The Autism Mom’s Potty Talk Podcast

What happens when a parent is fundraising for a communication device their child doesn't actually need? In this episode, Michelle shares a raw and eye-opening conversation with the dad of a 7-year-old non-verbal daughter with Level 3 Autism and the hard truth she had to tell him. 

If your child can make sounds or say words but chooses not to, the problem might not be their ability. It might be that using their voice is simply optional in your home. 

Michelle breaks down why choosing comfort over challenge is quietly costing your child their future, and what you can do differently starting today. This one is going to hit home.

My daughter's latest update! From resource room reduction to high honor roll, dental milestones to lifeguard dreams - hear what's possible when you focus on one step at a time. This is the hope you need if you're wondering about your child's future.

Your child goes every time you take them. No more diapers. You’re reminding them every two or three hours and they’re keeping their pants dry. You did it, right?
Not yet.
In this episode, I’m talking about the stage where most parents get comfortable—and stuck. That in-between place where your child will use the toilet when prompted, but they’re not going on their own. I call it prompt dependence, and it’s where so many families park themselves because they’re scared of losing the progress they worked so hard to get.
I get it. You spent years in diapers. You finally got them going. Now I’m asking you to shake the tree again? Yes. Because true potty training independence isn’t your child going when YOU tell them to—it’s them feeling nature call and answering it themselves.
I’m breaking down why parents get stuck here, what’s really driving the fear of “regression,” and how to widen the window so your child can start hearing their own body instead of waiting for your voice.

In This Episode:

• The difference between going on command and true independence
• Why the autism community’s fear of regression keeps parents stuck
• What “widen the window” means and how to do it
• How to handle accidents during this stage without losing progress
• Why your child won’t start from zero if they regress—and the science behind that
• The mindset shift that changes everything: “I created this result, so I can create it again”

Key Takeaways:

1. If you’re reminding your child every 2-3 hours and they’re going, that’s a win—but it’s not the finish line.
2. There are two voices that can tell your child when to go: your external voice and their body’s internal voice. They’ve learned to listen to yours. Now they need the opportunity to hear theirs.
3. Regression isn’t death. When you get back on the horse, you don’t start at zero—you start just a little before where you were and pick up quickly.
4. Your survival brain and your child are both going to fight for comfort. Your higher brain knows what’s possible.
5. You didn’t get this far by accident. You worked for it. That means you can get it back—and go further.

Quotables:
“We didn’t have babies just to live survival lives. We had babies to teach them to thrive.”
“True independence is when the child feels their body needing to go, and they go release on their own.”
“If I created that result, I can create it again. It didn’t just happen to me. It wasn’t magic potty pixie dust.”
“Every up-level is shaking your tree. It’s going to be uncomfortable. Your brain’s going to tell you all the reasons not to mess things up. That’s not the life you signed up to live.”

In this raw episode, I'm sharing the tension between helping families publicly and protecting privacy. Why I'm still doing this work, and the transformation that's possible when you believe in your child. From preverbal to thriving – this is the hope you need to hear.

Parents often worry that if they introduce signs, PECS, or an AAC device, their child will “never talk.” In this episode I share Julianna’s story—how she lost language, how we taught functional communication with signs, and why that actually accelerated her spoken words. I unpack what changed for her brain, her motivation, and our relationship, and I cite research showing AAC does not block speech and can increase it.

• AAC (signs, PECS, devices) gives a child a reliable voice now, reducing frustration and building the language foundation that supports speech later.
• High-quality studies show AAC does not delay speech. Many children make gains in spoken language once they can communicate successfully.
  PubMed+1
• The “unlock” isn’t only mechanical. It is social and motivational. For Julianna, the first sign proved she understood us, pulled her out of her private world to find us, and created pride and belonging—fuel to work for speech.

• Pair a respectful AAC option (signs, PECS, or SGD) with natural routines and powerful motivators.
• Model language. Speak to your child as you normally would while honoring their sign/picture/button presses as real communication.
• Keep AAC available everywhere. Success breeds more attempts.
• If one system isn’t a fit (e.g., card-stimming), pivot—signs or a device may reduce competing sensory pull.
• Involve your SLP/BCBA to individualize and to target functional requests first.

• Kasari Communication Intervention with SGDs (JAACAP RCT, 2014).
  PubMed
• Schlosser & Wendt Systematic Review (2008).
  PubMed
• Millar, Light, & Schlosser Meta-analysis (2006).
  PubMed
• Flippin, Reszka, & Watson PECS Meta-analysis (2010).
  PubMed
• Ganz et al. AAC Meta-analysis (2014).
  PubMed
• AAP: “Beyond Spoken Words: AAC for Kids” (myth-busting).

In this episode, Michelle Rogers shares the powerful story of a mom who’s ready to “fight the good fight” after insurance denied her autistic daughter’s speech therapy — and how that same fight can quietly steal what matters most: our child’s progress.

Michelle unpacks the emotional trap so many autism parents fall into — battling systems that aren’t invested in their child’s outcome — while their child sits waiting to be taught. With her signature blend of compassion and tough love, Michelle reveals how redirecting that same fire inward can change everything.

If you’ve ever found yourself exhausted by advocacy, overwhelmed by denials, or feeling like the system doesn’t care, this episode will reframe everything. You’ll walk away ready to take radical responsibility, become your child’s best teacher, and fight the real good fight — the one that leads to independence.

🎧 Listen now to discover:

• Why not every battle is worth fighting
• How the brain avoids pain by focusing on external fights
• What “radical responsibility” really looks like in autism parenting
• How Michelle taught her own daughter to communicate without speech therapy
• The question every parent should ask before going to war for services

👉 Ready to stop fighting the wrong battles and start creating real results?
 Book a free Decision-Making Call at michellebrogers.com

🎙️ Episode 58: The Messiness of Autism Parenting

Let’s get honest.

Autism parenting isn’t just hard because of the meltdowns, regressions, or therapies. It’s hard because it’s messy—emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on the inner chaos that so many of us carry but never say out loud. From the guilt of not doing enough, to the shame of secretly comparing your child to others, to the overwhelm of holding everything together while silently falling apart.

If you’ve ever felt like you're drowning in the emotional load of autism parenting... this one’s for you.

I’m not here to sugarcoat it. I’m here to help you feel seen—and to remind you that you can lead your family through this, even when it feels impossibly messy.

Listen now and give yourself permission to feel, release, and reset.

In this episode of Autism Mommy’s Potty Talk, Michelle sits down with Rebecca—a mom who had tried to potty train her pre-verbal son four different times… with zero success.

But everything changed when she joined the program.

Rebecca shares how her son went from aggressive and frustrated to potty trained, making sounds, and finally feeling happy. She opens up about the emotional toll, how mindset work with our coach Stella shifted everything, and how using an iPad as a reinforcer (the right way) made all the difference.

If you’ve been stuck in survival mode, feeling like nothing will work for your child… this is the story you need to hear.

🎧 Tune in to hear how real progress happens—and how fast it can happen when parents are fully supported.

In this fiery, deeply personal episode, Michelle tackles a growing trend in the autism parenting community: the rise of labels like “profound autism” and the quiet acceptance of helplessness that often comes with them.

Sparked by a viral reel of a crying child using his AAC device to say “I’m sad,” Michelle shares why she doesn’t see tragedy — she sees potential. She challenges the narrative that emotional expression from non-speaking children is mysterious or unreachable, and breaks down how belief, curiosity, and consistency can change everything.

If you’ve ever felt stuck.
 If you’ve ever felt like giving up.
 If you’ve been told, “this is just how it is”...

This episode is your reminder:
 Your child is not their label.
 You are not powerless.
 And this is not where your story ends.

👉 Ready to start the work? Watch Michelle’s free 10-minute video training: https://michellebrogers.com/training

In Episode 55 of the Autism Mom’s Potty Talk Podcast, Michelle tackles one of the hardest conversations yet: the blame game around autism.

With the recent announcement linking Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism, many parents are left reeling with guilt, shame, and painful “what ifs.” Michelle shares her own raw story—Tylenol during pregnancy, vaccines, even doctors blaming her weight—and the moment she realized: you can’t unring the bell.

What matters is not what caused autism, but what we do today to help our kids. This episode is about shifting from guilt to action, from “what if” to “what’s next,” and focusing on teaching life-changing skills like potty training, communication, and independence.

🎧 Tune in now to get grounded, find hope, and remember that your child’s future isn’t determined by the past—it’s built by what you do today.