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 pare...

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 pr...

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,...

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 Medi...

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 rec...

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 ...

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. ...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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, ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

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...