Beyond the Label Podcast

A birthday party.

A really hard moment.

And questions we can't stop thinking about—but also can't answer.

• How do you balance your child's needs with the needs of those around them?
• What does inclusion look like when behaviors can be challenging and unpredictable?
• How do you keep showing up when there's no guarantee things will go smoothly?

In this episode, we're reflecting on a moment when Milo really struggled at a friend's birthday party: how it felt in the moment, how it felt in the days after, and what we're still wrestling with. 

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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 a fresh collection of glimmers—the small but meaningful moments that have brought us joy lately. These are the moments that remind us how much growth can happen over time.

We're also reflecting on why we started this podcast in the first place: to give ourselves an outlet, to build community, and to be a source of comfort for other families walking a similar path.

This episode is a reminder to notice the good moments when they come, reach out to the people around you, and make space for connection—in real life and beyond.

Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440.

Email us at [email protected]

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!

There are moments when Milo feels relaxed, familiar, and fully himself. And then there are moments when the world feels much harder for him—and for us—to navigate.

In this episode, we talk about how different environments affect Milo, why his hardest moments are often the most visible to strangers, and what it feels like trying to build community while always staying one step ahead.

We also share a recent update on some rising anxiety we’ve been seeing lately and how we’re navigating it with his care team.

Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440.

Email us at [email protected]

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!

Over the last few months, things with Milo have felt… good. Calm, even. But lately, old behaviors and triggers have started resurfacing, and we can feel our family entering another difficult cycle.

In this episode, we share what it looks like when dysregulation returns to our home—the impact it has on all three kids, the impossible “space between” of parenting through it, and the uncertainty of never fully knowing what comes next. We also talk about the quiet resilience of siblings in an autism family.

Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440.

Email us at [email protected]

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!

In this episode, we talk about the complicated space between what Milo understands and what he doesn’t, and how difficult it can be to parent from that uncertainty.

Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440.

Email us at [email protected]

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 our family’s experience with ABA — Applied Behavior Analysis — therapy over the last 3 years: what we knew about it going in, what surprised us about it, and how it has worked for Milo.

If you’re looking for a formal overview of ABA and the research behind it, this isn’t it. But if you’re curious about one family’s real-life experience, we hope you’ll tune in.

Topics discussed: ABA, ABA therapy, autism diagnosis, applied behavior analysis, special education, early intervention, neurodiversity, behavior intervention plan

Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440.

Email us at [email protected]

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!

Two kids. Two buses. Two very different days.

In this episode, we share how Milo is beginning to understand that his sister goes to school—and he doesn’t—and what that’s looked like in one small, everyday moment that’s gotten a lot more complicated. 

Episodes Referenced:

E30: Before (School Update Part 1) 

E31: After (School Update Part 2)

Topics discussed: autism, communication, therapy, school transitions, sibling relationships 

Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440.

Email us at [email protected]

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!

In this episode, we talk about what progress really looks like in our life with Milo—and how it rarely looks the way we expected.

From small but meaningful moments at the dinner table to the realities behind therapy goals and daily challenges, we share the tension of celebrating growth while still navigating how hard things can be. Because for us, progress isn’t a finish line; it’s something we’re learning to live within every day.

Topics discussed: autism parenting, special needs parenting, developmental progress, therapy goals, grief and gratitude, family dynamics

Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440.

Email us at [email protected]

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!

In this episode, we share what it’s like to navigate the world with our son Milo, who is autistic. Through moments from a recent trip, we reflect on the contrast between the comfort of our home “bubble” and the unpredictability of public spaces.

We talk about the unseen effort behind Milo’s behaviors, the challenges of being out in the world, and how brief interactions can shape understanding.

We reference a quote from Kate Swenson of Finding Cooper's Voice in this episode. You can follow their family page here:
https://www.facebook.com/findingcoopersvoice 

Topics covered: autism and family life, public outings and challenges, social norms, unseen effort, parenting in public, sibling support, autism and travel

Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440.

Email us at [email protected]

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 reflecting on the first moments we wondered if autism might be part of our son Milo’s story.

We revisit memories of Milo as a baby—smiling, making eye contact, and seeming “typical”—and the relief we felt, alongside the quiet concerns we couldn’t fully explain. As time went on, we began noticing subtle differences, from speech delays to behaviors that didn’t quite add up.

In this episode, we share what those early signs of autism looked like for us, how our understanding has evolved, and what it felt like to navigate so much uncertainty in real time.

Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440.

Email us at [email protected]

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!