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A calm morning routine gets shattered, and I share what I hear in my son’s real tears when he tries to connect and gets pushed into overload. I also talk through the “aftershock” effect on sensory triggers and end with a few lighter updates that still teach big lessons about supporting an autistic adult with dignity.

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If you have found a good product, please email me at contact.parentingsevereautism at gmail.com

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We read through a run of 2019 school emails that show how fast life can spiral.

We talk guardianship, money, work stress, rejections, and the small home routines that still help our son feel safe.

• legal guardianship
• how severe autism can make steady work nearly impossible for a family
• the school’s behavior team admitting they lack capacity
• asking for copies of staff and specialist videos to understand decisions
• outside placement leads
• being rejected from programs and what that does to a parent’s trust
• touring a facility and confronting the reality of adult services
• school-day accommodations around routine, lunchroom size, snack timing, soaps, and toothpaste
• heavy metal detox attempts
• therapy tradeoffs

Please remember, you can help me keep this podcast free for those who need it simply by donating to the Buy Me a Coffee program.
You can always contact me at contact.parentingsevereautism at gmail.com.
Hey, let me know if you have anything to share about your experience with schools as of late, whether it's good, bad, or otherwise.

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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.

Subscribe, share with another autism parent, and leave a review so more families can find this support.

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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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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.

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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.

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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.

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Email: contact.parentingsevereautism@gmail.com