We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Alexander and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My son is my inspiration. In 2014, Max was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 2. When I found out, I researched how I could help him and what therapies or services I needed to get for him. Over the last 5 years, we have learned to live with and embrace everything that Autism brings. It is this journey that inspired me to start writing poetry. At first I didn’t think it would turn into a business, but the feedback I was getting was extremely encouraging! So I created a website and Facebook page called ‘Autism Through Poetry’ and then an Etsy shop and the orders started coming in! My hope is that my poems will help others know that they are not alone, and that we are all in this together. I want to encourage acceptance and create a better understanding of life with Autism; ultimately providing comfort to those who need it most.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My poetry is fully customizable! This means I can add names to the poems or re-write a line or 2 which makes them unique and specific to you. I can also use personal photos as the background to my poems. I also have one of my poems which is called “The Helping Hands’ on the wall in 4 different therapy clinics in Sugar Land and Missouri City. I wrote it about all the different therapists that work with our children. There is also one of my poems which is called “The Day You Ran Away’ on the wall in a restaurant in Sugar Land. Every poem that I have written is about something that has happened with my son, or how something has made him feel or indeed made me feel, or even a situation that he is finding hard to navigate through. Because of this, people can relate which is why I am able to customize the poems which makes them even more special to you.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Sugar Land; and there’s a lot of fun things to do! The Sugar Land Town Square has a lot of fun bars and restaurants, but the Houston Zoo is really a great place to take families.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My son Max Alexander. Without him, I would never have started Autism Through Poetry. He is the reason I write and my inspiration. Hope For Three is a non-profit organization that helps and supports families living with Autism. They are a wealth of knowledge, and a huge resource to help families get the help they need for their children.

Website: www.autismthroughpoetry.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autismthroughpoetry