Ep. 159 - I Made It Look Easy...It's Not with Maria DeVoe

<p>In this episode of Autism for Badass Moms, Rashidah sits down with Maria DeVoe, a Baltimore native now living in Atlanta and mom to two teenagers on the autism spectrum—Princess Brianna, who is turning 17, and Robert Jr., 14.</p><p>Maria opens up about a journey that began nearly two decades ago, when autism awareness, resources, and conversations looked very different than they do today.</p><p>Maria speaks candidly about the parts of autism motherhood people often don&#39;t see—the sleepless nights, meltdowns, isolation, constant worry, hypervigilance, changing medical providers when something doesn’t feel right, and the reality that even something as simple as taking a shower or finding someone you trust to watch your child can become complicated.</p><p>She also talks about balancing motherhood with work and entrepreneurship, finding small ways to decompress, building CMD Marketing Enterprises/CMD Design Lab, and working to reboot her son’s show. </p><p>Through it all, Maria reminds autism moms that strength does not mean pretending everything is easy.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, we discuss:</p><p><br></p><p>00:00 – Meet Maria</p><p>00:16 – Princess Early Signs</p><p>01:46 – Diagnosis During Pregnancy</p><p>02:28 – Finding Services</p><p>05:05 – School Struggles Begin</p><p>08:05 – Advocacy with Receipts</p><p>11:00 – Two Kids Two Profiles</p><p>12:46 – RJ Diagnosis and Supports</p><p>17:37 – What People Don’t See</p><p>22:16 – Finding Joy and Self Care</p><p>24:12 – Building Her Business</p><p>27:10 – Advice for Autism Moms</p><p><br></p><p>ABOUT OUR GUEST</p><p><br></p><p>Maria DeVoe is a mother, entrepreneur, and autism advocate originally from Baltimore and now based in Atlanta. She is raising two teenagers on the autism spectrum, Princess Brianna and Robert Jr., and has spent years navigating therapies, school systems, medical care, and the everyday realities of autism motherhood.</p><p><br></p><p>Her experiences have strengthened her commitment to advocacy, documentation, and ensuring her children receive the support they need to thrive. Outside of motherhood, Maria is also the founder of CMD Marketing Enterprises/CMD Design Lab, where she channels her creativity and entrepreneurial spirit into her work.</p><p><br></p><p>CONNECT WITH MARIA</p><p><br></p><p>Website: www.cmddesignlab.com</p><p>Instagram: www.instagram.com/mariadevoe_</p><p><br></p><p>Maria’s Message to Autism Moms</p><p><br></p><p>You don&#39;t have to pretend you have every