Marriage After the A Word – Episode 4: School, Sleep & ‘Stuff People Say’

Welcome back to Marriage After the A Word — the podcast where we get real about parenting our autistic son, Noah, and how it’s shaped our marriage, our mindset, and honestly... our sleep.

This week, we kick things off with our Q&A segment “Because Autism Didn’t Come With a Manual” — answering your questions. We dive into a biggie: Specialist vs. Mainstream Schooling and how we approached that decision. (Skip ahead if school chat’s not your jam — we don’t blame you, it’s a chunky one! Timings below ⬇️)

We’re also answering the tough question: What do we find the hardest? I mean this one wasn’t easy as there’s quite a few challenging bits!

We move into the main theme this week: Sleep… or lack of.
Noah doesn’t need much of it — we do. So how do we cope? We explore what’s worked, what definitely hasn’t, and the importance of constant experimenting, staying hopeful, and our experience with melatonin in our honest segment: “What We Wish We Knew.”

Of course, there’s laughter too — because looking back sometimes all you can do is laugh. In our “It’s Funny Now” segment, we’re telling the wild things we tried to get Noah to sleep — including that time we used a laundry basket and rocked him… desperate times, people, but hey — it worked. 🤷‍♂️

And finally, we wrap up with “Can I Just Say” — our moan of the week. One of us is too tired to moan (ironic), but the other has a few choice words…

Whether you're an autism parent, navigating the ups and downs of neurodivergent life, or just here for a raw and real conversation — we’re so glad you’re here.

👉 Listen now and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share with anyone who’s ever had a sleepless night and loved a child through it anyway.

Because Autism Didn’t Come with a Manual

1min Mainstream vs specialist schooling

19 mins What we find the hardest thing

Sleep- What We Wish We Knew

30mins Sleep! What it’s looked like over the last 4 years

It’s Funny Now

47mins Our funny sleep stories! Don’t judge!

Stuff People Say

53mins ‘Everyone’s a little autistic these days’

57mins ‘he’ll grow out of it’

58 mins ‘Can I Just Say…’

Norfolk Wins, ARFID Real Talk & Finding Strength in the Chaos

In this heartfelt and honest episode, we reflect on how parenting an autistic child with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) continues to shape our marriage and family life.

We start on a high note, sharing the surprising success of our recent trip to Norfolk — a rare win that felt huge. We talk through the little things that helped make it work, from planning strategies to mindset shifts, hoping our experience can help others navigating similar challenges.

As we move into a deeper conversation around ARFID, following ARFID Awareness Day, things get emotional. We open up about the things we wish we’d known earlier — from learning not to care what others think, to in hindsight wishing we’d had combi feeding to fall back on, and why a pressure-free approach has been so important.

We also get real about the serious lack of support for families like ours and the ongoing need for more awareness — not just among the public, but within the medical community too. And yes, there are some stories that are so ridiculous, they’ll make you laugh (because otherwise, you’d cry).

This episode is for every parent feeling unseen, every couple trying to stay connected through the storm, and anyone who wants to better understand what life is really like behind the label.

#AutismParenting #ARFIDAwareness #ParentingPodcast #LifeWithAutism #FeedingChallenges #MarriageAndParenting #NeurodiverseFamily #CombiFeeding #RealParenting #AvoidantRestrictiveFoodIntakeDisorder #SpecialNeedsParenting #AutismFamily #NoPressureParenting #HonestParenting #FamilyTripTips

Marriage, Holidays & Autism: The Honest Truth 💬

Hosted by Stuart & Emily | Episode 2 🎙️

In this episode of our podcast, we’re diving deep into what it’s really like going on holiday with a neurodivergent child — and how it can seriously test your marriage. As autism parents ourselves, we’re not sugar-coating it.

We’re talking about:

🌍 The ups and downs of travelling with our son Noah, who’s autistic

🧳 The things we wish we’d known — from special assistance at the airport to the sunflower lanyard, and finding a true home-from-home

🙈 Learning to stop caring what strangers think (easier said than done)

😂 Our funniest holiday horror stories — like the time Emily broke her ankle on our one and only trip abroad — in our “It’s Funny Now” segment

😤 This week’s “Can I Just Say” moment (AKA our moan of the week)

😳 The most absurd things people say to autism parents — and what we wish we could say back

💤 Plus, listener questions all about sleep struggles

Whether you're an autism parent (or think you might be!), have a loved one in a similar position or are just trying to understand life after diagnosis — this episode is real, relatable, and hopefully a little bit funny too.

🎧 Hit that subscribe button, give us a like if you enjoy it, and drop your own stories or questions in the comments. We LOVE hearing from you.

#AutismParenting #MarriageAndAutism #NeurodivergentFamily #SpecialAssistance #AutismPodcast #ParentingPodcast #SunflowerLanyard #TravellingWithAutism #ItsFunnyNow #CanIJustSay #AutismAwareness #SleepAndAutism #MarriageAfterTheAWord

Episode 1: Our Story Begins – Autism, Marriage & Everything in Between

Welcome to the very first episode of Marriage After The A Word, where Emily and Stuart open up about life as parents of an autistic son — the beautiful, the painful, and everything in between.

In this raw and honest conversation, they share the emotional rollercoaster of their son’s autism diagnosis: the fear, the uncertainty, the sleepless nights, and how it’s changed them as individuals and as a couple. They reflect on how autism has impacted their marriage — from the daily challenges to the moments of unexpected connection.

You’ll also get a glimpse of what’s to come in future episodes, including topics like ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), the struggle for alone time, and the messy, real feelings that often go unspoken.

They even explore a deeply personal question: Would they change their child’s autism diagnosis if they could?

Whether you’re a parent, partner, or simply curious about the real-life impact of raising an autistic child, this podcast is for anyone craving honesty, vulnerability, and connection — especially when it comes to the often unspoken toll on a marriage.