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Photographed by Heidi M. Rolf
Mother Stories

A Cleveland Artist On Living In Color & Raising A Son With Autism

Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano

Photography by Photographed by Heidi M. Rolf

This profile of uber-talented Lauren Noel marks two firsts for Mother. She’s not only the first Cleveland-based mama we’ve featured, she’s also the first to open up about raising a child with autism. Both firsts, we might add, are painfully overdue. According to brand-new data from the CDC, 1 in 59 American children (1 in 37 boys and 1 in 151 girls) are identified as having autism spectrum disorder, and this ratio is 15% higher than it was just two years prior. For those of us unfamiliar with autism, Lauren graciously opens up about her personal experience with her second son, 8-year-old Keegan (younger bro to 9-year-old Dylan), and along the way she crushes common misconceptions and sets us straight on the terms “autistic child” vs. “a child with autism.” Of course, autism isn’t the only thing in this 29-year-old mama’s life. She also shows us inside of her wonderland of a home, which is bursting with optimistic color, and fills us in on her career as an artist, which has recently hit fever pitch.

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  1. Kris Stasek says...

    So happy to read this article, and take in the beautiful photos. My older son is very talented in art, and is highly dedicated to his online school. My younger son is highly intelligent, and creative. He’s in a top, parochial school, making Honors. Both are Autisitic. Thank you for this uplifting article!

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