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Practical tips and evidence-based guidance to make life easier for you and your severely autistic loved ones.

  1. 4D AGO

    Building Autism Support Programs That Actually Work: Beyond Just Finding Great People

    Supporting individuals with autism and complex needs requires more than exceptional staff members. While finding dedicated caregivers is valuable, challenges such as staff turnover, scheduling limitations, illness, and burnout create inevitable gaps. The solution lies not in building large teams alone, but in establishing adaptable, flexible systems that support both the child and their care network. Effective support encompasses ongoing communication among staff, leadership, parents, teachers, therapists, doctors, and the individual and their peers, combined with tailored, dynamic interventions that adjust to specific moments and circumstances. This includes flexible goal-setting, adjustable progress tracking, behavior supports, exercise variety, clear expectations, and constant awareness to anticipate and prevent escalating behaviors. Success requires integrating intuition with science, human connection with proven tools, and continuous experimentation and adaptation. Building a supportive community and network around the individual, rather than relying on solo or limited parental efforts, is essential for sustainable, effective care. If you're interested in joining our private Facebook community for parents and caregivers seeking residential options, guidance and peer support for profoundly autistic adults or adults with complex needs - click here! https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Bis7FizDW/

    5 min

  2. JAN 26

    Autism Transition to Adulthood: Tips for Parents and Caregivers from Transition Specialists

    In this episode, the Round Rock ISD team emphasizes that successful transition for young adults with autism requires individualized, out-of-the-box approaches tailored to each student’s interests and strengths, including small motivators and safe spaces for self-regulation. Parents are encouraged to gradually teach life skills such as personal care, household tasks, and vocational responsibilities, while also introducing community-based activities in a structured, supportive way. Collaboration between parents, teachers, and specialists is essential, with tools like step-by-step guides, social stories, and visual supports to reinforce learning at home. Building autonomy, self-advocacy, and joy through choice and engagement is key, and mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities. Parents are advised to connect with support networks and to plan for life beyond school, gradually increasing independence while maintaining safety. Utilizing available resources like the SPED website helps families navigate the process and provide consistent, meaningful experiences that promote confidence, skills, and social participation. See the links below for resources: Round Rock Destination Life - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cqFuZ-Kv9D6cy1lDVKRRfRhtcZ5Jc0GN/view?usp=sharing Round Rock ISD - https://sites.google.com/roundrockisd.org/spedtransitionservices Texas SPED Support - https://spedsupport.tea.texas.gov/resource-library/texas-transition-and-employment-guide

    26 min

  3. JAN 20

    Autism Transition to Adulthood Programs: Expert Guidance from Round Rock School District

    Autism Labs: Transition Programming in Round Rock School District This episode features representatives from Round Rock School District, one of the larger school districts in the greater Austin, Texas area. The discussion centers on transition programming for students with autism and developmental disabilities, led by Patti Cole, a transition teacher, and Will Renfro, the transition coordinator for the district. Round Rock's transition program currently serves over 70 students at different support levels. Approximately 15 of these students have higher-level support needs and are in the 18+ program, while the remaining students work on living skills and work skills, with some holding paid employment positions in the community. Key recommendations for parents entering transition include: (1) getting on Medicaid waiver lists early, such as HCS, Bluebonnet Trails, and Integral Care, as younger enrollment leads to faster access to financial resources; (2) collaborating with school parent liaisons and educating oneself about available programs such as day habilitation services and transition fairs; and (3) developing partnership-based relationships with teachers and school districts rather than adversarial approaches. The episode emphasizes that behavior often communicates student needs and that discovering hidden potential through consistent, appropriate environmental modifications—such as offering choices, physical activity, and modified expectations—can significantly improve outcomes. Additionally, starting transition planning conversations early, ideally before age 14, helps families better prepare for adulthood. If you're interested in joining our Facebook community for parents and caregivers seeking residential options, guidance and peer support for profoundly autistic adults - click here! https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1GFxzqPyCT/

    28 min

  4. JAN 12

    Why I’m Optimistic About My Severely Autistic Child’s Future

    In this episode, Mike Carr shares why he remains optimistic about the future for his severely autistic son despite the many challenges parents face, including the loss of school-based supports after age 21, difficulty accessing adult services, navigating benefits like SSI and special needs trusts, establishing legal guardianship, and planning for long-term care. He highlights reasons for hope: greater awareness of severe autism, stronger parent-led advocacy through organizations like the NCSA and Profound Autism Alliance, advancing research that identifies distinct types of autism, emerging care alternatives such as pairing severely autistic individuals with higher-functioning “buddies,” and technology-driven solutions including AI and wearable devices that monitor biometrics and behavior to prevent crises. While raising a profoundly autistic child is undeniably demanding, these developments provide practical pathways for safer, more stable, and fulfilling lives, showing that the future can be shaped by progress, innovation, and informed planning rather than fear. See the links below: Jill Escher - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-escher-8b676443/ NCSA - http://ncsautism.org Judith Ursitti - https://www.linkedin.com/in/judith-ursitti-cpa-21b5005/ Profound Autism Alliance - https://www.profoundautism.org/ New Science Points to Four Distinct Types of Autism - https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/12/26/autism-research-diagnosis-subtypes/ Natalie Sauerwald - https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-sauerwald-a442b894/ Nature Genetics, identified four distinct types of autism - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-025-02224-z

    11 min

  5. 12/29/2025

    5 Autism Parenting Tips from a Dad’s Honest Experience

    In this podcast, Mike Carr shares five key lessons he’s learned raising a child with complex special needs. He emphasizes the importance of humility, encouraging parents to ask for help rather than guessing or improvising, and warns against feigning ignorance, which can lead to disconnection from daily therapy and routines. Consistency is highlighted as critical, with parents advised to mirror the language, tone, and approaches of teachers and therapists to reduce behavior challenges. Mike also cautions against rationalizing personal convenience over family needs, noting that small daily contributions matter more than occasional heroic gestures. Finally, he stresses the power of habit building, showing how small, repeatable routines—like helping with hygiene or household tasks—stack over time to create meaningful improvements, stronger bonds, and a calmer, more joyful family life.

    11 min

  6. 12/22/2025

    Finding Autism Residential Care: Tips For Parents & Families

    Mike Carr and Joel Wood discuss building residential and support options for adults with profound autism, saying staffing - motivated, caring people over credentials- is the biggest challenge. They recommend partnering with universities, using visual communication and careful observation (behavior is communication), starting small with day programs or informal gatherings, and having clear plans for leadership, ownership, funding, and staffing. Tech and AI can help with research, training, and spotting stress, but can’t replace human connection; their final advice to parents is: be persistent, work with systems (not against them), and keep moving forward.

    18 min

  7. 12/16/2025

    Residential Care for Autism: What We're Learning About Creating Programs That Actually Work

    Joel and Martha are planning a meaningful future for their 20-year-old son William, nonverbal but highly intelligent (spells to communicate), with autism and apraxia, body-control issues, and elopement—because typical programs don’t engage people like him. They want purposeful work, social connection, graduated independence, community engagement, and flexible days mixing vocational, recreational, and social activities in environments that assume competence; major barriers are staffing, behavior support, funding, and sustainability, and they look to models like New Jersey’s We Make – Autism at Work and John 13 for balancing structured work, recreation, safety, and independence.

    21 min

  8. 12/08/2025

    Autism Respite Care: What We've Learned Building a Program for Adults with Severe Autism

    In this episode of Autism Labs discussion between Mike Carr, Allie Langan, and Sharon Holloway regarding respite care programs for parents of severely autistic adults.  The key points from the transcript include: - Getting individuals with autism and other disabilities out into the community is important, as it helps educate the community and can lead to community members becoming supporters of the program. - Respite care programs can provide much-needed breaks for parents, allowing them to attend family events without fear of their child disrupting the gathering.  - Transitional transportation is crucial, as a dedicated van with trained staff can help mitigate behaviors and facilitate community engagement.  - Avoiding isolation and promoting peer interaction is key, as it can help individuals "level up" their skills and independence. - Finding the right jobs or volunteer opportunities that match an individual's interests and abilities is important for their sense of fulfillment and independence. - Sustainable funding models that include both donations and parental fees are necessary for the long-term viability of respite care programs.

    23 min
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About

Practical tips and evidence-based guidance to make life easier for you and your severely autistic loved ones.

Information

  • Creator
    Autism Labs Community
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Autism Labs
  • Show Website
    Autism Labs