Finding Mine with Chanel

Ep. 133 - Becoming His Voice When I Was Still Finding Mine with Chanel

From Autism for Badass Moms by Rashidah Cartwright

April 7, 2026 · 41 min · Season 1 · Episode 133

About this episode

Chanel shares her journey of advocating for her son with autism while discovering her own voice.

In this heartfelt episode of Autism for Badass Moms, Rashidah sits down with Chanel, a 36-year-old mom from New York, who shares her powerful journey of becoming a voice for her son while still finding her own. Chanel is a mother of two—her 15-year-old daughter and her 5-year-old son, Curtis, who was diagnosed with autism at 2.5 years old. Curtis is non-speaking and communicates using an AAC device. From early on, Chanel knew something was different—but like so many moms, she was told to wait. And that waiting turned into fighting—fighting to be heard, to be taken seriously, and to get her son the diagnosis and support he needed. Once the diagnosis came, everything changed. Chanel found herself thrown into a world of therapies, services, and systems that required her to step up in ways she never expected. Advocacy didn’t come naturally at first—but this journey doesn’t give you the option to stay quiet. Chanel’s story is a reminder that you don’t have to have it all figured out to show up for your child. Sometimes, becoming their voice… is how you finally find your own. In this episode, we discuss: 00:00 Badass Moms Welcome 00:47 Finding Your Voice 02:00 Meet Chanel and Curtis…

People in this episode

Host: Rashidah Cartwright

Guest: Chanel

Topics covered

  • advocacy
  • autism
  • parenting
  • finding your voice
  • support systems
  • community building

Keywords

  • autism
  • advocacy
  • AAC device
  • parenting
  • support
  • diagnosis
  • community

Mentioned in this episode

Places: New York

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