Nicole Gardner
Nicole is passionate about being a mom and creating autism acceptance. She founded the DC-based company Untypical to create autism acceptance everyday by everyone. Nicole and her husband, Steven, have two children: Tyler (3) typically developing, and Savannah (6) untypical. Nicole spends most of her free time advocating and presenting to audiences about autism. Nicole has a BS in Forensic Chemistry and has been a civil servant for 20 years.
3 Reasons to Join a Buy Nothing Group Right Now!
A Buy Nothing Group is a group of individuals that openly gift and share items with each other. Buy Nothing Project started as a “hyper-local gift economy” by two friends in Washington State in...
The Pandemic and Its Effects on Working Moms
I wrote this article a few months ago, and I was clearly burned out. May is Mental Health Month. Working moms aren't the only ones who get burned out and the pandemic makes these...
3 Resources to Increase Your Autism Awareness
This April, like every April for the past 5 years, I asked myself: What should l share with friends and family for Autism Awareness Month? Lately, my focus is how to move from awareness...
My Five Favorite Relaxation Essentials
As the pandemic wears on, we are reminded to take care of ourselves and choose joy often. For me, self-care boils down to rest and relaxation. Here are my five favorite relaxation essentials.
Reincarnation Tea
From...
Crochet Your Way to Happiness
Crochet became my outlet during the pandemic. A year ago when we started this journey into a pandemic, we thought it would last a few weeks. The days turned into weeks, the weeks rolled...
The Period Problem
Today we have to worry about being a good mom, wife, sister, and daughter. Throw in the need to conform to mainstream and social media on how to meet societal expectations while doing the...
Honoring Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG)
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG) was a true American hero known in pop culture for her dissent collar. The famous dissent collar is a reminder that we can respectfully disagree and stand up for...
My Daughter’s Therapeutic Riding Therapy is Valuable
My daughter was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age three. Although we had been searching for answers for Savannah’s delays for over a year and a half the official diagnosis came as a...
COVID Fatigue: Finding Balance Between Questions and Positive Aspects
I don’t know about you, but I am really feeling the COVID fatigue. Everything is piling up and it seems there is no end in sight. Every day there seems to be a new...
What Do I Call You?: How to Communicate About Autism
As a mother of a daughter with autism, people often ask me what should I call your daughter? For me, I love it when people ask because they are thinking about autism and what...
Imagination Stage: 4 Reasons to See a Sensory-Friendly Performance
Let’s be honest: Taking any kid to a live theater performance can be a bit scary, and if you have a child with learning differences it can be downright terrifying. When we went to...
MOMumental Running: 3 Ways to Start or Restart a Running Habit. BONUS: Running...
Fall is the perfect time of year to start or restart a running habit. The humidity is down and the temperatures are perfect for running. I became a runner 3 years ago when my...
My Biggest Fear as an Autism Mom – Bullying
We all fear what will happen to our children when we are not there to protect them. In light of Bullying Prevention Month and Learning Disabilities Awareness Month, it is hard for me to...
Back to School on the Spectrum
All parents can attest that back to school is a hectic time of year. The dreaded supply lists, school clothes shopping, mandatory orientations, back to school night, and getting back into the routine of...