Avela Health

For neurodiverse families, meeting the expectations set in our neurotypical world can feel like a challenge. Elizabeth Bernstein, Avela's Director of Community, resets expectations with 3 questions: 1. What expectations are negotiable? 2. What is my child capable of doing? 3. What brings my child happiness? She explains, "I realized that ‘What if’ questions could never be fully answered and they never ended, so I replaced ‘What if’ with ‘What is.’ What is my child capable of doing? How can I communicate these new expectations with my family? What is in the best interest of my son, what expectations can I let go?" Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gyNhieTr #Neurodiversity #AutismAcceptance #ParentingJourney

Today — join us at 7pm EST / 4pm PST for a 45-minute webinar for parents of neurodivergent and autistic kids. We'll be talking through simple ways to manage stress in your life and redefining what self-care looks like for parents. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gPKMReiq

Next week, join Avela's Lori Druding in a 45-minute webinar designed specifically for busy parents of autistic and neurodiverse kids and teens. Gain an understanding of the science behind self-care and learn how to incorporate small, manageable "pauses" into your day to reduce stress, recharge your batteries, and cultivate resilience. Reclaim your energy, rediscover your joy, and empower yourself to be the best parent you can be – for both your child and yourself. _________________________ About Lori: For over 20 years, Lori has trusted in compassion as her driving force in delivering individualized, person-centered care to autistic children and youth and those who love and support them. Lori is an educator, a clinician, and a neurodivergent mom of two incredible boys. She has a passion for the creative application of science in everyday life, empowering others to learn and grow their own way. She finds any and all ways to combine her love for creative arts and science into her work with families. Lori holds a BA in Psychology from Rutgers University and a MS in Special Education and Teaching from Rutgers University.

At Avela, we envision a world where neurodivergent children, teens, and their caregivers can access relationship-based care swiftly and seamlessly whenever they need it. We understand the urgent calls for support from families like ours, seeking both guidance for parents and evidence-based interventions for their neurodivergent loved ones. Thanks to?Jennifer (Jay) Palumbo?for highlighting the work we're doing in?Forbes.

???? ?????????????? ???????? ?? ???????? ???????? ???????????????? ? When my son was 3, his preschool teacher called to let me know that he wasn’t participating in group time. ? ? His differences in behavior resulted in a conversation with the school, that I now look back on as “that conversation” — the one that changed our family’s life.? ? The school’s language was contradictory. Their words lived in a fuzzy place between disclaimers that they weren’t experts, and insistence that there was something glaringly different about my son. My immediate reaction was denial — I insisted he wasn’t autistic, and that I was done talking about it.? ? ???????????????????? ?????? ???????? ???? ??????????????????? ?? ? The more I talked with the people in my life, the more I realized I needed to figure out what was going on. I decided to take the next steps towards finding a diagnosis — but I didn’t realize how challenging that process would be.? ? After six weeks of observation, filling out endless forms about whether my child lines up toy cars or makes them go vroom, we had our $4,000 answer. My son was autistic. And literally the most anticlimactic thing happened in that doctor’s office. I expected this to be an answer, but it turned out to be the beginning of my questions. I was handed a single piece of paper with a list of generic websites and sent home.?? ? ???? ?????????? ???? ????????????????, ?????? ?????????? ? At home I sat down at my computer and Googled, “My child is autistic, now what?” In response, I got an avalanche of information that I had no idea how to sift through or understand: Occupational therapy, Music Therapy, Speech Therapy, Somatic therapy, ABA, Social Groups, IEP, 504, Regional Centers… It went on and on.? ? I asked every parent and expert I could all of my questions about autism. I started building my own community — of experts and other families — and things fell into place. When I understood why he was angry at home, I became so much stronger in my ability to make empowered and informed choices. I understood what he needed most.There are still challenges. A diagnosis isn’t just a call for services. It’s an identity, a community, and a call for support. It’s a position of strength and resilience as well as a vulnerability. So even though a diagnosis of autism is a singular thing, autism itself is not. It’s complicated and beautiful and isolating and challenging and awe-inspiring. My son is not living with autism as a problem to be solved, he is living, being alive and being autistic. ——— Meet Elizabeth Bernstein, our resident Director of Social Intervention, and an Avelan from day one. We founded Avela Health because of stories like Liz's. Created by parents and pediatric experts, Avela offers a fresh approach to autism care that honors each family's unique path. What's your family's story? Learn more about Avela Health: https://joinavela.com/

?? Introducing Avela Health: A New Model for Whole-Family Autism Care ?? At Avela, we provide a holistic family care experience that combines expert-driven evaluations with personalized therapy and real-time support—designed to fit seamlessly into your life. We know that waiting for services can feel agonizing, which is why we provide families with timely, accessible care—offering support and guidance from day one. Our shared goal? Meaningful growth, deep connections, and lasting joy. Together, we’ve got this. Founded by parents and expert clinicians, Avela isn’t just another care model; it’s a movement to transform the way families experience neurodivergent care. Together, we’re creating meaningful change and empowering families to flourish. Stay tuned for more updates at joinavela.com. We can’t wait to bring Avela to even more families. ??