Autism Awareness Month Featuring Shekira and Jaiden of Jai at Play!
Autism: Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. - www.autismspeaks.org
As we honor National Autism Awareness month it is super important to remember that, individuals with autism are different, and never less. Individuals on the spectrum can do or be anything that they aspire to be, with love and support from others around them. Meet this mother/son duo who are using their platform and experiences to empower, inspire, and educate others, helping them to reach to meet their full potential, by striving to live a very healthy and rewarding life.
QSM: What inspired you to become an advocate and blogger?
Shekira: When my son was first diagnosed with Autism in 2014, I didn't know anything about Autism. The way it was actually first brought up was the first thing that lit a fire under me to advocate for my son. We were in his pediatrician's office for a routine visit and while my son was babbling and not speaking at the time, she looked at me and said "something is wrong with him, you should get him evaluated for Autism". I was of course taken aback, but I set up the appointment for him to be evaluated, not because I agreed with her or liked how she brought it up, but because if this was something that needed to be addressed and could help my son, I was going to do it. From there, I met other specialists and therapists that spoke about and viewed Autism negatively, all while trying to limit my son and pre-determine what his future would be like. I took matters into my own hands by advocating for him, supporting him, being his first line of defense against the negativity and I used blogging to share our journey in order to inspire, encourage, and raise more positive Autism awareness and acceptance.
QSM: What is something you would like others to know about your story?
Shekira: I've always been pretty transparent about our journey, but one thing is that some people look at Jaiden and see us on social media and think he has "easy" Autism because he's considered "high-functioning". I can relate to many stages of Autism- from him being considered non-verbal at a time and the extreme meltdowns as he worked through certain sensory issues and overloads while he was younger to him transitioning to an inclusion classroom and needing less speech therapy. What's important for people to realize is that everyone's journey is different because Autism is a spectrum, but each person, and their experiences, are valid.
QSM: What keeps you empowered on this journey, that allows you to continue to empower others?
Shekira: My son keeps me inspired and motivated along this journey for sure. He's my "Why" and when I look at him every day, even on the tough ones, I'm reminded that I have a purpose and that definitely makes it easier because there is no other option but to not quit. I've also connected with and have met so many amazing parents, families, and individuals in the Autism Community, and they are constantly reminding me that what I'm doing matters, so I have to keep going. I've had people tell me that I helped them change their outlook on Autism in a positive way and I've had people tell me that talking with me made their journey better in one way or another. At the end of the day, it's so much bigger than me.
QSM: How did Jai at Play come about?
Shekira: It first started as blogging our personal journey, then it turned into using art and face paintings as a way to raise positive Autism awareness, acceptance, and understanding. Our stories and art have been shared through multiple major publications including USA Today, ATTN, NowThis News (which garnered over 1M views), Sister Circle of TVOne, and People. I always knew that I wanted to provide Jaiden with a way for him to work for himself, especially after his Autism diagnosis, when they told me he may never be able to get a job. I wasn't going to take anything they said as a final say over my child's life, so Jai At Play was born.
QSM: How did you know that Jaiden would respond well to social media and influencing?
Shekira: I didn't know if he would like the whole social media thing, and I knew that if he ever showed signs or told me that he didn't like it, I wasn't going to force him to do it. But that was never a problem for us, he's a natural! He loves the spotlight, attention, and love he receives and actually likes being in front of the camera more than I do. This point in our lives has been years in the making and it's always been a team effort, so whether it was him being by my side as I blogged or painted, inviting him to help me plan content, or him being in front of the camera, including him in the process from a young age definitely helped.
QSM: How has Jai at Play and social media impacted Jaiden?
Shekira: Our road to becoming a business pretty much started when Jaiden was diagnosed with Autism. We've shared so much of our journey, experiences, and ourselves over the years, and through all of that, Jaiden's confidence, self-image, and self-advocacy have grown. Every kind message, every feature, and all of the support we've received has really helped him step into the role of being a young influencer and entrepreneur. Jaiden will tell any and everyone about Jai At Play because he's proud of it and believes in it.
QSM: What products can we purchase from Jai at Play?
Shekira: All of our products, currently consisting of our graphic tees and our "Autism Through The Alphabet" Flashcards, are original designs and concepts made by myself and my son with the goals of facilitating healthier interactions and conversations, humanizing Autism, promoting inclusion and positive representation, and raising Autism awareness, acceptance, and understanding. Every tee is also created to be sensory-friendly, with special features like no tags and soft fabrics to ensure it's comfortable for everyone who wears them.
QSM: What do you want others to gain from Jai at Play?
Shekira: By purchasing with Jai At Play, people are making a conscious decision to become an integral part of a community dedicated to changing the way the world views Autism. We want to be a source of encouragement, inspiration, empowerment for autistic youth and their families while showing that Autism isn't a bad word, just something that needs better understanding and more acceptance. Jai At Play is also committed to being socially responsible by donating a portion of our sales monthly to reputable organizations that genuinely support Autism families and autistic individuals or to a family of an autistic child in need of support.
QSM: How do you manage being a mom, being a mom to a child with Autism, home life, work-life, and business?
Shekira: I have to live by the motto "a day at a time" because it's necessary and true. It's easy to be hard on ourselves and I am easily my toughest critic, but when I allow myself to step back and see all that I'm doing and all that I've done, that empowers me to keep going. I've learned what works for me and what doesn't, I've learned to be okay saying "No", I've learned to take a break when needed, and I've learned that not being able to do it all doesn't mean I've failed. It's all a learning process, but when you love what you do and who you're doing it with, in this case that would be my son, then you know it will all work out as long as you continue to show up, have faith, and give yourself some grace.
QSM: What are all the outlets we can connect with You, Jaiden, and Jai at Play?
Shekira: We have our website which is www.jai-at-play.com and our Instagram account(s) @shekiraf and @jai_at_play. Through our Instagram bios, there are links to our YouTube Channel (Jai At Play) and TikTok (JaiAtPlay) as well!
Read more about Jaiden’s story here https://jai-at-play.com/about-us/
