Behavior & ABA Episodes

Sudden Autism Behavior Changes? It Might Be Catatonia What happens when your child, teen or adult suddenly changes? Increased aggression, freezing, loss of communication or unusual behaviors can feel like regression or “behavior issues.” But in some cases, it may be something far less recognized: catatonia in autism. In this episode of Autism Labs, host Mike Carr shares a deeply personal perspective as a parent of a 36-year-old son with profound autism. Drawing from real-life experience and r...

In this powerful episode of Autism Labs, host Mike Carr speaks with Dr. Muzammil Shafi, a board-certified radiologist and neuroradiologist and a father of a profoundly autistic son. Dr. Shafi shares both his medical expertise and lived experience navigating autism diagnosis, sudden developmental regression and the long-term realities of caregiving for a nonverbal child. The conversation explores early autism signs, loss of speech after initial progress, medical uncertainty, gut-brain connections...

In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr continues his conversation with BCBA Mailande Vise, who shares practical, experience-driven strategies for supporting individuals with high support needs especially in the home environment. Mailande breaks down how parents can better understand and respond to challenging behaviors by identifying their underlying function. From sensory needs to attention-seeking, escape or access to preferred items, this episode explains how behavior is communication and ...

What happens when autistic children grow into autistic adults? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr sits down with Mailande Vise, M.Ed., BCBA, an experienced behavior analyst with more than a decade of experience supporting autistic individuals across a wide range of ages and support needs. Together they discuss one of the most pressing issues facing families today: the shortage of specialized programs and trained professionals for autistic teens and adults. Mailande shares her firsthand...

In Part 2 of this powerful Autism Labs conversation, Mike Carr sits down with Glenn Carter (Board Certified Behavior Analyst with 15+ years of experience) to explore one of the most complex topics in autism care: the relationship between medication, behavior, and everyday life factors. Many families rely on medication to manage aggression, focus, or sleep challenges. But as Glenn explains, without clear data and defined goals, medication can become a cycle of side effects rather than solutions. ...

What Happens After ABA Ends? Real Strategies for Autism Adults Most autism therapy is designed for children,but what happens when those services end? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr speaks with Glenn Carter (BCBA, 15+ years experience) about the critical transition from structured therapy to adulthood, especially for individuals with profound autism and high-support needs. Glenn shares practical insights from working across the full autism lifespan, from early intervention to adult ...

What happens when an autistic child is receiving therapy, attending preschool and following a treatment plan, but the skills aren't transferring into everyday life? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr speaks with Diana Danu, a mother from Bucharest, Romania, about her 8-year-old son, Gabi and the lessons their family learned navigating autism diagnosis, therapy, school, parenting and support services. Diana shares what happened after Gabi was diagnosed around age three and how her family i...

Aggressive behavior can be one of the most difficult challenges families face when supporting a person with profound or severe autism. In this episode of the Autism Labs Podcast, Mike Carr shares his personal experience raising his adult son, Michael, and navigating years of aggressive and challenging behavior. Mike discusses what his family has learned about applied behavior analysis (ABA), the importance of understanding what happens before a behavior, how our responses can unintentionally rei...

What can parents and caregivers do to make everyday life easier for someone with profound autism? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr shares seven practical autism parenting and caregiving strategies based on his family's experience raising his profoundly autistic son, Michael. Mike discusses how better communication can help reduce anxiety, why visual schedules can make routines easier to understand, how parents can recognize nonverbal cues, and why enthusiastic praise can encourage po...

What happens when a family depends on Medicaid to support a loved one with profound autism and that funding becomes uncertain? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr discusses autism funding options and financial planning strategies that families may want to understand as they prepare for adulthood and the transition out of school services. Drawing from his family's experience supporting his son with profound autism, Mike provides a high-level overview of several potential sources of support,...

Pica can be a serious safety concern for autistic children and adults, particularly when someone repeatedly eats or mouths non-food items. In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr shares 35 years of firsthand experience raising his severely autistic son, Michael. Speaking as a parent rather than a clinician, Mike explains what pica has looked like in their family and the practical steps they've taken to reduce risk. Mike discusses examples ranging from eating rocks, leaves, dirt, and clothing t...