Our Story

“We [Chelsea and Denise] co-founded Good Friend in 2007 because we saw a need we knew we could fill. We are mothers of children on the spectrum, now young adults on the spectrum. We watched our learners struggle to make friends with their classmates, and from other parents of children on the spectrum, we learned that our children were not unique in their struggle.

As adults without autism, we have gone from advocates to allies, soaking up lots of information along the way about what it means to be autistic — especially in a world designed by the neuromajority. We know it’s difficult for classmates and colleagues to understand autism. But more importantly, we know how important it is for peers to see beyond the differences to find the similarities. So that’s what we set out to do. Establish a culture of awareness, acceptance and empathy for autistic individuals and their families. Here is our autism awareness story.”