In a 2013 joint interview with Duane Martin on CNikky, Tisha Campbell revealed that their firstborn, Xen Martin was diagnosed with autism at just 18 months old. However, Campbell had a feeling something was up long before then. In fact, she shared that the doctor who made the diagnosis was the fifth they’d seen. That’s not to say she reacted well to the news, though. Far from it, she joked that her reaction was a little all over the place: from cursing at the doctor, to physically running away from the appointment, to ultimately accepting that she needed to focus on finding the way forward.
Once she’d spoken with the relevant specialists, Campbell channeled all her energy into helping Xen work past some of the intense sensitivities he experienced as a result of the autism. As she shared on “The Real,” she also wanted to do whatever she could to teach him independence. Clearly, Xen was aware of that, and she was overcome with emotion sharing a story about how he’d explained it to his younger brother, Ezekiel Martin. “He was like, ‘Mommy helps us be independent, Zeke,” she recounted, fighting back tears.
Read Related Also: California to introduce traffic speed cameras —with fines —for the first time ever
Independence hasn’t been the only thing he’s developed, though. Speaking to Essence, Campbell revealed that despite being non-verbal as a child, today Xen believes he’s overcome his diagnosis.
