About Us
This picture of us was taken summer 2024 at Norris Dam Park, Tennesse. Storybook Trail.
Exploring Our World Differently (EOWD) is about our family's journey navigating autism. My name is Tracy Peterson, and these fun explorers are my husband, Ted, and son, Timothy (Tim). Tim was diagnosed with autism-like characteristics in 1997 when a formal diagnosis was not provided until age six (at least in the state we lived in at the time), and Google was not available to guide us yet.
Though many well-intentioned and loving people surrounded us, none understood what we were experiencing, leaving us feeling quite stressed and alone more often than not. With limited resources available, we did not even know what to seek, where, or how. So, we did what instinctively came to us. Some days were great, others were okay, and many were just about survival. When Ted came into our lives in 2004, our entire perspective began changing for the better, leading us to the life we have today. Although many have experienced a child who suddenly withdrew, I knew that there was something very different about my child from the beginning. He was ahead in many physical milestones and seemed to be a master escape artist by the time he was one year old. However, his sensory issues have been apparent since infancy, and he showed significant delays in communication, play, and socialization.
Though many well-intentioned and loving people surrounded us, none understood what we were experiencing, leaving us feeling quite stressed and alone more often than not. With limited resources available, we did not even know what to seek, where, or how. So, we did what instinctively came to us. Some days were great, others were okay, and many were just about survival. When Ted came into our lives in 2004, our entire perspective began changing for the better, leading us to the life we have today. Although many have experienced a child who suddenly withdrew, I knew that there was something very different about my child from the beginning. He was ahead in many physical milestones and seemed to be a master escape artist by the time he was one year old. However, his sensory issues have been apparent since infancy, and he showed significant delays in communication, play, and socialization.
While every person and family experience living on the Autism and Asperger spectrum is uniquely different, there are a lot of similarities with which parents, siblings, grandparents, and caregivers can empathize and learn from each other.
In my experience, ASD families seem to spot each other relatively quickly. It is always a pleasure to meet a stranger who hesitantly approaches to ask the big question in a curious whisper, "Does your son have autism?". My understanding nod lends them relief and opens the doorway to the conversation. Over time, it inspired me to begin sharing our story.
Additionally, special needs families often need to make tough decisions between family and career. I was fortunate to learn how to find and create a work-life balance that enabled me to be available to my family and meet our unique needs.
My experience in retail led to Mystery Shopping and Data entry, which led to scheduling, sourcing, and finally --- recruiting. My passion. I truly enjoy connecting with and helping others explore opportunities that better enable them to reach their goals.
Thanks to technology, I have been blessed to work hybridly since 2006 and fully remote since 2012 between Independent Contract and W2 roles. When I'm between roles, I lean into the gig economy.EOWD aims to be more than a blog about being an autism parent. It is about overcoming obstacles, living and thinking outside the box, and using experiences as stepping stones toward your and your child's holistic abundance. It is about climbing mountains and milestones as individuals and as a family. It is about eliminating those potential future regrets by preparing for long-term greatness. It is about rising above the clouds and standing in awe of the view you created, one small step at a time. EOWD is about embracing our different abilities and perspectives to think, act, and grow beyond what is ordinary to become extraordinary. EOWD's mission is to participate in autism awareness by sharing our personal stories to inspire and help our fellow ASD parents, families, and caregivers to realize their highest potential and achieve holistic fulfillment. We believe that ASD is not a limitation to be mourned but a unique opportunity to explore and learn through the needs and perspectives of our au-somely differently-abled kids.
In my experience, ASD families seem to spot each other relatively quickly. It is always a pleasure to meet a stranger who hesitantly approaches to ask the big question in a curious whisper, "Does your son have autism?". My understanding nod lends them relief and opens the doorway to the conversation. Over time, it inspired me to begin sharing our story.
Additionally, special needs families often need to make tough decisions between family and career. I was fortunate to learn how to find and create a work-life balance that enabled me to be available to my family and meet our unique needs.
My experience in retail led to Mystery Shopping and Data entry, which led to scheduling, sourcing, and finally --- recruiting. My passion. I truly enjoy connecting with and helping others explore opportunities that better enable them to reach their goals.
Thanks to technology, I have been blessed to work hybridly since 2006 and fully remote since 2012 between Independent Contract and W2 roles. When I'm between roles, I lean into the gig economy.EOWD aims to be more than a blog about being an autism parent. It is about overcoming obstacles, living and thinking outside the box, and using experiences as stepping stones toward your and your child's holistic abundance. It is about climbing mountains and milestones as individuals and as a family. It is about eliminating those potential future regrets by preparing for long-term greatness. It is about rising above the clouds and standing in awe of the view you created, one small step at a time. EOWD is about embracing our different abilities and perspectives to think, act, and grow beyond what is ordinary to become extraordinary. EOWD's mission is to participate in autism awareness by sharing our personal stories to inspire and help our fellow ASD parents, families, and caregivers to realize their highest potential and achieve holistic fulfillment. We believe that ASD is not a limitation to be mourned but a unique opportunity to explore and learn through the needs and perspectives of our au-somely differently-abled kids.