‘We are living with autism’: Redlands mom creates joy-filled spaces for neurodiverse youth

A local mom’s mission to bring families living with autism together has grown into a year-round effort of inclusive events open to the entire community.

Unite 2 Live With Autism, a Redlands-based nonprofit, is inviting more residents to join and support its free celebrations. The next big event, a prom night for teens and young adults, is set for June.

“Through our events, we aim to break down barriers, spread awareness and build a stronger, more inclusive community -one celebration at a time,” writes Founder and CEO of Unite 2 Live With Autism, Val Noble, on their website.

Navigating the unknown, together

When Noble’s son Derris was born, 37 years ago, autism was not a well-known diagnosis. She worked as a medical assistant back then and met a client. “Her daughter acted similar to Derris,” Noble said. “I talked to the mother and she said, 'oh, she has autism.' And I had never heard of it.”

Because Derris was born with a tongue tie, he was sent to a special rehabilitation program with speech therapy, which delayed his diagnosis. Through Derris’ preschool she learned that he did in fact have autism.

“Back when he was just diagnosed there wasn’t a lot of things,” Noble said, every single situation she had to learn herself how to deal with. From the early 1990’s Noble built a support system with family and friends. “We talked and kind of shared stories,” she said. “I realized there’s a lot of single parents dealing with autism. I ran into parents who said, 'I don’t think I can keep my kid.'”

For Noble that was non-negotiable. “No, we can do this together,” said Noble, who raised Derris and his two brothers on her own.

Families find source of support and joy

That was the starting point for what would later become the non-profit organization Unite 2 Live With Autism or U2LWA. Noble focuses on helping parents to keep their kids at home and has a holistic approach to the care they take. She also supports families who receive traditional medicine.

“Initially I named it Unite 2 Fight Autism,” she said. But her brother asked her, 'Do you really want to fight it?' and she thought, “No, I don’t. We are living with it. We are living with autism.” That is how the name came to be.  

She does not call what she has been through with Derris a struggle, instead she refers to it as “turning points.” Each stage has been a learning curve for both Derris and his mom.

Even though Derris outgrew the network Noble had created, people would contact her for advice. She was, after all, one of the first parents who had been on the journey and supporting others gave her life purpose.

Noble moved to Redlands in 2020, U2LWA was officially established in 2022.

United 2 Live with Autism hosts year-round events

Today, U2LWA creates free events for families to celebrate and accept their kids’ uniqueness. The first, and most popular, event was an Easter Egg Hunt in Brookside Park four years ago when Redlands Firefighters arrived with the Easter bunny. This spring over 50 people showed up.

Later this year, a Halloween Party and Holiday Brunch are in the works. And looking to the future, Noble hopes to launch a podcast The Wine Down and organize an Autism walk.

In June, A Magical Night of Prom is organized for teens ages 16 to 25. Students can bring a date and up to four family members.

“We crown everyone king or queen. It’s really fun,” Noble explained.

This year’s prom will take place June 7 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Contemporary Club, featuring catered food and a DJ. In past years, students have traveled from as far as Colton and Hesperia to attend. Sponsors include Arbor Life Spa, The Tartan’s Restaurant, the Redlands Fire Department, Make Me Tees and Stater Bros.

Girls get to pick their own dresses, which have been donated to the organization. “These kids come in tuxedos [and dresses] and they dance all night long,” she said. “Everyone is crying, it’s touching someone. Parents are seeing their kids come out of their shell.”

"Oh my gosh, I am so happy we found you," is the phrase she hears the most when families connect with her organization. Unite 2 Live With Autism welcomes anyone navigating neurodiversity or developmental disorders, offering support, celebration and connection.

Everyone is welcome, “No one is left out,” she said.

“We want to serve our community,” Noble said, “We want to bring people together. That’s what we’re here for.”

The upcoming Magical Prom Night on June 7 is free and open to the public. Sign up is available at this link: U2LWA Magical Night of Prom