How did one foster dad build an autism barn and help nearly 180 children find belonging?

In this episode of autism advocacy, foster care, caregiving, and disability support, Steve Gonyea shows what families can build when they lead with love, trust, and lived experience. From welcoming nearly 180 foster children into his home to creating an autism barn and launching the Ability Bus program, Steve shares how his family turned their challenges into real solutions for many families.

This episode is a powerful reminder that caregivers are experts too, and that one family’s vision can spark a growing movement that is changing lives far beyond their own community. And for Steve Gonyea, with even bigger plans for the future, this is only the beginning.

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What happens when fatherhood asks you to put your career on hold and trust that your family will find a way forward?

In this episode about caregiving, disability, and fatherhood, Kirby Rabalais shares how raising a child with a rare genetic condition reshaped his priorities and his purpose. Families living with neurodivergence often carry invisible work every single day. Kirby reminds us that real life is more complex than most systems recognize, and that support must be practical, flexible, and human.

Kirby opens up about stepping back from his career to become his son’s primary caregiver, and how that season changed his life in the best way. From that experience, he founded Got4titude, a support community for fathers raising children with disabilities. His story shows that when families share what they are living, new ideas grow, new support takes shape, and meaningful change becomes possible.

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What happens when you know something is wrong, but the system keeps telling you to wait?

In this episode, author Randi-Lee Bowlaugh shares her journey through autism, parenting, and mental health as she searched for answers for her daughter. From early concerns to years of missed support, her story shows how families often live in the gap between what they know and what systems are ready to provide.

Randi-Lee speaks honestly about trusting her instincts, changing doctors, and continuing to ask questions until someone finally listened. She reminds us that parents and caregivers are not just participants in the system. They are problem solvers and leaders who keep going, even when the path is long.

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How do you hold on to hope when your child seems lost?

Autism, profound autism, parenting, and support are at the heart of this honest conversation with Jillian Simpson-Eisloeffel, Founder of Bobby’s World and Regional Lead for the New York Alliance for Developmental Disabilities. She shares what life looks like when a child has complex needs and when families must step in to create safety and stability at home. Her story helps us see the daily work that often goes unseen.

In this episode, Jillian talks about sleepless nights, constant vigilance, and the courage to keep searching for answers when nothing seemed to help. After pushing for deeper medical understanding, she has now begun to see small but powerful glimpses of her son again. Her journey shows how parents become problem solvers when systems fall short, and how persistence can open doors to new possibilities.

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What happens when a parent discovers their child—and themselves—share the same diagnosis?

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What does it really look like to become a “bonus mom” to a child with autism and learn a whole new way to parent?

In this episode of Let’s Plant Houses, Wendy Ernzen talks with Dr. Rita Renee about autism parenting, blended family life, and caregiver support. They share an honest conversation about stepping into a parenting role later in life and learning how to support a child with different needs.

Rita opens up about meeting her husband, being introduced to his two sons, and learning about autism when her stepson was just seven years old. She shares the tools that made the biggest difference, including routine, patience, advocacy, and creating emotional safety at home. Now, with her son is sixteen and thriving in school, Rita explains how this journey shaped her leadership, deepened her empathy, and reminds families that they are not alone.

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What happens when a father turns his family’s biggest daily struggle into a solution that helps other kids learn?

In this autism parenting podcast episode of Let’s Find Houses, host Wendy Ernzen sits down with Ron van Til, a dad raising a daughter with profound autism and a son on the autism spectrum. Ron shares his family’s journey through early diagnosis, ABA therapy, speech and OT, sleep deprivation, home safety modifications, and the constant worry about the future that so many autism families quietly carry.

That lived experience led Ron and his wife to create the Wiggle Seat, a sensory chair designed to help children with autism sit at the table while still getting the movement their bodies need. Born out of mealtime challenges at home, the Wiggle Seat is now used in ABA clinics, therapy centers, and special education classrooms to help kids stay seated, regulated, and included during learning and connection. This episode blends real-life autism parenting, fear, hope, and innovation, showing how one family’s story is helping children sit, learn, and belong at school and at home.

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What if the biggest fight your family ever faced was simply proving that your sister with Down syndrome should have the life she wants?

In this episode of Let’s Plant Houses, host Wendy Ernzen talks with Franke James about Down syndrome, disability advocacy, and how real disability rights can start at home. Frankie shares the powerful story of her sister Teresa, a joyful artist and author with Down syndrome, and how their family learned early to include her fully, build her strengths, and expect more from the world around her.

You’ll hear what went wrong when her siblings tried to place Teresa in long-term care, even though Franke was willing to give her the life she wanted and deserved. Hear about how  Franke and her husband fought back using a capacity assessment, power of attorney, and supported decision making so Teresa could choose where and how she lives, the foundation of Franke’s award-winning book Freeing Teresa. Franke also gives us a sneak peek of the sequel Escape to Lotus Land, the next chapter in Teresa’s beautiful life. This conversation is for parents, siblings, and professionals in the IDD community who want hope, practical insight, and a reminder to presume competence.

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