Livingston Resident Launches Support Group for Moms of Children with Autism – TAPinto.net
FLORHAM PARK, NJ — Livingston resident Heidi Rome, founder of the autism navigation service Moms Spectrum Oasis, LLC, is hosting a Healing Circle event for mothers of children on the autism spectrum in Florham Park on Sunday, March 10 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event will be held at 30 Columbia Turnpike, where Moms Spectrum Oasis will officially host its grand opening in April.
The Healing Circle meeting will teach mothers the practical tools they need for handling special needs issues while also giving them the opportunity to connect with other moms who are in similar circumstances. According to Rome, the main purpose of this evening out to offer a support group for other moms and to help them recharge.
Rome established Mom’s Spectrum Oasis when she realized that her years of experience navigating the autism journey with her son, Ethan, had culminated in a plethora of knowledge she could share with others. Her mission is ultimately to “illuminate the path for moms.”
Rome unexpectedly entered the world of special needs 12 years ago, when Ethan was diagnosed with autism at 18 months old and she struggled with the emotions and exhaustion that arise while raising a child with special needs.
“I remember all too well the out-of-body feelings that I had when I first received his diagnosis,” said Rome. “I was overwhelmed by confusion, grief and loneliness, not to mention flooded with information. For years, I lived my life through the autism lens, drained of energy and driven by fear.”
She has since vowed to help other special needs parents so that they “never have to feel isolated, clueless or lost again.” Through Mom’s Spectrum Oasis, Rome guides, supports and empowers other moms through one-on-one coaching/mentoring, workshops, reminding moms to prioritize self-care (as well as spirituality and purpose) and the support group.
Rome has also garnered a cache of therapists, doctors, specialists and other professionals to whom she can refer parents.
“I had my own breakthrough realization—that I needed to stop searching for the outside answer and tap into my own inner wisdom and heart,” said Rome. “If I was going to be positive and effective for my child, I needed to take matters into my own hands. By assuming that I could and by shifting from fear to love, I transitioned from confusion to clarity.”
Through her journey, Rome said she stopped focusing on her son’s symptoms and instead decided to focus on adjusting her own attitude toward them. As Ethan’s advocate, Rome studied as much as she could about his specific condition, “attended almost every autism conference” and spoke to “countless doctors, therapists, psychologists and the like to gain understanding.”
“The culmination of that difficult process—the steps I took and information that I acquired— molded my efforts into creating Mom’s Spectrum Oasis and my signature system to support other moms seeking to ‘survive with sanity,’” she said.
Rome summarized that her goal is to guide her fellow autism moms by lending an ear and helping them navigate from panic to purpose.
“By empowering moms of autistic kids to be the wisest and most powerful they can be, we help you release and leave behind your continuous worry and fear that your child’s needs won’t be met,” she said. “We teach you what you don’t know and what you don’t know you don’t know. We also remind you of what you do know and what you can do.”
For more information about Moms Spectrum Oasis, visit www.msonj.com.