Jan Stewart has written several articles for APM. A highly regarded autism and neurodiversity advocate and author, she is the recipient of the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award®. Her best-selling memoir Hold on Tight: A Parent’s Journey Raising Children with Mental Illness describes her emotional roller coaster story of parenting two children with multiple mental health and neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism. She strives to empower parents to persevere, have hope, know they are not alone, and educate others. Jan chairs the Board of Directors at Kerry’s Place Autism Services in Canada, writes a column on autism for Today’s Parent, was Vice Chair at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and worked as a senior Partner with the firm Egon Zehnder. Jan is a Diamond Life Master in Bridge and enjoys fitness, genealogy, and dance.
Even when our son was a baby, my husband and I felt something wasn’t right. His hands and feet moved in constant circular motion, and he never babbled in his crib. Eventually, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale helped confirm what my instincts had long suspected: our son is autistic. At first, our concerns were brushed
