Autism Rewritten

Autism Rewritten
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Parenting

Parenting a child with autism comes with a lot of questions. Does speech therapy really help? What about ABA therapy? How do you travel with an autistic child, survive restaurants, train a service dog, find the right providers, and figure out whether something is autism... or just plain old orneryism? Welcome to Autism Rewritten, where Carrie “The Mom” shares what life is really like raising her autistic daughter, and Helen “The Aunt” asks a lot of questions. Sometimes very basic questions.  Carrie talks openly about what's worked for their family, what hasn't, the therapies they've tried, the things they've done differently, and the things they've learned along the way. We'll chat about nonverbal autism, speech therapy, occupational therapy, ABA therapy, service dogs, traveling with an autistic child, everyday family life, adventures, and those moments nobody prepares you for. No two autistic children are the same, and this isn't a podcast about telling you how to raise yours. It's one mom's experience raising one pretty amazing kid, with an aunt along for the ride who is perfectly willing to ask, "Wait... what does that mean?" There will be opinions. There will be questions. There will probably be '80s and '90s references. And occasionally we'll wonder why we thought adding a podcast to our busy lives was a good idea. This is autism in real life. The hard parts, the funny parts, the things that worked, the things that absolutely did not, and the wins worth celebrating.

Episodes

  1. Oct 8

    Traveling With an Autistic Child: Snorkeling, Helicopters & Sharks, Oh My!

    Traveling with an autistic child can be amazing. It can also leave you wondering whether you've completely lost your mind. Especially when you're about to put your seven-year-old on a snorkeling boat in the ocean. Or strap her into a helicopter. Yes. A HELICOPTER. Carrie recently took Zoe to Maui, and this wasn't exactly a sit-on-the-beach-and-relax kind of vacation. Zoe loves water. Pools, lakes, you name it. But snorkeling in the ocean with an autistic child? That's an entirely different level.  Carrie was worried about saltwater, sharks, new surroundings, and if the whole adventure would end in a meltdown. Turns out, Zoe had ideas of her own. She wasn't interested in wearing flippers. Her snorkel ended up on her forehead. But once she discovered she could look underwater and see fish (hi, Nemo!), a whole new world opened up. And Carrie? Still thinking about sharks. The whole trip.  Then there was the helicopter ride. What if the noise was too much for Zoe? And what if she threw the toothbrush she was holding at the pilot? (Yes, a toothbrush. Don’t ask.) We also talk about knowing when to call it a day, and why sometimes the best thing parents can do is stop and take the win instead of pushing for more. Carrie shares what worked for Zoe, what she worried about, what surprised her, and why she feels these experiences are worth trying when they're right for your child. If you've ever wondered what it's really like traveling with a child with autism, especially when you're introducing new activities, dealing with sensory overload, or wondering how your child might react, come hang out with us. We can't promise there won't be sharks. But at least nobody threw a toothbrush at the helicopter pilot. Because autism can be serious without every conversation about it having to be.   Come hang out with us: Instagram: @autismrewrittenshow YouTube: Autism Rewritten 🎧 Listen & follow wherever you get your podcasts

  2. Sep 23

    ABA Therapy for Autism: Why We Quit It

    So... ABA therapy for children with autism. People have feelings.  When Zoe was diagnosed with autism, Carrie was approved for 40 hours a week of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy in their home. Forty. Hours. That's basically a full-time job happening in your living room. Carrie tried two different ABA companies. The first experience was... not good. The second was much better. Eventually, though, she decided traditional ABA services weren't the right fit for Zoe. So what happened? That's what we're talking about this week. We also talk about the people who can suddenly become regular fixtures in your house, including BCBAs and RBTs. Carrie's second BCBA worked with them through Zoom but never actually met Zoe in person, which gets us talking about how much you can really see and understand through a screen. And we all know Zoom isn't exactly an accurate representation of reality. Nice top? Check. Shorts under the table? Maybe. Cat hair on your socks? Sure. But underneath the ridiculousness is a question a lot of parents probably ask themselves about autism therapy: Is this actually helping my child? We talk about why Carrie prefers working on skills with Zoe in everyday life, including restaurants, grocery stores, airports and all the other places where things don't happen according to a perfectly controlled therapy plan. She also explains why she refused to use candy as a reward during potty training, even when ABA providers wanted her to. And because this is Zoe we're talking about, we also have a birthday restaurant story involving extreme happiness, multiple walks, a couple of screams and some startled diners. She's having a GREAT time, people. Chillax. This isn't an “ABA is good” or “ABA is bad” episode. It's Carrie sharing what ABA therapy for her autistic child actually looked like, what worked, what didn't, why one ABA company was much better than another, and why she eventually decided to quit using traditional ABA services. If you're considering ABA therapy for autism, already have an ABA provider coming into your home, or have found yourself wondering “Will it help?”, come hang out with us. Because autism can be serious without every conversation about it having to be. QUICK ABA GLOSSARY ABA: Applied Behavior Analysis BCBA: Board Certified Behavior Analyst RBT: Registered Behavior Technician Come hang out with us: Instagram: @autismrewrittenshow YouTube: Autism Rewritten 🎧 Listen & follow wherever you get your podcasts

  3. Sep 16

    Speech Therapy - Does It Really Work for an Autistic Child?

    If your autistic child isn't talking, how long is speech therapy supposed to take before you actually see progress? When Zoe was first approved for speech therapy once a week for seven months, Carrie genuinely thought that meant they'd do the therapy, Zoe would start talking in that timeframe, and they could check that off the list. Yeah. That's not quite how it went. Carrie also gets into something every autism parent eventually figures out: a good therapy day and a productive therapy day aren't always the same thing. Sometimes Zoe made it through the whole session. Sometimes 15 minutes was enough and it was time to go. So how do you know if speech therapy is actually working? That's where expectations get tricky. Progress for a nonverbal autistic child doesn't always show up as suddenly talking in sentences. Sometimes it's a word. A request. A song used to communicate. Or sometimes it's realizing your child has been finding ways to tell you things all along. And then, one day, you look back and realize just how much has changed. So if you're searching for answers about speech therapy for autism, wondering whether speech therapy can help a nonverbal autistic child, trying to figure out how long speech therapy takes, or quietly asking yourself “Is this even working?”... come hang out with us. We're talking about what speech therapy really looked like for Zoe, the expectations versus the reality, and how she went from nonverbal to an unreliable speaker.  We also somehow end up discussing whether Bubbles the cat is the reincarnation of Carrie's mom. As one does. Because autism can be serious without every conversation about it having to be. 🎧 Next episode: ABA therapy. And yes, we know. People have feelings. 😬   Come hang out with us: Instagram: @autismrewrittenshow YouTube: Autism Rewritten 🎧 Listen & follow wherever you get your podcasts

  4. Sep 8

    Parenting an Autistic Child: Heartbreak, Hope & a Little Orneryism

    Parenting an autistic child can make a successful trip to the dentist feel like winning the lottery. That's where we start. A dentist visit that turns into a HUGE win. But this first episode also goes much deeper. Carrie, The Mom, talks about the heartbreak of losing one of her twins during pregnancy, the fear that followed when her surviving baby spent five days in the NICU, and some of the things she noticed long before an autism diagnosis entered the picture. We also get into what parenting a child with autism actually looks like when you're living it every day: trying different therapies, wondering if you're making the right decisions, figuring out what works for your child, and celebrating progress that other people might not even recognize as progress. Carrie shares her experience with nonverbal autism, speech therapy, occupational therapy, ABA therapy, and some of the less conventional things their family has tried. Helen, The Aunt, asks the questions, including the very important distinction between autism and what we've decided to call "orneryism." Because sometimes it's autism. And sometimes your kid is just being a kid. Autism Rewritten isn't about pretending we have all the answers or telling you how to raise your child. It's about one mom sharing what she's actually tried, what helped, what didn't, what surprised her, and what she wishes other parents knew. If you're parenting an autistic child, facing a new autism diagnosis, raising a nonverbal child, or just looking for honest conversations about autism and family life, this one's for you.  We'll talk about the hard stuff, celebrate the wins that other people might not understand, share what's worked (and what definitely hasn't), laugh at some of the absurdity along the way, and occasionally break into an '80s song. We can't help ourselves. Because autism can be serious without every conversation about it having to be. Come hang out with us: Instagram: @autismrewrittenshow YouTube: Autism Rewritten 🎧 Listen & follow wherever you get your podcasts

  • 4 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Parenting a child with autism comes with a lot of questions. Does speech therapy really help? What about ABA therapy? How do you travel with an autistic child, survive restaurants, train a service dog, find the right providers, and figure out whether something is autism... or just plain old orneryism? Welcome to Autism Rewritten, where Carrie “The Mom” shares what life is really like raising her autistic daughter, and Helen “The Aunt” asks a lot of questions. Sometimes very basic questions.  Carrie talks openly about what's worked for their family, what hasn't, the therapies they've tried, the things they've done differently, and the things they've learned along the way. We'll chat about nonverbal autism, speech therapy, occupational therapy, ABA therapy, service dogs, traveling with an autistic child, everyday family life, adventures, and those moments nobody prepares you for. No two autistic children are the same, and this isn't a podcast about telling you how to raise yours. It's one mom's experience raising one pretty amazing kid, with an aunt along for the ride who is perfectly willing to ask, "Wait... what does that mean?" There will be opinions. There will be questions. There will probably be '80s and '90s references. And occasionally we'll wonder why we thought adding a podcast to our busy lives was a good idea. This is autism in real life. The hard parts, the funny parts, the things that worked, the things that absolutely did not, and the wins worth celebrating.

Information

  • Creator
    Autism Rewritten
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    4
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Autism Rewritten
  • Show Website
    Autism Rewritten

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