Inchstones with Sarah | Autism Advocacy & Caregiver Stories

Autism parenting is a journey filled with unique challenges and profound growth. In this episode of Inchstones, host Sarah Kernion talks with Jenny Briggs—author, autism mom, and advocate—about how love, neurodiversity, and inclusion can transform the experience of raising a child with autism. Jenny shares her heartfelt story of parenting her daughter Sarah, whose autism diagnosis inspired her to utilize the Son-Rise program, a home-based, relationship-centered approach that honors curiosity and connection over correction.

Through this conversation, listeners will gain insight into autism awareness, the emotional evolution parents undergo, and the importance of community support in the disability and neurodiverse parenting journey. Jenny discusses how siblings thrive when empathy and inclusion are prioritized, and how seeking help opens new paths toward healing. Her book, Watching Sarah Rise, offers a poignant testament to the transformative power of love as a cornerstone of therapy and personal growth.

Join us as we explore how flexibility, patience, and human connection redefine autism parenting and advocate for a more inclusive and understanding world.

Jennifer Celeste Briggs has a BA in English Literature from Swarthmore college. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA with her husband and two daughters. Her daughter Sarah has a genetic anomaly and autism. When Sarah was four, Jenny decided to run a Son-Rise Program for her, calling it Sarah-Rise, and training at the Autism Treatment Center of America. The Son-Rise Program is a loving child-centered approach to helping those with autism and other challenges connect socially, verbally, and through increased eye contact. Organizing hundreds of hours of therapeutic play time for Sarah, Jenny trained and coordinated multiple volunteers who contributed their love and creativity to the venture. Jenny started a blog to share the experience of Sarah-Rise and has heard multiple times that her words were helpful to others dealing with life struggles. Jenny wants to help parents feel understood and to spread the word about The Son-Rise Program. She hopes that her words bring comfort, joy, and inspiration to readers whatever their challenges and journeys may be.

Parenting a child with autism demands deep reserves of energy, empathy, and endurance—and too often, parents forget to include themselves in the circle of care. In this powerful conversation, Sarah Kernion talks with Kat Riojas about what conscious self-care really looks like when you’re raising neurodiverse children.

Fellow autism mom and advocate, Kat Riojas, shares how movement, mindful routines, and healthy habits have transformed her ability to stay present and emotionally steady for her family. Together, they explore how modeling wellness teaches children balance, why community matters as much as therapy, and how letting go of comparison opens the door to peace.

This is a grounded, hopeful reminder that caring for yourself is caring for your child—and that every act of self-preservation is an act of love.

Key Takeaways

Find and follow Kat on Instagram here!

Episode 64 of the Inchstones Podcast, host & Autism Mom Sarah Kernion sits down with Erica Witte, mom and founder of Project Playground, to explore how her own advocacy sparked a movement for inclusive play spaces where all children (neurodiverse, disable, neurotypical) can play and connect together.

Erica shares how her experience as a special-needs parent inspired her to design accessible playgrounds equipped with communication boards, created in collaboration with local high school students. Together, Sarah and Erica discuss how inclusion is built through community, creativity, and conscious design.

This episode is a story of hope, practical innovation, and maternal leadership, showing that when parents model advocacy, they shape a more inclusive world for future generations.

Key Takeaways:

A must-listen new episode coming to you with host Sarah Kernion, who sits down with Dr. Delia McCabe, neuroscientist and nutrition expert, to explore how food profoundly shapes emotional regulation, sensory processing, and well-being in neurodiverse children—especially those with autism.

Together, they unpack the gut-brain connection, the role of healthy fats, and how probiotics influence behavior and mood. Delia shares simple, science-based steps parents can take to create calm, balanced, and nourishing routines—without overwhelm or guilt.

This conversation reframes nutrition as an act of connection: by modeling curiosity, patience, and healthy habits, parents can help their children thrive from the inside out—one inchstone at a time.

Key Takeaways:

The gut-brain axis plays a key role in emotional and sensory regulation.
Healthy fats are crucial for brain growth and focus.
Probiotics can support mood stability and digestion.
Change works best when modeled with patience and curiosity.
Small, consistent shifts in nutrition make lasting impact for children with autism.

Discover the transformative power of storytelling in Autism advocacy with Sarah Kernion as she sits down with documentary filmmaker Chelsea Casabona for a powerful conversation about the role of storytelling in shifting how we see autism and neurodiversity.  Chelsea filmed Sarah and her family for a 5-min glimpse into the lives of neurodiverse families for Beacon College's A World of Difference Segment last April for Autism Awareness Month.  

Together, they explore how real change happens when we tell stories with honesty, presence, and heart. Chelsea shares how vulnerability behind the camera creates deeper human connection—and how curiosity can uncover the truth within every story.

This episode challenges the “fix-it” mindset so often applied to disability and celebrates the beauty, strength, and individuality within the autism community. It’s a moving reminder that storytelling can reshape perception, build empathy, and reveal what truly connects us all.

Key Takeaways:

Explore Neurodiversity and Synesthesia in this episode on Inchstones, host and autism Mom Sarah Kernion, profound autism mom of two nonspeaking autistic children and advocate, sits down with director Nicola Rose of Magnetosphere to discuss her groundbreaking film exploring neurodiversity and the lived experiences of children with synesthesia which is a fascinating neurological condition where the brain links two or more senses that are usually separate. Through the story of a 13-year-old girl, the film offers a fresh and authentic lens on autism, adolescence, and representation in media.

Sarah and Nicola dive deep into the heart of autism parenting, reflecting on the joys and challenges mothers face while raising neurodiverse children. They highlight the importance of witnessing and honoring each child’s unique perspective, recognizing that all behavior is communication, and celebrating humor as a powerful tool for storytelling and connection.

For autism moms, this conversation is both validating and uplifting...a reminder that raising a neurodiverse child is not only about challenges but also about deep transformation, empathy, and unconditional love.

Key Takeaways

Motherhood doesn’t come with a manual—but if it did, autism parenting would be filed under “plot twist.”
In this candid episode of the Inchstones podcast, host Sarah Kernion welcomes Marie Watkinson, a successful NYC entrepreneur and owner of Spa Chicks on the Go and devoted autism mom, for a raw, unfiltered look at what it means to raise a profoundly autistic child in a world that wasn’t built with him in mind.

From the gut instinct that something was different, to the rollercoaster of diagnosis, advocacy, and redefined expectations, Marie’s story captures the emotional landscape of parenting through the lens of neurodiversity. Together, she and Sarah explore how inchstones—not milestones—become the markers of growth, strength, and survival for autism families.

This conversation is equal parts real talk, hard truth, and soft place to land—for any parent navigating the beautifully chaotic world of autism.

Top Takeaways:

About the Guest:
Marie Watkinson is the founder of Spa Chicks On The Go, a luxury mobile spa business based in NYC. She’s also the proud mom of Ryan, her 16-year-old son with profound autism. Marie and her husband Chris live in Port Jefferson, NY, where they fiercely advocate for inclusive education, dignity, and a future where every neurodiverse child has a place to thrive.

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Parenting autistic kids isn’t a straight line—it’s a zigzag through school meetings, medication trials, sleepless nights, and unexpected joy. In this episode of Inchstones, host Sarah Kernion joins Gena Mann for a no-holds-barred conversation about what it truly feels like to raise neurodivergent kids in a world built around milestones.

They cover everything from early intervention to IEPs, puberty panic to post-high school plans—with brutal honesty, well-earned wisdom, and a few laughs along the way.

This isn’t just about autism. It’s about parenting in the unknown—and learning to celebrate the inchstones that quietly change everything.

Key Takeaways for Parents of Autistic Children:

Forget the clichés, this is where autism, neurodiversity, and inchstones collide to challenge every assumption about what parenting a profoundly autistic, nonspeaking child actually means. Sarah Kernion and The OG Autism Dad, Rob Gorski go far beyond surface-level conversations, exposing the unseen emotional labor, systemic failures, and community blind spots families face every day. This discussion reframes profound autism as not just a diagnosis but a catalyst for resilience, courage, and radical community-building. Together, they explore how embracing nonspeaking autism as part of a broader neurodiversity movement transforms stigma into solidarity while underscoring the urgent need for inclusive policies, authentic dialogue, and parent-led support networks that actually work.

Takeaways:

Raw Truth Drives Change: Rob Gorski underscores that unfiltered storytelling is the engine of real autism advocacy.

Hidden Emotional Labor: Parents of profoundly autistic, nonspeaking children shoulder unique emotional and logistical challenges rarely acknowledged by society.

Neurodiversity ≠ One Size Fits All: The autism community spans from low to high support needs, demanding nuanced understanding and tailored support.

Systemic Barriers Require Disruption: Families face institutional red tape and fragmented systems, calling for parent-led reform and policy influence.

Self-Care as Strategic Survival: Caring for yourself is not indulgence—it’s the foundation of sustainable advocacy and family stability.

Normalize Asking for Help: Courage in seeking support should be celebrated, not stigmatized, to reduce isolation and burnout.

Bridge the Divide: Open dialogue between families, professionals, and policymakers can dismantle harmful stereotypes and improve outcomes.

Respect the Inchstones: Progress in profound or nonspeaking autism isn’t always linear—inchstones matter more than milestones.

Compassion as a Competitive Advantage: Building a culture of empathy within the autism community strengthens resilience and collective impact.

Families raising children with profound autism often face overwhelming challenges in navigating healthcare, education, and daily life. On the Inchstones podcast, Sarah Kernion and Brandy Burch Thompson, CEO & Founder of benefitbay® unpack these realities with honesty and clarity, highlighting why individualized care plans matter and how employers can better support neurodiverse families. Their conversation underscores the power of advocacy, the necessity of informed choice in healthcare, and the resilience it takes for parents of autistic children to be heard. This dialogue shines a light on both the systemic barriers and the inchstones of progress that define the autism journey, offering guidance and hope to families walking a similar path.  In exploring the importance of individualized care plans, the role of employers in providing healthcare options, and the need for families to advocate for their specific needs, Brandy helps Sarah and other parents in similar situation understand the terrain of the healthcare system. The conversation emphasizes the significance of choice in healthcare and the empowerment of families to make informed decisions about their care.