Parenting & Family Life Episodes

Some mornings feel impossible but years later, they're the stories that keep us going. In this deeply personal solo episode, Mike Carr steps away from the topic of guardianship to share an unfiltered look at one unforgettable morning caring for his 36-year-old son, Michael, who is profoundly autistic and nonverbal. From soaked bedding and piles of laundry to broken technology, sensory-seeking behaviors, endless glasses of water and bathroom mishaps, Mike walks listeners through the kind of mo...

Many families are told that autism is something that inevitably gets harder over time and that there’s little they can do beyond behavioral therapy and medication. But what if that narrative is incomplete? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr speaks with Dr. Theresa Lyons, a Yale-trained scientist, founder of Navigating Awetism and mother of a non-speaking autistic daughter. Drawing from both scientific research and lived experience, Dr. Lyons shares a new perspective on what’s possible and...

Choosing the right autism program isn’t just about services, it’s about culture, communication and trust. In Part 3 of this series, Johnna Oppermann, a consultant with over two decades of experience working with autism nonprofits and families joins Mike Carr to break down the hidden factors that determine whether a program succeeds or fails. This episode focuses on real-world challenges faced by parents and caregivers of profoundly autistic teens and adults, including fear-driven decision-making...

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 ...

Communication with a nonverbal autistic child can feel overwhelming, confusing, and at times impossible. In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr shares a powerful and practical framework that shifts the focus from speaking to listening, specifically, how we listen. Drawing from the concept of adaptive listening, Mike explains how communication in autism extends far beyond words. For individuals with limited or no verbal language, meaning is often expressed through body language, facial express...

Most autism parenting advice focuses on behavior strategies, therapy plans and routines. But what if the biggest transformation begins with mindset? In this reflective solo episode, Mike Carr, co-founder of Autism Labs and father to a profoundly autistic adult, shares a powerful perspective shaped by years of caregiving and lived experience. Drawing inspiration from timeless wisdom principles, Mike reframes them through the lens of autism parenting and caregiving. He explores how humility, grief...

What if the biggest breakthroughs in autism therapy aren’t happening inside the therapy room? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr sits down with Diana Danu, an autism parent from Bucharest, Romania, to explore what truly drives progress for children with autism and what many systems overlook. After years of navigating therapy, education, and limited resources, Diana shares the turning points that changed her son Gabi’s development. From discovering the importance of joint attention and ...

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...

Autism transition to adulthood isn’t just about leaving school. It’s about what comes next and whether a young adult is ready for it. In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr speaks with Will Renfro, who leads transition services for more than 70 students, and Patti Cole, a veteran special education teacher known for her creative, individualized approach to learning and independence. They share real-world strategies that go beyond standard transition plans. The conversation focuses on how indep...

Raising a child with profound autism can teach parents lessons they never expected to learn. In this personal Autism Labs episode, Mike Carr reflects on five lessons he learned while raising his son Michael, an autistic adult with complex support needs. Mike openly shares where he struggled as a father, including times when he avoided difficult caregiving tasks, became disconnected from therapy and daily routines, reacted inconsistently to behavior, and relied on rationalizations that placed ...

What should parents and caregivers believe when they hear a new claim about autism treatment? After more than 35 years raising his son Michael, who has severe autism and complex support needs, Mike Carr shares what his family has learned about navigating autism research, treatment claims, caregiving and everyday support. In this episode, Mike discusses commonly asked questions about vaccines and autism, acetaminophen/Tylenol during pregnancy, leucovorin, cerebral folate deficiency and folic a...

What role does fun play in the life of someone with profound autism? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr explores why meaningful, enjoyable experiences should be an intentional part of autism care, especially for people with profound or severe autism and significant support needs. Mike shares a personal story about his son Michael and his love of being on the water. What may look like a simple boat outing actually requires extensive preparation, physical assistance, supervision, and saf...

What role can variety play in the life of a person with profound autism? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr shares personal experiences from raising his adult son, Michael, and explores how trying different activities can sometimes uncover unexpected interests, social connections, and sources of joy. For many autistic people, predictable routines can provide important structure. At the same time, families may discover new opportunities for recreation and connection by carefully introdu...

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 really helps autistic people, especially those with profound autism and significant support needs? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr looks beyond theory and shares what his family and J13 have learned from putting community-based experiences into practice with autistic adults. Their summer camp brings participants into a variety of real-world environments, including climbing gyms, trampoline parks, farms, bowling alleys, horseback activities and Morgan’s Wonderland. Mike shares a pa...

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,...

Creating a Safe and Structured Home for Profound Autism For families supporting someone with profound autism, the home environment can play an important role in safety, communication, daily routines and independence. In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr shares real-world lessons from creating a safer and more structured home for his son, Michael. Mike begins with a frightening experience involving Michael's pica behavior and a chlorine tablet near the family pool. That incident reinforce...

Stress is a reality for many parents and caregivers supporting someone with profound or severe autism, especially when that support continues into adulthood. In this personal Autism Labs episode, Mike Carr reflects on a frightening bicycle accident that gave him an unexpected opportunity to step back and reconsider the stress he carries as the father of his profoundly autistic adult son, Michael. Mike speaks openly about the realities of lifelong autism caregiving, including disrupted family pla...

In this powerful season premiere of Autism Labs, Mike Carr explores what it really means to “play the game” of profound autism caregiving and why most families are looking at it the wrong way. Using a mix of real-life experience and storytelling, Mike reflects on 35 years of raising a profoundly autistic son and reveals a truth many families eventually discover: caregiving is not evenly distributed, and the most important role is often invisible. From managing therapy schedules and behavioral ch...

In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr explores one of the most critical and often overlooked topics in autism care: layered safety systems for individuals with profound autism. Through a real-world scenario involving a school environment, Mike illustrates how quickly a child can transition from a safe setting to a life-threatening situation not due to a single mistake, but due to multiple small breakdowns happening at once. A miscommunication between staff. A temporary disruption in routine....