Alisha Tietjen

Rethinking Failure as an Autism Mom 

Talk Summary: The life of parenting children with autism and special needs can often feel like a dam bursting with discouragement and failure.  But failure is not the lack of success… it’s the predecessor.

Speaker Bio: Alisha Tietjen is from the small community of Firth, Idaho. After graduating from Firth High School, she made her way to the big city of Rexburg, Idaho where she would later graduate from BYU-Idaho in 2008 with a degree in general studies with a minor in history, and clusters in family studies and political studies. While attending college, she met and married her best friend, Anthony Tietjen and had two boys. After graduating Alisha had one more boy in 2009 and then finally a girl in 2010.

 In 2013, their son was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism and Pathological Demand Avoidance (a severe anxiety disorder). It became a full time job for Alisha as she handled therapy schedules, IEP meetings, and doctor visits. In 2015 another son was diagnosed with severe ADHD and the therapies, medications, and school meetings doubled.

 In order to maintain sanity, Alisha began volunteering at the local museum since history is one of her passions. Her passion and enthusiasm for the job helped her to be later promoted to assistant curator and then in October 2019 she accepted the position of museum curator for the Museum of Rexburg: Home of the Teton Flood Exhibit. Through all this she has continued to advocate for her sons and blaze a trail for those coming behind.