Autism Labs

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...

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-se...

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 specialize...

Autism support should focus not just on behavior, but on the child’s overall health, as underlying issues like gut imbalances, poor nutrition, and unmet medical needs can significantly impact learning, behavior, and communication. While traditional education approaches like ABA can help, children often learn best when their intrinsic interests and curiosity are engaged. A personalized, science-bas...

In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr and Dr. Theresa Lyons discuss how many families lack access to clear, science-based guidance despite growing research in autism, leaving parents overwhelmed and searching for answers. Dr. Lyons highlights that meaningful improvement is possible for some children, but requires a more informed, proactive approach built around seven key areas: personalized di...

Keeping great caregivers for individuals with profound autism requires more than just hiring the right person- it demands building a sustainable, supportive system rooted in respect, structure, and consistency. Caregivers should be treated as skilled partners, not babysitters, with clear expectations, proper training, and protection from burnout. Providing a predictable daily schedule and a simple...

In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr shares personal lessons learned from more than 30 years of raising his profoundly autistic, nonverbal son Michael and discusses one of the greatest challenges families face: finding reliable caregivers for individuals with high support needs autism. He explains that while family members often help early on, trained and dependable support becomes essential...

This episode explores how practical, accessible technology can transform the home environment for individuals with special needs by improving safety, increasing independence, and enriching daily life. Mike Courtney outlines a simple but powerful framework, evaluating each room for safety risks, everyday challenges, and opportunities for enrichment, while leveraging a growing database of thousands...

In this episode of Autism Labs , Mike Carr speaks with futurist and researcher Mike Courtney about how AI and emerging technologies can be applied in practical, meaningful ways to support individuals with complex special needs. The discussion centers on redefining technology as the application of knowledge to solve everyday human challenges, not just advanced digital tools, and introduces the conc...

This episode focuses on lessons learned from building and running a special needs program, emphasizing that strong outcomes depend less on daily tasks and more on culture, trust, and communication. Mike Carr and Johnna Oppermann discuss how fear often drives parenting decisions and can unintentionally lead to over-control, enabling behaviors, or breakdowns in communication between parents and staf...

Choosing the right autism program comes down to culture, transparency, and a commitment to long-term success rather than quick fixes. High-quality programs take the time to truly understand each individual through a thorough intake process, including detailed history, observation, and gradual transition planning, rather than rushing enrollment. They build success slowly, creating early wins to avo...

This episode highlights a critical lesson for families navigating autism care: the long-term success of any residential or day program depends far more on culture than on buildings, funding, or initial plans. Drawing on decades of experience, Johnna Oppermann explains that many programs struggle because they focus first on logistics instead of building a strong foundation of trust, clear communica...

Improving sleep for individuals with autism and their families requires a flexible, trial-and-error approach rather than relying on a single solution. Consistent physical activity and mental engagement during the day can significantly increase the chances of better sleep, especially when combined. Nutrition and timing also play an important role, with reduced evening sugar, caffeine, and late meal...

This episode highlights that improving behavior in autism requires a holistic, individualized approach that goes far beyond therapy alone. Medication can be helpful when tied to a clear goal and guided by simple, objective data, but it must be used thoughtfully to avoid unnecessary complexity. Equally important are lifestyle factors—nutrition, sleep, exercise, and allergies—which can significantly...

This episode explores the often-overlooked transition from structured therapy to adulthood for individuals with high support needs in autism, emphasizing that success is less about continuing rigid interventions and more about adapting to real-world life. Glenn highlights the importance of moving from artificial rewards to natural motivators like connection, enjoyment, and shared experiences, whil...

Howdy Homemade Ice Cream is a unique business that not only serves delicious ice cream but also provides employment opportunities for individuals with special needs. The company is committed to empowering these individuals by offering them roles that enhance their social interaction and personal growth. Parents often witness transformative changes in their children, who blossom in the supportive e...

On this Autism Labs episode, Mike Carr talks with Tom Landis (Howdy Homemade Ice Cream) and investor Jeff Schiefelbein about creating meaningful employment for people with autism and developmental disabilities. They explain how clear routines, checklists, patience, and support let employees thrive and how mission-driven businesses can scale financially to create thousands of dignified jobs. 📩 Hav...

In this episode of the Autism Labs Podcast, Mike shares how “adaptive listening” has transformed the way he connects with his nonverbal son, emphasizing that listening is far more than hearing words. For children with limited speech, communication includes facial expressions, body language, tone, pacing, and silence — and when parents learn to slow down and truly observe, anxiety decreases and tru...

This episode explores the application of the Beatitudes to parenting children with complex special needs. The host discusses six key principles: being poor in spirit through humility and teachability, mourning as honest acknowledgment of pain rather than avoidance, meekness as strength under control exercised with patience and steady courage, hungering for righteousness by prioritizing truth and g...

This episode explores the journey of supporting a child with autism through the experiences of Diana Danu and her son, Gabi, emphasizing the importance of individualized approaches, strong communication, and parent advocacy. Diana shares how mentorship and practical, experience-based guidance helped her better understand strategies such as building joint attention, encouraging communication, and m...

In this episode, Mike Carr speaks with Diana Danu, a mother from Romania, about her journey raising her son Gabi, who was diagnosed with autism at age three. Diana describes the challenges families face in Romania, where limited services, inconsistent data, and a shortage of trained professionals often require parents to coordinate care on their own. She shares how the urgency to help led her fami...

Supporting individuals with autism and complex needs requires more than exceptional staff members. While finding dedicated caregivers is valuable, challenges such as staff turnover, scheduling limitations, illness, and burnout create inevitable gaps. The solution lies not in building large teams alone, but in establishing adaptable, flexible systems that support both the child and their care netwo...

In this episode, the Round Rock ISD team emphasizes that successful transition for young adults with autism requires individualized, out-of-the-box approaches tailored to each student’s interests and strengths, including small motivators and safe spaces for self-regulation. Parents are encouraged to gradually teach life skills such as personal care, household tasks, and vocational responsibilities...

Autism Labs: Transition Programming in Round Rock School District This episode features representatives from Round Rock School District, one of the larger school districts in the greater Austin, Texas area. The discussion centers on transition programming for students with autism and developmental disabilities, led by Patti Cole, a transition teacher, and Will Renfro, the transition coordinator fo...

In this episode, Mike Carr shares why he remains optimistic about the future for his severely autistic son despite the many challenges parents face, including the loss of school-based supports after age 21, difficulty accessing adult services, navigating benefits like SSI and special needs trusts, establishing legal guardianship, and planning for long-term care. He highlights reasons for hope: gre...