104. Two Things Can Be True: The Complicated Emotions of Autism Parenting

<p><strong>Welcome to the Autism Parent Club Podcast!</strong></p><p>Are you parenting a child with autism and navigating the challenges of high support needs, communication barriers, challenging behaviors, medical concerns, or the uncertainty that comes with this journey? You’ve found your people.</p><p>We’re Chris and Becky—parents to a 19-year-old son with Level 3 autism and very high support needs. Each week, we share real-life stories from our journey, the things we’re learning along the way, and honest conversations about the joys, challenges, uncertainty, and everything in between.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><p>In this episode, we’re talking honestly about the complicated emotions that come with autism parenting—especially when life gets really hard. After an incredibly difficult weekend involving a traumatic incident with our son Bridger, who has profound, non-speaking autism, we found ourselves facing another challenging day, more questions about his health and behavior, and the emotional exhaustion that can come with caring for a child with significant support needs. We also talk about something many autism parents experience but may feel guilty admitting: comparison. It’s possible to be genuinely happy for another autistic child and their family while also feeling sadness, grief, or longing for the things your own child cannot yet do. Autism parenting often means holding seemingly opposite emotions at the same time—love and exhaustion, gratitude and grief, hope and fear, joy and heartbreak. We’re talking about why two things can be true, why difficult emotions don’t make you a bad parent, and how we can be honest about the hard parts of raising an autistic child without losing hope.</p><p><strong>We’re building something new!</strong></p><p>Visit the Autism Parent Club website—a growing resource created specifically for autism parents. Take a peek at what we’re building and check back as we continue adding resources!</p><p><a href="https://autismparentclub.com/">Autism Parent Club</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>We’d love to hear from you!</strong></p><p>Email us: <a href="mailto:unabridgedcoaching@gmail.com">unabridgedcoaching@gmail.com</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Connect with us:</strong></p><p>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063649179521" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Unabridged Life Coaching</a><br>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/autism_unabridged?stkn=MXBoNjR5N3p0OHJ2Yw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">@autism_unabridged</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Looking for more autism-parent support?</strong></p><p>You’re invited to be part of the Autism Parent Club—a place where autism parents can find helpful resources, real-life stories, and the reminder that they don’t have to do this alone.</p><p><br></p>