Beyond the Label Podcast

We are sharing what it’s like to watch Milo turn spaces in our home into scenes from his favorite stories — lately, it's been Encanto. His creativity surprises us every day!  We also talk about screen time, neurodiversity, and what we’re learning as we figure out how to meet Milo where he is.  Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440 . Email us at beyondthelabel24@gmail.com Thank you to our...

We’re sharing one of those mornings that started like any other — until it didn’t. When our son Milo couldn’t find his beloved stuffed animal moments before his school transport van arrived, everything unraveled fast. We talk about what happens when comfort goes missing, how quickly calm can turn to chaos, and what it’s like to ride out those moments as a family. Follow us on Instagram @beyondthel...

“It’s not fair!” When siblings are involved, fairness is always up for debate — but in our house, it takes on a whole new meaning. Milo, our son who’s on the autism spectrum, often needs extra support to stay calm and regulated. That means his sisters, Nora and especially June, sometimes have to bend, compromise, or give him space — even when it doesn’t feel fair. In this episode, we share a recen...

In the year leading up to Milo’s autism diagnosis—and months before we began speech therapy—a simple children’s book changed everything. Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party by James and Kimberley Dean became more than just another kids' book on our shelf; it became a breakthrough. Through this book, Milo found his voice, and we found a new way to connect with him. Thanks, Pete! Pete the...

We're talking about the constant tension between living in the present and worrying about Milo's uncertain future as an autistic adult.  We're also exploring why, in our opinion, the word "autistic" has too big a job, as it is expected to convey millions of different lived experiences.  Referenced in this episode: The Lazy Genius Podcast | Podcast on Spotify The East Point...

Milo’s games may be simple — run, jump, knock down, pretend — but they’re full of meaning. We're sharing how repetition in play helps Milo connect, communicate, and grow. We reference episode 17, The Great Divide, which discusses autism and friendship. Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431776/episodes/17221857  Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440 . Email us at beyondthelabel24@gm...

We’d had a rough week and needed a reset, so on Sunday morning, we loaded everyone in the van and headed to Geneva-on-the-Lake. What started as a simple day trip became a reminder that Milo is so much more than his struggles.  Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440 . Email us at beyondthelabel24@gmail.com Thank you to our friend Tom Evanchuck for the use of his song, "Sunshine," as ou...

Milo’s first-grade year started with so much promise, but just weeks in, we found ourselves in an unexpected and difficult conversation about his path forward.  In this episode, we share what’s been happening behind the scenes as our family navigates a change in placement within his IEP. Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440 . Email us at beyondthelabel24@gmail.com Thank you to our friend Tom...

After Milo’s school meeting, where we discussed a change of placement as part of his IEP, we were left with heavy emotions and hard questions.  In this episode, we sit with what came next: the grief, the challenges, and the small connections that help us keep going. Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440 . Email us at beyondthelabel24@gmail.com Thank you to our friend Tom Evanchuck for the use...

A summer evening at the pool brought to you by lots of laughter, lots of splashing... and one small, blue plastic bottle. In this episode, we talk about what it means to show up in a community space with Milo, how quickly moments can shift, and why we keep coming back, despite the unpredictability. Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440 . Email us at beyondthelabel24@gmail.com Thank you to our...

Has your child ever become fixated on a particular piece of clothing? We've been through this - many times - with Milo. We're talking about what these experiences have taught us about comfort and control, and why sometimes the easiest answer is just…let him wear the shirt. Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440 . Email us at beyondthelabel24@gmail.com Thank you to our friend Tom Evanc...

Today we're taking a trip to - you guessed it - the grocery store. Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440 . Email us at beyondthelabel24@gmail.com Thank you to our friend Tom Evanchuck for the use of his song, "Sunshine," as our theme music. Follow Tom on Spotify .  Thank you for being here!

We're sharing what back-to-school looks like in our family — the excitement and the anxiety that comes with change. Nora is thrilled to be in second grade, June is starting her second year of preschool, and Milo is beginning first grade. We talk about the mix of pride, grief, and worry that comes with parenting through transitions, and what it feels like when the unknowns of school are overwh...

We’re exploring what success looks like as parents of an autistic, developmentally delayed child. When your child is on their own timeline and you’re feeling lost, how do you know you’re still on the right path?  Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440 . Email us at beyondthelabel24@gmail.com Thank you to our friend Tom Evanchuck for the use of his song, "Sunshine," as our theme music....

The high of watching your son be greeted by a friend you didn’t know existed. The low of watching him get made fun of minutes later. All in the span of 10 minutes at a soccer game. Parenting an autistic child with cognitive delays requires a certain level of grit—and constant decisions about when to step in, and when to let things be. If your child is happy, is that enough? We're talking abou...

A sunny beach day. A therapy pickup that should have been routine. Sometimes the smallest triggers can spark the biggest reactions—and that's just life with autism. In this episode, Lisa shares two recent moments that capture the whiplash of parenting a child with autism: how quickly things can shift from calm to chaos, and back again. From a coveted bucket at the beach to a misunderstanding...

If you’ve ever taken a beach trip with little kids, you know how it goes—kids make fast friends in the waves or at the pool, spend a few days playing together, and then part ways without much ceremony. Everyone goes home. But for Milo, who’s autistic and often struggles to connect with peers, this kind of easy, spontaneous friendship hasn’t come easily—if at all. That’s what made this moment so sp...

To Milo’s delight (thanks, Daniel Tiger), we went on a family trip! We spent a sunny week in Myrtle Beach, bouncing between the pool and the beach, and all our kids had a blast. In this episode, we share why we feel comfortable calling this trip “easy” — and how it compares to last year’s much tougher experience with Milo. Traveling with an autistic child who has sensory needs and gets easily over...

In this episode, we’re looking back on Milo’s 2.5 years of preschool—how it began, what we learned, and how it shaped the next phase of our journey. From that first January morning drop-off to his final days in the preschool classroom, we share the highs and lows: navigating classroom changes, speech therapy, behavioral supports, and the big moments in between. We talk about what it looked like to...

In the summer of 2021, just weeks after moving into our new home, we sat down with a service coordinator from Ohio’s Help Me Grow Early Intervention program. It was the first time we fully acknowledged Milo’s developmental delays—and the first time we reached out for help. In this episode, we walk through what that process looked like for our family, what we learned, and how it shaped the next ste...

Days after moving into our new home, Milo — just 2 years old — pushed over a heavy wooden chair, and something in us shifted. In this episode, we reflect on the early signs that something deeper was going on, the stress that surrounded that season, and the moment we finally reached out for help. Over the next several episodes, we’ll continue unpacking the stretch of time leading up to Milo’s autis...

Do you remember your earliest friend? One of the hardest things for us as parents is to witness how hard it can be for Milo to connect with other kids his age. He's increasingly eager and friendly and aware, but the communication gap is always there. What will friendship look like for Milo? Will it ever get easier? Spoiler alert - we don't know - but we're talking about it. -- Follo...

Milo is getting ready to say goodbye to the early learning center where he began school-based services in 2022—and it’s bringing up a lot of emotions. In this episode, we’re sharing the highs and lows of his kindergarten year, and how we're feeling going into the summer. Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440 . Email us at beyondthelabel24@gmail.com Thank you to our friend Tom Evanchuck fo...

Here’s something we’ve often wished was easier with our kids: just going outside. In this episode, we go back to a beautiful March evening when Milo couldn’t make sense of what we were doing—or what his sisters were doing—and we couldn’t figure out why everything felt so hard. We also share a few moments since then that have really surprised us. Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440 . Email us...

Let's talk about the awkward, emotional, and often unspoken moments that can come with raising a neurodivergent child. Lisa shares a story she still replays years later and together we unpack the weight of apology, public perception, and the struggle between explaining and simply existing. If you've ever wrestled with whether to say "I'm sorry" or stood frozen in a moment...