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Practical tips and evidence-based guidance to make life easier for you and your severely autistic loved ones.
29 Episodes
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Adding structure to daily routines helps reduce stress, build independence, and prepare individuals with autism for respite or residential care. Unstructured time can lead to boredom and problem behaviors, but visual supports like Picto Selector, TouchChat, and apps such as ChoiceWorks, First Then Visual Schedule HD, Visual Schedule Planner by Good Karma or Lil Planner: Visual Schedule create predictability and choice. These tools turn downtime into skill-building, support decision-making, an...
Mike Carr shares his family’s experience raising their 35-year-old son, Michael, who is profoundly autistic, mostly nonverbal, and lives with seizures and pica. He asks the urgent question of who will care for children like Michael when parents can’t, and outlines essentials for a true residential “forever home”: near one-to-one staffing, awake overnight staff, communication-first over restraint, medical readiness, transparent data, community and work opportunities, and a culture of dignity a...
Respite care often fails adults with profound autism or multiple IDDs, who need 1:1 support, medical readiness, and structure. At J13 Community in Austin, respite looks different: no one is expelled for behavior, belonging is guaranteed, and programs build on each person’s strengths with dignity and safety. Starting with day programs—climbing gyms, parks, equine therapy—participants gradually transition to overnight stays. Success relies on skilled staff, safe homes, reliable transportation, ...
This episode examines housing options for adults with autism and IDD, noting that 86% still live at home or in group settings, raising concerns about long-term care. Drawing on his family’s experience with a profoundly autistic 35-year-old son, the host reviews five East Coast facilities—Thrive Red Bank (NJ), Melmark Community (MA), Oak Tree Farms (SC), Haven Jakes Place (FL), and Patuxent Commons (MD). Features include sensory-friendly design, private bathrooms, vocational training, intergen...
Transitioning to adulthood for people with profound autism often feels like falling off a cliff once school services end. In this episode, Mike Carr shares his wake-up call and the need for early planning, especially with Texas’ 20-year Medicaid waiver waitlist. He stresses teaching daily living skills—like hygiene, dressing, and laundry—and calls for day programs that offer real community integration. Mike highlights Austin’s recreational and vocational options, from sensory-friendly parks t...
This third episode in the series on transitioning to adulthood explores the role of a “fail safe” culture in autism transition programs—creating psychological safety by normalizing small, low-risk failures as learning opportunities. Mike recounts a bowling outing where a participant became aggressive, prompting a blame-free review that revealed environmental triggers and delayed return of the participant’s iPad. Instead of punishment, the program focused on transparency with parents, better t...
When profoundly autistic individuals age out of the school system at 22, many families are left without support or options. In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr shares how he and his wife faced this challenge with their nonverbal son, who has seizures and aggressive behaviors. After being told their son was "unemployable" and turned away by programs, they created J13—a program for adults with severe autism and complex needs. J13 offers structured outings, peer connections, and trained st...
In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr begins a series on transitioning to adulthood for those with profound autism, sharing research-based strategies and personal stories from raising his 35-year-old son, Michael. He stresses early planning—starting at age 14 with the IEP—and teaches independent living skills like hygiene, dressing, and communication using tools like visual aids, adaptive clothing, and the TouchChat app. Mike also tackles employment challenges, showing how combining work ...
In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr highlights the vital role of fun for those with profound autism. Sharing his son Michael’s love for boating, he shows how joyful, sensory-rich activities can foster deep connection—even for nonverbal individuals. Despite challenges, Mike stresses the value of creating joyful moments. Through his nonprofit John 13 and the R2R program, he champions experiences that prioritize joy, bonding, and meaningful connection.
In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr shares a milestone: he and his wife are traveling to Italy while their profoundly autistic adult son stays at Denmar House for the first time. Mike reflects on the years of preparation that made this possible and the value of introducing variety into his son's life. From boat rides and movies with peers to theme park struggles and family gatherings, he shows how new experiences—successful or not—can lead to growth, joy, and stronger family connections.
In this episode of the Autism Labs podcast, Mike Carr shares his journey with his 35-year-old nonverbal, profoundly autistic son, Michael. He discusses how Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), when used with empathy and consistency, has helped manage aggressive behavior. Mike explains core ABA principles—like antecedents, behaviors, and consequences—and stresses the importance of not reinforcing negative actions, especially in public. Highlighting the success of J13’s program, he shows that real ...
In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr shares insights on the challenges and lessons learned from decades of hiring staff to support adults with profound autism. He emphasizes the importance of finding team members who are not only reliable and coachable but who also have a genuine calling to serve this community. Beyond experience, traits like optimism, trustworthiness, and a strong spiritual foundation often set the best caregivers apart. Mike introduces the current John 13 team—a divers...
In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr shares his journey raising a profoundly autistic, nonverbal son with complex needs. Lacking support, he and his wife founded John13.org, a nonprofit in Austin offering inclusive programs for adults with severe autism. Their summer program and respite care focus on joy, structure, and community integration, showing how thoughtful planning and support can help families thrive.
Mike Carr shares seven practical autism parenting hacks focused on supporting severely or profoundly autistic individuals. He emphasizes the power of frequently expressing genuine thanks to caregivers and staff, reducing anxiety through improved communication like visual schedules and observing nonverbal cues, and promoting positive behavior with enthusiastic praise. He advises ignoring negative behaviors to avoid reinforcing them, giving undivided attention during shared activities, offering...
This Autism Labs episode highlights how real-world, community-based experiences can drive meaningful progress for individuals with autism. Mike Carr previews the J13 summer camp, reflecting on last year’s success with activities like rock climbing, horse therapy, and visits to inclusive places like Morgan’s Wonderland. These engaging, social, and novel environments fostered growth, joy, and resilience—especially for those with profound autism—showing that consistent exposure to the real world...
In this episode, Mike Carr addresses growing concerns about potential Medicaid cuts and shares practical funding alternatives for families caring for individuals with profound autism or multiple disabilities. He emphasizes the importance of staying hopeful and proactive, offering guidance through his personal experience and upcoming book. Key alternatives discussed include Social Security benefits (SSI and SSDI), Medicaid waivers like CLASS and HCS (each with different funding caps and waitli...
In this episode of Autism Labs, Mike Carr shares his struggles with gaining and keeping instructional control—getting his profoundly autistic son to follow directions without resistance. He contrasts his challenges with others' success and stresses that instructional control is about trust, not compliance. Carr discusses using consistency, patience, and positive pairing to become a reinforcing presence, the strategic use of reinforcers, and the need for caregiver consistency. He also outlines...
Mike Carr shares five key tips for families seeking residential housing for profoundly autistic adults, based on his 35-year journey with his son. He urges parents to prioritize programs with purpose-driven missions, real community engagement, and clear visions for lifelong growth. Mike highlights his nonprofit, J13, as a fast-growing model focused on joy, connection, and meaningful living.
Mike Carr highlights new CDC data showing autism rates rising from 1 in 36 eight-year-olds in 2020 to 1 in 31 by 2022. Reflecting on raising his profoundly autistic son diagnosed in 1990—when rates were about 1 in 10,000—Carr argues the increase isn't just better diagnosis but a real, troubling trend. He suggests RFK Jr.'s claim that autism is a more urgent crisis than COVID deserves attention, given the heavy financial and caregiving burdens. Carr stresses the need for clearer communication ...
Mike Carr, a father of a 35-year-old son with severe autism, shares his personal experience managing Pica behavior—when individuals eat non-food items. His son has ingested everything from rocks and leaves to toothpaste and deodorant, once even biting into a chlorine tablet from a pool skimmer, which led to a serious health scare. Mike offers practical solutions they've discovered over the years, such as using polyester or knit shirts and cloth napkins to deter chewing, locking up tempting no...
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