We often have very romantic expectations about parenthood. Parenthood is about a mythical child who will be perfect in a way we haven’t quite put our finger on, and the journey to love them will teach us something reasonably easy about ourselves. But what if we are not the parents we thought we’d be? Or our kids are not the kids we thought we’d have.

Writer Cammie McGovern’s oldest son, Ethan, was diagnosed with autism as a small child. Soon though, he was not just a toddler learning how to play or a child needing adjustments in the classroom. He is an adult who wants to participate in the world, and Cammie is still determined to learn what it means to be an advocate for him and others living with disabilities as they enter adulthood. 

In this conversation, Kate and Cammie discuss:

• The myths parents of children with autism might face
• How to build inclusive communities (and how both parties might benefit from them)
• How the role of every parent is to discover their kid for the mystery and wonder they are
• Why parenting shouldn’t always be about becoming heroes or martyrs and how we might need communities and systems that better support our needs

This heartwarming conversation covers everything from love to policy and everything in between, as Cammie describes her son and his future.

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