Life with Oakley
Life with Oakley
Hi there, and welcome. My husband Logan and I are the proud parents of our amazing daughter, Oakley. If you’ve found your way here, thank you. It means a lot that you’re taking the time to get to know our family’s story.
Our daughter Oakley is 4 years old and was diagnosed with level 2 autism and global developmental delay. She is strong, funny, curious, and full of life. She is also navigating some very real challenges every single day.
This blog is a place for me to share our journey openly, honestly, and with love.
Our life is full. It’s full of therapy appointments, school schedules, big feelings, and even bigger wins. It’s also full of questions, emotions, and moments where we’re simply trying to figure things out one step at a time. Some days feel incredibly hard. Others, we’re bursting with pride. Most days, it's a mix of both.
Logan and I have chosen to embrace autism as part of who Oakley is, not something separate from her. It shapes how she experiences the world. And while that can come with challenges, it also comes with incredible strength.
Through this blog, we hope to share our perspective—one rooted in love, growth, honesty, and optimism.
Why I’m Starting This Blog
There are a few reasons I decided to create this space:
First, Oakley is a huge part of our lives, her presence is woven into every conversation, every plan, every decision. She keeps busy with speech, OT, PT, ABA therapy, preschool, and daycare. There’s always something new happening, and every new skill, no matter how small it may seem to others, feels like a major milestone for us. I wanted a space to honor those victories, share those stories, and process the tough moments too.
Second, I know we’re not the only family walking this path. Autism is more common than people realize, and yet, so many families feel alone in their experiences. I want this blog to be a place where others feel seen, where the hard days are acknowledged, and where we celebrate the small wins together. If our story helps even one family feel a little less isolated, then this will all be worth it.
Third, I hope this blog reaches people who don’t live in this world every day. I want to show what autism can look like through Oakley’s journey, not a definition, but a real-life, living, breathing experience. I hope it builds empathy and understanding for families like ours.
Our Journey So Far
Oakley came into the world in September 2020. By 8 months old, she was waving, saying “mama” and “dada,” sitting on her own, and hitting many of the typical early milestones. But around her first birthday, things began to shift. She stopped talking and waving, and we noticed her falling behind her peers developmentally.
At the time, I thought maybe it was due to me returning to work or the transition to daycare. I didn’t know what to look for, I was a first-time mom, doing my best.
At 22 months, we went to a different pediatrician for a routine visit. They asked us to fill out a milestone checklist, something we’d never done before. As Logan and I filled it out, I felt my heart sink. There were so many things Oakley wasn’t doing. The doctor performed an M-CHAT screening, and that was the first time we heard the words “high risk for autism.”
I cried that night. I googled everything I could. I panicked. I did what I now wish I hadn’t, I convinced myself it wasn’t true. I wasn’t ready to accept it, and I was afraid of what a diagnosis might mean for her future. I thought, “She’s just delayed. She’ll catch up.”
We enrolled Oakley in Early Childhood Intervention. For a year, therapists came to our home once a week. When she aged out at 3, she transitioned to Early Childhood Special Education. At first, her evaluation labeled her as having an “undiagnosed disability.” But that summer, Oakley began displaying self-injurious behaviors, head banging that left bruises and even a displaced nose.
It was heartbreaking, and it became undeniable that something more was going on.
She started school in August 2023, and it was a hard year. I was called to pick her up early more times than I can count. Some days I kept her home just to avoid the distress. We weren’t seeing much progress. I requested a new evaluation, and in March 2024, she received her educational autism diagnosis. By July, we received her official medical diagnosis.
Around the same time, we made a big decision, we sold our home and moved closer to her therapy clinic. We wanted to give her better access to services, and that meant starting fresh in a new place. Oakley began a busy schedule: multiple therapies each morning, followed by preschool every afternoon. It was a lot, and I worried if it would be too much for her.
But looking back now, I’m amazed by her resilience. She has grown so much. Every inch of progress has been hard-earned, and I am so proud of her.
This past year has been filled with learning for all of us. I’ve felt guilt, doubt, and fear. I’ve also felt pride, joy, and an overwhelming amount of love. I’m still learning how to give myself grace for the things I didn’t know then.
This journey doesn’t come with a manual, and every day is different.
I hope this blog can be a source of honesty, support, and connection for parents walking similar paths, and for anyone who wants to understand a little more about what autism can look like through the lens of one very loved little girl.
Thanks for being here.
I can’t wait to share more of Oakley’s world with you.
With love,
Emily