Autism Parenting Secrets, Feb 5, 2026

Episode: Parents Need ACCESS to the Right Doctors
Hosts: Len Arcuri, Cass Arcuri
Guest: Honey Rinicella, Executive Director of MAPS
Theme: Why parents of autistic and medically complex children need direct access to knowledgeable, collaborative, and evolving doctors—and how MAPS is meeting this pressing need.

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the critical importance of parent access to the right doctors for children with autism and complex needs. Len welcomes Honey Rinicella, Executive Director of MAPS (Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs), back to the podcast. They explore the evolving landscape of pediatric care, the shortcomings of conventional medical models, tangible steps MAPS is taking to fill the gap, and the upcoming MAPS conference—including its new Parent Day. The conversation is candid, practical, and brimming with encouragement for parents to get involved, stay current, and build community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Rising Need for Informed Practitioners

• Honey shares the exponential growth in physician interest and parent demand at MAPS:
  • “[When I took over in 2022] we would get about five or six newbies. At our last conference, we had close to 180.” (00:00)
• The increasing complexity and prevalence of neurodevelopmental and medical challenges—autism, PANS/PANDAS, epilepsy, allergies, etc.—require more providers with specialized education.

The Mission of MAPS

• MAPS is the only U.S. organization dedicated to training physicians in treating complex pediatric cases “from infancy through adulthood.”
• “We do have two conferences twice a year to educate our clinicians… The dream [is] to recruit new physicians to understand this complexity.” (02:46)
• Not just for autism: ADHD, eczema, epilepsy, and more fall within MAPS’ wheelhouse.

Conventional Medicine's Gaps

• Many mainstream pediatricians lack training, time, or tools to address complex kids:
  • “The vast majority… said, can we send you our patients? We don't know what to do with them. We only have 15 minutes with them.” (05:35)
• Few are open to additional learning, but those who are can be profoundly impacted by exposure to MAPS clinical pearls and mentorship.

The Parent-Doctor Demand Imbalance

• MAPS gets more parent website visits than practitioners, underscoring a pent-up need for guidance:
  • “For every five hits to our website, four were parents looking for a MAPS doctor.” (11:09)
• Parents are increasingly knowledgeable and often ahead of local providers in seeking cutting-edge interventions.

Community and Collaboration

• MAPS fosters ongoing learning, mentorship, and the sharing of breaking research among practitioners.
• Conferences evolve every six months to stay current: “What you learned five or ten years ago was a black and white TV. What we are presenting now is a smart TV.” (22:53)

Timestamps & Memorable Quotes

Growth of MAPS & Parent Demand

• “The little club that we had is starting to grow, which makes me so excited because I'm a parent myself of 25-year-old twins with autism and complex medical issues… It's just incredible to see that, you know, the rates are growing for the need and these kids… but we're starting to fill the gap with more physicians.”
  — Honey Rinicella (00:00, 02:46)

Conventional Pediatrics: Capacity vs. Compassion

• “We went there thinking that we were going to be able to recruit physicians… Instead, what happened?... They said, ‘Can we send you our patients? We don't know what to do with them… We have 10 minutes, start to finish, to help these kids.’”
  — Honey Rinicella (05:35)

MAPS’ Inclusive Approach

• “We take nurses, naturopaths, nurse practitioners… The goal is to ensure that at every conference, it's something really prevalent right now in our community that we want you to know about.”
  — Honey Rinicella (12:41)

Upcoming MAPS Conference Themes

• Next Conference (March 2026, Charlotte): Focus on Toxins—from agricultural chemicals, acetaminophen, and heavy metals to sugar, plastics, and indoor pollutants.
  • “We're even talking about things like sugar as a toxicant. Right?... Every child has the ability to only withhold so much before their bucket gets overloaded.”
    — Honey Rinicella (14:28)

Unique Parent Day at Conference

• Parent Roundtable (Sat, Mar 14, 2026): Speed-round Q&A with specialist doctors at thematic tables (GI, seizures, Lyme, mold, vaccine, diet, etc.).
• Parent Day (Sun, Mar 15, 2026): Full-day learning from top practitioners, available in-person and virtually.
  • “My mindset was, well, we got to have a parent day that's really going to be just heavily medical… address autism, ADHD, allergies, all the autoimmune issues.”
    — Honey Rinicella (17:26)

Power of Community and Staying Current

• “The thing that's really crazy is that our content changes every six months for our own physicians. So these parents really need to stay on top of what's changing… What you learned over 10 years ago was a black and white TV. What we are presenting now is a smart TV.”
  — Honey Rinicella (22:53)

Why In-Person Still Matters

• “I think what kept my head in the game... was being surrounded side by side with like-minded moms. I feel like being with the energy and the vibe of the parents is critical.”
  — Honey Rinicella (17:26)
• Len: “Sometimes the most powerful insights you might get out of a conference are what happens in between the presentations when you're connecting with doctors or other parents.” (27:46)

Real-World Example

• “My son was a Make-a-Wish recipient, had life-threatening seizures... We were taking Leucovorin for autism and language… and [eventually] it determined he absolutely had a significant cerebral folate deficiency and he needed a much higher dose of Leucovorin. Changing the dose, he's 15 years this month, seizure-free.”
  — Honey Rinicella (28:00)

Parents as Change Agents

• “I just would like to encourage all parents: Keep up the hope because there's so much happening and, you know, these doctors want to learn, they just sometimes don't know where. We're here. So it's time to get loud and call all hands on deck. Parents, doctors, come to the conference.”
  — Honey Rinicella (32:25)

Action Steps & Resources

• MAPS Conference (March 14–15, 2026, Charlotte, NC)
  • Practitioners: Three days of training, focus on toxins
  • Parents: Saturday evening roundtable / Sunday full-day Parent Day, in-person or virtual
  • Details & Registration: www.medmaps.org
• Invite Your Doctor Initiative: Parents encouraged to bring local practitioners into the MAPS fold—use the “Invite Your Doctor” link on the MAPS website.
• Stay Connected: The conference is expected to sell out in-person—register early! Virtual attendance is also robust and encouraged.

Final Thoughts

• You, the parent, are the catalyst.

  • “MAPS needs to be the standard of care, and we need to make this known to all people… We shift with [the research].” — Honey Rinicella (31:10)

• The right doctor never stops learning.

  • “The doctors who are curious, who want to remain current, who want to keep learning… That curiosity, that desire is so key.” — Len Arcuri (26:24)

• Never underestimate community.

  • “Don’t underestimate the power of community… Sometimes the most powerful insights are what happens in between.” — Len Arcuri (27:46)
  • “You get so much more when you’re surrounded by those people that are in it with you.” — Honey Rinicella (28:00)

For more support:

• www.medmaps.org – Find doctors, register for Parent Day/conference, or access resources
• Invite your child’s doctor to join MAPS and support ongoing parent-practitioner collaboration

“Parents need access to the right doctors—those who are equipped, curious, collaborative, and always growing. And you, the parent, play a crucial role in making this your reality.”