If you’re an autism parent, you already know autism doesn’t come with a tidy instruction manual—it comes with plot twists, hard truths, and surprising joy. In this episode, Autism Mom, Sarah Kernion, and Kit Perez (writer, intelligence analyst, therapist, behavior analyst!) delve into orientation and the beautifully complicated reality of raising autistic kids and how it completely rewires your sense of “normal.” They unpack what happens when you stop chasing the imaginary perfect family and start orienting yourself to the world you actually live in where meltdowns, breakthroughs, and quiet victories all share the same calendar.

With equal parts humor and honesty, Sarah and Kit talk about the friction between old expectations and new realities, and why dismantling outdated beliefs isn’t failure—it’s growth. They explore how healing your own past pain changes the way you show up as a parent, why joy is a deliberate choice (not a lucky accident), and how asking, “What is true today?” can keep you grounded when everything feels like too much. Above all, this conversation reminds you that your situation doesn’t define you, your child is not a project to “fix,” and some of the deepest bonding moments are found in the small, weird, wonderfully simple joys of everyday life.