Exploring Our World Differently Voices - Tracy Peterson
Voices
Allow us to Introduce Ourselves...
By Tracy Peterson | October 15, 2024
Revised August 4, 2026
Hello! Thank you for your interest in Exploring Our World Differently (EOWD) and for allowing us to introduce ourselves. My name is Tracy Peterson, and I am a parent of an adult non-verbal person on the Autism Spectrum (ASD). This is a picture of us shortly after we relocated to eastern Tennessee in 2017, exploring our new surroundings.
EOWD has been part of us for many years, but life continually took me in different directions. I couldn't get myself up and going with it, primarily because with so much going on at any one time, I struggled to determine the direction of what I wanted EOWD to be.
Like so many, none of us is just "one thing." We are multifaceted with different needs, interests, hobbies, goals, and lifestyles. I have spent the last decade trying to figure out who I am and where I want to be, and it has been one heck of a journey! And honestly, I haven't figured it out --- yet. Each day I learn something new and find something else that I want to explore further.
As a special needs parent, most of my adult life choices were made while in some form of "survival" mode. Every day, the big goal was to get through the day with minimal meltdowns while attempting to balance our overall family needs, special needs, personal needs, financial needs, and career with some sort of work-life balance.
When my kids were little, I drove a school bus. For a while, I worked retail while my kid's Dad was their full-time caregiver. Then, I landed a position as a third-shift counselor at a group home for at-risk kids. That is when my eyes opened, and my life began to change.
A few years later, I was divorced, remarried, and found my first field-based remote position in 2006, which gave me great flexibility and enabled me to be there for my kids before and after school and for every IEP and PPT meeting. That role led to my first full work-from-home position as a scheduler, which eventually led to recruiting from the comfort of my home office. It has been a tremendous blessing since Timothy graduated high school, as I am his full-time caregiver and support system along with his stepdad, Ted.
It was easier when my kids were in school, which feels like a lifetime ago. Back then, we had a solid support system through the several school districts we lived in spanning over ten years. Teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and psychologists were tremendously positive resources that carried much of the weight from our shoulders, not only with my child's education but with ongoing testing, therapies, and social activities. They guided us through some of the most challenging milestones, including toilet training, puberty, and post-high school preparation.
Before we relocated to Tennessee, Timothy was in a day program that we were less than satisfied with. The program and people were good. They were just not the right fit for us. Timothy was only twenty-one, and the next closest aged peer was in their mid-to-late forties. Unfortunately, of the options available for Timothy, this was the only one we felt was appropriate to his abilities and safety concerns with the goal to eventually transition him from the day program to a work program. As of this writing, Timothy is not yet in a work program.
One of the many indicators that the program was not the right fit was that Timothy was packing on the pounds and fast outgrowing his clothes. In less than a year, he had gone from a fit and healthy size 30 jeans to a very overweight size 44. My efforts to pack him nutritious organic meals and keep him healthy were in vain as every day it was something else. A holiday. A birthday. A well-intentioned staff who rewarded him with his favorite candy and soda. And worse, because he was no longer physically active, as he was in High School, Timothy wasn't working off all those extra calories as he did only one thing all day long - sit at his corner table day in and day out completing his puzzle books.
Timothy wasn't happy. We weren't happy. But options for our nonverbal adult son were extremely limited with the only suitable programs for his age group, interests, and abilities had extensive waiting lists or worse, were being shut down. We had done everything right and were failing him. Not because of lack of effort, but because despite the growing awareness and need, my child now fell into the age gap where support and resources seemed mostly non-existent: 21 to 65.
When we decided to relocate to Tennessee, we decided not to seek out a program for him. At least not right away. For the first time in Timothy's life, he had his own space, not sharing a bedroom with his siblings. Working from home and living in a new environment allowed further development of his daily living skills. While I am present 24 hours a day, Timothy is independent in many ways. And for the better part of the last seven years, it has worked very well for us. However, as we get older and our needs and desires change, we are now exploring options for the longer term. It is time.
The heart of EOWD is to encompass the past, present, and future of our journey, sharing our thoughts, feelings, experiences, and goals as a parent and caregiver of a nonverbal adult on the spectrum. Sometimes it will be with humor, sometimes frustration, and most of it will fall in the in-between. We are a real family just doing the best as we can and yes, we fail just as much as we succeed. We do not have all the answers. We are not here to tell you what to do. What works for us may not work for you. However, if we can help anyone in the neurodivergent autism community find a little support, that "golden nugget" of information that inspires and benefits them, then our job will be done.
As we navigate our growth and what and how we choose to share our lives with you, we anticipate that you may learn a lot about our personal experiences living and learning with autism. And I stress --- these are our personal experiences as individuals and a family. As Dr. Stephen Shore perfectly stated, "When you meet one person with Autism, you've met one person with Autism." And, before we further embark on this journey with you, always remember that no two individuals or families will share exactly the same path down autism lane. We are all wonderfully unique and it is up to us to explore our our different needs and experiences fit into the greater world around us.
Welcome to our growing community and thank you for exploring our journey. As our welcome gift to you, please be sure to engage with us on our Facebook Group and enjoy a free issue or 50% off an annual subscription of Autism Parenting Magazine.
Tracy Peterson - Neurodivergent, Autism Mama & Caregiver
Tracy Peterson is the Founder and Creative Director of Exploring Our World Differently and EOWD Autism Living—two growing platforms shaped by her lived experience as the parent and lifelong caregiver of an adult nonverbal person on the autism spectrum. Through personal stories, trustworthy resources, thoughtfully selected products, affiliate recommendations, and future coaching support, Tracy is building an inclusive space where autistic and neurodivergent individuals, people with different abilities, families, and caregivers can feel seen, supported, understood, and less alone.
Citations & Resources
AI Use Disclosure: Exploring Our World Differently maintains a Zero Plagiarism policy and prioritizes original, human-centered content. This article was written and reviewed by its contributor, with all sources credited where applicable. Artificial intelligence tools may have been used in a limited supporting capacity for tasks such as proofreading, grammar, readability, or content organization. AI-generated material was not accepted as a substitute for the contributor’s original experiences, ideas, research, or voice. The final article was reviewed for originality, accuracy, proper attribution, and alignment with our editorial standards before publication.