Tia

Hi, I'm Tia. I'm 22 and a proud step-mum to a three-year-old girl who is currently going through the autism assessment process. I became part of her life when she was very young and have helped raise her as my own. We also have a six-month-old kitten who keeps life interesting at home. My journey to parenthood wasn't straightforward. From the age of 18, I was told I may never have children of my own. At 20, I became pregnant but sadly experienced a miscarriage. It was a difficult period in my life and a significant part of my journey. Since becoming a parent, much of our family life has involved navigating autism assessments, speech delay and communication development. When my daughter turned three she was still non-verbal, and over the past few months it has been incredible to watch her begin using simple phrases and learn British Sign Language. Seeing her find new ways to communicate has been one of the most rewarding parts of our journey. Alongside parenting, I have volunteered with children aged 8–12 who have a range of experiences including ADHD, ASD, anxiety and depression. It reinforced something I was already learning as a parent: every child is different, and every family has its own story. Some of the experiences I'm happy to talk about include: • Infertility and being told you may not have children • Miscarriage • Becoming a step-parent • Blended family life • Autism assessments and diagnosis journeys • Speech delay • British Sign Language and communication development • Parenting a young child with additional needs Any conversation with me is based on my own personal experience and what these experiences have been like for me and my family. My path into parenthood has been very different from what I imagined at 18, and I'm still learning every day. The experiences of loss, becoming a step-mum, and watching my daughter find her voice have shaped who I am today.