Spectrum in Camouflage

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. In this conversation, I welcome Sarah from the Inchstones podcast to the show, and man, we get into something autism parents need to hear: our kids' lives aren't measured by somebody else's milestones. We talk about raising non-speaking autistic children, the little moments that mean everything, and why it's okay to feel both the weight of this journey and the joy that...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. I'm sitting down with Matthew Sidwell of Sidwell Fitness, a fellow autism dad who knows staying healthy is about much more than looking good in the mirror. As parents raising autistic children, we spend so much time worrying about their safety, their future, and whether we'll be around long enough to care for them that we sometimes forget to take care of ourselves. Matt...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. So much is going well for our family right now, from Wyatt's progress with spelling to communicate to the work I'm doing, but I still catch myself feeling frustrated, comparing our lives to other families, and wondering why some things have to be so hard. I want to be real about that side of autism parenting, because being productive, having faith, and loving my kids wi...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. Tonight, Kailee is back with me, and we're talking about something that's brought fresh hope into our home: Wyatt's first several weeks of Spelling to Communicate. I've watched Kailee pour so much into helping our son, and hearing about the words he's beginning to spell, even on the tough days, reminds me why we keep looking for ways to help him express himself. We're a...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. This week, I want to talk honestly about one of the hardest and most controversial questions many parents in the autism community wrestle with: what factors may be affecting our children's health, development, and future, and are we willing to keep asking questions even when the answers are uncomfortable? I'm looking at claims surrounding a vaccinated-versus-unvaccinate...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. Today, I’m sitting down with Tyler Hudson for part two of a conversation about autism parenting, advocacy, grief, and what it looks like to keep asking hard questions without losing our compassion for people who see things differently. We also get into some controversial questions around vaccine safety, research, and autism causation, not because I think every family ha...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. In this episode, I’m sitting down with Tyler Hudson for some real dad talk about communication, grief, hope, and what it means to keep showing up when autism parenting feels like a long road with no clear timeline. We talk about the progress our sons are making through spelling, the fear that comes with trying one more thing after so many disappointments, and why I’m le...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. This week, Kailee and I are sharing something that has brought a lot of hope into our home: Wyatt’s first few sessions with Spell to Communicate. As parents of a non-speaking autistic child, we have spent years learning how much communication can exist without words, but the possibility that Wyatt may someday be able to spell, type, or text what is on his mind feels inc...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. This week, I’m talking about hope, progress, and some of the hard questions I keep asking as a dad raising a son with profound autism. A simple moment with Wyatt and a chip full of salsa reminded me that the little wins in autism parenting can actually be monumental, especially when you’ve spent years working, worrying, and wondering what the future might hold. I also s...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. This week, Kailee and I are looking back on a summer that felt like a real gift to our family, from quiet afternoons at home to a first Cedar Point trip with Jessie that reminded me how valuable time together really is. We also talk honestly about one of the hardest parts of autism parenting: accepting that sometimes our family cannot do everything together, while refus...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. Time keeps moving faster, and as a parent, I find myself thinking more about whether I’m spending enough time with my kids, working too much, or doing enough to prepare for their future. Those questions can get even heavier with autism parenting and special needs parenting because I know some of our children may need support long after we’re gone, and that responsibilit...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. There is a lot happening right now around childhood vaccines, autism, and the role parents have in making medical decisions for their kids, and for me, this conversation is deeply personal. I'm sharing why the possibility of changes to federal vaccine recommendations and the MMR schedule hits me so hard after watching my son experience a dramatic regression in his healt...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. There are parts of autism parenting that people just don't see, especially when you're trying to be a dad, provide for your family, and make sure your child gets every opportunity possible. In this episode, I'm catching up with my good friend Chris from Autism Dad Memes about that constant balance between working, being present, caring for our kids, and carrying fears a...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. There are some episodes that are harder to record than others, and this is one of them. Today I'm talking about a story that hit incredibly close to home as the father of an 11-year-old non-speaking autistic son. The heartbreaking loss of Parker Wells reminded me that one of the greatest fears in autism parenting is that a child who elopes could disappear in a matter of...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. If you're living through sleepless nights with your autistic child, I want you to know something right away. You're not alone, and there is hope. In this episode, Kailee and I open up about one of the hardest seasons we've ever faced as parents. For years, sleep felt impossible. We dealt with endless nighttime wakeups, anxiety, exhaustion, bedtime battles, and wondering...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. Today I had the privilege of sitting down with fellow special needs dad, Evan Rosenblum. You may recognize Evan from his years as an executive producer at TMZ, but behind that successful career is a father whose life changed forever when his daughter Sydney was born at just 25 weeks. She lives with severe cerebral palsy and is nonverbal, yet her life is filled with joy,...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. I honestly can't believe we're celebrating 100 episodes of Spectrum in Camouflage. What started as a simple idea has become something much bigger than I ever imagined. Looking back over these past two years, I'm incredibly thankful for everyone who has listened, shared an episode, or reached out with your own story. In this special episode, Kailee and I reflect on how t...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. I hope you're having a great week! This episode is a little different because Kailee joins me to look back on one of the busiest and most emotional weekends of our year. We talk about our hometown festival, our annual 5K for Autism, raising a child with profound autism, and learning to let go of unrealistic expectations. If you've ever felt like your family's life doesn...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. Happy Independence Day! I hope you and your family have an incredible Fourth of July weekend. This week, I'm sharing a little bit of what's happening in our world as our hometown Fireman's Festival kicks off. Serving our community has always filled me with purpose, and it's a reminder that investing in the next generation matters. More importantly, I want to share some...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. Happy Friday! I hope you've had an incredible week. Around here, summer is flying by. Between getting ready for our hometown Fireman's Festival, planning our Autism 5K, and spending time with family, life has been full. It reminded me how important community really is and how much serving others fills our hearts. This week, I watched a video by Dr. Johnny Miles that sha...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. This week, Kailee joins me again for a conversation about one of the hardest questions parents ask themselves: "Why?" Why our child? Why our family? Why does life sometimes feel so unfair? As parents raising a child with profound needs, we know firsthand how easy it is to get stuck in the endless cycle of asking questions that may never have answers. We also know how da...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. Today, Kailee is back on the podcast, and we're catching up on everything that's been happening in our lives over the past several weeks. From birthdays and family time to health journeys, stress management, journaling, and raising a child on the autism spectrum, this conversation is honest, relatable, and packed with lessons we've been learning in real time. One thing...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. Thank you for spending a little time with me today. This episode is a personal reflection on parenting, mental health, autism, faith, and the lessons I've learned over the last 11 years raising my son Wyatt. When I started Spectrum in Camouflage, my goal was simple. I wanted to spread autism awareness and support families who were walking a similar path. I never imagine...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. Life can feel overwhelming when you're raising a child with autism, caring for a loved one through illness, or simply trying to make it through another difficult day. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Zach Ponder for a deeply personal conversation about mindset, faith, anxiety, gratitude, and the challenges that come with caregiving. We talk openly about profou...

Hey, What’s Up! It’s Tommy. I sat down with Josh Stively from 1st Phorm, and what started as a conversation about health and mindset quickly turned into a deep discussion about purpose, burnout, fatherhood, anxiety, faith, community, and the reality caregivers face every single day. If you are raising a child with autism or profound needs, this episode is for you. If you feel exhausted, isolated,...