E73: Happy Place

Milo measures time by how close it is to Christmas and his birthday. We field a lot of daily questions about it, including a new one: "Can you call Santa?" That one was prompted with the arrival of the Target toy catalogue earlier this fall.Today we're discussing how we navigate Milo's fixation on these holidays.Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440. Email us at [email protected] you to our friend Tom Evanchuck for the use of his song, "Sunshine," as our theme music. Follow Tom on Spotify. Thank you for being here!

This week, we're talking about screaming. The kind that comes out of nowhere (at least, it seems), that we can't explain or fix, and that leaves us wondering what to do next.We share the stark difference between a recent Saturday and Sunday.And we're reminded, yet again, that progress isn't linear and that predicting what a day will bring is just about impossible. #autism #autismparentingFollow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440. Email us at [email protected] you to our friend Tom Evanchuck for the use of his song, "Sunshine," as our theme music. Follow Tom on Spotify. Thank you for being here!

Some of Milo's favorite peers are about to graduate from therapy. We're talking about what this means for Milo, how we think about his own future ABA graduation, and how things will, or maybe won't, change as he gets older.Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440. Email us at [email protected] you to our friend Tom Evanchuck for the use of his song, "Sunshine," as our theme music. Follow Tom on Spotify. Thank you for being here!

Over the past five years, we have watched Milo’s relationship with the family farm change, along with the relationship between Milo and his younger sister, June. This week, he reflects on those changes and what it’s been like to watch them grow.Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440. Email us at [email protected] you to our friend Tom Evanchuck for the use of his song, "Sunshine," as our theme music. Follow Tom on Spotify. Thank you for being here!

Join us for a chat about how things are going: how Milo is doing, how we're doing, and what's on our minds lately.Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440. Email us at [email protected] you to our friend Tom Evanchuck for the use of his song, "Sunshine," as our theme music. Follow Tom on Spotify. Thank you for being here!

Milo is 7, going on 8, and places like church, with their own expectations and social norms, are hard. We share what it takes to show up as a family, what we've learned to ask of strangers, and the grace we've received along the way. If you see us out? Just know we're trying. Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440. Email us at [email protected] you to our friend Tom Evanchuck for the use of his song, "Sunshine," as our theme music. Follow Tom on Spotify. Thank you for being here!

Milo has spent the last few years watching Ty and Nora leave together for soccer practices and games. He knows he can't go with them, and he's made up his own reason as to why not.In this episode, we're talking about the realities of team sports, especially recreational sports for young kids, and how Milo and his needs fit, or don't fit, into that mix. Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440. Email us at [email protected] you to our friend Tom Evanchuck for the use of his song, "Sunshine," as our theme music. Follow Tom on Spotify. Thank you for being here!

We talk a lot about an outing or an event being a "success" for Milo. But even small victories come at a cost. We're sharing another recent birthday party experience with a "behind the scenes" look at what it takes for us to attend as a family. Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440. Email us at [email protected] you to our friend Tom Evanchuck for the use of his song, "Sunshine," as our theme music. Follow Tom on Spotify. Thank you for being here!

The last few weeks included Nora's 9th birthday celebrations at home, and an outdoor birthday party for several of the kids' friends at a local park - both challenging situations for us to navigate with Milo.We're talking about how both experiences went, unpacking how Milo's ability to tolerate other peoples' birthdays has grown, and hear from some surprise guests.Follow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440. Email us at [email protected] you to our friend Tom Evanchuck for the use of his song, "Sunshine," as our theme music. Follow Tom on Spotify. Thank you for being here!

Milo needs more paper - always.Drawing has become his favorite activity over the last month or so, and his depictions of characters and scenes from Up, Despicable Me, Anastasia, and K-Pop Demon Hunters are scattered all over our house. He will take one scene - like the house from Up, floating in the sky, being held up by hundreds of colorful balloons - and draw it over and over and over again.His renewed interest in drawing has become a new bridge in his communication with others - and given us a peek inside his imagination.We're also sharing some quick back-to-school updates and a funny sibling story.Topics discussed: autism, autism parenting, communicationFollow us on Instagram @beyondthelabel440. Email us at [email protected] you to our friend Tom Evanchuck for the use of his song, "Sunshine," as our theme music. Follow Tom on Spotify. Thank you for being here!