In this powerful episode, host Rashidah sits down withChristina Bell, a mom, special education graduate student, and fierce advocate for her 5-year-old son Joshie, who was diagnosed with autism at 3.5 years old.

From the moment Christina suspected something was different, she didn't hesitate — she Googled, she asked questions, and when the diagnosis came, she met it with clarity and courage instead of fear.

Christina takes us through her family's journey from thatfirst pediatrician conversation to starting ABA therapy, enrolling Joshie in preschool with full services, and watching him flourish within months. She opens up about the emotional layers of the process: the isolation of not having a local community, the learning curve of understanding sensory needs, and the mindset work required to stay grounded when the road gets hard.

Connect with Christina:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/christeenaeve

Facebook: Christina Araujo

In this episode, we discuss:

Timestamps:

0:00 — Show intro

0:39 — "Build Stronger by Autism"

3:55 — Meet Christina Bell

4:26 — Noticing the signs & path to diagnosis

8:53 — Early intervention11:14 — Shifting the stigma

13:01 — Finding community

14:49 — How Joshie changed Christina as a person

16:30 — A career pivot into special education

20:27 — Staying positive on hard days

22:14 — Celebrating milestones & holding onto progress

26:27 — Vision for a local autism moms’ group

29:49 — Manifesting & retraining the brain

35:25 — Advice for the mom who just got the diagnosis

37:07 — Peaceful mind, peaceful heart, peaceful soul

40:33 — Learning through your child's lens

44:08 — What makes Christina a badass?

45:19 — Where to find Christina

If this episode resonated with you:

-Follow the Autism for Badass Moms Podcast

-Leave a review to help other autism moms find thiscommunity

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Instagram: www.instagram.com/theabmpodcast

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theabmpodcast

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