Podcast
The Autism Mom Coach
Hosted by Lisa Candera · EN
Do you sometimes feel like your life has been hijacked by Autism?
If so, this is the podcast for you. The Autism Mom Coach is a podcast for moms who feel overwhelmed, afraid, and sometimes powerless as they raise their child with Autism. Join your host, Lisa Candera, Certified Life Coach, lawyer, and (more importantly) full-time single mom to a teenage boy with Autism as she shares cognitive-based tools and trauma-informed strategies you can use to feel better now and transform your relationship with Autism and special needs parenting. The truth is, Autism is not in charge of your life, YOU are, and you have more power than you think. Visit theautismmomcoach.com for more information
26episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep 190: Lessons from the Teen Years, So Far
Jan 1400:28:05Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Lisa reflects on what parenting her son through years of severe anxiety, OCD, aggression, and hospitalizations taught her as he transitioned into adulthood. She shares three principles that carried her through the darkest seasons—and continue to guide her as an autism mom today.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:How acceptance evolved from a one-time idea into a moment-by-moment practiceWhy resistance to reality can interfere with decision-making during crisisWhat unconditional love looks like when your child feels unfamiliarHow holding hope differs from denial—and why it requires courageWhy clearer advocacy came only after facing what was actually happeningLisa’s Takeaway:The teen years forced me to accept what was happening in real time, love my child without conditions tied to outcomes, and hold hope even when there was no evidence yet. Those three principles changed how I showed up as a parent—and as an advocate.Links Mentioned:Schedule a consultation: https://talkwiththeautismmomcoach.as.me/Email Lisa: lisa@theautismmomcoach.comIf this episode resonated and you’re carrying a lot right now—whether you’re in crisis or simply worn down—you don’t have to navigate it alone.Schedule a one-on-one consultation at talkwiththeautismmomcoach.as.me and let’s talk through what support could look like for you.
Transcribe →Ep. 189: Once More Like Rain Man with Bella Zoe Martinez
Jan 700:15:40Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Lisa Candera sits down with autistic actress, writer, and filmmaker Bella Zoe Martinez, star of the short film Once More, Like Rain Man. Bella offers a candid look at what it’s like to navigate Hollywood—and the world—when autism is reduced to a single stereotype. Through humor and honesty, she shares the lived experience behind masking, exhaustion, and being misunderstood before you ever speak.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:Why Rain Man has become shorthand for autism—and why that’s a problemWhat it’s like to live under constant comparison to a stereotypeHow autistic characters are often written as flat or roboticWhat masking actually feels like from the insideWhy kids come home exhausted after holding it together all dayWhy autistic people deserve to tell stories beyond autismLisa’s Takeaway:Hearing Bella describe masking as acting shifted how I understand what so many kids carry every day. When we see behavior as effort instead of defiance, the picture changes—and so does our response.Links Mentioned:Once More, Like Rain ManIf this episode resonated with you, share it with another autism mom who’s tired of stereotypes and surface-level understanding. And if you want deeper support, schedule a consult at talkwiththeautismmomcoach.as.me.
Transcribe →Ep 188: The Expectation Trap, Part 2
Dec 1700:09:43Tap to summarizeLast week we uncovered the Expectation Trap — the moment you realize you’re holding someone to your internal rulebook and feeling irritated, disappointed, or flat-out furious when they don’t follow it. This week, we take it further. Because once you see the trap clearly, the real question becomes: now what?This episode breaks down your three actual moves when someone’s behavior clashes with your values, standards, or instincts: let it go, make an adjustment, or enforce a boundary. These choices help you reclaim your steadiness, drop unnecessary resentment, and lead your home with more intention, especially during the holiday pressure cooker.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:How your expectations get built — and why the internal ones hit the hardestThe power of choosing your battles instead of reacting from urgency or indignationWhy “letting it go” is sometimes the most strategic move in an autism householdWhat adjusting looks like when someone simply operates differently than youHow to enforce a boundary without drama, panic, or self-judgmentWhen you stop holding people to your personal rulebook, you stop burning energy on the wrong things and free up bandwidth for what actually matters to you.Ready to take this work deeper?Work with Me: This is where we clean up the mental load, the resentment, and the overfunctioning so you have capacity again: https://talkwiththeautismmomcoach.as.me
Transcribe →
187: The Expectations Trap, Part 1
Dec 1000:18:01Tap to summarizeHoliday season has a way of dragging every unspoken rule you live by straight into the spotlight. In this episode, I’m calling out the Expectation Trap — the moment where your values, routines, and instincts collide with people who make choices that feel completely upside down to you.Here’s the truth: you are never the baseline for anyone else’s behavior.The minute you stop measuring other people’s choices against your internal rulebook, everything from holiday plans to everyday interactions feels lighter and easier to lead through.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:How expectations form through structure, routine, and the rules you carry in your headWhy holiday shifts land harder in autism households and spike nervous system stressThe emotional weight that settles on you when you assume others think like youHow releasing yourself as the “standard” creates breathing room in your body and your mindThis shift frees up the mental space you need to guide your home with steadier energy, clearer decisions, and far less resentment.If this work speaks to what you’re living, here are a few ways to go deeper:Schedule a consultation for private coaching and get tailored support for your family: https://talkwiththeautismmomcoach.as.me
Transcribe →186: Savoring the Good for Autism Parents
Nov 2600:16:37Tap to summarizeEvery November, we hear the same message: be grateful, make a list, count your blessings. But for many autism parents, gratitude lists fall flat. You already know what matters—your child, progress, small moments of peace. The problem isn’t awareness; it’s that your nervous system is still stuck in survival modIn this episode, Lisa Candera, autism mom coach and host of The Autism Mom Coach Podcast, shares why savoring—not just gratitude—is the missing piece in emotional regulation for autism parents. You’ll learn how savoring helps your brain record safety and connection as real, not rare, and why that matters for both you and your child’s nervous system health.Lisa explains how constant vigilance wires the body for stress, how negativity bias keeps you scanning for threat, and how brief, intentional pauses can retrain your brain to recognize safety. This isn’t mindset work—it’s nervous system retraining through small, consistent moments that actually stick.By the end, you’ll know how to use savoring as a real-world regulation skill that shifts your body from tension to steadiness—one breath at a time.In This Episode, You’ll Learn:What savoring means and why it matters for autism parentsHow negativity bias keeps your nervous system stuck in threat modeThe science of how savoring rewires the brain for safety and balanceWhy gratitude alone doesn’t create regulation without embodimentSimple ways to practice savoring in daily life without extra effortLisa’s Takeaway:Savoring is how you remind your body that good moments count too. Each pause, each exhale, each second you let safety land—it all adds up to regulation and resilience.Links Mentioned:Download The Autism Mom’s Meltdown PlanSchedule a consult with Lisa Candera
Transcribe →
124. Solo Parenting with Rob Gorski, The Autism Dad
Jul 17, 2024Tap to summarizeRob Gorski is a solo parent of three sons with Autism, each with unique characteristics. He lives in Ohio and runs a popular blog and hosts an impactful podcast called The Autism Dad, where he shares his experiences and offers support to other parents raising children with Autism and other disabilities. Learn a fresh perspective on Autism parenting from The Autism Dad, Rob Gorski.Get full show notes and more information here: https://theautismmomcoach.com/124
Transcribe →