Spectrum in Camouflage

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,...

Hey, What’s Up! It’s Tommy. I sat down with Coach Steve Krebs to talk honestly about anxiety, mental health, stress, and what it actually looks like to take care of yourself when life feels overwhelming. If you’re raising a child with autism, caring for someone with special needs, or simply carrying more pressure than people realize, this conversation is for you. We talked about the fear of the un...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. This episode of Spectrum in Camouflage is one of the most honest and emotional conversations we’ve had in a while. Kailee joins me as we talk about the reality of parenting a profoundly autistic child, the emotions that can sneak up on you, and how easy it is to get pulled into fear about the future. What started as a simple conversation about laundry piles, marriage co...

Hey, What’s Up! It’s Tommy. I wanted to jump on and kick off something really important this month. We’re heading into Mental Health Awareness Month, and this has become a core part of my life. Not just because of what I’ve gone through, but because of what so many of you are going through right now. This episode is real. It’s raw. It’s a check-in. I talk about grief, loss, guilt, and what it actu...

Hey, What’s Up! It’s Tommy. This episode hit deep. I sat down with Tyler Hudson, and what started as a conversation turned into something much bigger. This is dad talk in its rawest form. We talked about grief, fear, faith, purpose, and what it really looks like to raise a profoundly autistic child. Tyler shares his story as a father, a musician, and now a voice that’s reaching thousands of famili...

Hey, What’s Up! It’s Tommy. This episode is one of those late-night, real conversations. Kailee and I sat down tired, a little punchy, and just talked through life as parents raising a child with autism. It’s Autism Awareness Month, and instead of overthinking it, we just shared what’s actually going on in our world right now. We talked about Wyatt, the progress he’s been making, and one of the bi...

Hey, What’s Up! It’s Tommy. Man, this episode hit deep. I sat down with my good friend Chris from AutismDad_Memes, and we got real about what’s actually going on with our kids, what we’ve gotten wrong, and what we’re learning along the way. There’s a lot of stuff out there that people just label as autism. But the truth is, not everything we’re seeing is autism itself. There can be underlying issu...

Hey, What’s Up! It’s Tommy. This episode hit deep. Kailee and I sat down and just talked, no script, no plan, just real life. And what came out was one of those conversations that reminds you what this journey is really about. We talked about Autism Awareness Month, but more than that, we talked about love, fear, the future, and what it means to truly care for your child, no matter what life looks...

Hey, What’s Up! It’s Tommy. This episode is real. It’s raw. It’s one of those moments where I’m just working through what’s been sitting heavy on my heart. Lately, I’ve been feeling the weight of it all. The ups and downs with Wyatt, the stress of work, the pressure of trying to be everything for both of my kids. There are moments when I just want to hear my son say, “I love you,” or ask me how my...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. This week, my wife and I had a real conversation about slowing down, staying present, and not missing the good things right in front of us. We talked about how easy it is to get overwhelmed by social media, news, comparison, parenting pressure, and just the nonstop pace of life. When you are raising kids, especially in a home impacted by profound autism, it can feel lik...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. In this episode, Kailee and I have a real, honest conversation about what life looks like when parenting feels heavy. We talk about the hard days with our son Wyatt, who is almost 11, nonspeaking, and living with profound autism. Some days feel calm and steady. Other days can turn fast, especially when sleep is off, routines get disrupted, or he is clearly dysregulated...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. Today I’m sharing a very personal update after one of the most intense weeks I’ve had in a long time. Between the loss of our fire chief, travel to a national convention, and presenting a seminar on mental health in business, life threw a lot at me all at once. A year ago, situations like this would have sent my anxiety through the roof. Even six months ago, I probably...

Hey, What’s Up! It’s Tommy. We are wrapping up February, which feels crazy to even say. Winter always feels endless after Christmas, but here we are, staring down spring. And I want to talk about two things today that have been heavy on my heart. First, what we can start preparing for as spring comes. Second, the difference between a full change of plans and simply making a pivot. If you’re new he...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. Happy Friday, and welcome back to Spectrum in Camouflage. Today I’m joined again by Dr. Matt Hamilton from Maximum Potential, and we’re keeping this one practical and real. We’ve talked before about deeper neurology and chiropractic care, especially with sensory challenges, autism, and complex cases. This time we zoom out and talk about what “healthy living” actually lo...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. In this episode, I’m sitting down with my new close friend, Zack Ponder from The UnSpecial Podcast. Zack is one of those guys you meet online and instantly think, man, I get him. He has a heart for profoundly affected families, even though he did not come into this space as a special needs parent. He came into it through calling, compassion, and a real desire to make su...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. On today’s episode of Spectrum in Camouflage , my wife Kaylee joins me and we talk about two sides of this life at the same time. The wins that are giving us real hope right now, and the heavy current events that have shaken the autism community. We start with what’s been going well. Wyatt has been more regulated lately, we’ve seen encouraging “soft signs” of progress,...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. Today I’m hanging out with Chris, aka AutismDad_Memes , and this episode is one of those real-deal dad conversations that hits you in the chest a few times. Chris and I are both construction guys, both raising one neurotypical kid and one autistic kid, and we talk about what it’s like trying to hold it together, show up for our families, and still find ways to help othe...

Hey, What's Up! It's Tommy. In this episode of Spectrum in Camouflage, my wife Kailee and I sit down for a real, late-night conversation about a recent trip I took to Puerto Rico to speak at an event. We talk about what it was like to travel alone, speak in front of a big crowd, and stay sober through an environment where drinking is usually the normal thing. We also get honest about what was happ...