Autism Changemakers Podcast

Sara Intonato
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Parenting

Autism Changemakers is the podcast for parents of nonspeaking autistic kids who are done feeling isolated and dismissed. Hosted by Sara Intonato—parent coach, consultant, and mom to a nonspeaking child—you’ll find real tools, real connection, and real hope. We presume competence, honor brilliance, and create a community where parents lead the quiet revolution for change.  https://www.autismchangemakers.com

  1. 2d ago

    Picky Eating and Autism: Real Food, Real Results With Betsy Hicks Russ

    If food has felt like a battlefield in your home, this episode of the Autism Changemakers Podcast is going to feel like someone finally turned the lights on.  I invited my dear friend and fellow autism parent Betsy Hicks Russ to join me for this conversation. Betsy has 30 years of experience working with picky eaters, is a podcaster on the Telepathy Tapes Now What series, and is also the mom of Joe, an open speller you may already know from her social media page. She is someone I deeply respect, not just as a professional but as a parent who has lived this.  We did not hold back.  In this episode we talk about:  Why real food is one of the simplest and most powerful things you can do for a non-speaking autistic child, and why feeding an already agitated nervous system with processed food is making everything harder.The history of how the food industry got us here, and why what your parents ate and what you ate as a child is genuinely not what is on the shelves today.Why you cannot presume your child's intelligence in the spelling room and then eat junk in front of them and expect them not to notice. They are watching everything.What ARFID actually is, why no one is talking about root causes, and why putting band-aids over bullet holes will never get you the progress you are looking for.Why mixed messages, whether about food, sleep, or screen time, are quietly making your child's nervous system harder to regulate, and what it looks like to finally get consistent.Why some children, like Rocco, are Ferraris. They require the best possible fuel, but when you give it to them, they outperform everything. And why that level of care is not a burden. It is a privilege. Stop overthinking it. Keep it simple. Real food, consistent habits, and the courage to take your power back today, not when everything is perfect.   Connect with Betsy at betsyonthego.com for her food subscription and resources, and find her on Instagram at @betsyonthego.  If this resonated, come find me, Sara Intonato, on Instagram @sara.intonato or learn more about Autism Changemakers at autismchangemakers.com. Support the show

    Picky Eating and Autism: Real Food, Real Results With Betsy Hicks Russ

  2. Aug 4

    RPM and Spelling: Why the Lesson Plan Model Changes Everything

    If your non-speaking autistic child is learning to spell, or you're looking for a provider and don't know what to look for, this episode of the Autism Changemakers Podcast is essential listening.  I am a Level 2 RPM provider and I have been supporting families on the spelling journey for years, including raising my own son Rocco, who is 16 and four years into communicating with a letterboard as an open speller. And one of the things I am most passionate about in this space is something that does not get talked about nearly enough: the lesson plan model, why it exists, and what is quietly lost when we skip it.  Everyone wants to hear their child's voice. That desire is beautiful and it is real. But when we rush to open communication before the foundation is solid, we are building on ground that cannot hold the weight of what we are asking it to carry.  In this episode I talk about:  What a lesson plan actually is in the RPM model, and why it is so much more than a teaching tool. It is a framework for assessing learning channels, building skill and tolerance goals, and tracking real progress over time.Why focusing only on output, what your child spells, and ignoring input, what they are actually absorbing and learning, is one of the most common and costly mistakes families make.The surprising reason some parents quit spelling after their child starts communicating, and why the lesson plan model is what builds the parent buy-in that keeps families in the process long term.Why providers who let students set the frame for the entire session may be operating from people-pleasing energy rather than genuine support, and what that costs the student.Why open spellers still need lesson plans, and what teenagers and adults who have lost access to structured learning in their sessions are saying about it when they finally get to spell freely. The goal was never just communication. The goal is a full life. A life that includes learning, growth, relationships, education, and as much independence as possible.   Your child deserves that. And the lesson plan is one of the clearest paths to get there.   If this resonated, come find me, Sara Intonato, on Instagram @sara.intonato or learn more about Autism Changemakers at autismchangemakers.com.   Autism Changemakers is a private community just for parents of nonspeaking kids. It's where you don't have to explain yourself, and where you'll always be surrounded by people who believe in your child's brilliance. Come join us. autismchangemakers.com Support the show

    RPM and Spelling: Why the Lesson Plan Model Changes Everything

  3. Jul 21

    Interoception and Non-Speaking Autism: What Parents Need to Know | Daria Kotenko, Spelling the Tea on Autism

    If you're parenting a non-speaking autistic child and you've never heard the word interoception before, this episode of the Autism Changemakers Podcast is where to start.  I sat down with Daria Kotenko, mom to nine-year-old open speller Raphael and creator of Spelling the Tea on Autism, to talk about something that doesn't get nearly enough attention in our world: the inner body experience of non-speakers, and why parent regulation is not optional if you want to support it.  Interoception is the ability to feel what's happening inside your own body. Hunger. Thirst. Digestion. Tension. It is something many non-speaking autistic children struggle with deeply, and it affects everything from motor planning to sensory regulation to their ability to spell. What Daria and I explored together is how much of this work starts with us as parents, not with our children.  In this episode we talk about:  What interoception is and why it is one of the most important things parents of non-speaking autistic children need to understand right now.Why your child's ability to connect to their body and develop better motor planning and regulation is directly tied to how regulated you are as their parent.Why you cannot fake calm around a non-speaking child, because they are perceptive enough to feel your state of stress or steadiness whether you say a word about it or not.What it actually means to presume competence when it comes to the body, and why believing this work is possible is where it all begins.What Daria and Raphael have built together as true partners in sharing their story, and what open spellers are telling us about what they need from the people around them. You cannot pour from an empty nervous system. And your child is already feeling everything you carry.   Connect with Daria and Raphael at spellingtheteaonautism.com, on Instagram @spelling_the_tea_on_autism, or on Substack at spellingthetea.substack.com. If this resonated, come find me, Sara Intonato, on Instagram @sara.intonato or learn more about Autism Changemakers at autismchangemakers.com.   Support the show

    Interoception and Non-Speaking Autism: What Parents Need to Know | Daria Kotenko, Spelling the Tea on Autism

  4. Jul 6

    How I Navigate Sharing the Hard Stuff on Social Media

    If you've ever shared something vulnerable about your non-speaking child on social media, or felt the pull to, this episode is for you.  I recorded this for the Autism Changemakers Podcast because I saw a post recently from a mom I respect deeply. She shared an honest, graceful moment after an intense day with her son. It was beautiful. And it also made something rise up in me that I knew I had to talk about, because there's more here than most parents realize.  What you share online about your child today can shape how people treat them tomorrow. Schools look at your social media. Districts look at your social media. People in your community, sometimes quietly, sometimes anonymously, are forming opinions based on what they see. And they're only seeing a glimpse.  In this episode I talk about:  The one question I always ask myself before posting anything about Rocco, and why it has nothing to do with shame.Why even tasteful, face-protected posts about hard moments can put your child's long-term opportunities at risk in ways parents don't always see coming.How inclusion decisions are made, and what professionals who've worked inside school districts have told me about what happens when they see repeated posts about meltdowns.Why social media can feel like support, but often isn't the safe place parents actually need.Where parents of non-speaking autistic children can bring the real, complicated, scary stuff without worrying about screenshots, judgment, or their child's reputation. Your child's story deserves to be told. And you deserve real support, not comment section support. Not likes and shares.   A private room full of people who already understand your life.   If this resonated, come find me, Sara Intonato, on Instagram @sara.intonato or learn more about Autism Changemakers at autismchangemakers.com.   Autism Changemakers is a private community just for parents of nonspeaking kids. It's where you don't have to explain yourself, and where you'll always be surrounded by people who believe in your child's brilliance. Come join us. autismchangemakers.com Support the show

    How I Navigate Sharing the Hard Stuff on Social Media

  5. Jun 22

    When Progress Is Real But You're Still Not Enjoying Your Life

    If your non-speaking autistic child is making real progress — and you still can't enjoy it — this episode is for you.  I recorded this because I see it constantly in my work with parents of non-speakers. The spelling is improving. The sleep is better. The hard moments are fewer. And yet you're still bracing. Still scanning. Still waiting for something to go wrong. And then comes the guilt — because you know things are better, and you still can't feel it.  This is not a character flaw. It's what happens when hypervigilance has been your baseline for so long that your nervous system doesn't know how to receive the exhale — even when it's finally safe to take one.  In this episode I talk about:  Why your child's progress moves faster than your nervous system's ability to receive it — and why that gap is completely normal.The "waiting for the other shoe to drop" pattern that keeps autism parents stuck in survival mode even when things are improving.Why pouring everything into your child can quietly become another way to avoid slowing down and receiving support yourself.What it actually takes to move from survival mode to presence — and why it doesn't happen automatically.The one question I invite every parent to sit with: where am I still living on alert, even though things have changed?Your child's progress does not automatically create peace within you. You do. And you don't need to earn the right to receive support. You've already done that.   If this resonated, come find me on Instagram @sara.intonato or learn more about Autism Changemakers at autismchangemakers.com. Autism Changemakers is a private community just for parents of nonspeaking kids. It's where you don't have to explain yourself, and where you'll always be surrounded by people who believe in your child's brilliance. Come join us. autismchangemakers.com Support the show

    When Progress Is Real But You're Still Not Enjoying Your Life

  6. Jun 8

    Autism Dad Support: Why Fathers of Non-Speaking Kids Need Community Too | Dr. Jonathan Chism, Autism Dads Social Club

    If you're a dad of a non-speaking autistic child who's been quietly carrying this alone — or a mom who wishes the dad in your child's life had more support — this episode is for you.  I invited Dr. Jonathan Chism, co-founder and president of the Autism Dads Social Club, to come on the Autism Changemakers Podcast and talk about something deeply underserved in our world: the experience of fathers. Jonathan is a professor of history at the University of Houston, an ordained minister, and a dad to a non-speaking son. He built the Autism Dads Social Club from scratch because dads are out there carrying so much — and not raising their hands for help.  In this episode we talk about:  Why the "strong man myth" keeps dads from asking for help, and why Jonathan built his community around socializing first — not therapy, just showing up together.What double isolation really looks like when you're already parenting a non-speaking child and COVID takes away the last connection you had.How finding purpose beyond your own household is what finally breaks the grip of isolation.What I know from my own son's life — that an engaged dad changes everything, and why dads need to hear that their presence matters more than they realize. You don't have to have it figured out to show up. That's the whole point.   Connect with Jonathan and the Autism Dads Social Club at autismdadssocialclub.org or on Instagram @autismdadshtown If this resonated, come find me on Instagram @sara.intonato or learn more about Autism Changemakers at autismchangemakers.com   Autism Changemakers is a private community just for parents of nonspeaking kids. It's where you don't have to explain yourself, and where you'll always be surrounded by people who believe in your child's brilliance. Come join us.    Support the show

    Autism Dad Support: Why Fathers of Non-Speaking Kids Need Community Too | Dr. Jonathan Chism, Autism Dads Social Club

  7. May 25

    The Magic Bullet for Non-Speaking Autism Progress? It's Consistency

    If you've ever asked another autism parent — what's the one thing that made the biggest difference for your child? — this episode is my honest answer.  People ask me all the time: Sara, what's the thing that transformed Rocco's journey? What's the magic bullet?  And I tell them: consistency.  Sometimes they're relieved. Sometimes they're disappointed. Because we live in a world of Amazon Prime mentality — where we expect results fast, and when they don't come, we quietly start to wonder if we should just stop.  But consistency looks like nothing is changing — until suddenly, everything is different.  In this episode I talk about:  Why consistency is the most transformative thing I've done for Rocco — across diet, supplements, the letterboard, and everything in betweenWhy our instant gratification culture makes it harder than ever to stay the courseThe hidden subconscious reason we give up before things take rootWhat you actually need to give yourself to stay consistent long enough to see real progressMy own adult tantrum moment two weeks into tracking my macros — and what happened when I kept going anyway If you've been close to giving up on something that matters — the letterboard, a supplement protocol, your own self-care — this episode will remind you why you started.   If this resonated, come find me on Instagram @sara.intonato or learn more about Autism Changemakers at autismchangemakers.com. Autism Changemakers is a private community just for parents of nonspeaking kids. It's where you don't have to explain yourself, and where you'll always be surrounded by people who believe in your child's brilliance. Come join us. autismchangemakers.com Support the show

    The Magic Bullet for Non-Speaking Autism Progress? It's Consistency

  8. May 11

    Non-Speaking Autism Parents: Stuck Between the System and Self-Trust

    If you're parenting a non-speaking autistic child, there's a space you might be in right now that almost nobody is talking about.  You don't trust the system anymore. You've seen the gaps. You've watched experts underestimate your child and hand you a piece of paper that looks nothing like the child you know.  But you haven't fully stepped into trusting yourself yet either.  So you get stuck in a loop. You feel a deep knowing — and then you hesitate. You look for someone to confirm it. You get mixed answers. And you come back to your original gut feeling, but less confident than before.  That loop is exhausting. And it's keeping you dependent on a system that was never designed specifically for your child.  In this solo episode I talk about:  Why this in-between space happens — and why it's not your faultHow autism parents are conditioned to defer to experts even when their gut says otherwiseWhy your proximity to your child is not bias — it's dataWhat it actually looks like to trust yourself from a grounded, anchored placeYou don't need more proof of who your child is. You need more permission to trust what you're already seeing.   If this resonated, come find me on Instagram @sara.intonato or learn more about Autism Changemakers at autismchangemakers.com.   Autism Changemakers is a private community just for parents of nonspeaking kids. It's where you don't have to explain yourself, and where you'll always be surrounded by people who believe in your child's brilliance. Come join us. autismchangemakers.com Support the show

    Non-Speaking Autism Parents: Stuck Between the System and Self-Trust
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Autism Changemakers is the podcast for parents of nonspeaking autistic kids who are done feeling isolated and dismissed. Hosted by Sara Intonato—parent coach, consultant, and mom to a nonspeaking child—you’ll find real tools, real connection, and real hope. We presume competence, honor brilliance, and create a community where parents lead the quiet revolution for change.  https://www.autismchangemakers.com

Information

  • Creator
    Sara Intonato
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Autism Changemakers Podcast
  • Show Website
    Autism Changemakers Podcast

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