
Autism Labs
Practical tips and evidence-based guidance to make life easier for you and your severely autistic loved ones.
Episodes
21 episodes
The Power of Fun: Joyful Experiences for Adults with IDD
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 connec...
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Season 4
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Episode 12
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5:45

Autism Respite Care: A Family's Breakthrough Journey
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 po...
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Season 4
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Episode 11
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9:52

Applied Behavior Analysis with Autism: A Parent's Journey Through Aggressive Behavior
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 mana...
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Season 4
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Episode 10
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13:05

Building the Right Team for the IDD Community: Lessons from Decades of Experience
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 ...
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Season 4
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Episode 9
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10:35

Thriving with a Severely Autistic Child: Finding Real Support Groups
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...
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Season 4
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Episode 8
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5:41

7 Autism Parenting Tips that Actually Work
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 improve...
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Season 4
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Episode 7
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13:00

Summer Camp & Autism: Physical Activities that changed everything
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 climb...
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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11:30

Medicaid for Autism: Funding Tips for Parents
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 sta...
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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14:19

Instructional Control in Autism: Building Trust, Reducing Stress, and Creating Safety
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 stre...
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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15:59

5 Tips for Residential Housing for Profoundly Autistic Adults
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, ...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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11:46

Profound Autism: Understanding the Surge and Finding Solutions
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 increas...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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9:04

How to Manage Pica Behavior: Practical Tips Every Parent Needs to Know!
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...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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10:14

Creating a Safe Home: Tips for Parents of Children with Profound Autism
Creating a safe, structured home for a profoundly autistic child means thinking ahead to prevent risks. When my son Michael ingested a chlorine tablet due to pica, it reinforced the need for smart locks, alarms, and cabinet locks to secure haza...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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15:10

Creating a Home Program with Insights from our Journey with Profound Autism
In this episode, parent Mike Carr highlights the power of empathy, creativity, and community in raising a profoundly autistic child. By meeting their adult son Michael’s needs with compassion, fostering teamwork with humor and purpose, and coll...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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14:59

From Rejection to Resilience: Building a Better Future for our Autistic Son
When Mike and Kay Carr’s son Michael, who has severe autism, aged out of school services, they faced limited options and heartbreaking rejections from programs unable to handle his needs. Frustrated but determined, they partnered with Dr. Nina ...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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11:12

Revolutionizing Autism Care with AI: How AI can Transform your Life and your Child's Future
Mike Carr, a parent of a severely autistic adult, envisions AI "Doers" as transformative personal assistants. These advanced tools would seamlessly handle daily tasks, monitor health through wearables, and, for autistic individuals, analyze dat...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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14:21

Parenting a Severely Autistic Child: Finding Gratitude in the Chaos
This is the heartfelt story of a father navigating the challenges of raising a severely autistic son. One particularly overwhelming day—filled with work stress, a difficult morning, and no time for himself—he went for a run to clear his head an...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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7:14

Exploring AI's Impact on Autism Care: Tools, Challenges, and Surprising Results
As a parent navigating the challenges of supporting an adult with severe autism, I took a closer look at AI tools—ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity Pro, and Gemini Deep Research—to see how they could help parents like us. ChatGPT and Claude gave gene...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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14:10

The Real MVP: How Mothers can Transform the Autism Journey
Behind every extraordinary journey is a true MVP. For families navigating profound autism, that MVP often wears many hats. Mike Carr’s wife, Kay, embodies this role with tireless dedication—coordinating care, managing therapy, and even creating...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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8:42

The 5 Layers of Safety: Every Autism Parent Needs to Know
In this moving episode, Mike Carr shares the deeply personal challenges of safeguarding children with profound autism, offering a window into the constant vigilance required to protect those we love most. He recounts a heart-stopping moment whe...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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6:17

Parent Interview with John 13 Community
Parent and Founder of John 13 Community Mike Carr chats with parent and BCBA certified Mark Garcia about their search for a program for their children, and what makes John 13 Community Program different than the other programs they’ve seen, inc...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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40:05
