Autism Labs

In this episode, Mike Carr addresses growing concerns about potential Medicaid cuts and shares practical funding alternatives for families caring for individuals with profound autism or multiple disabilities. He emphasizes the importance of staying hopeful and proactive, offering guidance through his personal experience and upcoming book. Key alternatives discussed include Social Security benefits...

In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr shares his struggles with gaining and keeping instructional control—getting his profoundly autistic son to follow directions without resistance. He contrasts his challenges with others' success and stresses that instructional control is about trust, not compliance. Carr discusses using consistency, patience, and positive pairing to become a reinforcin...

Mike Carr shares five key tips for families seeking residential housing for profoundly autistic adults, based on his 35-year journey with his son. He urges parents to prioritize programs with purpose-driven missions, real community engagement, and clear visions for lifelong growth. Mike highlights his nonprofit, J13, as a fast-growing model focused on joy, connection, and meaningful living.

Mike Carr highlights new CDC data showing autism rates rising from 1 in 36 eight-year-olds in 2020 to 1 in 31 by 2022. Reflecting on raising his profoundly autistic son diagnosed in 1990—when rates were about 1 in 10,000—Carr argues the increase isn't just better diagnosis but a real, troubling trend. He suggests RFK Jr.'s claim that autism is a more urgent crisis than COVID deserves att...

Mike Carr, a father of a 35-year-old son with severe autism, shares his personal experience managing Pica behavior—when individuals eat non-food items. His son has ingested everything from rocks and leaves to toothpaste and deodorant, once even biting into a chlorine tablet from a pool skimmer, which led to a serious health scare. Mike offers practical solutions they've discovered over the ye...

Creating a safe, structured home for a profoundly autistic child means thinking ahead to prevent risks. When my son Michael ingested a chlorine tablet due to pica, it reinforced the need for smart locks, alarms, and cabinet locks to secure hazards and prevent wandering. Managing water intake is also crucial, so we use thumb valves and toilet restrictions. Simple, cost-effective solutions—like a bi...

In this episode, parent Mike Carr highlights the power of empathy, creativity, and community in raising a profoundly autistic child. By meeting their adult son Michael’s needs with compassion, fostering teamwork with humor and purpose, and collaborating with schools and insurers, challenges become opportunities. With positivity and collaboration, both the child and caregivers can thrive together. 

When Mike and Kay Carr’s son Michael, who has severe autism, aged out of school services, they faced limited options and heartbreaking rejections from programs unable to handle his needs. Frustrated but determined, they partnered with Dr. Nina Zuna at UT to create a unique program involving multiple departments. Students earned credit while providing therapy and support for Michael, fostering his...

Mike Carr, a parent of a severely autistic adult, envisions AI "Doers" as transformative personal assistants. These advanced tools would seamlessly handle daily tasks, monitor health through wearables, and, for autistic individuals, analyze data to identify stressors, track positive experiences, and offer tailored insights. This innovation holds the potential to improve caregiving, enhan...

This is the heartfelt story of a father navigating the challenges of raising a severely autistic son. One particularly overwhelming day—filled with work stress, a difficult morning, and no time for himself—he went for a run to clear his head and was struck by a car. Thankfully, he survived with minor injuries, but the experience left him reflecting on his life. He shared how raising his son brings...

As a parent navigating the challenges of supporting an adult with severe autism, I took a closer look at AI tools—ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity Pro, and Gemini Deep Research—to see how they could help parents like us. ChatGPT and Claude gave general advice, but Claude caught my attention by sharing relatable fictional case studies. Perplexity Pro provided references, but it felt like you had to dig...

Behind every extraordinary journey is a true MVP. For families navigating profound autism, that MVP often wears many hats. Mike Carr’s wife, Kay, embodies this role with tireless dedication—coordinating care, managing therapy, and even creating custom solutions like an iPad cover for their son. Mike’s heartfelt reflection reminds us all to honor the unwavering strength, love, and creativity that m...

In this moving episode, Mike Carr shares the deeply personal challenges of safeguarding children with profound autism, offering a window into the constant vigilance required to protect those we love most. He recounts a heart-stopping moment when a miscommunication at school led to a child running dangerously close to a busy street—proving that even the most trusted spaces can pose unexpected risks...

Parent and Founder of John 13 Community Mike Carr chats with parent and BCBA certified Mark Garcia about their search for a program for their children, and what makes John 13 Community Program different than the other programs they’ve seen, including the staff, structure, and social benefits of the program.