As such a credible, well-seasoned actress, Tisha Campbell has brought laughter and smiles to so many people with her roles on infamous TV sitcoms such as Martin and My Wife and Kids, as well as her role in the classic film, House Party and countless others. When her son was diagnosed with autism as an infant, she used her platform and influence to dedicate her time towards raising tolerance and bringing awareness to autism. We were honored to have her share with us how she bravely and unselfishly chose to share such a personal experience with the world to help others cope.
Q: Not only did you publicly speak on this topic with various media outlets on several occasions, but when you realized that most children of color are diagnosed with autism 2 to 3 years later then others that are not minorities you also co-founded a nonprofit organization with other notable women including LaDonna Huguely, DL Huguely’s wife, and produced a short film called Color Me Mind; you also published a children’s book called My Brother Doesn’t Want To Play, in order to help children who have siblings with autism better understand one another. Why did you feel it was important to share such personal information so publicly using the platform and influence that you have?
A: At first I didn’t because I’m protective of my family, and this was my first born child. I kept it to myself for a while and only concentrated on doing what was needed for my son. It wasn’t until he was older and had only formed about two sentences that I was able to say it’s time to talk about it because people were wondering how he was progressing. It was around then that I understood the disparities that were in the hood, and what minorities were facing, that realized I needed to get as many resources and funding as possible to help these kids, so I used my platform to do that.
Q: The beauty is that you are literally a SUPER MOM and you did overcome the highest level of challenges, where both you and your son are healthy and positively maintaining a healthy lifestyle with minimal signs of autism present. That brings so much hope to other moms that may feel overwhelmed and, at times, possibly even hopeless. Looking back in retrospect, if you could be the voice right now of someone that you needed to hear when you were at your lowest point in your journey, what would you say? What can you share with moms currently facing challenges from the child’s Autistic diagnosis that you would’ve wanted for someone to share with you, right at the height of your emotions and the midst of the most challenging frustrations that you experienced on your journey as a parent raising an autistic child?
A: It’s a journey. You have to take it one day at a time and celebrate every single little win you get. Holly Robinson Pete said to me to get everyone around me and on my team on the same page as me. This is important because If there is any parent, friend, grandparent, etc. who doesn’t stick with the routine set up for that child, then they can uproot the entire routine and undo the progress. Autism is exhausting, and the parent gets very little relief, so when a therapist comes, it’s easy for parents to take a break, but I didn’t! I applied what the therapist did with my child throughout the whole day and made everyone around my son do the same thing. You cannot spoil an autistic kid. It is not helpful for them. There’s no rulebook or perfect advice for autism. The best thing a person could do is accept the diagnosis but not the label, and follow their spirit and gut. Start listening to the voice inside, and use your instincts as a parent. Do what you know is right for your own child.
Q: It’s so amazing how we can walk through this life having experiences, learning lessons, and collecting helpful information and empowering advice that can effectively encourage others to continue pushing through challenges and continue to live out the purpose set before them! I think you’ve done this several times over in so many ways in such a tactful and authentic manner. What has been the most rewarding part that you’ve encountered in your experience on this journey of coping with the effects of autism in your family?
A: I have a pretty amazing village around me that has helped me through everything, especially my dad, who taught me long ago how to be an interactive parent and how to pay attention to your kids. He was so engaging, so I attribute that to him and am thankful for his contribution to my son’s success at managing autism. I give myself the win too, but it wasn’t a one woman fight; it was a village. I even put him around other typical kids who understood the assignment and treated my son as any other child. They were a big part of that village too.
Q: Your grace, kindness, and compassion in this area has really been able to make an impact in the community when you share your heart on this topic because people feel your authenticity and really sense your passion for this cause and for other moms affected by autism. Some mothers of autistic children generally exhibit high levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. There are many moments of joy and happiness, but there can also understandably be some levels of frustration, fear for their child’s future, and even grief that accompanies being a parent of a child with autism. While I know you never gave up on your baby, were there honest times that you may have felt that you had no hope and the challenges were just too overwhelming to face on a daily basis, and you ever find yourself wanting to give up fighting? If so, how did you cope and what gave you hope?
A: There were many days that were challenging, but I only gave up for the first three days after the diagnosis. I gave myself only three days to mourn the loss of what I thought my child would be. My dreams went from hoping he would play basketball and attend a great school to hoping for small wins like, “I hope my child can say I love you” or “I hope one day he will be potty trained.” I remember I was in the shower; it was the first day I got the diagnosis, and I let the water baptize me and saturate me into acceptance. The first person I called was Holly Robinson Peete. She pulled me all the way together and helped me get ready to fight for my child. Sometimes, there is a year wait for therapies, but you have to start right away if you want to be successful. You can’t wait if you want to be successful in fighting autism. I made sure to have people around me who would help me make it. Giving up was only the first three days. On the fourth day I jumped out of bed with a purpose. This was 21 years ago and we didn’t have all the resources we have now. But I woke up and started researching and collected resources to help win the battle.