Life in Southern Arizona
Amy lives in Southern Arizona with her husband and five children, including Weston, her youngest, who is almost six and full of energy. “He never stops going,” she laughs. “His teacher has completely fallen in love with him.”
Weston is bouncy, spirited, and obsessed with The Grinch. But just a short time ago, even everyday moments like a trip to the grocery store were overwhelming. “He would scream at the top of his lungs,” Amy recalls. “I didn’t know how to help him through it.”
With the right support and strategies, Amy learned how to break down behaviors, manage meltdowns, and guide Weston through daily routines. “Now he holds onto the cart and walks beside me,” she says. “That progress didn’t happen overnight — but it happened.”
Discovering SARRC
As a special needs educator, Amy works with neurodivergent kids daily and recognized the early signs of autism in her own son. Even so, Weston’s diagnosis came as a shock at first.
“My first thought was, ‘I need to get out of here.’” Processing the news took time, and she realized that a diagnosis opens doors to essential support services.
Amy first learned about SARRC’s JumpStart program while scrolling Facebook. She decided to try it, and it changed everything.
“JumpStart is an introduction to autism — it’s for families who are brand new to all of this,” Amy explains. “I didn’t even know what ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) was. JumpStart helped me understand what was available, what it meant, and how to get started. It got me past the overwhelming part of receiving a diagnosis.”
Her SARRC JumpStart coach, a board-certified behavior analyst, was a lifeline. “She knew exactly what I was going through,” Amy says. “I felt understood and supported in a way I hadn’t before.”
Later, Amy and Weston joined SARRC’s Second Gear program which focuses on reducing challenging behaviors at home and building more effective communication skills. “I loved Second Gear. It taught me how to understand and respond to Weston’s behaviors rather than just reacting. It helped me not only as a parent but also in my work as an educator. I could apply what I was learning at home and in the classroom.”
What Expansion Would Mean
Amy regularly drives 40 minutes to services, all while working, raising five children, and attending school herself.
Some days she has to leave work early or carefully pre-plan entire days around appointments. “Driving makes for a long day and a worn-out child,” she says. “It takes so much out of both of us.”
And while remote services help fill some gaps, many interventions — like ABA, occupational therapy, and speech therapy — simply don’t work as well on a screen. “Often, kids act differently depending on their environment”, says Amy. “So being in person can change your perspective and how you might approach their behavior.”
For Amy, imagining a SARRC location closer to home in Southern Arizona feels almost too good to believe.
“I’ve always had to drive for everything, so I never thought about what it would be like to have SARRC here,” she admits. “But having that kind of access would make a huge difference — not just for me, but for all the families in Tucson and surrounding areas.”
She knows firsthand how much early intervention matters. “If you don’t have access, you’re less likely to get that early support. And that changes everything for a child’s future.”
A Message for Other Families
Amy wants other parents to know they’re not alone in the uncertainty and exhaustion of raising a child with autism.
“Being a parent to special needs kids is a whole new ballgame — no one teaches you how to do it,” she says. “Getting the right services is so important. Do whatever you have to do for your child, because the right support can change your whole life.”
For Amy, Weston, Levi, and her family, SARRC has been more than a program. It has been a source of knowledge, encouragement, and hope. Expanding into Southern Arizona means that more families will feel what Amy has felt: “You’re not alone. Someone gets it. And here’s what comes next.”