Inchstones with Sarah | Autism Advocacy & Caregiver Stories

Inchstones with Sarah features autism advocacy, caregiver stories, and neurodivergent parenting, sharing real-life experiences from mothers and caregivers with profound autism. We provide insights into autism family support, autism coping skills, and caregiver burnout to empower special-needs caregivers.

Inchstones with Sarah | Autism Advocacy & Caregiver Stories is a kids podcast hosted by Sarah, with 118 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Sarah hosts Inchstones with Sarah | Autism Advocacy & Caregiver Stories, a kids show with 118 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #119

  Who Speaks for Profound Autism? The Fight Over the Future of Autism Research with Tyler Hudson & Olivia Rojo

  Aug 18, 202635 minS2

  Who gets represented when the government decides the future of autism research? In this episode of INCHSTONES, Sarah Kernion is joined by advocates Tyler Hudson and Olivia Rojo for an urgent conversation about profound autism, caregiver stories, special needs parenting, and the families asking federal autism research to better reflect people with the most significant support needs. At the center of the conversation is the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) and its working draft for the next federal autism strategic plan. Sarah, Tyler, and Olivia discuss why the proposal has generated such intense debate—and why families raising children with profound autism believe this moment could help bring greater attention to a population they say has too often been missing from autism research. But this conversation goes far beyond one government document. What should autism research be trying to understand? Should researchers investigate causes, regression, medical complexity, communication challenges, gastrointestinal problems and other co-occurring conditions? How do we improve quality of life for autistic people today while still investigating the most disabling presentations of autism? And perhaps most importantly: who speaks for autistic people who cannot advocate for themselves? Tyler and Olivia discuss the tension between autism self-advocacy and parent advocacy, including their concern that conversations about autism acceptance can sometimes fail to represent families living with profound disability. They argue that acknowledging severe disability does not diminish an autistic person's dignity—and that accepting an autistic person and wanting to understand the causes of their suffering are not mutually exclusive. Olivia also shares the reality behind her advocacy: she is moving to another state seeking better care for her daughter while leaving her older daughter behind. Her family's experience opens a larger conversation about autism sibling dynamics, caregiver stress, profound care needs, and what happens when today's siblings become tomorrow's next of kin. Tyler shares his own family's experience trying to understand his son's recurring gastrointestinal problems and the exhaustion of parents being told, once again, that they are essentially responsible for experimenting, observing, adjusting, and trying to determine what helps their child. The three also confront a difficult reality of nonverbal autism and special needs parenting: much of the labor and suffering involved is invisible to people who have never lived it. Families may navigate dysregulation, communication barriers, medical issues, hypervigilance, sibling impact, and uncertainty about lifelong care—while simultaneously being criticized for talking publicly about those realities. This isn't a conversation asking for pity. It's a conversation asking for visibility, research, better systems, and the willingness to remain curious about what we still don't understand about autism. As Sarah says near the end of the episode: Severity is not the opposite of dignity. Families can fully love and accept an autistic person while still asking why they are suffering, what medicine may be missing, and what science still needs to understand. In This Episode 00:00 — Why Sarah, Tyler and Olivia came together for this conversation 01:55 — What families should understand about the IACC working draft 03:25 — “Autism is not a reason to stop looking” 03:50 — Profound autism and representation in autism research 06:35 — Why visibility matters for families with significant support needs 07:05 — Olivia's decision to move states seeking better care for her daughter 08:45 — Profound autism, terminology and representation 09:50 — Who advocates for autistic people who cannot self-advocate? 14:05 — What the proposed autism research framewor...

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #118

  What Fiction Can Teach Us About Special Needs Parenting | Jacqueline Friedland, Author of Breathing Underwater

  Aug 13, 202623 minS1

  What can fiction reveal about special needs parenting that facts and statistics sometimes cannot? In this episode of INCHSTONES, Sarah Kernion talks with author Jacqueline Friedland about Breathing Underwater, her new novel exploring autism, caregiving, adolescence, independence, identity, and the extraordinary power of having one person who refuses to stop believing in you. Jacqueline was raised by a professor of special education and began writing fiction in part because she believed stories could create empathy and help people see experiences outside their own. In Breathing Underwater, that mission takes shape through Leo, a 16-year-old autistic boy, and McKenna, a college swimmer whose seemingly successful life is quietly falling apart. Their relationship raises questions that will feel deeply familiar to many special needs parents: How much support is enough? When does helping become holding on too tightly? How do we prepare autistic children for adulthood when so many services disappear after high school? And how do we learn to live without certainty about what comes next? Sarah and Jacqueline also discuss the enormous importance of swimming and water safety for autistic children, including the elevated risk of drowning that helped inspire Jacqueline's novel. Their conversation moves beyond statistics, though, into the sensory and emotional experience of water—and the connection, regulation, and joy that can sometimes exist there. They also explore caregiver stories, maternal identity, invisible labor, the desire to control every variable, and the difficult practice of allowing other people to help. Jacqueline shares one of the central realizations she had while developing Leo: difference does not automatically mean something needs to be fixed. A child's challenges and strengths can coexist, and autism cannot be reduced to one universal experience or one universal solutioAt its heart, this conversation is about support—not saving someone by changing who they are, but becoming the person who remains beside them while they discover what they're capable of. In This Episode 01:30 — Why Jacqueline chose fiction to tell stories that matter 03:00 — Writing an autistic teenager instead of a young autistic child 05:00 — The “services cliff” after high school and preparing for adulthood 06:00 — How much support is too much—or not enough? 07:45 — Why one person believing in a child can change everything 09:45 — Autism, swimming, water safety, and drowning risk 11:15 — The sensory experience of being underwater 13:00 — Caregiving and the realization that not everyone needs to be “fixed” 15:30 — Invisible labor, motherhood, stress, and learning to relinquish control 18:30 — McKenna, college-student homelessness, and what happens without a support system 20:00 — Why there is no “struggle Olympics” in parenting 21:00 — Finding beautifully typical moments inside nonverbal autism 22:30 — Why caregiver stories can increase empathy and change how we see one another Jacqueline Friedland is the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of historical and contemporary women’s fiction. After earning degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and NYU Law School and practicing as a commercial litigator, she received her MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College. Her novels have earned multiple honors, including Readers’ Favorite Gold Medals, a Kirkus Reviews Best Indie Book of the Year selection, and a SheReads Best Book Club Pick. Her sixth novel, Breathing Under Water, arrives from Harper Muse in August 2026 following acclaim from Booklist, People, Zibby Owens, and the Jewish Joy Book Club. She lives in Westchester, New York. Read Jacqueline Friedland's Breathing Underwater, a novel exploring autism, caregiving, identity, swimming, sup... Chapters (00:00:00) - Jackie Friedland on Her New Book, The Autistic Mother (00:01:22) - Why Did I Choose Fiction for My Autism Story? (00:06:07) - On Writing 'The Autistic Child' (00:07:18) - In Breathing Underwater With Autism (00:10:41) - Breathing Underwater (00:12:37) - In the Dark: Caregiving With Autism (00:17:12) - How To Raise a Homeless Child

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #117

  Autism Advocacy: Why Access to Care Matters More Than Ever | Dr. John Gaitanis on Meadow

  Aug 6, 20269 minS2

  What happens when families know a treatment could help their child—but can't access it? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with pediatric neurologist Dr. John Gaitanis to discuss autism advocacy, autism therapy options, and why Meadow was created to help families access individualized care beyond a diagnosis. For many families, an autism diagnosis is only the beginning. The harder question often comes next: Where do we go from here? In this follow-up conversation, Sarah Kernion and pediatric neurologist Dr. John Gaitanis explore why so many parents struggle to access testing, treatments, and physicians willing to investigate the underlying biology affecting their child's health and development. Together, they discuss the vision behind Meadow, a telehealth platform designed to expand access to physician-guided care for autistic children and families. Dr. Gaitanis explains why treatments such as leucovorin, gut microbiome testing, mitochondrial support, and other evidence-informed interventions are often difficult for families to obtain—even when research demonstrates safety and potential benefit. Rather than promoting a single solution, he describes a whole-child approach that asks a different question: What is preventing this child from feeling and functioning at their best? Sarah and Dr. G also discuss communication, pain, nervous system regulation, caregiver advocacy, and why behavior should never be viewed in isolation. For many non-speaking autistic individuals, behaviors such as aggression or self-injury may be expressions of untreated pain, inflammation, sensory challenges, or an inability to communicate effectively. Looking beyond behaviors and searching for root causes has the potential to improve quality of life for both children and their families. Whether you're beginning your autism diagnosis journey or looking for additional autism support resources, this episode encourages families to ask better questions, seek individualized care, and remain open to evidence-based approaches that prioritize the whole child.Resources Learn more about Meadow Health and Dr. John Gaitanis' work in individualized autism care. Subscribe to the Inchstones Podcast for conversations about autism advocacy, caregiver stories, and neurodivergent parenting, featuring physicians, researchers, caregivers, and advocates working to improve the lives of autistic individuals and their families. Chapters (00:00:00) - Meeting the Parents of Autism with telehealth (00:04:58) - The Healing Approach to Abdominal Pain

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #116

  What a Special Education Teacher Taught Me About Presuming Competence | Zack Ponder

  Aug 4, 202628 minS2

  Castos Description Episode Summary What happens when a special education teacher spends years working with profoundly disabled students—and then realizes the biggest lesson wasn't about teaching at all? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with former special education teacher and Unspecial Podcast host Zack Ponder to explore caregiver stories, autism advocacy, neurodivergent parenting, and why presuming competence changes everything. Full Episode Description Before launching the Unspecial Podcast, Zack Ponder spent years teaching students with profound autism, complex communication needs, and significant disabilities. Those experiences fundamentally changed the way he understands intelligence, behavior, caregiving, and human connection. In this thoughtful conversation, Sarah and Zack discuss what it means to presume competence, why outward behavior rarely tells the full story, and how educators, parents, and clinicians can better support children by seeing their strengths before their limitations. Zack shares stories from the classroom that forever shaped his understanding of autism communication, emotional regulation, and the incredible capabilities that often remain hidden beneath motor planning challenges. zack-sarah.txtTXT The conversation also explores fatherhood, caregiver resilience, nervous system regulation, homeschooling, balancing family life during a spouse's cancer journey, and why caring for yourself is essential if you hope to co-regulate with the children who depend on you. Together, Sarah and Zack examine why parents should trust what they observe, why difficult conversations strengthen advocacy, and how small moments of connection often become the most meaningful inchstones. In this episode, we discuss: autism advocacy through presuming competence caregiver stories from both the classroom and home neurodivergent parenting and emotional regulation profound autism care and communication autism education strategies caregiver mental health and nervous system regulation fatherhood and disability caregiving special education advocacy why connection matters more than compliance finding hope through everyday inchstones Whether you're raising an autistic child, working in special education, supporting neurodivergent families, or simply trying to become a calmer parent, this episode offers a hopeful reminder that every child deserves to be seen beyond what the world immediately notices. In This Episode 02:30 — Why Zack left special education but never left the mission 05:00 — What profound autism taught him about seeing the unseen 08:00 — Caregiver burnout and protecting your nervous system 11:00 — Co-regulation begins with the parent 14:00 — Presuming competence in non-speaking children 17:00 — The classroom story that changed everything 20:00 — Fathers, strength, and disability parenting 24:00 — Why advocacy should create collaboration—not conflict 27:00 — Finding hope in the smallest everyday moments Resources Learn more about Zack Ponder and listen to the Unspecial Podcast, where he shares conversations with parents, educators, and disability advocates. Subscribe to the Inchstones Podcast for more conversations about autism advocacy, caregiver stories, and neurodivergent parenting that help families feel seen, supported, and understood. Read more essays on the Inchstones Substack .

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #114

  Caregiver Stories: What My Daughter's Disability Taught Me About Living with Evan Rosenblum

  Jul 21, 202633 minS2

  What happens when the life you planned disappears overnight? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with former TMZ executive producer Evan Rosenblum to explore caregiver stories, disability parenting, neurodivergent families, and how raising a child with profound disabilities transformed his understanding of purpose, fatherhood, and joy. When Evan Rosenblum's daughter Sydney arrived at just 25 weeks gestation, everything changed in an instant. After 143 days in the NICU, multiple surgeries, a traumatic brain injury, and a long list of medical diagnoses, Evan found himself navigating a reality he never imagined while desperately trying to hold onto the life he thought he was supposed to have. In this deeply honest conversation, Sarah and Evan explore what happens when identity, career, expectations, and parenthood collide. Together they discuss the emotional journey of becoming a special needs father, processing grief, balancing work and caregiving, and learning to see disability not as the end of a story—but the beginning of a completely different one. Evan shares how leaving his career at TMZ allowed him to embrace a new definition of success, why his daughter Sydney became one of his greatest teachers, and how his son is growing into a compassionate sibling whose understanding of disability is quietly changing the world around him. This episode is about more than disability. It's about what happens when life forces you to become someone new. Whether you're navigating an autism diagnosis, raising a child with profound disabilities, supporting neurodivergent families, or simply searching for hope inside an unexpected life, this conversation is a reminder that joy can exist alongside grief—and that sometimes the life you never planned becomes the one you were always meant to live. In This Episode 02:00 — Sydney's birth at 25 weeks and surviving 143 days in the NICU 06:15 — Identity, work, and trying to hold onto a "normal" life 09:30 — Processing grief after a life-changing diagnosis 13:00 — Why fathers experience caregiving differently 17:15 — Anger, healing, and emotional recovery 21:00 — Raising siblings alongside children with disabilities 25:00 — Inclusion, friendship, and changing the next generation 29:00 — Adventure, surfing, Disney, and giving children full lives 33:00 — Living in the present instead of fearing the future Resources Learn more from Evan Rosenblum by reading his Substack , where he writes about fatherhood, disability, caregiving, and finding meaning through unexpected life experiences. Subscribe to the Inchstones Podcast for more conversations about autism advocacy, caregiver stories, and neurodivergent parenting featuring parents, clinicians, researchers, and advocates helping families thrive.

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Inchstones with Sarah | Autism Advocacy & Caregiver Stories. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.