The Mum Who Answered the Call: Nicole and Kyler’s Story

Nicole is a mother guided by faith and instinct, creating space for other mums while forging her own path in supporting her son beyond traditional methods.

Kyler, just as he is

Q. Can you introduce yourself, your interests, and your family?

My name is Nicole, I’m originally from Mozambique in Africa, and I moved to the United States in 2014.

I’m a very creative person, I love fashion, sewing, and I’ve designed and made dresses before. I also used to run a small jewellery business, and I love interior design and decorating. If I had the freedom to, I would be changing things around in my home all the time.

I got married in 2015, and we now have four boys. My oldest is nine, my non-speaker is seven, and then I have a five-year-old and a three-year-old. All boys!

Nicole and family

Q. Can you introduce us to your child, and what term do you prefer to use?

My son is seven years old, and he is autistic and non-speaking. I prefer the term non-speaker, because I feel like it helps people understand him best.

We entered the world of spelling when he was four, and he has been working on that ever since. Recently he’s started becoming more of an open speller with his practitioner, and we practise at home as well.

He is such a happy boy, and he has taught us so much about life. He’s taught us to appreciate the little things and to realise that those little things are actually the most important. He’s helped me grow into who I’m meant to be, which is something I never expected as a parent.

Mother and son, sharing a moment

Q. Was there a moment that made you realise your child’s intelligence more deeply?

Yes, there was a moment that really stood out.

He was using his device and typing what looked like random numbers, long sequences. Something in me told me to pay attention, so I took screenshots.

Then I realised he was typing the same numbers backwards.

After looking into it more, I discovered that these numbers matched the volume numbers of episodes from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Amazon Prime. He had memorised them all.

That was a moment where I just thought, wow… he is really in there.

A glimpse of the brilliance within

Q. Have you found any practical strategies that have helped in day-to-day life?

Yes, and for me the biggest thing has been trusting my intuition.

After leaving ABA, I was suddenly in a position where I had to figure things out myself. That pushed me to realise what I was actually capable of as a mother.

I started doing what I called “mommy and me sessions” at home, documenting progress and trying different approaches.

For example, teaching him to eat with a fork, I would:

give him the chance to try

support his hand when needed

repeat the motion

then give him space to try again

Within about two weeks, he got it.

With brushing teeth, instead of forcing it in a stressful way, we found a gentler approach where we made it more relaxed and even playful, which made a huge difference.

Supporting everyday skills, one step at a time

But the most important thing I would say is:

what works for one child won’t always work for another, so follow your instinct.

Q. What has guided you most in supporting your child?

For me, it’s my intuition, and my relationship with God.

I truly believe that we are guided, and that ideas come to us for a reason. I didn’t learn these strategies from training, they came through moments of feeling led.

I feel like God works with us, through our intuition, especially when our children can’t communicate their needs in typical ways.

Q. Can you tell us about your podcast and what inspired you to start it?

Yes, this is something really important to me.

I run a podcast where I interview families like ours, sharing stories, experiences, and insights from the non-speaking community.

The idea came to me very strongly. I had been seeing a lot of synchronicities, and I felt like I was being guided to do something more.

One morning, I just knew, I was meant to start a podcast.

Within a couple of hours, I had set it up.

I didn’t have a full plan, I just trusted the process. Since then, everything has flowed, the right people have come at the right time, and every conversation has been meaningful.

Creating space for stories to be heard

I also warmly invite other families who would like to share their story to reach out to me and be interviewed on the podcast.

Q. What has been one of the most meaningful moments in your journey?

One of the most meaningful moments came through my son in a very unexpected way.

He kept showing me a specific clip from a cartoon about meditation. Something told me to really pay attention.

That night, I tried meditation for the first time, and I had a powerful experience where I felt connected, and I heard the words:

“I prefer to live with joy.”

That stayed with me.

Now, whenever things feel overwhelming, I come back to that:

choosing joy, letting go, and focusing on what matters.

Q. What are your hopes for the future for non-speakers and their families?

I would love a world where non-speakers don’t have to prove themselves.

A world where they are automatically given dignity, respect, and access to communication.

I would love to see schools embrace spelling and communication methods as valid support, rather than something families have to fight for.

And I would love mothers to be trusted more, especially when they know something deeply about their child.

Q. And for you, beyond motherhood, what would you love to do?

I would love to be an interior designer and a fashion designer.

I’ve always been a dreamer, and I still hold those visions in my heart.

I believe they are possible, because I can see them.