Aubrey Miles and Troy Montero Open Up About Their Daughter’s ASD Diagnosis
In an exclusive interview with Modern Parenting, Aubrey Miles and Troy Montero open up about their daughter’s ASD to help promote awareness of the mental illness.
Revealing to other parents that your kids have ASD can be hard. But Aubrey Miles and Troy Montero took the brave step on their Instagram to reveal their daughter, Rocket’s, diagnosis of ASD to promote awareness of the disorder. Aubrey reveals in her post, “Yes, our Rocket has ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder. We didn’t share this right away because we are still learning about ASD. It was important for us to educate ourselves about it.”
ASD: A Confusing and Scary Diagnosis
In her Instagram post, Aubrey Miles also emphasizes how her daughter’s disorder is “definitely not crazy”. She shares, “Yes, it’s mental but not a problem, yes can be physical but it’s not an issue and definitely not crazy. Autism is different for every kid.”
Moreover, she mentions how Rocket does have common symptoms such as delayed speech, no eye contact, difficulty in controlling emotions, etc. But she explains that there’s a lot more, “There’s a lot more for other kids I’m sure, but so far these are the things we see from Rocket. Autism is always present, in many ways. There’s no proven reason that’s 100% why kids get autism. It can just happen.”
Learning More About ASD
Aubrey tells Modern Parenting that it’s really awareness and knowing how to observe your child. “But also, don’t overthink it. It was very obvious to us the difference in behavior vs. a normal development. So if you’re a 2nd or 3rd-time parent, you’ll know.”
“With Rocket, we already noticed when she was just two years old. But it was hard to find the right doctor and therapy because of the pandemic. We’re happy now that she can do one-on-one therapy. We tried online but Rocket doesn’t know how to use gadgets, so she wasn’t really learning.”
Aubrey adds that being a stay-at-home mom has an advantage. “We see what’s happening every minute. We’re currently focusing on her speech and social skills.”
When it comes to Rocket’s diet, they were advised to go gluten-free since sugar can sometimes trigger her emotions. “Her emotions can spike up when she eats too much sugar. So her diet is strict.”
A Long, Hard Journey But Definitely Not The Worst
A lot of parents think that ASD is a “death sentence” for their kids’ future. But Aubrey Miles assures other parents through her daughter’s diagnosis that the future is definitely not the worst. She shares, “You just need to know where to go, what you’re dealing with, find the right therapist, the right support groups, and have lots of love. We’re still in the process of learning. It’s going to be a long ride.”
Currently, Rocket is taking a combination of Speech Therapy (ST) and Occupational Therapy (OT) to help her catch up with Hunter and Maurie.
More about autism and mental health awareness? Here’s more!
Former Wowowin Host Herlene Budol Wants to be a Spokesperson for Autism Awareness
Autism Awareness: 3 Celebrities Who Have Been Open About Family Members with Autism
Tricia Chiongbian Concepcion Shares Raising Her Son with Down Syndrome
