#LoveThroughAutism

At WB88, we aim to collect data on the frequency of Autism among Diné to aid with symptom management. 

Autism is a lifelong condition caused by many uncertain genetic and environmental factors. 

At present there is no cure for autism. 

We CAN create an Indigenous led community for individuals with ASD, their families, and caretakers.

This is a world that can feel relentlessly challenging and isolating. From the beginning moments of considering a formal diagnosis, there is so much to learn! Beyond the learning phase, the acceptance phase can be a lifelong process. Therefore, community is vitally important!

WB88 is on a mission to indigenize behavioral healthcare. Behavioral healthcare in AZ is not an easy process to navigate. Behavioral healthcare systems in AZ are not designed primarily to heal. Often they end up prioritizing the demands of “qualified” professionals, dated agencies and insurance companies. Authentic care and compassion is mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially exhaustive. We know because we’ve attended hours upon hours of therapy, we’ve rearranged our households and schedules to ensure the best environments for safety and growth. We’ve sacrificed and advocated to the point of tears. We’ve gone through crisis, cried in emergency rooms, and begged for services to no avail because of all the Westernized systematic red tape. We’ve been accused of neglect in instances where we were so desperate for help that we ended up giving up all hope. 

We understand. 

On our team, is a Diné mother of a child with ASD who dedicated herself to become an Applied Behavior Analysis professional to give her child, her family, and families like hers the best possible opportunities though love, ceremony, and evidence-based interventions. Her heart understands the hardships and moments of triumph that only ASD families fully know.

What does authentic total (behavioral, mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, intellectual, financial) care and compassion for ASD families look like through an Indigenous lens; and how can we develop policies that support authentic healing? This is what we aspire to define and create together. 

Join and help us create a loving community for all our relatives on the spectrum! Never forget how purposefully our relatives with ASD are created and the depths of ancestral knowledge they carry in code. 

We are your community! We are your family! We love you all! 

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!