Sip and Stim

What if the fastest way to find more joy is to stop forcing your family to live the way you think you’re supposed to? In this episode of Sip & Stim, Toni and Kate talk about finding joy again when parenting, autism, appointments, milestones, expectations, and everyday life start to feel overwhelming. They get into how easy it is to focus so much on what should be happening next that you miss w...

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs are the ones you never saw coming. In this episode of Sip & Stim, Toni and Kate are joined by Kayla for a conversation about the moments when children surprise us, exceed expectations, and remind us why their future should never be defined by where they are today. They talk about recognizing progress that may not show up on a treatment plan, why natural lear...

There’s the parenting everyone sees. Then there’s everything you’re carrying in your head that no one else can see. In this episode of Sip & Stim, Toni and Kate talk about the invisible mental load that can come with raising a child with autism: appointments, therapies, schedules, safety planning, sensory needs, medications, school, travel, backup plans, and the constant responsibility of reme...

Do you ever feel like you're failing as a parent, even when you're giving everything you have? Toni and Kate talk about parenting guilt, comparison, exhaustion, siblings, therapy, advocacy, and the constant feeling that you should somehow be doing more. They get into what happens when one child needs more of your time and attention, the guilt that can come with taking a break, comparing yo...

How do you set boundaries when you're raising a child with autism without feeling guilty every time you say no? Toni and Kate talk family boundaries, sensory needs, parenting decisions, transitions, physical affection, and protecting what your child needs even when other people don't understand. They get into the pressure to explain your choices, missing family events, parenting differently from t...

How do friendships change when you're raising a child with autism? Toni and Kate talk autism parenting, changing friendships, support systems, and finding people who truly understand your family. Sometimes the invitations slow down, plans become harder, and people who once felt close begin to feel more like acquaintances. They talk about what real support looks like, accepting help, family judgmen...

Why do I feel guilty for needing a break? This week on Sip & Stim , Toni and Kate talk caregiver burnout, mom guilt, parenting a child with autism, recognizing when you're running on empty, and why asking for help can feel so hard. Burnout does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like irritability, exhaustion, needing a few quiet minutes, or realizing you have been carrying more t...

A smiling family photo can hide what happened ten seconds later. Social media can help families find resources, support, and people who truly understand. It can also make everyone else’s home, vacation, parenting, and life look impossibly perfect. So how do we hold onto the connection without comparing our real lives to someone else’s highlight reel? Kate and Toni have an honest conversation about...

You picture motherhood one way. Then life takes you somewhere you never expected to go. In the Season 2 premiere, Toni is joined by her friend Michelle for an honest conversation about raising her son, Sal, and becoming the advocate she never knew she would need to be. Michelle shares how Sal developed typically as a baby before communication challenges, anxiety, meltdowns, and social difficulties...

The journey to an autism diagnosis rarely begins with certainty. More often, it begins with a parent’s quiet instinct that something just feels different. In this episode, Kate and Toni sit down with Rebecca, a mom of two children receiving Early Intervention services, to talk honestly about those first moments of uncertainty. Together, they explore the fears, doubts, long waitlists, second opinio...

Every marriage has challenges. But what happens when autism is part of the relationship too? In this episode, Kate and Toni are joined by Kate's husband, Derek, for one of their most honest conversations yet. Together, they pull back the curtain on what life really looks like when autism shapes not only parenting, but communication, routines, emotional needs, and marriage itself. Derek shares...

What happens when the thing that once felt impossible becomes the thing that helps you connect?   In this episode, Kate and Toni are joined by Tom, a magician from the UK who shares his story of growing up autistic without knowing it, struggling through school, feeling misunderstood, and eventually finding a completely unexpected path through magic.   Tom opens up about being labeled as the “naugh...

For many parents, finding a babysitter means sending a text, making a phone call, or asking a family member for help. For autism families, it's often much more complicated. In this episode, Kate and Toni have an honest conversation about one of the least talked about challenges of parenting a child with autism: finding someone you trust to care for your child. From seizure protocols and safety...

What is it like to grow up alongside a sibling with autism? In this special episode, Kate and Toni welcome a very important guest to the podcast: Kate's daughter, Roz. Together, they have an honest, funny, heartfelt, and surprisingly emotional conversation about life as Greyson's big sister. Roz shares what it's really like growing up in a world where therapy schedules, medical appoint...

For many parents, an IEP meeting feels less like a meeting and more like walking into a room where everyone knows the rules except you. In this episode, Kate and Toni tackle one of the most important and often most intimidating parts of raising a child with autism: advocating for your child at school. Kate shares what it's really like preparing for Greyson's IEP meetings, from reviewing pa...

Raising a child with autism comes with love, joy, advocacy, and a whole lot of expenses people rarely see. In this episode, Kate and Toni talk honestly about the financial side of autism parenting, from therapy costs and insurance battles to gas, equipment, safety needs, reduced work hours, lost income, and the endless paperwork that somehow becomes part of everyday life. Kate shares what it has l...

What happens when autism is only part of the picture? In this deeply personal episode, Kate and Toni open up about the complicated reality many families face after an autism diagnosis. Because for so many children, the story does not stop there. From seizures, genetic conditions, anxiety, OCD, sensory struggles, sleep issues, GI problems, and medication side effects, they discuss how autism can ov...

What happens when you stop living in the “what ifs” and start learning how to live in the moment? In this episode, Kate and Toni have an honest conversation about anxiety, control, OCD, autism, and the emotional weight so many parents and caregivers quietly carry every day. Kate opens up about her own struggles with obsessive thoughts, needing control, fear of the future, and constantly replaying...

When you’re raising a child with autism, people often say, “It takes a village.” But what happens when that village is smaller than you expected, changes over time, or disappears when you need it most?   In this episode, Kate and Toni talk honestly about what support can really look like for autism families. Kate shares how her family’s village has shifted through moves, loss, grief, changing rela...

Episode 4 brings a powerful and personal perspective as Toni and Kate are joined by Kate’s husband, Derek — a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, a father of two children on the autism spectrum, and someone who was diagnosed with autism later in life. Derek shares his journey into the field of ABA, what it’s like balancing life as both a clinician and a parent, and the reality that even professional...

Episode 3 explores one of the biggest questions families face: should you tell your child they have autism, and if so, how? Toni and Kate have an honest conversation about what it looked like to talk with Kate’s daughter Roz about her diagnosis, why transparency mattered, and how autism became a normal part of their family’s everyday life. For the first time, Roz joins the podcast to share her own...

Episode 2 focuses on one of the biggest questions families face after hearing words like autism, developmental delay, or ABA therapy for the first time: where do I even begin? Toni and Kate walk through the early stages of the journey, from recognizing concerns and talking with your pediatrician to understanding evaluations, diagnoses, insurance, and therapy options. They discuss how overwhelming...

Episode 1 introduces your hosts, Toni and Kate, and the heart behind Sip & Stim. Toni shares her journey from Behavioral Health Technician (BHT) to Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and the experiences that shaped how she supports children and families. Kate opens up about her son Greyson’s story, the lessons she has learned as a mom, and the moments that changed her perspective forever....