The Real Housewives of Orange County’s Emily Simpson just shared the sweetest update on her son, Luke Simpson.
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The 10-year-old twin is about to embark on a new adventure as he starts what Emily said was “a new school,” in a Sept. 9 Instagram Story complete with a red-heart emoji. Mom and son smiled widely in front of the learning center, with the boy looking sharp with a black backpack and red Nike shoes.
Standing on the other side of a welcome sign, the proud mom looked athletic in a pair of black leggings and a sporty white crop top — gear she wore at a gym workout posted later.
The update comes as Emily and her husband Shane Simpson continue to open up about Luke’s struggles on RHOC Season 19.
She shared an update on how her son’s doing today in a July 17 visit to Bravo HQ, noting that some of the “stress had been eliminated” in light of school being out for the summer. But with school back in session? “Now the real issue is, once he goes back to school, or I go back to filming, can we still navigate it? Is he still going to get better? Are we going to go back, and is he going to regress? That’s what worries me.”
Related: Emily Simpson Opens Up to a Producer About Her Son Luke’s Health: “Constantly Have That Guilt”
Emily Simpson shares details about son Luke’s health issues
What was first assumed to be “picky” eating became Luke “not eating at all.” As she told Shane on the season premiere, “We have to be more accommodating and lenient when it comes to him because he doesn’t process the idea of eating like we do. But the problem with him not eating anything is that I know he gets low energy. … It affects his mood, but then he doesn’t make that connection that it affects his mood.”
In addition to Luke’s eating habits, the concerned mom said Luke was also “susceptible to smells.” When investigating the matter further with the help of a therapist, Emily discovered autism could be what accounted for Luke’s seeming lack of interest in food. “Intense” testing by a specialist, she said, could confirm or deny.
“The therapist told me that the eating disorder is very common with the autism … and basically, what we learn from that is where he lies [on the spectrum],” Emily added.
How Emily and Shane Simpson have responded to son’s health struggles
The married couple has taken different approaches on how best to respond to Luke’s needs. On one hand, Emily explained, she was “more of the nurturing parent” while Shane “isn’t as warm and fuzzy,” instead, “more of the pragmatic kind of dad.”
Related: Emily & Shane Simpson Reveal Their Next Home Renovation Project: “This Is Going to Be Huge” (EXCLUSIVE)
During an emotional conversation about their son on Season 19, Episode 7, Shane asked, “Why do you get frustrated? It is what it is. There’s nothing we can do about it. We just work around it.” After Emily said that Luke was “probably autistic” and “doesn’t think and function like other children do,” Shane stood firmly in his view.
“I could still smile and still help him and still be positive. Which do you want me to do? … As if you care and I don’t care,” he continued. “You make it stressful for yourself. You make it more difficult for yourself.”
Despite differing parenting styles, Emily and Shane remain a united front. Learn more about what Emily just said about the couple’s podcast, Legally Brunette.
