Welcome to Space Cadet Collective: Where Different Worlds Connect

When I was 16, my world transformed in two profound ways. I became a mother, and I began the journey of raising a child who—like me—experienced the world through a neurodivergent lens. Neither of us knew it then, but we were both autistic, navigating a world that wasn't designed for minds like ours.

## Two Space Cadets Finding Our Way

They called me a "space cadet" long before I understood what it meant. Lost in thought, missing social cues, overwhelmed by sensory experiences others barely noticed—I lived in a different orbit from my peers. When my son came along, I recognized familiar patterns in him, though his autism expressed itself differently than mine. He was a bit less on the spectrum than me, but together, we formed our own constellation.

What we lacked in traditional guidance, we made up for in understanding. When he couldn't bear the feel of certain fabrics, I didn't need an explanation. When I became overwhelmed in crowded spaces, he instinctively knew to create a quiet corner for us both. We developed our own language of support, our private mission control when the world became too loud, too bright, too much.

## The Missing Manual

As we grew together—a young mother and her child, both navigating neurodivergence without a map—I kept thinking about all the resources we didn't have, the understanding that might have made our journey easier. How different might our early years have been with proper recognition, accommodation, and community?

But our story doesn't end with what was missing. It begins with what we created instead.

In each other, we found what many neurodivergent people search for their entire lives: a safe harbor where our authentic selves were not just accepted but celebrated. Our little home became a place where stimming was normal, where special interests were honored, where the need to retreat from sensory overload was understood without explanation.

## When Planets Collide

As my son and I grew older, our paths intersected with others whose journeys mirrored ours in different ways. Friends struggling with dual diagnoses—autism alongside depression, ADHD with trauma histories, neurodivergence complicated by substance use that began as self-medication. I saw how these experiences didn't exist in isolation but created complex gravitational relationships affecting entire communities.

I witnessed how systems designed for neurotypical minds failed those with different processing styles. How trauma and neurodivergence intertwined in ways many professionals couldn't recognize. How families, friends, and communities struggled to understand what seemed like puzzling behaviors rather than different ways of experiencing the world.

## Launching Our Mission

That's why I'm creating Space Cadet Collective—a neurodivergent-led community where the complex relationships between neurodiversity, trauma, substance use, and healing are explored with compassion and lived experience.

Our mission isn't just about providing information (though we'll have plenty of that). It's about creating the safe harbor my son and I built for each other—a place where different neurotypes are welcomed, where trauma can be addressed without shame, where healing happens in community rather than in isolation.

## An Invitation to Fellow Space Cadets

If you've ever felt like you're orbiting a different planet—whether through neurodivergence, trauma, substance use challenges, or all of these experiences combined—know that you've found a community that sees your struggles and your strengths.

We don't have all the answers. We're building this cosmic station together, learning as we go. But what we do have is the commitment to create something my teenage self desperately needed: a place where being different isn't a deficit but a different way of experiencing the universe.

Welcome to our mission. Welcome home. 🚀

*Space Cadet Collective officially launches June 2026. Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates about resources, community opportunities, and ways to get involved as we build this cosmic community together.*