Finding Your Inner Warrior: Overcoming Autism Challenges with Personal Strengths

Thriving Moms of Autistics

Hi Moms! We live in a problem oriented society where people tend to focus on the negative. It makes it hard for us to grow as individuals.

One of the things I love about positive psychology is that we don’t focus on what is wrong with us but use what is right to get through challenges.

What autism mom doesn’t want to know a potential game changer when they are dealing with a meltdown, transitions, or when the unexpected happens?

In this episode, we explore how being strength centered helps moms of autistics grow and overcome challenges. It’s like our very own superpower.

Superpower? Sign me up!

Find the full transcript for this episode at https://thrivingmomsofautistics.com/96

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Get a Well-Being Boost by Shifting Your Focus and Using Your Innate Superpower

When I became a therapist nearly three decades ago, there was a shift in the field. I had been practicing for a few years when they introduced this idea of asking people about their strengths and what they did well.

I was a kid myself to be honest and pretty green. I wondered why such emphasis was being placed on this. After all, if we didn’t get to identifying the problem and all that came with it, then how could we move forward, right?

Actually, the strengths question was quite brilliant. Positive psychology was very new at the time but they were onto something.

The idea was to identify your strengths, grow them, and use them when the hard stuff came around.

The problem was that when you ask someone to identify their strength, it is very difficult for them to identify even one. This is pretty common.

We can list our weaknesses like it’s nobody’s business. That is one of the reasons I embedded the strength component into my programs.

The research supports it because it is that important!

How Can Moms Learn More About Their Innate Strengths

First of all, we are born with several strengths whether we are aware of them or not. However, you have to be aware of them to grow them and use them effectively.

I help moms with this very thing. So to get you started, here are some questions to ask yourself that will get you thinking about your personal strengths.

1. Can you recall a time when you felt particularly proud of how you managed a challenging situation with your child? What strengths did you exhibit during that time? How did you help your child through it?
2. How do you show your love and support to your child that is unique to you?
3. When do you feel most confident and capable as a mother?

You probably won’t immediately identify your strengths. These are questions you should write down and let marinate. Ask someone who knows you well to help answer them.

What Do Strengths Look Like in Moms of Autistics?

One of my strengths is related to prudence. I have always been a cautious person, who thought things through and analyzed potential issues before acting.

It drives my husband nuts, but he knows it has saved our butts many times. As moms, we know our children very well. I tend to take this into consideration when making even basic decisions.

For example, I know that taking my son to more than one store in a day might be a recipe for disaster..meltdown style.

I usually think ahead and analyze potential dangers. This is one of my strengths. Also, I only have to lea