Natasha Nelson’s Life Experiences Guide Her Mission to Empower Families

“What’s Happening in Your Town” features the perspectives of people with developmental disabilities about their own experiences in their communities. The column gives them a space to freely share their own opinions and their lived experiences with others. Interested in writing an article? Send an email to Tianna Faulkner, Editor-in-Chief at .

My name is Natasha Nelson, and I was born in 1989 as the oldest of seven children to Ruby Miller, a single mother living in Rome, Georgia. In kindergarten, I was evaluated and put in the gifted and talented program. But my childhood was a confusing, scary, and lonely time. 

I was a surrogate mother to my siblings while my mother worked to provide for all of us. I was surrounded by people but never understood. I read fiction to escape the reality of my own life. I did this so much that I would walk two miles to the library with all my siblings regularly. I would even walk while reading and sometimes fall into ditches!  

I was socially awkward and had different habits. For example, I sucked my fingers well into adulthood. Despite all this, I did not get a diagnosis until 2023. At that time, my children were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and were referred to the early intervention program at the SPARK Foundation for Research. It was then that I was blessed to be diagnosed with ASD, Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Obsessive-compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Somatic Symptom Disorder. 

Today, I am a disability advocate. I am certified as a:

• Positive discipline educator in the home, classroom, and early childhood education center;
• Family support group facilitator for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); and
• Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences (HOPE) facilitator.

I currently serve as the Georgia ECHO Autism Stat Early Diagnostic Model Family Advocate. I am a highly decorated veteran and the mother to two autistic Black girls. I am also the founder and CEO of Supernova Parenting. 

Supernova Parenting is a national nonprofit based in Stone Mountain, Georgia. We support families of color who are raising children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), mental health needs, or who are neurodivergent. Our goal is to help these families live better lives. We do that by providing education, easy-to-use resources, and strong support. We work for disability justice and fight against racism and ableism at home, in schools, and in the workplace. We believe all families deserve to feel included, respected, and supported. 

Through our innovative NEED System, we work to create a supportive, caring, empathetic, and respectful environment. Our approach has four parts:

• Networking with organizations and advocates; 
• Supporting caregivers of families of color. These families are navigating neurodivergence, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and mental health disorders. We help through both personal and policy advocacy; 
• Empathizing with caregivers' concerns across diverse cultures; and
• Educating through evidence-based information that uses diverse theories and personal stories. 

In 2022, I was chosen by the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network as its 2022 recipient of the Creating Community Together Award. I am a 2023-2024 Georgia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities program trainee graduate. Recently, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities chose me as one of their Emerging Leaders for 2024-2025. 

Finally, my family and I played a prominent role in the highly honored documentary "Navigating Autism in Communities of Color.” This documentary was produced and directed by the School of History and Sociology and the School of Literature Media and Communication at Georgia Tech, in collaboration with The Color of Autism Foundation. 

You can learn more about Supernova Parenting at https://supernovaparenting.org/.