This short introduction is a glimpse into the heart behind the podcast—a father’s honest perspective on raising a child with autism and navigating the struggles, victories, fears, laughter, and unforgettable moments along the way.

This isn’t a show about having all the answers. It’s about sharing our family’s real experiences, connecting with other parents, and reminding families walking a similar road that there are others walking it too.

Welcome to our journey.

This short introduction is a glimpse into the heart behind the podcast—a father’s honest perspective on raising a child with autism and navigating the struggles, victories, fears, laughter, and unforgettable moments along the way.

This isn’t a show about having all the answers. It’s about sharing our family’s real experiences, connecting with other parents, and reminding families walking a similar road that there are others walking it too.

Welcome to our journey.

Exploring the emotional rollercoaster of discovering parenthood.

The journey to parenthood is filled with emotions that can’t be easily expressed. In our inaugural episode titled Before We Knew, Kevin shares his personal experience of finding out he was about to become a father.

Kevin recounts the moment he and his partner discovered they were expecting. It's a whirlwind of emotions, from joy to anxiety. "It's a feeling that I don't think could ever be duplicated by something else," he reflects. The news came during Christmas—a time typically filled with cheer, now amplified by the prospect of a new life.

Telling family and friends was a moment of mixed emotions. Kevin describes the chaotic yet joyful family meeting where his partner shared the news, saying, "I'm pregnant." The unexpected delivery of the news led to a flood of excitement from both sides of the family, marking the beginning of their journey into parenthood.

As preparations for the baby began, Kevin dove into setting up a nursery filled with love and creativity. He describes the joy of picking decorations and setting up the crib, though he humorously notes, "Once he was born, he never stepped one foot in the crib for very long." This sentiment captures the unpredictable nature of parenting, where plans often shift.

The path was not without its hurdles. Just days before their baby shower, Kevin's partner experienced a car accident. Despite the scare and uncertainty, they were relieved to find out that both mom and baby were fine. This moment illustrates the resilience of parents-to-be and the emotional rollercoaster they navigate.

As the doctor appointments stack up, check ups turn into documenting little signs and characteristics that start pointing in the direction of a autism diagnosis. As new parents navigating the unknown in the search for answers starts to begin. One sleepless night turns into two, turn into many, as frustration mounts for both the child and the parents, the inability to communicate deepens. Heartache and fear over the unknown starts to settle in....

A parent's journey of discovering their son's autism, the search for answers, and the evaluation process. The evaluation process for a child with developmental concerns can be challenging for parents, who grapple with uncertainty, fear, and the need to let their child be themselves during the evaluation. The process raises questions about the child's future, financial concerns, and the emotional impact on the parents. Despite the search for answers, the journey is ongoing, and a diagnosis does not change the love and support for the child.

Takeaways

• Autism diagnosis journey
• Research and evaluation process Parental concerns during the evaluation process
• The emotional impact of the evaluation on parents
• The ongoing journey of understanding and supporting a child with developmental concerns

A parent's journey in understanding and coping with their son's autism diagnosis and the search for answers.

Takeaways

• Parenting challenges
• Emotional impact of diagnosis

Join me as I recount the experience of navigating this new reality after the diagnosis was received and absorbed and the steps we’ve taken to ensure our son receives the care he needs. Our story is one of hope, learning, and the profound impact of understanding.

I invite you to reflect on your own experiences or insights related to this journey. Every step we take together in understanding autism paves the way for a brighter future.

Stay tuned for the upcoming third episode of The Diagnosis on When We First Noticed.

The Diagnosis - was not the end of the story, it was the moment everything finally made sense. Kevin shares the exact email that confirmed his son had autism, along with a developmental delay and speech and language disorder, and how that answer shifted his family from fear to action. Kevin also shares the small wins that changed everything - from learning sign language and using routines to eventually hearing his son ask for pasta in a simple sentence. Along the way, he explains how autism did not change who his son was, but did change how his family understood him and how they parented him.

This episode is for any parent in the middle of uncertainty, any family waiting for answers, or anyone trying to understand what really happens after an autism diagnosis. If you need hope, clarity, and a grounded look at the road ahead, this one belongs at the top of your queue.

You’ll discover:

• Why getting the diagnosis brought relief, not grief
• What “level two” support needs meant for Kevin’s family
• How early intervention started before age two and why it mattered so much
• What ABA, speech therapy, and school support began teaching both his son and his parents
• The practical realities of finding the right provider, managing schedules, and protecting childhood at the same time

Chapters

• 00:00 The Diagnosis and What Happened Next
• 04:16 The Email We Had Been Waiting For
• 09:16 Level Two and Understanding the Diagnosis
• 18:07 The Journey of ABA
• 29:01 Speech, School, and Another Way to Communicate
• 34:34 What an Autism Diagnosis Actually Changed

Getting the diagnosis is hard. Getting the right help is harder.

Kevin’s story lays out the maze families face after an autism diagnosis - early intervention, speech therapy, ABA, and occupational therapy - and the exhausting question underneath all of it: how do you get real support without losing your child’s childhood? Kevin shares the moment-by-moment reality of building a care plan for his son, from learning an entirely new vocabulary of IFSPs, regional centers, and AAC, to figuring out what actually helps in the middle of meltdowns, transitions, and self-injury. He breaks down the therapies that shaped their journey, what each one looked like in practice, and why play turned out to be the work.

You’ll discover:

• Why early intervention started with play, not flashcards
• How sign language, narration, timers, and front-loading became everyday tools
• What changed when speech therapy, ABA, and school supports entered the picture
• Why the “right” provider matters as much as the right service
• How AAC, scripting, and growing language can all coexist

Kevin also gets honest about the parts families don’t talk about enough - waitlists, billing surprises, providers that don’t fit, and the pressure to fill every hour with therapy. If you’re trying to decide what’s enough, what’s too much, or how to keep your child from becoming a schedule, this episode speaks directly to that tension. Most importantly, Kevin shows how therapy didn’t just teach his son communication and daily living skills. It taught the whole family how to listen better, advocate harder, and recognize progress in the small moments that matter most. Essential listening for parents in the early autism journey, and for anyone who wants to understand what support really looks like after the diagnosis.