When Aimee Michaelsen’s son River was diagnosed with autism at age seven, her world felt like it was closing in.
“I was completely overwhelmed and scared,” Aimee recalls. “I didn’t know where to turn or how I was going to do this. I just felt lost.”
River had always struggled to express his emotions. He loved deeply but when frustration or anger hit, it often came out physically through screaming, crying or lashing out. At school, he began to withdraw, sitting silently in class and falling behind. It was River’s second-grade teacher who finally encouraged Aimee to seek an evaluation.
Receiving the diagnosis brought both clarity and initial heartbreak.
“I wasn’t sad for myself but I was sad for him,” Aimee says. “I just kept thinking about everything he was going to have to deal with.”
As a single mother of two boys, whose younger son also lives with a metabolic condition, Aimee felt the weight of the future pressing down on her.
“I was praying for help,” she says. “And then Easterseals Northern California came along.”
Finding Hope in the First Hour
Aimee’s first call with Easterseals Northern California was in December 2024. She remembers feeling confused at first, unsure what to expect or how the process worked.
But within that very first hour, something shifted.
“I felt hope,” she says. “For the first time, I thought, ‘Okay… we can do this. Help has arrived.’”
From the start, Aimee felt supported, not judged.
“They validated me,” she explains. “They made me feel like I wasn’t broken. Like we were in this together.”
River soon began participating in Easterseals Northern California’s Social Skills Group while Aimee enrolled in weekly caregiver training rooted in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
“At first, I thought, ‘This isn’t going to work, he’s too hard to handle,’” Aimee admits. “But after just a few days of using the tools they taught me, I could see it working.”
Small Changes, Big Breakthroughs
The changes weren’t just happening for River, they were happening for Aimee too.
Through parent training, Aimee learned how to respond differently during moments of emotional overload, giving River space to regulate, using consistent language and focusing on understanding the behavior rather than reacting to it.
“It helped me get through the week,” she says. “Every Monday, I couldn’t wait to either share something positive or ask, ‘How do I handle this?’ It made such a difference.”
Those tools transformed their entire household including Aimee’s mom who lives with them and helps care for the boys.
“At first she was skeptical,” Aimee laughs. “But now she’s like, ‘Oh wow, it actually works.’ We’ve become a team.”
“I Walked Away with a Friend”
River’s favorite part? His Social Skills Group.
One day after a session, River came home excited.
“He said, ‘Mom, I walked away with a friend,’” Aimee remembers. “I almost cried.”
For a child who once struggled to connect, that moment meant everything.
“Now he calls it his group of friends that feel like family,” Aimee says. “And honestly, that’s how I feel too.”
Today, River is communicating more clearly, regulating his emotions and thriving in ways Aimee once thought might never be possible.
“Our house is quiet now,” she says softly. “He’s using his nice words. I never thought we’d be here.”
A Second Family
River is set to graduate from the program this spring, a milestone that fills Aimee with pride and bittersweet emotion.
“I’m almost sad to leave,” she admits. “But I’m so proud of my little rock star.”
When asked why people should continue to support Easterseals Northern California, Aimee doesn’t hesitate.
“It’s a family,” she says. “You feel welcomed. Accepted. Not judged. They make you feel seen when you feel completely alone.”
She pauses then adds:
“I truly don’t think we’d be where we are today without them. I know we wouldn’t.”
