Johnston County mom creates Facebook support group for parents of children with autism

As Autism Awareness Month wraps up, a Johnston County mother wants every parent with a child with autism to remember they're never alone.

Jennifer Lynn Dixon and her husband, Chris, have two boys – 6-year-old Aiden and 5-year-old Jaxon. Jaxon, who was diagnosed with autism at age 2, was nonverbal until last summer.

After years of struggling, Jennifer wanted to create a judgment-free support network for parents like her. The Facebook group Autism Parents in North Carolina was born in 2021 and has skyrocketed to 1,700 members since its inception.

Jennifer recently left her job as a preschool teacher to homeschool Jaxon. She is also the admin of her Facebook group and moderates the comments and posts to ensure the page stays supportive and caring.

Her baby did not babble: 'I knew from the beginning something was off'

Jennifer said she was very young and felt overwhelmed when her boys were born just 10 months apart. She immediately noticed differences between Aiden and Jaxon, her youngest, when they were babies.

"What really stood out to me was, as a baby, [Jaxon] didn't babble, he didn't coo ... he didn't care much about me ... and my first one, I couldn't get out of his sight without him completely freaking out," she said. "So I knew from the beginning something was off."

Jennifer spoke with Jaxon's pediatrician, but not before endless online research to make sure she wasn't making assumptions.

"I had done my research before I went to her because I felt like she was going to tell me I was crazy," Jennifer said.

After autism diagnosis: 'What the future held is what scared me'

Jennifer remembers the day she found out her youngest son had autism.

"The day the doctor looked at us and told us that he was going to have an autism diagnosis, my heart was broken," she said. "I cried and cried and cried for weeks, because when you find out you're pregnant and plan all these things, no one prepares you for having a special needs child. Looking at the future and what the future held is what scared me."

In those early days following Jaxon's diagnosis, Jennifer said she felt alone.

"I didn't know anyone personally who had a child with autism, and I just felt like no one could relate," she said. "I needed support and success stories and all the things to help us get through it."

Looking for connection and support, she joined Facebook groups, but the support was not there.

"It was so negative," she said. "Looking at the comments ... I would just read them and cry because these people were so mean. And that was the main reason why I decided to start my own group where I could have my own rules. If you're going to be ugly about something you're not going to be in the group."

Jennifer describes Autism Parents in North Carolina as "a place where people reach out with questions and concerns or to express feelings with other parents who can truly relate. Whether it's to share milestones or that we are struggling and not face judgment, it's just a community of people on the same journey raising these amazing, unique, wonderful kids."

Jennifer said she is learning more about autism every day as her son makes progress.

Jaxon didn't speak until last summer. Now, at 5, she said he is reading and putting full sentences together. Still, there are so many struggles.

"As a family we cannot go out and do anything," Jennifer said. "Being in public is very hard for him ... and I can't tell you the last time we went and sat down at a restaurant and had a successful meal without me or my husband ending up in the car with him. It's just a lot for him."

Parents of children with autism: 'You are not alone'

Once alone, Jennifer has made many friends and is in the process of planning playdates for other kids in the Facebook group who are homeschooled.

Her advice for other parents with children with autism is simple.

"You are not alone. Don't ever think you are alone," she said. "And if you feel like you are alone, look up Jennifer Lynn Dixon on Facebook and message me. I will be glad to help you; I will be glad to talk with you."

Jennifer said the most important thing any parent can do is ask for help.

Sometimes, she said, parents in her group need to share joys or are seeking advice. Often, they just need to vent in a judgment-free zone.

"It's hard," she said. "We are 3.5 years into this, and it is still hard. But this group and its posts helped me understand the beauty of autism even when it's rough. The way I feel about my situation now is completely different than how I felt at the beginning."

Parents with children with autism can ask to join the Facebook group. Jennifer also started a group about her own journey called The Journey of Jax.