Inchstones with Sarah | Autism Advocacy & Caregiver Stories

An autism diagnosis changes everything—but it should never become the only thing you see. In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with longtime friend and autism mom Nora Canzoneri for an honest conversation about autism advocacy, caregiver stories, and learning to parent the child before the diagnosis. ⸻ Full Episode Description When Nora Canzoneri’s son Cam received his autism dia...

Every mother begins with expectations. Few of us imagine how deeply motherhood will transform our identity. In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with author and nurse practitioner Valerie Probstfeld, creator of To Mom Is to Love, for a heartfelt conversation about caregiver stories, neurodivergent parenting, grief, identity, and learning to choose love when life unfolds different...

What if autism isn’t one condition to treat, but many different biological stories waiting to be understood? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with pediatric neurologist Dr. John Gaitanis to explore why autism care should begin with understanding the individual child—not simply the diagnosis. Together they discuss autism advocacy, root cause medicine, caregiver experiences, ne...

What does autism teach a father about strength? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with Tommy of Spectrum in Camouflage for an honest conversation about autism fatherhood, faith, mental health, and how raising a nonspeaking autistic son completely transformed his understanding of success, purpose, and what truly matters. When Tommy’s son Wyatt began losing language around age t...

What happens when years of caregiving, hypervigilance, grief, and responsibility finally catch up with a mother? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with Libby Hudson for an unfiltered conversation about profound autism, marriage, caregiver burnout, grief, and what it takes to survive when your family’s needs seem bigger than your capacity to carry them. Libby and her husband Ty...

What happens when autism support moves beyond four walls and into nature? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with Dr. Dana Spett, founder of Pony Power Therapies, to explore autism, sensory regulation, equine-assisted services, and why connection, movement, and nature can create powerful opportunities for growth. Dana’s journey began as a mother searching for support for her ow...

Many parents of non-speaking autistic children carry a quiet certainty: my child understands more than they can show. In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with occupational therapist, researcher, and Spellers Method co-creator Dr. Dana Johnson to explore whole body apraxia, motor planning, communication, and why behavior may not tell the whole story. For years, families have been...

What does autistic adulthood actually look like? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with autistic young adult Zach Ennis and his mother, Stacy Ennis, for a powerful conversation about independence, self-advocacy, friendship, community, and building a meaningful life with autism. Too often, conversations about autism stop in childhood. Zach’s story offers something many families...

An autism diagnosis changes more than a child’s future. It changes the people who love that child too. In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with Bari Shore for an honest conversation about autism parenting, childhood apraxia, community, motherhood, and the unexpected personal growth that emerges from raising a neurodivergent child. When Bari’s son Dean received his autism and apr...

Why do so many autism moms feel like they can never fully relax? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with Kerry Stevens for an honest conversation about caregiver burnout, autism motherhood, hypervigilance, and the invisible emotional load that comes with parenting autistic children. Kerry shares the reality of raising her son Connor while balancing work, therapies, school meeti...

What happens when autism parenting becomes physically, emotionally, and mentally consuming? In this episode of Inchstones, Sarah Kernion sits down with Alyssa Sierra for a raw conversation about profound autism, aggressive behaviors, caregiver exhaustion, sibling dynamics, and the emotional process of letting go of expectations. Alyssa shares the story of her son Gabriel’s autism diagnosis during...

Autism parenting, caregiver stories, and neurodivergent parenting are at the heart of this episode of Inchstones as Sarah Kernion talks with Shannon Korza of Moms Talk Autism about grief, timelines, motherhood expectations, and parenting autistic children. In this deeply honest episode of Inchstones, Sarah sits down with Shannon Korza for a raw conversation about autism diagnosis grief, the pressu...

Autism parenting, caregiver burnout, and caregiver stories are at the heart of this episode of Inchstones as Sarah Kernion talks with Tash Dillmon of Moms Talk Autism about grief, marriage, mental health, and parenting autistic children after profound loss. In this raw and deeply personal episode of Inchstones, Sarah sits down with Tash Dillmon for an honest conversation about autism parenting, su...

Autism parenting, caregiver stories, and neurodivergent parenting are at the heart of this episode of Inchstones. Sarah Kernion and Jean Mayer of Moms Talk Autism share a raw conversation about parenting autistic children, grief, identity, disability advocacy, and finding yourself again after diagnosis. In this deeply honest episode of Inchstones, Sarah sits down with Jean Mayer of Moms Talk Autis...

Autism motherhood often begins with a moment that shatters the future you thought you were building. Sarah Kernion and Brittney Crabtree of Moms Talk Autism reflect on the early shock of diagnosis, the grief of watching expectations collapse, and the pressure many autism moms feel to sprint into every possible intervention. This is Part 1 of 2 with Brittney sharing what it was like to hear the wor...

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Autism motherhood often carries an unspoken fear about the future: what happens when childhood services end and adulthood begins? In this conversation, Sarah Kernion speaks with Kelly Castro about how that fear became the foundation for something larger than survival—a social enterprise creating meaningful employment and community for young adults with disabilities. Kelly shares her journey as a m...

Autism parenting often places caregivers in prolonged states of stress, isolation, and emotional exhaustion. In this conversation, Sarah Kernion speaks with Jessica Patay, founder of We Are Brave Together, about the power of community support, emotional resilience, and advocacy for families raising children with disabilities and complex needs. Jessica shares how parenting her son Ryan, who has Pra...

Autism parenting often brings families face-to-face with emotional intensity—both in their children and within themselves. In this conversation, Sarah Kernion speaks with Laurie Dove about regulation, resilience, and the lived reality of raising children with autism, including those with nonspeaking autism. Laurie shares her personal journey navigating early concerns, intervention, and the evolvin...

Autism parenting often begins with uncertainty but evolves through relationship, exposure, and lived experience. In this conversation, Sarah Kernion speaks with Chloe Barnes about her path from caregiver to advocate and how that journey reshaped her understanding of autism, including nonspeaking autism. Chloe’s work emphasizes the difference between transactional support and relational connection....

Autism parenting often reveals a gap between public narratives and lived reality—especially for families supporting children with higher needs, including nonspeaking autism. In this conversation, Sarah Kernion speaks with Cristina Gaudio, a legal policy and advocacy fellow, about the complexities of autism spectrum disorder and the urgent need for more nuanced public discourse. Cristina explores h...

Autism parenting often leads families into advocacy, especially when navigating complex healthcare and support systems. In this episode of the Inchstones Podcast, Sarah Kernion speaks with Honey Rinnicella about autism, autism parenting, and her work with MAPS (Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs). They discuss caregiver support, root cause medicine, and the need for stronger community syst...

Autism parenting often changes what families believe is possible—especially when it comes to travel. In this episode of the Inchstones Podcast, Sarah Kernion speaks with Jennifer Wallace of Caleb’s Courageous Travels about navigating travel with autism. They discuss autism travel tips, sensory considerations, preparation strategies, and how community support can make travel more accessible. This c...

Autism parenting often challenges not just what parents do—but how they think, regulate, and respond. In this conversation, Sarah Kernion speaks with Sara Intonato about the internal shifts required to support a child with autism, particularly in the context of nonspeaking autism and emerging communication methods like open spelling. At the center of the discussion is self-regulation. The nervous...

Autism parenting often forces a complete reorientation of how life is understood, planned, and experienced. In this conversation, Sarah Kernion and Alex Vohr explore the OODA loop—Observe, Orient, Decide, Act—not as a military concept, but as a framework for navigating the complexity of special needs parenting. At the center of the discussion is orientation: the lens through which parents interpre...