Inchstones with Sarah | Autism Advocacy & Caregiver Stories

Sarah Kernion | Profound Autism Mom and Caregiver Advocate
  • 5.0 (41)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Biweekly

INCHSTONES is a podcast about caregiver stories, nonverbal autism, and the realities of special needs parenting—hosted by Sarah Kernion, a mother raising two children with profound, non-speaking autism. Here, we talk honestly about the parts of autism and disability parenting that don't always fit neatly into an inspirational story: caregiver burnout, grief and acceptance, communication, sensory needs, advocacy, family dynamics, therapies, education, sibling relationships, and the uncertainty of raising children with significant support needs. But INCHSTONES is also about learning to recognize progress differently. Because when you're parenting a child with profound or nonverbal autism, the moments that change everything aren't always traditional milestones. Sometimes they're the inchstones: a new form of communication, a regulated transition, a moment of connection, a life skill practiced for the hundredth time, or something your child does today that once felt impossible. Through candid caregiver stories and conversations with parents, physicians, therapists, researchers, educators, advocates, and autistic voices, Sarah explores the questions families are actually asking about autism, special needs parenting, profound autism care, autism communication, caregiver mental health, autism therapy options, special education, sensory support, and life beyond childhood. There are no perfect answers here. There are real families, complicated conversations, practical insights, hard truths, unexpected joy, and a community that understands that progress doesn't have to look typical to matter. If you're raising an autistic child, parenting a nonverbal or nonspeaking child, navigating profound support needs, or looking for honest conversations about special needs family life, welcome to INCHSTONES. Because milestones aren't the only measure of a meaningful life.

  1. 1d ago

    Stop Looking for Someone to Tell You What to Do: Autism Parenting with Len Arcuri

    What if one of the most powerful things you can do for your autistic child is stop waiting for someone else to have all the answers? In this episode of INCHSTONES, Sarah Kernion sits down with Len Arcuri, founder and host of the Autism Parenting Secrets podcast, for an honest conversation about special needs parenting, nonverbal autism, caregiver stories, root causes, and learning to trust what you observe in your own child. After his son was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe autism at 18 months, Len didn't want to become an autism expert. He didn't particularly want to be curious, either. He wanted what so many parents want after an autism diagnosis: someone to tell him what to do. Years later, Len sees that differently. He and Sarah explore why curiosity, humility, critical thinking, and open-mindedness can become some of the most important tools in special needs parenting. Parents don't need to know everything about autism. But they can learn to observe their child carefully, ask better questions, evaluate options thoughtfully, and become active participants in decisions about their child's health, communication, regulation, education, and support. The conversation goes deeper into root cause thinking and why Len believes parents should keep asking why. Why is communication difficult? Why is my child dysregulated? Why are certain behaviors occurring? Why isn't something working? For Len, root cause thinking isn't about finding one universal explanation for autism or one treatment that works for every child. It's about remaining curious about the individual child standing in front of you and making thoughtful decisions about where to focus limited time, energy, and resources. Sarah and Len also talk about something especially complicated for families navigating nonverbal autism, profound support needs, and special needs parenting: Can you fully accept your child as they are while still wanting more for them? Len shares candidly that he once confused acceptance with giving up. Looking back, he realized he was deeply attached to the future version of his son he hoped would emerge rather than fully accepting the child in front of him. Eventually, he discovered that the two ideas didn't have to compete. A parent can completely love and accept their child today while continuing to pursue better health, communication, regulation, connection, and quality of life. They also examine the parent's side of the equation. Caregiver stress isn't only about finding the next autism therapy or intervention. Sometimes the most important change begins with how a parent navigates uncertainty—their beliefs, nervous system, decision-making, expectations, and ability to stay grounded when they don't know what happens next. And that may be one of the greatest lessons of caregiver stories like Len's: parents don't need certainty to move forward. They need curiosity, discernment and the humility to change course when new information emerges. And they need to recognize that the years they've spent observing their child have given them knowledge that deserves a place at the table. Len Arcuri is a Private Strategic Advisor to parents navigating autism and other complex developmental challenges. After more than two decades in financial leadership as a CPA, CFO, and Six Sigma Master Black Belt, his son's autism diagnosis redirected his life's work. Drawing on nearly two decades of lived experience and more than 300 conversations with leading experts as host of the top 1% Autism Parenting Secrets podcast, Len helps parents think clearly, make better decisions, and lead with greater confidence. He believes parents are the single greatest force multiplier in a child's life. Resources Listen to Len Arcuri's Autism Parenting Secrets podcast and learn more about his individualized advisory work with autism parents. Al... Chapters (00:00:00) - Autism Parenting Secrets(00:02:03) - Open-Minded Autism Parenting(00:06:08) - How to Raise a Child With Hope(00:12:16) - Exploring the Root Cause of Autism(00:15:55) - The role of parents in autism research(00:25:35) - The All-In Parent Power Score(00:30:25) - Len Has Autism on Inchstones

    Stop Looking for Someone to Tell You What to Do: Autism Parenting with Len Arcuri

  2. 3d ago

    Who Speaks for Profound Autism? The Fight Over the Future of Autism Research with Tyler Hudson & Olivia Rojo

    Who gets represented when the government decides the future of autism research? In this episode of INCHSTONES, Sarah Kernion is joined by advocates Tyler Hudson and Olivia Rojo for an urgent conversation about profound autism, caregiver stories, special needs parenting, and the families asking federal autism research to better reflect people with the most significant support needs. At the center of the conversation is the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) and its working draft for the next federal autism strategic plan. Sarah, Tyler, and Olivia discuss why the proposal has generated such intense debate—and why families raising children with profound autism believe this moment could help bring greater attention to a population they say has too often been missing from autism research. But this conversation goes far beyond one government document. What should autism research be trying to understand? Should researchers investigate causes, regression, medical complexity, communication challenges, gastrointestinal problems and other co-occurring conditions? How do we improve quality of life for autistic people today while still investigating the most disabling presentations of autism? And perhaps most importantly: who speaks for autistic people who cannot advocate for themselves? Tyler and Olivia discuss the tension between autism self-advocacy and parent advocacy, including their concern that conversations about autism acceptance can sometimes fail to represent families living with profound disability. They argue that acknowledging severe disability does not diminish an autistic person's dignity—and that accepting an autistic person and wanting to understand the causes of their suffering are not mutually exclusive. Olivia also shares the reality behind her advocacy: she is moving to another state seeking better care for her daughter while leaving her older daughter behind. Her family's experience opens a larger conversation about autism sibling dynamics, caregiver stress, profound care needs, and what happens when today's siblings become tomorrow's next of kin. Tyler shares his own family's experience trying to understand his son's recurring gastrointestinal problems and the exhaustion of parents being told, once again, that they are essentially responsible for experimenting, observing, adjusting, and trying to determine what helps their child. The three also confront a difficult reality of nonverbal autism and special needs parenting: much of the labor and suffering involved is invisible to people who have never lived it. Families may navigate dysregulation, communication barriers, medical issues, hypervigilance, sibling impact, and uncertainty about lifelong care—while simultaneously being criticized for talking publicly about those realities. This isn't a conversation asking for pity. It's a conversation asking for visibility, research, better systems, and the willingness to remain curious about what we still don't understand about autism. As Sarah says near the end of the episode: Severity is not the opposite of dignity. Families can fully love and accept an autistic person while still asking why they are suffering, what medicine may be missing, and what science still needs to understand. In This Episode 00:00 — Why Sarah, Tyler and Olivia came together for this conversation 01:55 — What families should understand about the IACC working draft 03:25 — “Autism is not a reason to stop looking” 03:50 — Profound autism and representation in autism research 06:35 — Why visibility matters for families with significant support needs 07:05 — Olivia's decision to move states seeking better care for her daughter 08:45 — Profound autism, terminology and representation 09:50 — Who advocates for autistic people who cannot self-advocate? 14:05 — What the proposed autism research framewor... Chapters (00:00:00) - In the Elevator With Olivia and Tyler(00:01:42) - Tyler on the Autism Plan(00:06:01) - Tyler Hudson on the Need for More Autism Speakers(00:10:24) - On the DSM 6 Public Comment(00:15:56) - Why are you not voting?(00:16:20) - Mitochondrial Alleviation Comments(00:20:44) - Autism parents speak out for their kids(00:24:40) - On the Caregiving of Autistic People(00:30:20) - Autism: Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes

    Who Speaks for Profound Autism? The Fight Over the Future of Autism Research with Tyler Hudson & Olivia Rojo

  3. Aug 14

    What Fiction Can Teach Us About Special Needs Parenting | Jacqueline Friedland, Author of Breathing Underwater

    What can fiction reveal about special needs parenting that facts and statistics sometimes cannot? In this episode of INCHSTONES, Sarah Kernion talks with author Jacqueline Friedland about Breathing Underwater, her new novel exploring autism, caregiving, adolescence, independence, identity, and the extraordinary power of having one person who refuses to stop believing in you. Jacqueline was raised by a professor of special education and began writing fiction in part because she believed stories could create empathy and help people see experiences outside their own. In Breathing Underwater, that mission takes shape through Leo, a 16-year-old autistic boy, and McKenna, a college swimmer whose seemingly successful life is quietly falling apart. Their relationship raises questions that will feel deeply familiar to many special needs parents: How much support is enough? When does helping become holding on too tightly? How do we prepare autistic children for adulthood when so many services disappear after high school? And how do we learn to live without certainty about what comes next? Sarah and Jacqueline also discuss the enormous importance of swimming and water safety for autistic children, including the elevated risk of drowning that helped inspire Jacqueline's novel. Their conversation moves beyond statistics, though, into the sensory and emotional experience of water—and the connection, regulation, and joy that can sometimes exist there. They also explore caregiver stories, maternal identity, invisible labor, the desire to control every variable, and the difficult practice of allowing other people to help. Jacqueline shares one of the central realizations she had while developing Leo: difference does not automatically mean something needs to be fixed. A child's challenges and strengths can coexist, and autism cannot be reduced to one universal experience or one universal solutioAt its heart, this conversation is about support—not saving someone by changing who they are, but becoming the person who remains beside them while they discover what they're capable of. In This Episode 01:30 — Why Jacqueline chose fiction to tell stories that matter 03:00 — Writing an autistic teenager instead of a young autistic child 05:00 — The “services cliff” after high school and preparing for adulthood 06:00 — How much support is too much—or not enough? 07:45 — Why one person believing in a child can change everything 09:45 — Autism, swimming, water safety, and drowning risk 11:15 — The sensory experience of being underwater 13:00 — Caregiving and the realization that not everyone needs to be “fixed” 15:30 — Invisible labor, motherhood, stress, and learning to relinquish control 18:30 — McKenna, college-student homelessness, and what happens without a support system 20:00 — Why there is no “struggle Olympics” in parenting 21:00 — Finding beautifully typical moments inside nonverbal autism 22:30 — Why caregiver stories can increase empathy and change how we see one another Jacqueline Friedland is the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of historical and contemporary women’s fiction. After earning degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and NYU Law School and practicing as a commercial litigator, she received her MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Her novels have earned multiple honors, including Readers’ Favorite Gold Medals, a Kirkus Reviews Best Indie Book of the Year selection, and a SheReads Best Book Club Pick. Her sixth novel, Breathing Under Water, arrives from Harper Muse in August 2026 following acclaim from Booklist, People, Zibby Owens, and the Jewish Joy Book Club. She lives in Westchester, New York. Read Jacqueline Friedland's Breathing Underwater, a novel exploring autism, caregiving, identity, swimming, sup... Chapters (00:00:00) - Jackie Friedland on Her New Book, The Autistic Mother(00:01:22) - Why Did I Choose Fiction for My Autism Story?(00:06:07) - On Writing 'The Autistic Child'(00:07:18) - In Breathing Underwater With Autism(00:10:41) - Breathing Underwater(00:12:37) - In the Dark: Caregiving With Autism(00:17:12) - How To Raise a Homeless Child

    What Fiction Can Teach Us About Special Needs Parenting | Jacqueline Friedland, Author of Breathing Underwater

  4. Aug 6

    Autism Advocacy: Why Access to Care Matters More Than Ever | Dr. John Gaitanis on Meadow

    What happens when families know a treatment could help their child—but can't access it? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with pediatric neurologist Dr. John Gaitanis to discuss autism advocacy, autism therapy options, and why Meadow was created to help families access individualized care beyond a diagnosis. For many families, an autism diagnosis is only the beginning. The harder question often comes next: Where do we go from here? In this follow-up conversation, Sarah Kernion and pediatric neurologist Dr. John Gaitanis explore why so many parents struggle to access testing, treatments, and physicians willing to investigate the underlying biology affecting their child's health and development. Together, they discuss the vision behind Meadow, a telehealth platform designed to expand access to physician-guided care for autistic children and families. Dr. Gaitanis explains why treatments such as leucovorin, gut microbiome testing, mitochondrial support, and other evidence-informed interventions are often difficult for families to obtain—even when research demonstrates safety and potential benefit. Rather than promoting a single solution, he describes a whole-child approach that asks a different question: What is preventing this child from feeling and functioning at their best? Sarah and Dr. G also discuss communication, pain, nervous system regulation, caregiver advocacy, and why behavior should never be viewed in isolation. For many non-speaking autistic individuals, behaviors such as aggression or self-injury may be expressions of untreated pain, inflammation, sensory challenges, or an inability to communicate effectively. Looking beyond behaviors and searching for root causes has the potential to improve quality of life for both children and their families.  Whether you're beginning your autism diagnosis journey or looking for additional autism support resources, this episode encourages families to ask better questions, seek individualized care, and remain open to evidence-based approaches that prioritize the whole child.Resources Learn more about Meadow Health and Dr. John Gaitanis' work in individualized autism care. Subscribe to the Inchstones Podcast for conversations about autism advocacy, caregiver stories, and neurodivergent parenting, featuring physicians, researchers, caregivers, and advocates working to improve the lives of autistic individuals and their families. Chapters (00:00:00) - Meeting the Parents of Autism with telehealth(00:04:58) - The Healing Approach to Abdominal Pain

    Autism Advocacy: Why Access to Care Matters More Than Ever | Dr. John Gaitanis on Meadow

  5. Aug 4

    What a Special Education Teacher Taught Me About Presuming Competence | Zack Ponder

    Castos Description Episode Summary What happens when a special education teacher spends years working with profoundly disabled students—and then realizes the biggest lesson wasn't about teaching at all? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with former special education teacher and Unspecial Podcast host Zack Ponder to explore caregiver stories, autism advocacy, neurodivergent parenting, and why presuming competence changes everything. Full Episode Description Before launching the Unspecial Podcast, Zack Ponder spent years teaching students with profound autism, complex communication needs, and significant disabilities. Those experiences fundamentally changed the way he understands intelligence, behavior, caregiving, and human connection. In this thoughtful conversation, Sarah and Zack discuss what it means to presume competence, why outward behavior rarely tells the full story, and how educators, parents, and clinicians can better support children by seeing their strengths before their limitations. Zack shares stories from the classroom that forever shaped his understanding of autism communication, emotional regulation, and the incredible capabilities that often remain hidden beneath motor planning challenges. zack-sarah.txtTXT The conversation also explores fatherhood, caregiver resilience, nervous system regulation, homeschooling, balancing family life during a spouse's cancer journey, and why caring for yourself is essential if you hope to co-regulate with the children who depend on you. Together, Sarah and Zack examine why parents should trust what they observe, why difficult conversations strengthen advocacy, and how small moments of connection often become the most meaningful inchstones. In this episode, we discuss: autism advocacy through presuming competence caregiver stories from both the classroom and home neurodivergent parenting and emotional regulation profound autism care and communication autism education strategies caregiver mental health and nervous system regulation fatherhood and disability caregiving special education advocacy why connection matters more than compliance finding hope through everyday inchstones Whether you're raising an autistic child, working in special education, supporting neurodivergent families, or simply trying to become a calmer parent, this episode offers a hopeful reminder that every child deserves to be seen beyond what the world immediately notices. In This Episode 02:30 — Why Zack left special education but never left the mission 05:00 — What profound autism taught him about seeing the unseen 08:00 — Caregiver burnout and protecting your nervous system 11:00 — Co-regulation begins with the parent 14:00 — Presuming competence in non-speaking children 17:00 — The classroom story that changed everything 20:00 — Fathers, strength, and disability parenting 24:00 — Why advocacy should create collaboration—not conflict 27:00 — Finding hope in the smallest everyday moments Resources Learn more about Zack Ponder and listen to the Unspecial Podcast, where he shares conversations with parents, educators, and disability advocates. Subscribe to the Inchstones Podcast for more conversations about autism advocacy, caregiver stories, and neurodivergent parenting that help families feel seen, supported, and understood. Read more essays on the Inchstones Substack. Chapters (00:00:00) - What They Don't Tell You About Special Needs Parents(00:03:48) - The Empty Seat(00:05:02) - How I Learned to Love My Wife's Autism Diagnosis(00:12:33) - Zach on his autism(00:17:34) - What Do Fathers Have to Offer to Their Autism Child?(00:23:01) - What are some things that are still missing from the Unspecial Podcast(00:27:08) - One Small Stone

    What a Special Education Teacher Taught Me About Presuming Competence | Zack Ponder

  6. Jul 24

    Caregiver Stories: Telling the Truth About Disability Without Losing Hope | Elyse Davis

    Can you tell the truth about disability parenting without losing hope? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with caregiver advocate Elyse Davis to explore caregiver stories, neurodivergent parenting, grief, resilience, and why honest conversations help families feel less alone. After years of feeling like she didn't quite fit anywhere, Elyse Davis decided to stop softening her family's story. Instead of repeating comforting platitudes, she began speaking honestly about the emotional complexity of raising a child with significant developmental disabilities—the grief, the love, the frustration, the joy, and the deep transformation that can all exist at the same time. Her words resonated with thousands of caregivers who quietly thought, Finally, someone said it. In this conversation, Sarah and Elyse explore what happens when families give themselves permission to hold contradictory emotions without guilt. They discuss disability parenting, caregiver mental health, sibling dynamics, communication challenges, navigating educational systems, and why parents should never have to minimize their reality to make others comfortable. They also explore the often-overlooked complexity of children whose diagnoses don't fit neatly into one category, the importance of individualized communication supports, and how parents become their child's most effective advocate by learning to trust what they observe every day. This episode explores: caregiver stories and honest conversations autism advocacy beyond labels neurodivergent parenting and complex diagnoses caregiver emotional support navigating IEPs and educational advocacy sibling relationships in disability families grief, resilience, and acceptance why hope grows stronger when it's built on truth Whether you're newly navigating a diagnosis or years into your caregiving journey, this conversation offers something rare: permission to tell the truth about your life while still believing in your child's future. In This Episode 02:00 — Why Elyse stopped sugarcoating disability parenting 06:30 — Holding grief and joy at the same time 10:45 — Raising neurotypical and disabled siblings under one roof 15:30 — Living between diagnoses and not fitting into one community 20:00 — Sign language, communication, and trusting your child's strengths 25:00 — Navigating IEPs and advocating within broken systems 30:00 — Why caregivers must trust what they see 34:00 — The evolving meaning of "Welcome to Holland" Resources Connect with Elyse Davis on Instagram for honest reflections on disability parenting, advocacy, and caregiver life. Subscribe to the Inchstones Podcast for conversations about autism advocacy, caregiver stories, and neurodivergent parenting, featuring parents, clinicians, researchers, and advocates working to help families feel seen and supported. Elyse Davis is a disability mom, content creator, and advocate who shares the honest realities of raising a child with complex needs. Through storytelling, faith, and humor, she explores disability parenting, advocacy, grief, guilt, motherhood, and the everyday moments that connect us. Known for saying the things many parents are thinking but rarely say out loud, Elyse has built a community where families feel seen, understood, and a little less alone as they navigate the unexpected journey of disability parenting. Chapters (00:00:00) - Elise Davis on The Inchstones Podcast(00:03:26) - How To Hold Multiple Emotions With a Disability Child(00:10:11) - How To Raise An Autistic Daughter With a Typical Mother(00:15:57) - Autism and Dyspraxia: Inclusion(00:24:22) - How to Fight for Your Disability IEP(00:30:34) - A message for parents of disabilities kids

    Caregiver Stories: Telling the Truth About Disability Without Losing Hope | Elyse Davis

  7. Jul 22

    Caregiver Stories: What My Daughter's Disability Taught Me About Living with Evan Rosenblum

    What happens when the life you planned disappears overnight? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with former TMZ executive producer Evan Rosenblum to explore caregiver stories, disability parenting, neurodivergent families, and how raising a child with profound disabilities transformed his understanding of purpose, fatherhood, and joy. When Evan Rosenblum's daughter Sydney arrived at just 25 weeks gestation, everything changed in an instant. After 143 days in the NICU, multiple surgeries, a traumatic brain injury, and a long list of medical diagnoses, Evan found himself navigating a reality he never imagined while desperately trying to hold onto the life he thought he was supposed to have.  In this deeply honest conversation, Sarah and Evan explore what happens when identity, career, expectations, and parenthood collide. Together they discuss the emotional journey of becoming a special needs father, processing grief, balancing work and caregiving, and learning to see disability not as the end of a story—but the beginning of a completely different one. Evan shares how leaving his career at TMZ allowed him to embrace a new definition of success, why his daughter Sydney became one of his greatest teachers, and how his son is growing into a compassionate sibling whose understanding of disability is quietly changing the world around him. This episode is about more than disability. It's about what happens when life forces you to become someone new. Whether you're navigating an autism diagnosis, raising a child with profound disabilities, supporting neurodivergent families, or simply searching for hope inside an unexpected life, this conversation is a reminder that joy can exist alongside grief—and that sometimes the life you never planned becomes the one you were always meant to live. In This Episode 02:00 — Sydney's birth at 25 weeks and surviving 143 days in the NICU 06:15 — Identity, work, and trying to hold onto a "normal" life 09:30 — Processing grief after a life-changing diagnosis 13:00 — Why fathers experience caregiving differently 17:15 — Anger, healing, and emotional recovery 21:00 — Raising siblings alongside children with disabilities 25:00 — Inclusion, friendship, and changing the next generation 29:00 — Adventure, surfing, Disney, and giving children full lives 33:00 — Living in the present instead of fearing the future Resources Learn more from Evan Rosenblum by reading his Substack, where he writes about fatherhood, disability, caregiving, and finding meaning through unexpected life experiences. Subscribe to the Inchstones Podcast for more conversations about autism advocacy, caregiver stories, and neurodivergent parenting featuring parents, clinicians, researchers, and advocates helping families thrive. Chapters (00:00:00) - Special Needs Dad on Inchstones Podcast(00:00:30) - One Dad's Fight for His severely disabled Daughter's Life(00:05:08) - Jay Leno on His Daughter's NICU Battle(00:08:46) - A Mother's Aha Moment About Her Daughter's Cancer(00:14:02) - Deep Anger After My Daughter's Cerebral palsy diagnosis(00:18:37) - Autism Dad's Experience Raising a Daughter With Severe disabilities(00:22:25) - Bennett the Disabled Child at Rad Camp(00:26:53) - The Secret to Sydney's Independence(00:28:12) - An 11-Year-Old Autistic Girl Hits the Surf(00:32:05) - Evan's Family Story

    Caregiver Stories: What My Daughter's Disability Taught Me About Living with Evan Rosenblum

  8. Jul 10

    Parent the Child, Not the Diagnosis | Nora Canzoneri on Autism, Acceptance, and Letting Go

    An autism diagnosis changes everything—but it should never become the only thing you see. In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with longtime friend and autism mom Nora Canzoneri for an honest conversation about autism advocacy, caregiver stories, and learning to parent the child before the diagnosis. ⸻ Full Episode Description When Nora Canzoneri’s son Cam received his autism diagnosis in 2018, she walked out of a developmental pediatrician’s office with a diagnosis, a list of books, and instructions to find ABA therapy. Like so many parents beginning an autism diagnosis journey, she was left with more questions than answers. Years later, Nora reflects on what she wishes she had known from the beginning: while autism is an important part of her son’s life, it is not the whole story. Together, Sarah and Nora explore neurodivergent parenting, caregiver experiences, the pressure to act quickly after an autism diagnosis, and the cultural expectations that quietly shape how parents measure progress. They discuss the urgency many families feel to “do everything right,” the grief of letting go of imagined timelines, and the freedom that comes from recognizing inchstones instead of milestones. The conversation also explores family travel, adapting expectations, sensory regulation, anxiety, and raising an autistic child who continues to surprise everyone—including his mother—with his humor, memory, resilience, and personality. This episode explores: * autism advocacy through everyday parenting * caregiver stories and shared experiences * autism diagnosis journeys * parenting autistic children beyond the diagnosis * autism family dynamics * caregiver emotional support * autism parenting advice * understanding neurodiversity through acceptance rather than comparison * finding peace in the unexpected Whether you’re newly navigating an autism diagnosis or years into your family’s journey, this conversation is a reminder that your child is far more than a checklist of behaviors or developmental milestones. They are becoming who they are—and you are becoming the parent they need. ⸻ In This Episode 00:00 – Remembering diagnosis day and the emotions that followed 04:00 – Walking out with an autism diagnosis and more questions than answers 07:00 – The urgency parents feel after diagnosis 10:00 – Letting go of developmental timelines 13:30 – Expectations, acceptance, and finding inchstones 16:30 – Why autism parenting changes as children grow older 19:00 – Traveling with an autistic child and embracing adventure 23:00 – Understanding behavior through connection instead of fear 26:00 – Parenting the child—not the diagnosis 30:00 – Advice for parents beginning their autism diagnosis journey ⸻ Listen to more episodes of the Inchstones Podcast, where Sarah Kernion shares caregiver stories, champions autism advocacy, and explores neurodivergent parenting through honest conversations with parents, clinicians, researchers, and advocates helping families feel seen, supported, and understood. Chapters (00:00:00) - Nora Canzoneri on Inchstones(00:01:03) - The Autism Diagnosis I Had For My Son(00:03:26) - On Getting Cam's Autism Diagnosis(00:06:03) - ABA for Kids: Regionally Coordinated the Process(00:10:04) - Letting Go of Autism Motherhood(00:14:44) - Sarah on Being a Mother(00:18:00) - How to Travel With a Disability(00:22:16) - Autistic Dad on Travel With His Daughter(00:27:43) - One Mother's Autistic Child's Story(00:28:43) - Autism Moms: What to Expect(00:31:42) - Laura On The Instance

    Parent the Child, Not the Diagnosis | Nora Canzoneri on Autism, Acceptance, and Letting Go
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About

INCHSTONES is a podcast about caregiver stories, nonverbal autism, and the realities of special needs parenting—hosted by Sarah Kernion, a mother raising two children with profound, non-speaking autism. Here, we talk honestly about the parts of autism and disability parenting that don't always fit neatly into an inspirational story: caregiver burnout, grief and acceptance, communication, sensory needs, advocacy, family dynamics, therapies, education, sibling relationships, and the uncertainty of raising children with significant support needs. But INCHSTONES is also about learning to recognize progress differently. Because when you're parenting a child with profound or nonverbal autism, the moments that change everything aren't always traditional milestones. Sometimes they're the inchstones: a new form of communication, a regulated transition, a moment of connection, a life skill practiced for the hundredth time, or something your child does today that once felt impossible. Through candid caregiver stories and conversations with parents, physicians, therapists, researchers, educators, advocates, and autistic voices, Sarah explores the questions families are actually asking about autism, special needs parenting, profound autism care, autism communication, caregiver mental health, autism therapy options, special education, sensory support, and life beyond childhood. There are no perfect answers here. There are real families, complicated conversations, practical insights, hard truths, unexpected joy, and a community that understands that progress doesn't have to look typical to matter. If you're raising an autistic child, parenting a nonverbal or nonspeaking child, navigating profound support needs, or looking for honest conversations about special needs family life, welcome to INCHSTONES. Because milestones aren't the only measure of a meaningful life.

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