Diagnosed with autism at age 4½, 33-year-old Christine Motokane of Sequim has spent her life breaking barriers as an author, advocate and policy influencer.

Growing up in Los Angeles, Motokane exhibited early signs of autism, such as toe-walking and language delays. However, it wasn’t until an intake meeting with the Los Angeles Unified School District’s special education department that her parents received confirmation of what they had long suspected.

“At the time, there wasn’t as much knowledge about autism, especially in girls,” said Helen Motokane, Christine’s mother. “But once we had the diagnosis, we did everything we could to get her the right support.”

Christine’s educational journey was intensive, involving speech and occupational therapy, along with specialized instruction. A pivotal moment came when she was accepted into UCLA’s Partial Hospitalization Program for preschoolers with autism, where she began making significant progress.

By first grade, Christine was fully included in a general education classroom with the support of an aide.

“She was fully mainstream,” Helen said. “It was tough because there are differences between a child with high-functioning autism and a typical child, so we were constantly working with her, especially on her handwriting skills.”

“She just could not write the letters, so we did vision therapy. We practiced her handwriting on dry-erase boards to help her improve, and she got it eventually.”

Helen shared the challenges she observed as Christine grew older, particularly when the gap between her typical peers and her became more pronounced. Christine was informed about her autism diagnosis in fifth grade, which she recalls made her more aware of her differences.

“When middle school hit, the difference between the typical child or teenager and Christine became wider and wider. The other kids were getting interested in boys and girls, and she wasn’t. She still liked her dolls, Disney stuff and Hello Kitty. That was hard to see.”

Helen continued: “I didn’t want to push her too hard to change because I thought that might cause issues with her self-esteem. It was a balancing act. I wanted to make sure she was happy with who she was, even if it was different from her peers.”

“It was never easy, but in high school, I pretty much let go. I said, ‘OK, I can’t be a helicopter mom anymore. If she’s going to be successful in college, she has to develop skills on her own.’”

Despite the challenges, Christine excelled academically. She attended El Camino Community College for two years, graduating with honors in 2013, before transferring to Loyola Marymount University, where she earned a degree in psychology with magna cum laude honors in 2015.

Christine’s family made the decision to leave Los Angeles for Sequim, a move motivated by her parents’ retirement and a desire for a quieter, more-accessible lifestyle.

“We wanted to live in a slow-paced area, and Washington is such a beautiful state,” Helen said.

Christine’s advocacy work began soon after. She has served on the board of the Autism Society of Los Angeles for eight years and continues her work remotely, influencing policies that impact people with disabilities. She also is a member of the local Self Advocacy and Leadership group, where she works with other advocates to meet with lawmakers in Olympia. The group lobbies for laws supporting people with disabilities, including cerebral palsy, down syndrome and others.

Christine’s journey into writing began when her therapist suggested journaling as a way to process her thoughts and emotions. That evolved into longer and more elaborate stories, eventually fueling her desire to write books.

Christine said the messages from her books are: “Autism is a lifelong disability, and we need to have support throughout the lifespan. I feel like when you’re growing up into adulthood, there’s not that much support like there is for children. You don’t stop having autism when you turn 18 or age out of the school system.”

She has since authored two books: “Working a Double: A Young Woman’s Journey with Autism” and “The Revolving Door: The Story of Disability Support.” The first offers a firsthand account of growing up with autism, while the second highlights the challenges of securing consistent, quality caregivers in small communities like Sequim.

“What part of my journey about writing is I wanted to give a first-person perspective about what life was like growing up with autism because there aren’t too many books by self-advocates,” she said. “And if there were, they were often diagnosed later in life or did not grow up going through the special education system like I did. I wanted to talk about what worked and what didn’t work.”

Through it all, Christine has maintained a balance between work, advocacy and personal time. After working for several years as a special education aide, she recently transitioned to a part-time substitute role to allow for more flexibility.

“These individuals may be capable of working, but they also need downtime,” Helen said. “Without that, it can lead to burnout and mental health struggles.”

Awareness

This month is Autism Awareness Month. The Motokanes hope the focus will shift from awareness to full inclusion and acceptance. “We’re aware of autism,” Helen said. “But we need to do better at embracing people with autism as part of the community—not just as an initiative or buzzword.”

She said more people have autism than ever. “By the next generation, almost everyone will know someone with autism—a friend’s child, a cousin, a sibling,” she said. “We need to prepare for that and ensure that support systems evolve to meet those needs.”

This Saturday (April 5), Christine will discuss her books and sign copies from noon to 5 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in Silverdale, 10315 Silverdale Way.

Photo by Helen Motokane| Author Christine Motokane of Sequim.