Beyond the Label Podcast

Milo’s first-grade year started with so much promise, but just weeks in, we found ourselves in an unexpected and difficult conversation about his path forward. 

In this episode, we share what’s been happening behind the scenes as our family navigates a change in placement within his IEP.

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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!

A summer evening at the pool brought to you by lots of laughter, lots of splashing... and one small, blue plastic bottle. In this episode, we talk about what it means to show up in a community space with Milo, how quickly moments can shift, and why we keep coming back, despite the unpredictability.

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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!

Has your child ever become fixated on a particular piece of clothing? We've been through this - many times - with Milo. We're talking about what these experiences have taught us about comfort and control, and why sometimes the easiest answer is just…let him wear the shirt.

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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!

Today we're taking a trip to - you guessed it - the grocery store.

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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 what back-to-school looks like in our family — the excitement and the anxiety that comes with change. Nora is thrilled to be in second grade, June is starting her second year of preschool, and Milo is beginning first grade. We talk about the mix of pride, grief, and worry that comes with parenting through transitions, and what it feels like when the unknowns of school are overwhelming. 

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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 exploring what success looks like as parents of an autistic, developmentally delayed child. When your child is on their own timeline and you’re feeling lost, how do you know you’re still on the right path? 

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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!

The high of watching your son be greeted by a friend you didn’t know existed.

The low of watching him get made fun of minutes later.

All in the span of 10 minutes at a soccer game.

Parenting an autistic child with cognitive delays requires a certain level of grit—and constant decisions about when to step in, and when to let things be. If your child is happy, is that enough?

We're talking about it in our latest episode.

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!

A sunny beach day. A therapy pickup that should have been routine. Sometimes the smallest triggers can spark the biggest reactions—and that's just life with autism.

In this episode, Lisa shares two recent moments that capture the whiplash of parenting a child with autism: how quickly things can shift from calm to chaos, and back again. From a coveted bucket at the beach to a misunderstanding about crackers, these stories illustrate the constant state of alertness that comes with navigating a world full of unexpected triggers.

Even when things are going well—especially when things are going well—there's always that underlying awareness that the next moment could change everything. Lisa and Ty reflect on what it means to live in that tension.

Taking a summer break! We'll be back with new episodes on August 3, 2025.

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!

If you’ve ever taken a beach trip with little kids, you know how it goes—kids make fast friends in the waves or at the pool, spend a few days playing together, and then part ways without much ceremony. Everyone goes home.

But for Milo, who’s autistic and often struggles to connect with peers, this kind of easy, spontaneous friendship hasn’t come easily—if at all. That’s what made this moment so special. He was just a kid on vacation, doing what so many kids do without thinking twice.

This episode is about two boys playing together in the ocean. 

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!

To Milo’s delight (thanks, Daniel Tiger), we went on a family trip! We spent a sunny week in Myrtle Beach, bouncing between the pool and the beach, and all our kids had a blast.

In this episode, we share why we feel comfortable calling this trip “easy” — and how it compares to last year’s much tougher experience with Milo.

Traveling with an autistic child who has sensory needs and gets easily overstimulated doesn’t come naturally—it takes patience, practice, and a lot of planning. We know that for some kids, travel isn’t possible. We’re really grateful that Milo has grown and can enjoy these moments with his family more and more each year.

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!