Parenting Severe Autism

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A single email from school can change your whole day when you’re parenting severe autism and already running on fumes. We share what it looks like when classroom behavior reports, delayed meetings, and vague “behavior team” guidance collide with the reality at home.

We start with a few real-life moments that many caregivers will recognize.
Then we get into communication and receptive language, including why English slang and sound-alike words can be especially confusing for autistic kids with speech and language challenges. I also ask listeners to weigh in on how this plays out in other languages and cultures.

From there, the tone shifts into the heavier stuff: a last-day-of-camp meltdown, plus the surprisingly effective de-escalation trick a great staff member uses to help our son regulate. 
Finally, we dig into the school timeline and the advocacy lesson at the center of it all, and what it feels like when parents are left out of behavior planning while the system “figures it out” on your child.

If you’re navigating IEP meetings, challenging behaviors, attention-seeking cycles, or caregiver burnout, listen through and take what you need.
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Email: contact.parentingsevereautism@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail
We share what it looks like when school support collides with severe autism, from the first weeks at a new high school to the moments we realize critical details are being missed. I walk through the exact language and protocols that help our son regulate and why consistency across adults is the difference between progress and meltdown. 
• remodeling and environment changes at home to reduce frustration 
• heat, low energy, shallow breathing and the suspected link between vitamin B complex and behavior or speech decline 
• the moment our son says “I’m stuck” 
• why life skills, OT, speech and socialization matter more than academics for our child 
• early high school wins like the popcorn and coffee cart job 
• working phrases that interrupt escalation
• insisting the school call dad immediately for any self-injury 
• frustrations with vague incident reporting and the lack of timely OT support 
• reflections on staffing, caregiver consistency and a child’s need to feel cared for 
Please remember you can support this podcast in many different ways. Of course, you can always buy me a coffee by clicking the little support icon on your podcast player. You’re also able to visit my storefront by following the link in my show notes. Please let me know if you have any tips, tricks, or anything like that regarding school these days, please email me at contact.parenting severe autism at gmail.com. 

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Email: contact.parentingsevereautism@gmail.com

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Vacation stress collides with severe autism routines, and can push a family to the edge. We share what happened on our Illinois getaway, then zoom out to the bigger lesson about family stress, boundaries, and the tiny moments of humor that keep us going. 

• caregiving isolation and what it feels like when support runs thin 
• why special needs travel often requires more than a simple hotel room
• what Grand Bear Resort near Starved Rock advertises versus what works 
• a sweet sighting of a nonverbal teen having real joy 
• the danger of using a child’s disability as a tool in adult conflict 
• reaching for help instead of letting pressure build 
• funny connection moments as de-escalation 

Please remember you can always support this podcast first of all by sharing to others who have not yet heard it. And you can buy me a coffee, you can check out my merch. And if you can't support financially, that's totally fine. I would even be delighted to hear from you in email. So you can send me messages at contact.parentingsevereautism at gmail.com. 

S.A.F.E.R. Lifestyles Respite GoFundMe
Please share this GoFundMe to help raise funds for building our DREAM, Outlined in Episode 57

AngelSense Device
AngelSense GPS Monitoring Device Tracker For Kids, Teens, Elderly

View My Summer Supplies Shopping Cart!
iHerb supplies some of the safest summer products for sunscreen, bug screen, and stress management!

Fingerprint Entry Door Handle
Biometric Fingerprint Entry Interior Door Handle

NO MORE HANGERS!
Hanging soft box closet organizer

SAVE 5% LIFEPRO FITNESS PRODUCTS
We love our Waver Vibration Plate and BioHeal Plus Red Light Panel! Calming. Healing. YES.

Therapressure Brush 6 Pack Latex Free
Special Supplies Sensory Brush for Occupational and Sensory Brushing 6 Pack Latex Free StimulateCalm

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Select a Size TV Screen Impact Protector
Heavy Duty. Extensively tested; will deflect any thrown remote control or a toy.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1989825/supporters/newhttps://psa.buzzsprout.com

Get Podcast Merch at the following link:   https://psapodcast.creator-spring.com/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Parenting-Severe-Autism-podcast/100083292374893/

Email: contact.parentingsevereautism@gmail.com

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We go back through the emails from our son’s first year in a new high school and relive how quickly “support” turned into constant crises. Then I share the most surprising update I have had in years!

• school fees shock and using McKinney-Vento homeless status while doubled up 
• early attempts at communication through typing and why it feels complicated 
• IEP meeting overload and what caregiver burnout looks like in real time 
• why regular school is not built for many severe autism needs 
• adult autism communication breakthrough 
• small functional wins

please share your stories with me and check me out on my live streams. Leave me hearts and comments and stuff, and let's see how that goes. 

S.A.F.E.R. Lifestyles Respite GoFundMe
Please share this GoFundMe to help raise funds for building our DREAM, Outlined in Episode 57

AngelSense Device
AngelSense GPS Monitoring Device Tracker For Kids, Teens, Elderly

View My Summer Supplies Shopping Cart!
iHerb supplies some of the safest summer products for sunscreen, bug screen, and stress management!

SAVE 5% LIFEPRO FITNESS PRODUCTS
We love our Waver Vibration Plate and BioHeal Plus Red Light Panel! Calming. Healing. YES.

Select a Size TV Screen Impact Protector
Heavy Duty. Extensively tested; will deflect any thrown remote control or a toy.

Therapressure Brush 6 Pack Latex Free
Special Supplies Sensory Brush for Occupational and Sensory Brushing 6 Pack Latex Free StimulateCalm

NO MORE HANGERS!
Hanging soft box closet organizer

Fingerprint Entry Door Handle
Biometric Fingerprint Entry Interior Door Handle

Magnesium Citrate Nervous System Support
NOW Foods - Magnesium Citrate Nervous System Support 400 mg. - 240 Vegetable Capsule(s) NOW Foods Ma

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1989825/supporters/newhttps://psa.buzzsprout.com

Get Podcast Merch at the following link:   https://psapodcast.creator-spring.com/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Parenting-Severe-Autism-podcast/100083292374893/

Email: contact.parentingsevereautism@gmail.com

Send us Fan Mail
A “senior year” photo comes home and hits us like grief instead of celebration, opening up everything we wish educators understood about profound autism and the gap between labels and reality. We also share what regulation looks like in our house, from sensory touch and breathing to the surprising toll of loud, nonstop noise. 
• the emotional sting of “senior” messaging for a child who will need extended services 
• hoarding and studying turning into agitation and destruction 
• frequent IEP meetings and the limits of school preparation for severe autism 
• why constant transitions can create school-day overload 
• the exhaustion of fighting for our child 
• using touch while teaching boundaries 
• massage, yoga-style slow breathing, and noticing chronic muscle tension 
• loud remodeling and what it can do to regulation and sleep 
You can always email me at contact.parenting severe autism at gmail.com. Make sure you check my summer supplies shopping cart. 

S.A.F.E.R. Lifestyles Respite GoFundMe
Please share this GoFundMe to help raise funds for building our DREAM, Outlined in Episode 57

AngelSense Device
AngelSense GPS Monitoring Device Tracker For Kids, Teens, Elderly

SAVE 5% LIFEPRO FITNESS PRODUCTS
We love our Waver Vibration Plate and BioHeal Plus Red Light Panel! Calming. Healing. YES.

NO MORE HANGERS!
Hanging soft box closet organizer

Fingerprint Entry Door Handle
Biometric Fingerprint Entry Interior Door Handle

Therapressure Brush 6 Pack Latex Free
Special Supplies Sensory Brush for Occupational and Sensory Brushing 6 Pack Latex Free StimulateCalm

Select a Size TV Screen Impact Protector
Heavy Duty. Extensively tested; will deflect any thrown remote control or a toy.

Magnesium Citrate Nervous System Support
NOW Foods - Magnesium Citrate Nervous System Support 400 mg. - 240 Vegetable Capsule(s) NOW Foods Ma

Organic Herbal Liquid Tinctures For You!
Mountain Rose Herbs supplies carefully formulated tinctures that fit in with our busy lifestyle.

View My Summer Supplies Shopping Cart!
iHerb supplies some of the safest summer products for sunscreen, bug screen, and stress management!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Support the show
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1989825/supporters/newhttps://psa.buzzsprout.com

Get Podcast Merch at the following link:   https://psapodcast.creator-spring.com/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Parenting-Severe-Autism-podcast/100083292374893/

Email: contact.parentingsevereautism@gmail.com