Episodes

Where will my profoundly autistic adult child live when school ends and nothing nearby fits? Host Mike Carr speaks with Debra Caudy, founder of 29 Acres, an intentional community just north of Dallas-Fort Worth where about a third of clients have high support needs. They talk about mixing support levels, Texas waiver funding, staffing and training, and giving a nonverbal adult real choices. Questions this episode answers Where will my profoundly autistic adult child live? How to find residenti...

What does real independence look like for adults with autism? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr speaks with Emily Ricketson, Executive Director of AIM (Adults Independent and Motivated), a program in Austin, Texas that is redefining autism adult services. Unlike traditional residential models, AIM focuses on independent living in the community, where adults with IDD live in apartments, hold jobs and build meaningful relationships with the right level of support. Emily shares: • ...

Most families don’t go straight from home to residential care and they shouldn’t. In Part 2 of this conversation, Mike Carr sits down with Nathan Bryant, Executive Director of High Point Village, to break down one of the most important (and often misunderstood) steps in autism planning: the transition from home to independent living. The key insight? Respite is not just support for families, it’s the foundation for long-term success. Nathan shares how structured respite experiences help indiv...

What happens after age 22 for individuals with autism? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr speaks with Nathan Bryant, Executive Director of High Point Village in Lubbock, Texas. Nathan shares his unique journey from law school to ministry to leading a nonprofit serving adults with autism and how his personal experience as a father shaped his approach to care. Together, they explore what effective adult services can look like, especially for individuals with higher or profound support ne...

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...

Sleep challenges in autism aren’t just difficult, they can be life-altering. In Part 2 of this Autism Labs conversation, Dr. Muzammil Shafi, a neuroradiologist and father of a profoundly autistic son, shares the real-world impact of severe sleep disruption on behavior, caregiving, and overall quality of life. From melatonin and pharmacological interventions to the emotional toll of chronic sleep deprivation, this episode explores how families navigate one of the most common and least understo...

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...

What actually happens when your autistic child turns 18? For many families, this transition brings overwhelming questions about guardianship, SSI, financial planning and long-term independence. But what most parents don’t realize is that guardianship is not always required and in some cases, it may not be the best option. In Part 2 of this conversation, Mike Carr speaks with special needs planning attorney Melissa Donovan to break down the real decisions families face as their child approache...

What happens when your autistic child turns 18? For many families, this transition brings unexpected legal and financial challenges and without the right plan, it can put your child’s care and benefits at risk. In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr sits down with certified elder law attorney Melissa Donovan to break down the essential steps parents need to take before their child reaches adulthood. Melissa specializes in special needs planning, including guardianship, government benefits ...

What happens after individuals with profound autism age out of the school system? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr sits down with Jon Hockenyos, a father and advocate navigating life with a profoundly autistic adult son. Together, they explore what truly drives growth, independence and quality of life in adulthood and why many traditional programs fall short. Drawing from real-world experience, they discuss the importance of environment, leadership and culture in autism services. The...

What happens after autism services end? In this powerful Autism Labs episode, Mike Carr sits down with Jon Hockenyos economist, policy expert and father of a 23-year-old son with profound autism for a candid, dad-to-dad conversation about life after the school system. Together, they explore the reality families face when structured support disappears. From early experiences of being removed from programs due to behavior, to navigating a broken adult services system with decades-long waitlists...

Finding the Right Residential Program for Profound Autism: What Really Matters After more than two decades of searching for the right residential environment for his profoundly autistic son, Mike Carr shares a deeply honest look at what families must consider when evaluating long-term care options. In this episode, Mike explores the limits of AI-driven research after testing multiple platforms and receiving completely inconsistent recommendations. More importantly, he walks through real-life ...

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...

What happens to your child with autism when you’re no longer there to care for them? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr shares a deeply personal and practical guide to future planning for children with autism especially those with higher support needs. After a moment that exposed how unprepared systems can be, Mike walks through a 9-step planning checklist designed to reduce fear, uncertainty and costly mistakes. You’ll learn: • Why getting on Medicaid waiver lists early can mean acces...

What happens to your child with autism when you’re no longer there to care for them? It’s one of the most difficult and most important questions parents face. In this episode, Mike Carr shares his personal journey as the father of a 36-year-old son with profound autism. From early fears to real-world planning, this episode lays the foundation for what families need to know about lifelong care. You’ll learn: Why planning not worrying is the key to protecting your child’s futureThe 5 essential ...

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...

Are we focusing on the wrong starting point in autism care? In this episode of Autism Labs, host Mike Carr speaks with Dr. Theresa Lyons a Yale-trained scientist, PhD and autism parent about why health may be the missing piece in autism support. While many families begin with therapies like ABA or structured education, Dr. Lyons explains how underlying health challenges such as gut imbalances, infections, sleep issues and nutritional deficiencies can significantly impact behavior, learning an...

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...

Finding a great caregiver for a child with profound autism is incredibly difficult, but keeping them may be the real challenge. In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr shares a practical, experience-driven framework to help families build sustainable, long-term support teams. Drawing from decades of real-life caregiving, Mike explains why caregiver turnover happens and how parents can change the environment around the role to improve retention, reduce burnout and create meaningful, lasting rel...

How do you actually find reliable caregivers for profound autism? For many families, this is the single hardest part of the journey. In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr, father of a 35-year-old profoundly autistic son shares over three decades of real-world experience navigating one of the most difficult challenges in autism caregiving: Building a dependable, skilled support team. From aggressive behaviors to nonverbal communication and medical complexities, Mike explains why transition...

What if technology could help autistic adults become safer, more independent, and more engaged in everyday life? In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr continues his conversation with Mike Courtney, founder of Daily Living Labs, about the future of technology and autism support. Mike Courtney is a futurist, angel investor, professor, and innovator exploring how artificial intelligence, smart home technology, robotics, and community collaboration can improve daily living for individuals with d...

What if the tools to improve daily life for individuals with autism are already within reach? In this episode of Autism Labs, host Mike Carr is joined by futurist, researcher and entrepreneur Mike Courtney to explore how AI and everyday technology can support individuals with complex and profound autism. Rather than focusing on abstract innovation, this conversation centers on real-world applications families and caregivers can use today. From leveraging smartphones to teach communication ski...

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...