Florence Bracy

Today’s Born To Talk Radio Show Podcast featured my guest Florence Bracy. She has authored her first book, “Help Me Understand My Child…A Mother’s Truth About Autism”     What is Autism? It is a developmental disability affecting cognization, communication, behavior, and socialization. It is on a spectrum, where there are children and adults that are very high functioning with “gaps” to low functioning. There is a wide long range of abilities. According to the CDC 1 in 59 have Autism, 46 of which are males. The numbers are staggering, 3.5 million Americans have Autism.  Before the Book. Brad was in the 3rd grade at age 8 when he was diagnosed with Autism. His academics were becoming difficult and he was becoming more and more frustrated.  He was also having behavioral problems in class. The school recommended testing and this ultimately resulted in his diagnosis.  Are there Resources? In Los Angeles, the school district steps in with testing and support in academics beginning in the 3rd grade. The other, significant support comes from the wide array of services from the Regional Centers.  Most of these services are free.   This is the mission of the support group she facilitates:  “To take care of the caregiver by providing a place to come and mentally lay down their swords amongst those of us who have been on the journey, getting ready to start the journey or in the midst of it. The support group is a safe space for parents to share their feelings and concerns. We share resources and strategies on raising our children and adult children. We have dads, moms, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and caregivers who come to our meetings.” The Journey. This show takes us on their family journey as Brad continued in special education classes and graduated from high school. That wasn’t where his education stopped. Along with his dad, Brad went to community college as well. For over 12 years, Florence kept a journal of her life and Brad’s experiences. Little did she know, that down the road, this journal would become a book. With encouragement to take her journal to the next level, Brad became part of the process.  He loved to type. The result, over a two week period of time, he took his mom’s handwritten journal and type it out word for word. Brad is 27 years old now and loves  Zumba Classes, Tap Dancing and Kick-Boxing.   The Book. Florence wrote this book for parents and providers. The book is packed with important and useful information; including the following Nuggets, as she likes to call them: Don’t give up, they do get better. It’s a book of hope. Be persistent. Get help.   Me-time. Respite is important for parents. For More Information. Florence has an excellent website. Simply click on this website link to be directed. There is a contact page, to subscribe to her newsletter for continued support and information. There will also be a Spanish edition of her book available soon. I hope you were inspired by Florence’s story. Reach out to her with any questions. She is a remarkable resource. What’s Your Story? Conversations + Connections = Community Do You have a Story to share?  Contact me. [email protected]