Fall and Recovery: A Special Needs Parenting Story of Grief, Grace, and Dance
When the pediatrician gently placed the measuring tape around her newborn’s head and said, “His head is a little small,” Joanne De Simone’s vision of motherhood changed forever. That single moment became the beginning of an unexpected autism parenting journey—one filled with both profound grief and unexpected grace.
Not long after, her first son was diagnosed with a life-limiting diagnosis—a rare brain malformation that would shape every aspect of his development. And as she was adjusting to the demands of raising a medically fragile child, her second son was diagnosed with autism.
Special Needs Parenting Journey
Even with her background in special education, Joanne was unprepared for the emotional weight of raising a child with disabilities—much less two. The grief was layered and complex. But over time, she discovered that the very tools she had used as a professional dancer could also help her survive motherhood.
Listen to her interview here:
Special Needs Parenting Through Grief And Dance
Joanne’s journey is a powerful example of parenting through grief. She describes her experience not as a battle, but as a daily dance—sometimes graceful, often clumsy, but always full of intention. “It’s realizing that we live simultaneously in love and grief,” she reflects. “In the end, dance teaches us not only how to move freely through pain but also how to fall—and recover.”
This depth of insight is the heart of emotional resilience in motherhood. It’s not about being strong every day—it’s about learning how to get back up again, even when your world feels like it’s collapsing.
Memoir Of A Special Needs Parent
Before becoming a parent, Joanne was a modern dancer. A graduate of Hunter College, she earned degrees in dance and special education, and went on to perform with renowned companies like José Limón and Dianne McIntyre. The movement vocabulary she once used on stage began to echo in her daily life as a mother.
Her memoir, "Fall and Recovery," draws on these parallels. Each chapter is rooted in the philosophy of modern dance and healing, where movements like falling, recovering, reaching, and releasing serve as metaphors for the rhythms of special needs parenting. Joanne shares how dance offered her a path back to herself—a way to process the continuous balancing act between love and sorrow.
Whether you’re a parent navigating a life-limiting diagnosis in infants, adjusting to the complexities of the autism parenting journey, or simply seeking insight into motherhood and special education, Joanne’s story is a lifeline. It’s a story of finding beauty in the brokenness, and strength not in perfection—but in presence.
Her journey shows us that even when the dream of motherhood changes, there’s still a deep and abiding purpose to be found. Through raising children with disabilities, modern dance and healing, and the courage to grieve openly, Joanne De Simone teaches us how to fall—and how to recover.
