In this episode of The Inclusive Dad podcast, host AAron welcomes Karen Hale—life coach, podcast producer, and mother of a son on the autism spectrum. Karen shares her family’s powerful journey through diagnosis, exclusion, and advocacy, revealing how her son defied limitations to thrive in professional sports. Together, they explore how labels, empathy, and honest conversations shape inclusion, and why dreams must never be dismissed. With insight from decades of parenting and coaching, Karen inspires listeners to embrace empathy, question assumptions, and lead with love in raising inclusive families and communities.

Key Takeaways:

Labels Limit – Labels often isolate rather than support, changing how others treat both children and their families.

Lead with Empathy – Empathy is essential to understanding and including those with different life experiences.

Celebrate Passions – Supporting children's interests—like baseball or music—can be the best form of therapy.

Challenge “Normal” – Inclusion means recognizing all kids have unique strengths; “normal” is not one-size-fits-all.

Parent with Vision – Trust your family’s vision over systems that don’t understand your child’s potential.

Karen’s definition of inclusion:

Inclusion means not eliminating anyone from your circle, while being mindful and aware of what others need.

Karen’s Bio:

For years I felt different - it wasn't until my mid 50s that I chose to find ME returning to college obtaining my Masters and learning mindfulness. Prior to this time I was caught in the Maze of Life, doing, doing, and doing more but with little direction. As the mother of a son diagnosed at age 6 with Autism I became even more involved and overwhelmed in a world that was not supportive and or un derstanding. It was my choice to learn more and develop a dialogue to assist others who feel trapped in caring for their loved one. Today my son is self-sufficient with a college degree, a career, and skills that we learned together.

Connect with Karen:

Website: https://newclevelandradio.net/yesican-a-personal-coaching-journey/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NCRpod

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wernotjustcleveland/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khnewclevelandradio/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NewClevelandRadio

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@wernotjustcleveland

Substack: https://kikione1.substack.com/

SPAM© Count:

Host:

Yes

Current Guest:

No

Cumulative Guest Stats:

Yes - 42

No - 60

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