Autism Parenting Secrets

Welcome to Episode 324 of Autism Parenting Secrets.
This week, I'm joined by Sarah Kernion, founder of INCHSTONES and mother of three children, including two with profound, non-speaking autism and whole body apraxia.
Parents see things others simply can't.
You are with your child across thousands of ordinary moments. You notice subtle changes in behavior, connection, sleep, digestion, regulation, communication, and development.
Those observations aren't insignificant.
They're clues.
Yet it's easy to discount what you see when you're sitting across from a doctor, therapist, teacher, or other professional with years of training and expertise.
Sarah makes a powerful case for a different posture.
You don't need to know more than the experts.
But you do need to recognize that you bring something to the table that no one else can: an extraordinarily deep understanding of your child.
That means becoming more than an advocate. It means becoming an intentional observer, noticing patterns, documenting what you see, asking better questions, and trusting yourself enough to bring those observations forward.
We also explore the importance of asking not only "What is this?" but "Why might this be happening?"
And Sarah shares the idea at the heart of INCHSTONES: progress isn't only found in the big milestones we're conditioned to look for.
It's also found in the tiny moments of connection, growth, and development that are easy to miss when we're focused only on how far our child still has to go.
Those inchstones matter.


The secret this week is…
Your Ability To NOTICE Is A Superpower


You'll Discover:
Why your observations about your child are incredibly important clues (3:53)
How to show up differently in conversations with practitioners (10:21)
Why becoming a better observer changes your role in your child's care (21:07)
Why asking "Why might this be happening?" can reveal more (31:36)
Why inchstones deserve to be celebrated alongside milestones (39:02)


About Our Guest:
Sarah Kernion is the founder of INCHSTONES, host of the Inchstones podcast, and a national advocate for families raising children with profound autism.
She is the mother of three children, including Milly and Mack, who both have profound, non-speaking autism and whole body apraxia.
Through honest storytelling and conversations with leading researchers, physicians, and fellow caregivers, Sarah explores the intersection of science, advocacy, and the lived reality of raising children with the highest support needs.
Her work invites parents to notice the small moments that often reveal the biggest truths because inchstones, not milestones, change lives.
www.inchstones.co


References in this Episode:
Meadow Health
Additional Resources:
To learn more about personalized 1:1 support go to www.elevatehowyounavigate.com


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Welcome to Episode 323 of Autism Parenting Secrets.

This week, I'm joined by returning guest Beth Lambert, Executive Director of Documenting Hope and author of A Compromised Generation.

After more than two decades immersed in children's health, Beth is more hopeful than ever.

Why?

The science has changed.

Our understanding of the microbiome, nervous system, metabolism, environmental stressors, and other contributors to chronic childhood conditions has exploded.

More practitioners are applying this knowledge clinically.

And more parents are sharing stories of children making remarkable progress.

But having more information and more options doesn't necessarily make a parent's job easier.

In fact, it can make discernment even more important.

Your child is unique.

There is no universal roadmap, perfect practitioner, or silver bullet.

The opportunity is to gather good information and support while becoming increasingly clear about what makes sense for your child.

We also explore something parents can easily overlook: you are part of your child's environment.

Your nervous system, energy, decisions, consistency, and ability to regulate matter.

Supporting yourself isn't taking attention away from your child. It can be foundational to helping your child feel safe and thrive.

Beth also shares why in-person community can be so powerful and what she's most excited about at Documenting Hope's upcoming Health & Healing Expo in Orlando, November 21-22.

The future is changing quickly. There are more reasons for hope, more tools available, and more possibilities opening up for families.



The secret this week is…

Healing Is More Possible Than You Think



You'll Discover:

Why there’s more reason for hope than ever before (1:26)

Why YOU are your child’s most important decision-maker (7:00)

Why commitment beats chasing the next intervention (15:42)

How community can create unexpected breakthroughs (23:05)

Why the future of children’s health could look radically different (32:48)



About Our Guest:

Beth Lambert is a former healthcare consultant and teacher. As a consultant, she worked with pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic, and other healthcare companies to evaluate industry trends.

She is the author of A Compromised Generation: The Epidemic of Chronic Illness in America's Children and co-author of Brain Under Attack: A Resource for Parents and Caregivers of Children with PANS, PANDAS, and Autoimmune Encephalitis.

Beth founded Epidemic Answers in 2009 and currently serves as Executive Director of Documenting Hope. She attended Oxford University, graduated from Williams College, and holds a Master's Degree in American Studies from Fairfield University.

www.beth-lambert.com/documenting-hope



References in this Episode:

Health & Healing Expo by Documenting Hope, November 21–22, 2026 | Orlando, Florida + Virtual

Healing Together by Documenting Hope

A Compromised Generation by Beth Lambert

Brain Under Attack by Beth Lambert



Additional Resources:

To learn more about personalized 1:1 support go to www.elevatehowyounavigate.com



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Welcome to Episode 322 of Autism Parenting Secrets.

This episode is about discernment, intuition, nervous system regulation, and learning how to think independently when navigating your child’s health challenges.

Dr. Cammy Benton shares the painful experience that pushed her beyond conventional medicine after one of her daughters became severely ill.

Despite being a physician herself, she found herself dismissed, gaslit, and pressured to ignore her own instincts while her child continued deteriorating.

What followed completely transformed how she views medicine, parenting, and healing.

You’ll hear why curiosity, humility, and critical thinking matter so much when choosing practitioners and making decisions for your child.

You’ll also hear why nervous system regulation is essential if parents want to access their own intuition clearly.

This is not about rejecting medicine. It’s about remaining conscious, engaged, and empowered while navigating complex decisions.

The secret this week is…

Don’t Hand Over Your AUTHORITY

You'll Discover:

Why fear can cause you to doubt your own instincts (14:11)

How fear can cloud your ability to make good decisions (34:31)

Why curiosity and humility lead to better healthcare decisions (26:39)

Why you shouldn’t outsource your discernment to anyone (32:04)

Why regulating yourself helps your child thrive (36:14)

About Our Guest:

Dr. Cammy Benton, MD is a functional medicine physician, IFM-certified and currently completing a longevity fellowship with A4M. Since 2016, she has owned Benton Integrative, a holistic concierge practice in Huntersville, North Carolina. A graduate of medical school in 2000 and Family Medicine residency in 2004, she has spent over two decades studying integrative modalities including nutrition, homeopathy, Ayurveda, sexual health, functional medicine, and psychedelic medicine. She is a Founding Director of Physicians for Informed Consent, advocating for truly informed medical choice, and is also a student of ancient healing traditions.

https://www.bentonintegrative.com/

Additional Resources:

To learn more about personalized 1:1 support go to www.elevatehowyounavigate.com

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Welcome to Episode 321 of Autism Parenting Secrets.

Parents make high-stakes decisions for their children all the time.

And those decisions become much harder when they're surrounded by conflicting opinions, uncertainty, pressure, and fear.

My guest this week is Dr. Taylor Bean, a Naturopathic Doctor and MAPS Fellow who is passionate about helping parents understand their options so they can make more informed decisions for their unique child.

Her own journey into informed consent began when she became a mother, and that principle now runs throughout her work with families.

In this conversation, we cover a lot of ground.

Dr. Bean explains why she thinks the earliest years matter so much for establishing microbial health, why food introduction deserves more thought than it often receives, and how genetics can help practitioners better understand a child's inflammatory response.

We also explore Vitamin A, probiotics, homeopathy, fever, and practical ways parents can prepare before their child gets sick.

And we dive into vaccine decision-making, including why Dr. Bean believes so many parents find themselves in a "gray zone" where they aren't looking for someone to tell them what to do. 

They want to understand their options so they can decide for themselves..

That's the bigger message here.

You don't need someone else to make the decision for you.

You need the information, support, and confidence to make an informed decision that's right for your child.

The secret this week is… 

Never Make Decisions Out Of FEAR

You'll Discover:

Why informed consent became foundational to Dr. Bean's work (3:15)

Why MTHFR isn't the whole story when considering inflammatory response (15:50)

Why Vitamin A plays such an important role in Dr. Bean's approach (19:32)

How being prepared can reduce fear when your child gets sick (27:47)

Why so many parents are stuck in the vaccine "gray zone" (40:44)

About Our Guest:

Dr. Taylor Bean is a Naturopathic Doctor and owner of TaylorMade Wellness in Salmon Arm, British Columbia.

Becoming a mother is where her core value of achieving informed consent was born. While her profession taught her to be curious and treat each patient individually, it was her positive birthing experiences that changed her perspective on what a true doctor-patient relationship means.

Her career started in Singapore, where she supported patients throughout Southeast Asia. She has been supporting Canadian families since 2016.

www.drtaylorbean.com

Vaccine Education Masteclass

References in this Episode:

MAPS Parent Conference - September 12-13, 2026 in Philadelphia, PA - Use code PARENT20 for discounted admission

Medical Academy of Pediatrics & Special Needs (MAPS)

Dr. Ben Lynch

Additional Resources:

To learn more about personalized 1:1 support go to www.elevatehowyounavigate.com

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Welcome to Episode 320 of Autism Parenting Secrets.

Many parents are understandably cautious about technology.

And for good reason.

Screens are everywhere. Devices are everywhere. Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how we live. And virtual reality is becoming more accessible than ever.

So where does it fit?

Should it simply be avoided, or could it become another valuable tool to help children learn and grow?

Vijay Ravindran is the founder and CEO of Floreo, a virtual reality-based therapeutic platform designed to help autistic and neurodivergent individuals build social, communication, behavioral, and independent living skills.

In this conversation, Vijay shares the personal story that inspired Floreo, explains why practicing skills in a low-pressure virtual environment can improve real-world learning, and discusses the clinical research supporting this approach.

He also addresses an important concern many parents have: how to use technology intentionally, thoughtfully, and in moderation while keeping the focus on helping children thrive.

Whether or not virtual reality ultimately becomes part of your child's journey, this episode offers a practical framework for thinking differently about how learning happens and how technology may complement, rather than replace, the important work already being done by parents, therapists, and educators.

The secret this week is… 

Virtual Reality Prepares For Real Life

You'll Discover:

Why practicing in a low-pressure environment can build real-world confidence (5:11)

How Floreo keeps parents and therapists actively involved throughout every lesson (13:04)

Why just 20 minutes per week produced meaningful clinical improvements (18:41)

Why children with higher support needs showed the greatest gains in Floreo's clinical trial (25:11)

The encouraging message every autism parent needs to hear about their child's potential (34:32)

About Our Guest:

Vijay Ravindran is the founder and CEO of Floreo, a virtual reality-based digital therapeutic company developing FDA-regulated software-as-a-medical-device (SaMD) treatments for autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions.

Under his leadership, Floreo has earned FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, completed a pivotal randomized controlled trial demonstrating statistically significant clinical outcomes, and expanded its platform across clinics, schools, and homes while pursuing FDA De Novo clearance.

Prior to founding Floreo, Vijay served as Chief Digital Officer of The Washington Post and previously held senior software engineering and product leadership roles at Amazon, where he helped launch Amazon Prime. Floreo was inspired by his experience as the father of a child on the autism spectrum.

https://floreovr.com/

Additional Resources:

To learn more about personalized 1:1 support go to www.elevatehowyounavigate.com

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends.