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This episode is presented by Mightier. Caroline Warnes had no idea until her 40s. When her son went through his autism and ADHD diagnosis, a few bells started ringing for her too, and the two of them ended up with what she calls the twinsy diagnoses, at the same time, both of them. Now it's just the two of them in Sydney, Australia, a tiny little family that runs on structure and routine. In this Seen and Heard conversation, Caroline talks about growing up when girls didn't get diagnosed, why crowds and jam-packed weekends don't work for either of them, and the phase when she kept moving states every time the novelty wore off. She talks about finally feeling settled back in Sydney, and about a son with a little engineer's brain being raised by a mom who's a writer. Then there's the part aimed at the rest of us. Caroline talks about the stigma she still bumps up against, the people who think autism only looks one way, and the workplaces that pay lip service to flexibility. She once had to choose between picking her son up from school and having a job. And for anyone comparing levels, she has a gentle answer. At the end of the day, it's not a competition. SPONSOR This episode is presented by Mightier. Mightier is a biofeedback video game program developed and tested at Boston Children's Hospital. Your kid wears a heart rate monitor and plays games that get harder when they get dysregulated and easier when they calm down, so they practice regulation in their own body at a moment when they can feel it working. Visit https://www.mightier.com and use code theautismdad22 for 10% off. Rob's book, So Your Child Was Just Diagnosed with Autism, comes out December 29, 2026. Preorder at https://theautismdad.com/book/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=book-preorder&utm_content=text-post Everything else Rob does lives at https://theautismdad.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep-s9e20-caroline-warnes&utm_content=text-post

Stephanie Kerns was a teacher before she was an autism mom, and the only autism she had seen up close was in boys. So when her daughter started putting sponges in her mouth and echoing every question back in the exact tone it was asked, the first read was a speech delay. Her daughter is 14 now, verbal, and diagnosed Level 1, the level everybody hears as easy. Stephanie talks about the hour-long meltdowns before school, the routine that starts at five every morning, and three straight weeks of spirit week that took nightly planning to survive. She talks about the stutter that showed up out of nowhere at 13, and the win when it stopped. And she talks about a creative, funny kid who writes songs with her dad, acts in the school drama program, and does accents her mom can't. Then there is the part aimed at the rest of us. To the outside world, Stephanie says, autism families can feel like a secret society. Nobody sees the therapy, the paraprofessional, the hunt for friends, the phasing in and phasing out. Inside the community, her message is about finding your people, and what happens to the parents who never do. And if anyone tells you their kid doesn't look autistic, she has an answer for that. Hang out with her for a day. Level one does not mean easy. It never has. CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to Seen and Heard 00:25 Meet Stephanie, a teacher before she was an autism mom 01:44 Sponges, echolalia, and hour-long meltdowns 02:53 The IEP at three, and the level that came years later 04:14 Five a.m., routine, and three weeks of spirit week 06:03 Rob on uniforms, and why level one does not mean easy 07:27 The win: a stutter at 13, and phasing out of speech 08:55 Who she is: creative, a writer, a memorizer, an actor 10:03 She doesn't look autistic. Hang out with her for a day 10:57 Rob on his oldest son's regression 12:15 What she wishes the outside world understood 13:41 Does the world see and hear her family 14:29 Finding your people 16:04 Both sides of the IEP table 16:38 Rob on 30 pairs of shoes, and staying curious 19:30 The book, and where to find everything SPONSOR #ad This episode is presented by Mightier. Thanks to Mightier for presenting this episode. Mightier is a biofeedback video game program developed and tested at Boston Children's Hospital. Your kid wears a heart rate monitor and plays games that get harder when they get dysregulated and easier when they calm down. So instead of being told to take a deep breath in the middle of a meltdown, they practice regulation in their own body, at a moment when they can actually feel it working. It is one of the very few things I have stood behind for years, because it helped my own kids connect the dots when nothing else did. Visit https://www.mightier.com and use code theautismdad22 for 10% off. ABOUT SEEN AND HEARD Seen and Heard is a short series from The Autism Dad Podcast. Real families get about fifteen minutes to describe their actual lives, in their own words, without anyone smoothing it out for them. MY BOOK So Your Child Was Just Diagnosed with Autism: Real Talk, Support, and Next Steps from a Dad Who's Been There is out December 29, 2026 from Fair Winds Press. If your child has just been diagnosed with autism, this is your compassionate first step guide from someone who has lived it. Preorder: https://theautismdad.com/book/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=book-preorder&utm_content=text-post MORE FROM ME Everything I do lives here: https://theautismdad.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ep-s9e19-stephanie-kerns&utm_content=text-post Listen to the podcast on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your shows. QUESTIONS FOR YOU What do people get wrong about your kid because of how they look? If your child is diagnosed Level 1, what is the part nobody outside your house sees? When did you finally find your people, and what took so long?

This episode is presented by Mightier. In 1988, Jaime and Tracy Parent were stationed in England when their son Bryan was diagnosed with autism. There was nothing out there. No resources, no roadmap, no Rain Man yet. What they found instead was other families, and Jaime says that has been their best resource ever since. Jaime is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel with twenty years of service, and a family that moved every three years. Every move meant starting over. New doctors, new teachers, new school district, and a lot of guesswork about which house to buy so they landed in the county with the services Bryan needed. In this Seen and Heard conversation, he talks about the day clinicians at a UCLA residency program asked what their goals for Bryan were. A job, drive a car, balance a checkbook. He says the looks on their faces were pure pity. You poor delusional people. Bryan is an adult now. He works at Publix, he lives at home, and he competes in Special Olympics bowling, soccer, and basketball. He also tells the wrestling story. Bryan made the team at Oakland Mills High School in Maryland with no shortcuts, wrestled heavyweight, won matches, and went to regionals, states, and nationals. The first time Jaime watched him wrestle, Bryan got pinned in about thirty seconds. His dad calls it one of the biggest wins of their lives. Then there is the part aimed at the rest of us. Jaime's advice to other autism families is four words: don't become a wallflower. His message about bureaucracy is that there are big boulders everywhere, but get past them and you will find angels. And his message to military families is one you need before you separate. Autism does not end with your military service. Jaime B. Parent and Elizabeth Tracy Parent are the authors of The Mission at Home: Navigating Military Assignments, TRICARE, Education, Benefits, and Everyday Life with Your Child on the Autism Spectrum. Available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. SPONSOR This episode is presented by Mightier. Mightier is a biofeedback video game program developed and tested at Boston Children's Hospital. Your kid wears a heart rate monitor and plays games that get harder when they get dysregulated and easier when they calm down, so they practice regulation in their own body at a moment when they can feel it working. Visit mightier.com and use code theautismdad22 for 10% off. Rob's book, So Your Child Was Just Diagnosed with Autism, comes out December 29, 2026. Preorder at theautismdad.com/book.

This episode is sponsored by PESI. Nicole Carbone's son Luca is almost four, nonspeaking, and diagnosed with Level 2 autism. When he can't tell her what he needs, he bangs his head on whatever is closest. His pain tolerance is high enough that the thing strangers always say, that he'll stop before he really hurts himself, is just not true. In this Seen and Heard conversation, Nicole talks about the communication barrier underneath the self injury, the AAC device she hopes will ease it, and what it was like to separate her twins into different preschools so Luca could get what he needed. She also talks about the best 40 seconds of her life so far, the day he looked right at her and said "hi mommy" for the first time, and she got it on video. Then there's the part aimed at the rest of us. A stranger at the park watched Luca hum and asked her if he ever shuts that motor off. And inside the autism community, Nicole says the hardest thing about a Level 2 diagnosis is not the diagnosis. It's the comparing. Her advice is blunt and it applies to every level: don't compare your kid to any other kid. Nicole is the founder and president of The NEST Project, a nonprofit serving families in Pennsylvania and Ohio that buys what insurance won't cover for kids with special needs. Find them at nestcares.org. SPONSORThis episode is sponsored by PESI. Their 2026 Kids and Teens Autism Symposium runs November 18 and 19, online, and it is neuro-affirming the whole way through. There is a full session on demand avoidance, for every kid who got called defiant when it was really their nervous system, and another on kids who mask so well they get treated for anxiety instead of what is actually going on. Two hundred dollars for both days, up to 18 CE hours, and a 30 day replay if you cannot be there live. Built for clinicians, and parents can register too. pesi.com/theautismdad Rob's book, So Your Child Was Just Diagnosed with Autism, comes out December 29, 2026. Preorder at theautismdad.com/book.

Melvin Lopez is autistic. So is his five year old son, Mateo. And the first thing Melvin does in this conversation is take apart the assumption that those two facts give them something in common. "If you know one person with autism, you know one person with autism." That is a saying in his house. He talks about a day that starts at 4:30 in the morning because his son does not sleep. Not up and getting ready. Up and fully charged. He talks about fighting his own autism at the exact moment he is trying to parent his son's. And he gives the best description of coping skills I have heard in a long time, which is that nobody buys a good tool for the garage hoping to use it every day, because using it every day means something is always broken. Then I asked him the question this series is named after. Do you feel seen and heard? He said, "I feel like I'm tolerated." He was just as honest about the autism community as he was about everyone outside it. That is why I wanted this one out. Melvin lives in Clarksville, Tennessee, with his wife and their four children. He was diagnosed autistic as an adult, at Level 2, and has a background in the military. His son Mateo is five, is also Level 2, is in kindergarten, and is in ABA therapy. Level 2 is the designation that reads "requires substantial support." Melvin served, he works, and he is raising four kids. Both of those things are true at the same time, and that is most of what this episode is about. SPONSOR Thanks to Lovebug Probiotics for supporting this episode. Probiotics by age, from babies through adults, focused on digestive and immune support. Go to lovebug.com and use code THEAUTISMDAD20 for 20% off. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. ABOUT SEEN AND HEARD Seen and Heard is a short series from The Autism Dad Podcast. Real families get about fifteen minutes to describe their actual lives, in their own words, without anyone smoothing it out for them. MY BOOK So Your Child Was Just Diagnosed with Autism: Real Talk, Support, and Next Steps from a Dad Who's Been There is out December 29, 2026 from Fair Winds Press. If your child has just been diagnosed with autism, this is your compassionate first step guide from someone who has lived it. Preorder at theautismdad.com/book MORE FROM ME Everything I do lives at theautismdad.com. More Seen and Heard episodes at listen.theautismdad.com Melvin does not have public social accounts, so there is nothing to tag.

Dr. Theoharis Theoharides is back, and this time we got into the stuff that has been all over the news. Leucovorin. Tylenol. Benadryl. Underneath the headlines there is actual science, and Dr. Theo walks through what inflammation, mast cells, and folate really have to do with our kids. The throughline is simple. A diagnosis is a label, not a treatment plan, and there is measurable biology underneath that label that most workups never look at. Dr. Theo holds five degrees from Yale, spent 37 years at Tufts, has published more than 500 peer reviewed papers, and was the first researcher to connect mast cells to autism. He now runs the Center of Excellence for Neuroinflammation Research in Florida. In this episode: - What a mast cell actually is, and why the ones in the brain matter- Propionic acid, and why it is sitting in most kids' cereal- The four things he wants every autism workup to cover- The folate test most kids never get, and why normal bloodwork can still be wrong- A 30-second test you can run at your kitchen table tonight- Why constipation changes behavior more than almost anything he has seen- What to do when your pediatrician refuses to order a test- How to tell a real supplement from an expensive one- Twenty years of autism fads, and why stem cells do not work- When to stop something that is not working His most honest moment: "I hate the term therapeutic because I don't know what I'm treating." His best one: "The brain is working. The fact that they don't speak doesn't mean anything." RESOURCESFRAT, the Folate Receptor Autoantibody Test. Must be ordered by a physician.MTHFR gene analysis.RBC folate and RBC B12, to see what is getting inside the cells.Flat abdominal X-ray, when behavior spikes and nobody can explain it. FIND DR. THEOdrtheoharides.com, which has an intake form.Instagram: @drtheoharidesHe sees patients in Fort Lauderdale the third week of each month, adolescents and adults only. FIND ROBtheautismdad.comThe book, So Your Child Was Just Diagnosed with Autism, is out December 29. Preorder at theautismdad.com/book/ DISCLAIMERDr. Theoharides is a physician and PhD pharmacologist with five degrees from Yale and more than 500 peer reviewed publications. This conversation is education, not personalized medical advice. He names specific tests, supplements, medications, and doses, and he gives them as clinical context. The right number for any individual child depends on age, weight, and labs. Do not start, stop, or change anything based on a podcast. Talk to your child's doctor.

Deena Nathan's five year old son Hayden is autistic and non-speaking, and he's fluent on his AAC device. In this episode she walks through a day that starts with therapy at 8am, the win she's still not over, and the one thing she wants people to understand about a kid who doesn't talk. She's also honest about something most people won't say out loud. She has real support, good family, friends who get it, and it's still lonely. Both of those things are true at once, and that might be the most useful thing in this conversation. What you'll hear 00:00 Welcome 00:43 Meet Deena, Hayden, and the family 01:43 A day built around therapy, and being the chauffeur 04:42 The hardest part is time, and the guilt that comes with it 06:16 The win, the day he called out for Mom 08:02 Who Hayden is, hyperlexic, happy, and fluent on his AAC device 10:28 What she wishes people outside the community understood 12:00 Supported and still lonely 13:22 What she wishes autism families understood, no one's future is predicted 14:57 Feeling seen and heard inside the community 15:58 Why families at different levels end up disconnected 17:48 Deena's coaching work with special needs parents 18:21 Why Rob started sharing in the first place 21:33 Closing About the guest Deena Fierstein Nathan is a Certified Life Coach at DFN Connected Growth Coaching, where she works with parents of kids with unique needs. She lives in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago with her husband Kevin and their two kids. She stopped working when Hayden was diagnosed and went all in, including taking classes with his AAC device company so she could use it with him. Website: dfnconnectedgrowth.com Instagram: @connectedgrowthwithdeena Sponsors This episode is sponsored. Mightier is a biofeedback emotional regulation program for kids developed at Boston Children's Hospital. Use code theautismdad22 for 10% off at theautismdad.com/mightier-review. Best Part Kids is a sensory-friendly multivitamin for selective eaters created by dietitian Brittyn Coleman. Use code THEAUTISMDAD for 10% off at BestPartKids.com. About your host Rob Gorski is the founder of The Autism Dad. His book, So Your Child Was Just Diagnosed with Autism, is out December 29 2026. theautismdad.com/book

Erin Lamb has been a speech language pathologist for 26 years. She runs a Baltimore nonprofit with its own school for autistic kids. She has a Ph.D. She still missed her own daughter's autism. Why does autism get missed in girls? Most of the foundational autism research was done on boys. As Erin puts it, everything she knew about autism she learned from boys in the 90s, because that's what the research was done on. That research shaped the training, and the training shaped what people picture when they hear the word autism. Girls who talk early, who mask well, or whose struggles get read as anxiety often reach their teens before anyone says it out loud. This is a Seen and Heard episode, so Erin gets the floor. She walks Rob through what a day actually looks like in a house with a kid in autistic burnout, with a PDA profile and ARFID, where separation anxiety is the most clinically significant thing in the room. She's honest about what it costs her. "People are like, what are you doing this weekend? And my answer is always caregiving. Because I do not know. I cannot plan." Then she tells us what changed. She calls it outsourcing the panic. If the school professional isn't panicking, why is she? She handed the worry to the people whose job it is to worry, and her daughter started coming back to her within weeks. She also gives the best description of an autistic kid this show has had. In the wrong environment it's like parenting all the kids from Willy Wonka at once. In the right one, with the right accommodations and supports, her kid is Charlie. WHAT YOU'LL HEAR Why a speech language pathologist with 26 years of practice missed autism in her own daughter What a day really looks like with a kid in autistic burnout, a PDA profile, and ARFID What outsourcing the panic means, and how she started doing it Who her daughter actually is: the Lorax, Willy Wonka, and Charlie What she wishes the outside world, and the autism community, understood TERMS FROM THIS EPISODE Autism in girls: autism is underdiagnosed in girls largely because the foundational research was conducted on boys, so the diagnostic picture most clinicians trained on describes boys. Girls who mask well or present as anxious are routinely missed. PDA, pathological demand avoidance: a profile in which an autistic person's nervous system treats demands as threats, even small or pleasant ones. Approaches that add pressure usually make it worse. ARFID, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder: more than picky eating. A child avoids whole categories of food by texture, smell, or fear, to the point that nutrition and growth are affected. Autistic burnout: exhaustion and loss of previously held skills following a long stretch of masking, sensory overload, and unmet needs. Recovery takes fewer demands and real rest, not more pushing. Outsourcing the panic: Erin's strategy of handing specific worries to the professionals whose job it is to hold them, instead of carrying every worry herself. ABOUT ERIN LAMB Erin Lamb is the President and CEO of Gateway Maryland, the Baltimore nonprofit formerly known as HASA, which has served Maryland families for nearly 100 years. She's a licensed speech language pathologist, holds a Ph.D. in public policy, and is the mom of two neurodivergent teenage daughters. SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by Mightier, a biofeedback emotional-regulation gaming program for kids, developed and tested at Boston Children's Hospital. Kids wear a heart-rate monitor and play games that get harder when they get dysregulated and easier as they calm down, so they practice regulating themselves in the moment. Read Rob's full review at theautismdad.com/mightier-review and use code theautismdad22 for 10% off. #ad RESOURCES Gateway Maryland: gatewaymaryland.org Rob's full Mightier review: theautismdad.com/mightier-review More Seen and Heard episodes: listen.theautismdad.com Find Rob at theautismdad.com, and on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at The Autism Dad.

“Most people don’t even tag her with autism, because she’s smart, she’s so articulate.” Lauren Murray Lauren Murray is a New Jersey mom of two, and her daughters are almost twenty years apart. Her oldest is about to turn 21, a UCF graduate thriving in Florida. Her youngest is four, level two autistic, with sensory processing disorder and a short list of safe foods. She is also, in Lauren’s words, doing fantastic. In this Seen and Heard episode, Lauren gives Rob an honest look at a day that starts at six in the morning and does not end until nine at night. Her husband works long days, so most of the week she is her daughter’s sole care provider. Lauren is a former teacher who kept a tight schedule at home, and school does it even better, down to the minute, and her daughter loves it. Then there is the part so many parents will feel in their chest. Lauren’s daughter is bright and verbal, she speaks better than most of her peers, and that is exactly why people do not believe she is autistic. At the park, one mom packs up her kids and leaves every time she sees them coming, because Lauren’s daughter does not understand personal space and just wants to play. In public, a meltdown gets read as a bratty toddler, when the truth is they have done everything from A to Z to get ahead of it. And the win. Flying home from a day trip to visit her oldest in Florida, their flight got canceled. They spent the night in the airport, then got emergency landed at an airport none of them had ever seen. Her four-year-old took the whole thing in stride, iPad, comfort snacks, a blanket Lauren packed just in case, a bench, and a kid who just went with the flow. Lauren also names something a lot of families hit. In New Jersey, the services show up the moment you are diagnosed, but if you do not use them inside six months, they close your file. Not because you will never need help, just because you did not need it that week. What you’ll hear: “She took it better than I did.” Lauren Murray This episode is sponsored by Mightier, a biofeedback emotional-regulation gaming program for kids, developed and tested at Boston Children’s Hospital. Kids play games that get harder when they get dysregulated and easier as they calm down, so they practice regulating themselves in the moment. Read Rob’s full review at theautismdad.com/mightier-review and use code theautismdad22 for 10% off. #ad About Rob: Rob Gorski is the founder of The Autism Dad, a blog and podcast dedicated to supporting parents raising kids on the autism spectrum. As a dad of three autistic sons with over 25 years of experience, Rob brings lived experience, honesty, and heart to every conversation. Rob’s book, So Your Child Was Just Diagnosed with Autism, lands December 29, 2026 from Fair Winds Press. Updates and preorder: theautismdad.com/book Where to find Rob: You can find me at theautismdad.com, on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at The Autism Dad, and on YouTube at The Autism Dad. New episodes drop every week at listen.theautismdad.com.

"Accommodating these children is like giving them a lifeline, and these children are worthy of it." Christine Bauereis didn't find out she was autistic and ADHD until her 30s. The clarity came the way it does for so many parents, after her own kids were diagnosed. She looked at her son's reports, then at her own childhood, and the whole picture finally made sense. Christine is a mom of three in central Massachusetts, part of a blended family. Her 14-year-old, her 10-year-old son Archer, who has ADHD, and her youngest, River, who is six and autistic. River is level two, verbal with moderate support needs, and as she puts it, just wonderful. In this Seen and Heard episode, Christine gives Rob an honest look at what their days hold. The mornings that used to be a battle, before a new psychiatrist, an ADHD diagnosis, and medication that she calls life-changing turned school refusal into a kid who pops up asking if he has school today. The afternoons that get hard, because River masks all day and lets it all out when he's finally home and safe. And a win that will stay with you, a three-hour food drive she and River did together for families in Worcester, the first full day they ever got through without a single meltdown. But the heart of this one is Christine's voice as an advocate. When her district's entire SEPAC resigned because the district wouldn't collaborate, she didn't go quiet. She stood up at a town meeting and said the thing every parent in that room needed to hear. Special education isn't a choice. It is a right. What you'll hear: Finding out she's autistic and ADHD in her 30s, after her kids How ADHD medication turned school refusal into excitement Why masking all day leads to afternoon meltdowns at home The Worcester food drive that became their first meltdown-free day When the whole SEPAC resigned, and what she did next Why she begs parents to listen to autistic adults "No matter what level it is, it's still hard. Everyone's hard is hard." Christine Bauereis This episode is sponsored by Time To Evaluate. If you've tried to get your child, or yourself, evaluated for autism or ADHD, you know the wait can be months, even years. Time To Evaluate does it with live telehealth, often within two weeks, from home. A self-paced intake in your own words, one licensed psychologist start to finish, and a formal report you can use at school. One flat fee, no waiting room. Better outcomes, without the wait. Visit timetoevaluate.com. #ad About Rob: Rob Gorski is the founder of The Autism Dad, a blog and podcast dedicated to supporting parents raising kids on the autism spectrum. As a dad of three autistic sons with over 25 years of experience, Rob brings lived experience, honesty, and heart to every conversation. My NEW book, So Your Child Was Just Diagnosed with Autism, lands December 29, 2026 from Fair Winds Press. Updates and preorder: theautismdad.com/book Where to find Rob: You can find me at theautismdad.com, on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at The Autism Dad, and on YouTube at The Autism Dad. New episodes drop every week at listen.theautismdad.com.

"Stop comparing the hard. Start validating the hard." That one line from Heidi Price might be the whole episode. Heidi spent years in the autism community before she was a mom. She worked as a recreational therapist, and she married into a family that knows autism well, with two brothers-in-law on the spectrum and two nephews too. She thought she understood it. Then she had her own kids, and she learned how much the level one experience can humble even someone who works in the field. Heidi and her husband live in North Carolina with their three kids. Two of the three are autistic, and both are level one. Her six-year-old son has autism, ADHD, and a PDA, or pathological demand avoidance, profile. Her five-year-old daughter was diagnosed at three and spent about a year and a half in ABA therapy. Her youngest, who is three, has severe food allergies. As Heidi puts it, it's a fun place at her house. In this Seen and Heard episode, Heidi gives Rob a real, unscripted look at what their days actually hold. The morning rules you can't break. The clothing battles when the seasons change. The way her son and daughter can need the exact opposite things at the exact same time. And one recent win that will stick with you, where a couple of soda cans, a pair of new shoes, and three days of patience turned a meltdown into a victory lap. But the heart of this one is Heidi's message about comparison. Every level of autism is hard. The level threes and the level ones. The non-verbal days and the principal-calling days. They can coexist, and one does not have to threaten the other. She's honest about the services gap too, about how her daughter could not get an IEP because she wasn't considered bad enough, even while she was still struggling. What you'll hear: Why working in autism for years still didn't prepare her for level one PDA, control, and why you can't just wake her kids up The soda-can trick that got her son into new shoes How autism showed up differently in her son than her daughter Why level one kids can fall through the cracks for services "Stop comparing the hard. Start validating the hard." "Everyone's hard is hard. We need to stop comparing the hard. We need to start validating the hard." Heidi Price This episode is presented by Best Part Kids, a sensory-friendly multivitamin for selective eaters created by dietitian Brittyn Coleman. Use code THEAUTISMDAD for 10% off at BestPartKids.com. #ad About Rob: Rob Gorski is the founder of The Autism Dad, a blog and podcast dedicated to supporting parents raising kids on the autism spectrum. As a dad of three autistic sons with over 25 years of experience, Rob brings lived experience, honesty, and heart to every conversation. Rob's book, So Your Child Was Just Diagnosed with Autism, lands December 29, 2026 from Fair Winds Press. Updates and preorder: theautismdad.com/book Where to find Rob: You can find me at theautismdad.com, on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at The Autism Dad, and on YouTube at The Autism Dad. New episodes drop every week at listen.theautismdad.com. Where to find Heidi: You can find Heidi on Instagram at @triple.a_mom, on Facebook at Triple A Mom, and on my website at www.tripleamom.net. I actually started a business to help families like ours with visual resources that actually work.

Mariam Shapera is a family doctor. In medical school, she got one lecture on autism, and it was clinical and deficit-focused. Then she became an autism mom, and everything she thought she knew got rewritten by her own son. In this Seen and Heard episode, Mariam sits down with Rob to talk about raising her nine-year-old son, who is minimally speaking and autistic, alongside his neurotypical older sister and younger brother. She and her husband, also a physician, started noticing differences before his first birthday. He was diagnosed at three. They began ABA and speech therapy even earlier, at two and a half. Mariam brings a rare double perspective — doctor and parent — and she is direct about what the medical world gets wrong. Clinicians need to trust parents. A child cannot learn while dysregulated, so connection and regulation have to come first. And families have to actually click with their therapists for any of it to work. What you'll hear: - The early signs she and her husband noticed before age one - Why the developmental assessment felt like a list of everything he couldn't do - The diagnosis day, and the psychiatrist who delivered it with hope instead of fear - Why he was given "moderate autism" and no level, and why that adds confusion - Life built around routine and predictability, and how she preps him for change - A recent win: his speech opening up, starting conversations, sharing wants and likes - His strengths: perfect pitch, a love of nonfiction, and teaching himself to read - Her message to other doctors, and to other autism parents "You really have to trust the parents. The parents know what they think." — Mariam Shapera ABOUT THE GUEST Mariam Shapera is a family doctor and autism mom. She and her husband, also a physician, have three children: a nine-year-old son who is minimally speaking and autistic, an older neurotypical daughter, and a younger son. They began ABA and speech therapy when he was two and a half, and he was formally diagnosed at three. Mariam advocates for a more compassionate, parent-centered approach in clinical settings. ABOUT YOUR HOST Rob Gorski is the founder of The Autism Dad, a blog and podcast dedicated to supporting parents raising kids on the autism spectrum. As a dad of three autistic sons with over 25 years of experience, Rob brings lived experience, honesty, and heart to every conversation. Rob's book, So Your Child Was Just Diagnosed with Autism, lands December 29, 2026 from Fair Winds Press. Updates and preorder: theautismdad.com/book SPONSOR Best Part Kids — a sensory-friendly multivitamin for selective eaters, created by dietitian Brittyn Coleman. Use code THEAUTISMDAD for 10% off at https://BestPartKids.com. Mightier — a clinically proven app that helps kids build emotional regulation skills through biofeedback-based video games. Visit https://mightier.com and use code theautismdad22 for 10% off. RESOURCES MENTIONED More Seen and Heard episodes: listen.theautismdad.com Preorder Rob's book: theautismdad.com/book If you found this episode helpful, please follow The Autism Dad Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Visit listen.theautismdad.com for past episodes, resources, and ways to support the show. You can find Rob at theautismdad.com, on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at The Autism Dad, and on YouTube at The Autism Dad. New episodes drop every week at listen.theautismdad.com.

Justin Bowman had a dream his son would be autistic before the boy was born. Years later, after his son Sawyer was diagnosed with level 1 autism, Justin did what a lot of dads only wish they could do. He built something to help. Justin is back for a deeper dive than his Seen and Heard episode earlier this season. He's the founder and CEO of VizyPlan, a visual routine and planning app he built for Sawyer and then opened to the whole neurodivergent community. Rob and Justin go deep on the dad-as-fixer instinct, what actually comes after an autism diagnosis, and why you can't fix autism but you can support your kid. What you'll hear: - The dream Justin had before Sawyer was born - Why waiting on evaluation results feels like waiting on the SATs - The fixer instinct dads struggle with, and a healthier reframe - The grocery-store meltdowns that inspired VizyPlan - The moment Sawyer saw himself as the hero character and it clicked - How VizyPlan handles IEP transcription, social stories, visual schedules, and advocacy - Why one app beats juggling six - Privacy: VizyPlan does not train its models on your child's data "I would have paid any amount of money to help him. Any amount of money." Justin Bowman Try VizyPlan: 30-day free trial with code theautismdad at vizyplan.com/app. Just $9.99 a month for your whole family. About Justin: Justin Bowman is the founder and CEO of VizyPlan and Associate Director of Product Management at Chewy. Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he's a varsity hockey coach and autism dad. He and his wife Danielle, a speech-language pathologist, have two kids: Sawyer, turning six and diagnosed level 1 autism, and Peyton, four. Sponsors this week: This episode is presented by Best Part Kids, a sensory-friendly multivitamin for selective eaters created by dietitian Brittyn Coleman. Use code THEAUTISMDAD for 10% off at BestPartKids.com. Mightier emotional-regulation games (code theautismdad22, mightier.com) About Rob: Rob Gorski is the founder of The Autism Dad, a blog and podcast dedicated to supporting parents raising kids on the autism spectrum. As a dad of three autistic sons with over 25 years of experience, Rob brings lived experience, honesty, and heart to every conversation. My book, So Your Child Was Just Diagnosed with Autism is out on Dec. 29, 2026. Updates and preorder: theautismdad.com/book You can find me at theautismdad.com, on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at The Autism Dad, and on YouTube at The Autism Dad. New episodes drop every week at listen.theautismdad.com.

Liz Covington's son Bennett was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD at age four. The autism diagnosis didn't come until he was ten. Now he's 18, in college, and just spent two hours shoveling the driveway in a snowstorm without being asked twice. That's the kind of win that doesn't make the highlight reels but means everything to families like hers. In this Seen and Heard episode, Rob sits down with Liz, a Utah mom of four, for a 15-minute glimpse into what level 1 autism parenting can actually look like. They cover late diagnosis, the daughter who has friends at school but can't handle anything else after, and why some autism families feel like they don't belong inside their own community. What you'll hear in this episode: Why ADHD and ODD diagnoses came years before autism for Bennett What the win looks like at 18: independence, problem-solving, and no resistance The ten-year-old daughter who masks at school and crashes at home Why "high functioning" families can feel invisible inside the autism community The school principal who misread Bennett's nervous laugh as disrespect The phrase Liz heard too many times: "autistic kids don't do that" Why every kid wants to be connected, appreciated, and seen "Every kid is good. They all want to be connected. They all want to be appreciated. And they're all trying their best." — Liz Covington ABOUT THE GUEST Liz Covington is a mom of four based in Utah. Her oldest son Bennett, 18, was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD at age four and with autism at age ten. He is now in college. Liz's ten-year-old daughter is believed to be on the spectrum and is awaiting formal evaluation. Liz advocates for autism families whose kids' challenges aren't visible on the surface. ABOUT YOUR HOST Rob Gorski is the founder of The Autism Dad, a blog and podcast dedicated to supporting parents raising kids on the autism spectrum. As a dad of three autistic sons with over 25 years of experience, Rob brings lived experience, honesty, and heart to every conversation. Rob's first book lands early 2027 from Quarto. Updates and preorder: theautismdad.com/book THIS EPISODE IS PRESENTED BY ALGONOT This episode is presented by Algonot. Algonot makes science-backed supplements developed by Dr. Theoharis Theoharides, a Yale-trained researcher who has spent decades studying neuroinflammation, mast cells, and the brain. Every product is third-party tested for purity and free of common irritants. Visit algonot.com and use code ROB5 to save on your order. RESOURCES MENTIONED More Seen and Heard episodes: listen.theautismdad.com Algonot supplements (use code ROB5): algonot.com Preorder Rob's book: theautismdad.com/book If you found this episode helpful, please follow The Autism Dad Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Visit listen.theautismdad.com for past episodes, resources, and ways to support the show. You can find Rob at theautismdad.com, on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at The Autism Dad, and on YouTube at The Autism Dad. New episodes drop every week at listen.theautismdad.com.

She got kicked out of five indoor playgrounds with her autistic son. Then she built her own. Today, We Rock the Spectrum has over 200 sensory-friendly, inclusive gyms in eight countries, and her son Gabriel just earned an academic scholarship to Loyola Marymount University. In this episode, Rob sits down with Dina Kimmel, founder and CEO of We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym, and Christopher Reyes, autism dad and owner of the Clovis, California location, to talk about what an autism family can build when the world tells them no. What you'll hear: • How one mom turned daily occupational therapy at home into a global sensory gym franchise • Why Gabriel's scholarship proves a diagnosis is a baseline, not a prophecy • Inside the gym: zip lines, crash pits, sensory tunnels, trampolines, and 12 pieces of OT equipment • The "play with a purpose" philosophy behind every piece of equipment • Christopher's path from nurse to owner of Central Valley's only sensory gym • Parents Night Out drop-off addressing California's childcare shortage • Big news: We Rock the Spectrum is now Medicaid waiver and Medi-Cal approved • The My Brother Rocks the Spectrum Foundation grants for open play and respite "This was all inspired from these two children that I have. I had no idea the need. I had no idea there were so many of us." — Dina Kimmel About Dina: Dina Kimmel is the CEO and founder of We Rock the Spectrum Kids Gym, a sensory friendly inclusive franchise with over 200 locations in eight countries. An autism mom first, Dina launched the first location in 2009 after seeing her son Gabriel thrive on OT equipment. About Christopher: Christopher Reyes is an autism dad and owner of We Rock the Spectrum Clovis. He's father to Jacob, six, level two, and Roxanne, four, level one. He opened his location to serve the Central Valley community. Resources: Find a location: https://wrtsfranchise.com/locations Clovis: https://werockthespectrumclovis.com This episode is brought to you by Mightier, a clinically proven app that helps kids build emotional regulation skills through biofeedback-based video games. Visit mightier.com and use code theautismdad22 for 10% off. Also brought to you by VizyPlan. Built by a dad who gets it, VizyPlan uses AI to create visual routines with photos of your actual child. Visit vizyplan.com/app and use code theautismdad for your first month free. About Rob: Rob Gorski is the founder of The Autism Dad, a blog and podcast dedicated to supporting parents raising kids on the autism spectrum. As a dad of three autistic sons with over 25 years of experience, Rob brings lived experience, honesty, and heart to every conversation. Rob's first book lands early 2027 from Quarto. Updates and preorder: theautismdad.com/book You can find me at theautismdad.com, on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at The Autism Dad, and on YouTube at The Autism Dad. New episodes drop every week at listen.theautismdad.com.