provide tools, and spread awareness. Most of all we needed to ensure our neurodivergent son was provided with the tools he needs to thrive while being his truest self. We are determined to show him that the world is a big, beautiful place with unlimited opportunities for everyone to find their important role.

We named it Mad Charlie Inc. for two reasons. First, from the time Charlie was a baby, anger seemed to be his default emotion. Frustrating, sad, and even happy times always turned into anger. Second, was how intelligently off the wall Charlie’s ideas and play-style were. His quirkiness and moments of silly play made us think of the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. So, Mad Charlie Inc. was born.

we became isolated. Our community and support systems shrank dramatically, nearly disappearing. We were battling declining mental health and instability in our home. We were feeling overwhelmed, confused, and the lack of community and support left us feeling inadequate and isolated. We were in the battle of our lives and everyone in our home was suffering, most of all, Charlie.

in our everyday battle to understand and overcome the hardships of Charlie’s fight with executive dysfunction, emotional dysregulation, declining mental health, sensory processing needs and behavioral escalations in and outside of school. Our schedule was dominated by doctor appointments, therapy visits, paperwork, school meetings, and out of control meltdowns. We were living in the survival mode of crisis parenting; fighting to solve the unknown crisis happening with one child and living with the guilt that comes from helplessly watching his older sibling suffer as well. We were anxious, scared, and felt desperately alone.

Nothing was working long-term. It all started to feel incredibly overwhelming and impossible. We continued to come across “credentialed people” who simply did not have the answers or the curiosity needed to find long term solutions.

Early in the 2021 school year, everything exploded. Desperation is an understatement for how we were feeling. We had to find answers. We were at rock bottom and in crisis. The chaos and isolation was unbearable.

We needed community and support. But everywhere we turned, we kept coming up short. We felt like we were on an island.

We also desperately needed “credentialed people” who listened, displayed curiosity in our lived experience, and worked diligently to educate us on how to parent our son so that he could thrive, not just survive! We were determined to find it all and create the life we knew was possible.

we have vetted amazing advocates, resources and “credentialed people” who are curious. Who educate, lift, and inspire us. They continue to provide the answers and tools we were missing. They are the building blocks of our community. A community that brings together educators, experts, and like-minded neurodiverse families and neurodistinct individuals searching for the same answers and the same joy in life. We’re bringing our community together in hopes that parents and guardians of neurodistinct children, and neurodistinct teens and adults have access to the resources they desperately need to thrive too! Our search will be infinite and we’ll never stop learning and growing!