Sharon Fuentes is not just another new neighbor who has moved into the Nonahood. She is a very passionate wife, mother of two children, and an award-winning, published author. As a mother of an autistic child, her parenting adventure has taken many twists and turns. She starting writing in 2011 because, as she says, “it’s cheaper than therapy” for her. She uses her sense of humor to vent and to share her challenges in a way that other parents (including those of special needs children) can relate.

Once she started writing on her blog, Mama’s Turn Now, regional parenting websites and publications starting reaching out to her. Before long, her witty stories were appearing in parenting publications throughout the country, including Westchester Family, Colorado Parent, and even the website parenting.com. She then became the co-founder/editorial director/publisher of ZOOM-Autism Through Many Lenses, a free digital online resource. This led to her first book, The Don’t Freak Out Guide to Parenting Kids with Asperger’s.

Growing up, she always saw her mom reading the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. She knew this was the place to publish her work where her mom could read and be proud. She explained to me that each book in the 30+ year series has 101 essays. She also explained that, although very long, the submittal process to the series is relatively easy. The submittal forms are online. She has had essays published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Messages from Heaven.

Her latest essay, “Have a Day,” appears in the newest book released on Aug. 23, Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Power of Gratitude. It is the story of how her autistic son has taught her to look at life through new, improved lenses. Her son is smart, funny, talented and destined for greatness. It would be easy for her to not see all of those things because of his diagnosis. She is thankful he has taught her to look at the person and not just a label. Her goal for sharing this essay with millions of readers around the world through the Chicken Soup book is to show everyone that each person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Whether they are verbal or not, they have a voice and deserve to be heard. Before her son came into her life, she did not get that. To her, a simple phrase, “Have a great day,” would mean nothing special to her. Now, she realizes what a big deal those words can be and how much power they have.

• Parenting Tips

When meeting with Sharon, I could feel her passion and energy for life and her family. This was surprising to me because not only is she a parent of two kids who are in middle and high school with one who has special needs, but she also just moved from out of state two weeks prior. I asked how she did it and if she had any advice for all of us parents. Her advice was powerful for me.

• Embrace and Accept the Challenges

She explained that, as new parents, we have many expectations and visions planned out for what our kids will be like when they grow up, what they will be interested in, what their personality should be like, and their likes and dislikes. We conjure up this perfect scenario in our minds. When life starts to happen and it’s different from our initial images, we put extra pressure on ourselves. She encourages parents to relax, breathe and laugh.

She explained to me that once she embraced and accepted the challenges with her son, she felt a sense of peace and relief. She could live in the moment and go with his timeline and milestones, which released the pressure she was feeling. She even realizes this benefit when raising her daughter.

• Never Accept Never

Another tip she recommends is to never accept never. She has heard that several times from various doctors and caregivers.

• We Don’t Raise Kids; Kids Are Not Cattle

Sharon is a firm believer that we should be leading our children. We should be acting almost as a consultant to instill confidence and provide the resources and tools for the children’s success.

• Lake Nona Support

Sharon is very passionate about bringing together other parents of special needs children throughout Lake Nona. She hopes that this group will serve as a place to share resources, such as a dentist who may be extra patient with the children or a hairdresser who comes to the house because they understand that a salon may be too frightening or overstimulating.

The reason her family selecting Lake Nona over other Central Florida areas is because they felt the sense of community here. She explained that everyone was very friendly and inclusive. She even felt that when she toured the schools, especially compared to other schools. She stressed that it takes a “village” to support our children and knew she would have that here.

Look for future information from Sharon regarding a Lake Nona group for parents of special needs. She also is working on her new book that will be geared toward parenting teens with Asperger’s while keeping your sense of humor. In the meantime, anyone who is interested in joining her parents group can email her at sharon@sharonfuentes.com.

Original Content From Lake Nona News Publication: Nonahood News