Autism Respite Care: What We've Learned Building a Program for Adults with Severe Autism

Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that ranges from full independence to requiring 24/7 care, as with Mike and Kay’s son Michael. Research has disproven the myth that vaccines cause aut...

2 Okt 202512min

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 behav...

25 Sep 202558s

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...

11 Sep 202510min

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 f...

4 Sep 202511min

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...

29 Aug 202511min

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 plan...

21 Aug 202515min

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 fai...

14 Aug 20258min

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 t...

7 Aug 20256min