Miles with the Smiles: A Mother’s Honest Look at Autism, Advocacy, and Everyday Life
Every autism journey looks different—but what unites families is the deep love, resilience, and constant learning that comes with it. For Teresa Isgriggs, raising her son Miles has been a path filled with both challenges and incredible moments of joy. Diagnosed at just 3½ years old, Miles has grown into a bright, loving 11-year-old who continues to inspire everyone around him.
In this candid Q&A, Teresa shares what daily life really looks like, the highs and lows of parenting a child on the spectrum, and what she wishes more people understood.
Q: Tell me a bit about your backstory, your family, your child.
When he was diagnosed we had almost no knowledge of what having autism meant. We came across a local charity called FEAT of Southern Nevada that helped us find resources, therapies and programs that would be beneficial to him. He started ABA therapy as a clinic setting after he was diagnosed and has been doing so since. Miles didn’t speak until age 4 and is still considered nonverbal as he only uses some sentences but will not hold conversations. Miles is our bright light of inspiration and we always describe him as Miles with the Smiles! Even though he does not interact in a typical way he is full of pure joy, happiness and so loving! He has a deep special interest in letters and spelling that has been with him since he was a toddler. It’s our favorite thing to see him happy with all his letters! We love watching him inspire so many around him that love truly needs no words. He has a little brother Drew who he has created an incredible bond with. Their special relationship is the most beautiful thing to witness. We are so grateful that Miles will always have the best built in advocate….his brother! We as a family celebrate autism in every way and make sure to never make it a bad thing…..certain things may be hard with autism but Miles being autistic is truly a beautiful thing! We are huge on advocating, celebrating and educating about autism to create a better understanding for others. We hope that as a family we can continue to make a positive impact and also show other families like us that we are here for them too!
Q: What do you wish other parents (especially those not in the autism community) truly understood about your daily life?
That every decision we make as a family always has autism in mind. No matter what situation we are in we must analyze environments in every way from noise, to surroundings, to how many people and more before we can commit to anything. So many situations can actually be harmful or overly stressful for our son on the spectrum and we have to weigh the good and bad to make sure we aren’t putting him in a situation that is more harmful to him than good. Simple routine changes can lead to meltdowns and major dysregulation for someone on the spectrum. The slightest spontaneous change without preparation can lead to a very stressful situation. Doing normal things like going to a restaurant or store with your family looks very different for us…we have to analyze if it’s a safe environment for our child that has no initial concept of danger, if it’s too loud, if there’s food they will even eat, if there’s any triggering things that may cause meltdowns….literally so many things are factored into decisions we have to make on a daily basis.
Q: Can you share what a “hard day” looks like? What actually helps in those moments?
A hard day for us is when Miles has a meltdown that he can’t get out of quickly. This typically happens when his normal routine especially at school or a lesson of some kind has changed on him without notice. We consider him non-verbal despite some language he will use but when this happens he cannot process language to tell us what he needs. When he has a meltdown like this he typically will scream, cry and plant himself on the ground wherever he is and not transition or leave where he is. He does have self stim behavior that can be harmful to himself when he is upset so trying to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself and we can transition him safely is extremely difficult. This is most definitely the hardest thing to deal with and keep our patience so we can help him not escalate more. These are moments that people will assume, judge and not understand.
Q: On the flip side, what are the wins that people might not notice but mean everything to you?
For our family the smallest things are the biggest wins! For example when Miles uses a new word out of the blue, or randomly says a new sentence! Or when he answers us unexpectedly when we ask him a question, or watching him skateboard at sport social with no help for the first time. Seeing him start to take interest in something new or showing his secret artist skills…and even his little sense of humor come out. The smallest moments of connecting with another person is also so huge for someone like him and so many moments mean so much for him. I honestly feel so lucky to be able to celebrate such small moments as such big moments…it’s truly magical to experience.
Q: Have you ever felt misunderstood in public (stores, parks, school, etc.)? What do you wish those people knew in that moment?
Absolutely. People always stare, always judge and never take a moment to think before they do so. My biggest hope is that people will learn to take a moment to analyze before judgement. I wish that people can take a beat and maybe offer help, or tell someone who is dealing with a difficult moment that they are doing great….don’t just stare and watch someone struggle. That’s the worst thing you can do. If you cannot help, don’t stop and stare, walk away or offer help. We already live in fear 24/7 and deal with profound circumstances that require so much strength, patience and commitment.
Q: How has navigating services in Las Vegas been for your family—what has helped, and what has been frustrating?
Navigating services was extremely daunting when we first got our diagnosis. We didn’t have a lot of initial guidance and I took it upon myself to find help. This is where I found FEAT of Southern Nevada and was ultimately given so much advice for resources, therapies, programs and more! Their support meetings, workshops and events have really helped us navigate what is best for our journey with autism and find other amazing families to connect with as well! What we have found frustrating is finding services that don’t charge an insane amount i.e. therapies, specialized programs for swimming, specialized lessons in sports, music, arts, or even childcare. So much is based on income level and many families don’t meet the low income threshold required for assistance but still very much need financial assistance for all the expenses that come with autism. Having a child with autism is extremely expensive and they need specialized care for the rest of their lives…every parent with an autistic child should have access to help them financially…it’s a forever thing.
For our Miles ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) has been one of the best things we have done for him since he was diagnosed. It has helped him with his socialization, creating independence, life skills, and managing any behavior that can be harmful. He has come leaps and bounds over the years! His language has grown extensively and he has truly come out of his shell and is thriving!
Q: Are there services or support you needed but struggled to find locally?
The autism community always needs more services available to them, especially companies having more insurance options for parents. So many parents are limited to therapy companies based on who takes their insurance and it makes it very difficult. Many of our kids need tailored specific things that not all places offer but if they don’t take your insurance we can’t afford it. There’s not enough financial assistance out there for all the families that need it and that makes our journey so hard.
Q: If you could create one resource, program, or space for families like yours in this city, what would it be?
Coming from a performing arts background I truly feel there should be so much more offered in the arts space for individuals with disabilities. I am currently working on creating my own program to make this much needed asset happen. The arts are so powerful for our kids in so many ways. They really need their own program with people trained on their diagnosis to help them thrive and enjoy arts the way they so deserve! They all deserve to shine!
Q: What would you say to a parent who is just starting this journey and feeling overwhelmed?
That there is more help and support out there than you think. Don’t be afraid to reach out to support groups and other families that go through what you do. When I met other autism families through FEAT of Southern Nevada it gave me so much hope and so many new friends I now consider family that get it and understand the autism journey. It is incredibly important to surround yourself with people that understand the moments you go through even though every journey is different. Having that support is what helps you in the most difficult moments. It’s also so amazing to share the wins with people that understand how such small accomplishments can be so big for your family.
Don’t be afraid to let your child try new things even if you think it will be hard for them….many things are hard for our kids but giving them opportunities to do other things may unlock a special interest or a new avenue that will give them pure joy, or even incredible progress! Always give them a chance you never know what might be a magical connection for them!
Also, help doesn’t come to you, you have to go out and find it. Researching resources, opportunities, activities and therapies is really in your hands….after a diagnosis no one gives you a 101 handbook on autism….you really need to reach out and look for what your child needs. There really is a huge amount of resources in Las Vegas, but if you don’t look for it you won’t always find it. One of the absolute best places I found that gave me a giant light in our autism journey was FEAT of Southern Nevada. Everything they do is at no or little cost to families. They have many workshops on how to navigate next steps after a diagnosis, IEP training, sibling support meetings, parent support meetings, social programs, family events and so much more!