By Kimberly McGee
Before Vegas Kids Zone, before the events and the magazine and the community we’ve built, I was working at home, nurturing our twin’s preschool education.
While my son excelled at reading, he struggled with talking, noises, unexpected changes to our itinerary.
I knew something was different. Not wrong, just…different.
Did he have autism? He giggled, played games with his twin sister, ran straight at us for big hugs after preschool.
But I knew. Maybe.
I joined mom groups, started asking questions. And that’s when it really hits you: every child is different. There is no one-size-fits-all plan.
The parents I began to lean on for more info had a saying: “If you met one child with autism, you’ve met one child with autism.”
I realized we really had to dig deep, into our family and into what was available that wouldn’t waste everyone’s time. A mix of services, support, patience, and, most importantly, people who truly understand.
Getting from that quiet knowing to an actual diagnosis felt like running in circles. Appointments, referrals, waiting, more waiting… and then finally, answers that somehow came with even more questions.
Okay, now what?
That was the hardest part.
Because once you have a diagnosis, you think the path will be clear, but instead, you’re handed a list. A long one.
ABA providers with waitlists. Therapies you’ve never heard of. Recommendations that work beautifully for one child and not at all for another.
That experience is a big part of why I started Vegas Kids Zone.
I wanted to connect families with resources I wish I had known about back then, a place where families could find real options, real recommendations, and real connections.
Not just a directory, but a starting point. A shortcut through the noise.
Because what matters most isn’t just the services, it’s the village.
Building that village can feel really hard when you’re in the middle of it.
So for this April Autism Awareness Issue of Vegas Family Insider, we didn’t just list resources and offer tips for tantrums. We talked to families who are building their village right now. The ones who are still figuring it out, still navigating, still showing up every day.
We also made sure to include the voices that matter most, our kids.
You’ll hear from children and teens sharing what they wish more people understood about them.
Their honesty, their humor, their perspective. It’s everything. One of those voices is a teen author on the spectrum who is already using his story to inspire others, and I can’t wait for you to meet him.
While it is our annual Autism Awareness Month special issue, it’s for everyone.
These are local moms, dads, kids and teens sharing their personal stories, the hard days, the wins, what they hope we as a whole community could understand about what autism is like in the day-to-day.
And of course, it’s still us. You’ll find recipes, local deals, a kidpreneur spotlight, and those little glimpses into the people and places that make Las Vegas such a special place to raise a family.
If you want to experience it all in real life, come see us on April 11 at our Kidpreneur Market at the Fantastic Indoor Swap Meet. Some of our young writers will be there, along with an amazing group of kidpreneurs, plus games, prizes, and plenty of ways to connect. It’s one thing to read about this community. It’s another to step right into it.
Kimberley McGee is a twin mom and award-winning journalist and publisher of Vegas Kids Zone Media. Visit the website at www.. vegaskidszone.com.