Autism Changemakers Podcast

Autism Changemakers is the podcast for parents of nonspeaking autistic kids who are done feeling isolated and dismissed. Hosted by Sara Intonato—parent coach, consultant, and mom to a nonspeaking child—you’ll find real tools, real connection, and real hope. We presume competence, honor brilliance, and create a community where parents lead the quiet revolution for change. https://www.autismchangemakers.com

Autism Changemakers Podcast is a kids podcast hosted by Sara Intonato, with 29 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Sara Intonato hosts Autism Changemakers Podcast, a kids show with 29 episodes published.

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  Episode #30

  Autism Parent Burnout: The Energetic Bank Account Framework

  Sep 28, 202623 minS1

  If self-care feels like one more thing on a list that is already too long, this episode is going to change how you think about it entirely. I kept watching parents of autistic and neurodiverse children pour everything into their kids, their families, their advocacy, and leave nothing for themselves. Whether your child is nonspeaking, minimally speaking, or anywhere on the spectrum, I knew from my own life exactly where that road leads. Yoga saved my life. When Rocco was diagnosed, when life felt too heavy to carry, it was the small daily deposits into my own energetic bank account that kept me standing. This episode is me handing you that same framework. In this episode I talk about: Why self-care has lost all meaning for most parents, and what to replace it with. The energetic bank account framework and why parents of autistic and neurodiverse children have higher withdrawals than anyone else, regardless of where their child falls on the spectrum. Why small deposits, a five minute walk, an extra glass of water, 15 minutes of movement, compound over time in ways that will surprise you. The research showing mothers of autistic children are 50% more likely to experience active depression symptoms than parents of neurotypical kids, and what to do about it today. Why the all-or-nothing mentality is quietly keeping you stuck. You make time for things you want to do. The question is whether you believe you are worth it. If this resonated, come find me, Sara Intonato, on Instagram @sara.intonato or learn more about Autism Changemakers at autismchangemakers.com . Note: I originally recorded this episode in 2024 for my previous podcast, The Full Potential: Thriving with Neurodiversities Podcast. At the time, Rocco was 14. The content is timeless and I am bringing it here because every parent in this community deserves to hear it. Autism Changemakers is a private community just for parents of nonspeaking kids. It's where you don't have to explain yourself, and where you'll always be surrounded by people who believe in your child's brilliance. Come join us. autismchangemakers.com Support the show

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  Episode #29

  The Day My Nonspeaking Son Spoke at His Own IEP Meeting

  Sep 14, 202621 minS1

  This episode of the Autism Changemakers Podcast is one I have been waiting to record for a long time. Yesterday, my 16-year-old son Rocco walked into his own IEP meeting and addressed his educational team directly using his letterboard. He looked around the room at the people who have worked with him and spelled: I am so grateful to all of you for helping me become the highest version of myself. I used to leave IEP meetings in tears. Fighting for the most basic things he deserved. Feeling like the system had all the power and we had none. Yesterday was something else entirely. In this episode I talk about: What Rocco said in that room and what it felt like to watch my nonspeaking son sit at the head of the table like he belonged there, because he does. Why this moment did not happen overnight, and what four years of slow, steady, cumulative progress in RPM and letterboard communication actually looks like from the inside. What changed in the tone of the meeting when Rocco was in the room, and why systems respond differently when a nonspeaking child has a voice they can no longer ignore. What Rocco has told us privately about wanting to earn a high school diploma and be held to a higher standard, and what it meant for him to finally tell his team that himself. Why the road feels impossibly slow while you are walking it, and what I want every parent still waiting for their breakthrough to know today. Rocco is not special because he is Rocco. He is special because he is human. And his story is simply evidence of what becomes possible when we presume competence, support communication, and refuse to give up. Your child's story is still being written. Every single step matters. If this resonated, come find me, Sara Intonato, on Instagram @sara.intonato or learn more about Autism Changemakers at autismchangemakers.com . Support the show

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  Episode #28

  Puberty and Autism: What Every Autism Parent Needs to Know With Laura Holland

  Aug 31, 202657 minS1

  If puberty has felt like a topic you are not ready for, not sure how to approach, or convinced your child cannot understand, this episode of the Autism Changemakers Podcast is going to change how you think about all of it. I invited Laura Holland, founder of All Ability Wellness and sexuality educator with over 25 years of experience, to talk about the topic most parents of non-speaking children desperately need and almost never receive real guidance on. Laura is not just an expert in her field. She is also the parent of an adult child with an intellectual and developmental disability. She has lived this. I found her while frantically searching the internet for resources for my own son Rocco. I landed on her website and immediately exhaled. In this episode we talk about: Why what is happening in your non-speaking child's body during puberty is biologically identical to what is happening in their same-age neurotypical peers, and why that changes everything about where you start. Why watering down information based on perceived ability instead of biological age is one of the most common mistakes schools and parents make. How to start the conversation without having one big overwhelming talk, and what to say when your child asks something you are completely unprepared for. The private versus public framework that works especially well for neurodiverse kids, and why rules-based language lands better than shame. The resources that actually exist right now for families, from picture-based social stories to video tools designed specifically for neurodiverse learners. Your child deserves this information. Not a watered-down version. Not someday when you feel ready. Now. Connect with Laura Holland at allabilitywellness.com or at laura@allabilitywellness.com . If this resonated, come find me, Sara Intonato, on Instagram @sara.intonato or learn more about Autism Changemakers at autismchangemakers.com . Autism Changemakers is a private community just for parents of nonspeaking kids. It's where you don't have to explain yourself, and where you'll always be surrounded by people who believe in your child's brilliance. Come join us. autismchangemakers.com Support the show

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  Episode #27

  Picky Eating and Autism: Real Food, Real Results With Betsy Hicks Russ

  Aug 17, 20261 hourS1

  If food has felt like a battlefield in your home, this episode of the Autism Changemakers Podcast is going to feel like someone finally turned the lights on. I invited my dear friend and fellow autism parent Betsy Hicks Russ to join me for this conversation. Betsy has 30 years of experience working with picky eaters, is a podcaster on the Telepathy Tapes Now What series, and is also the mom of Joe, an open speller you may already know from her social media page. She is someone I deeply respect, not just as a professional but as a parent who has lived this. We did not hold back. In this episode we talk about: Why real food is one of the simplest and most powerful things you can do for a non-speaking autistic child, and why feeding an already agitated nervous system with processed food is making everything harder. The history of how the food industry got us here, and why what your parents ate and what you ate as a child is genuinely not what is on the shelves today. Why you cannot presume your child's intelligence in the spelling room and then eat junk in front of them and expect them not to notice. They are watching everything. What ARFID actually is, why no one is talking about root causes, and why putting band-aids over bullet holes will never get you the progress you are looking for. Why mixed messages, whether about food, sleep, or screen time, are quietly making your child's nervous system harder to regulate, and what it looks like to finally get consistent. Why some children, like Rocco, are Ferraris. They require the best possible fuel, but when you give it to them, they outperform everything. And why that level of care is not a burden. It is a privilege. Stop overthinking it. Keep it simple. Real food, consistent habits, and the courage to take your power back today, not when everything is perfect. Connect with Betsy at betsyonthego.com for her food subscription and resources, and find her on Instagram at @betsyonthego . If this resonated, come find me, Sara Intonato, on Instagram @sara.intonato or learn more about Autism Changemakers at autismchangemakers.com. Support the show

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  Episode #25

  Interoception and Non-Speaking Autism: What Parents Need to Know | Daria Kotenko, Spelling the T on Autism

  Jul 20, 202657 minS1

  If you're parenting a non-speaking autistic child and you've never heard the word interoception before, this episode of the Autism Changemakers Podcast is where to start. I sat down with Daria Kotenko, mom to nine-year-old open speller Raphael and creator of Spelling the Tea on Autism, to talk about something that doesn't get nearly enough attention in our world: the inner body experience of non-speakers, and why parent regulation is not optional if you want to support it. Interoception is the ability to feel what's happening inside your own body. Hunger. Thirst. Digestion. Tension. It is something many non-speaking autistic children struggle with deeply, and it affects everything from motor planning to sensory regulation to their ability to spell. What Daria and I explored together is how much of this work starts with us as parents, not with our children. In this episode we talk about: What interoception is and why it is one of the most important things parents of non-speaking autistic children need to understand right now. Why your child's ability to connect to their body and develop better motor planning and regulation is directly tied to how regulated you are as their parent. Why you cannot fake calm around a non-speaking child, because they are perceptive enough to feel your state of stress or steadiness whether you say a word about it or not. What it actually means to presume competence when it comes to the body, and why believing this work is possible is where it all begins. What Daria and Raphael have built together as true partners in sharing their story, and what open spellers are telling us about what they need from the people around them. You cannot pour from an empty nervous system. And your child is already feeling everything you carry. Connect with Daria and Raphael at spellingtheteaonautism.com , on Instagram @spelling_the_tea_on_autism , or on Substack at spellingthetea.substack.com . If this resonated, come find me, Sara Intonato, on Instagram @sara.intonato or learn more about Autism Changemakers at autismchangemakers.com . Support the show

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