Neurodiversity and Endurance: What Profound Autism Motherhood and A Navy SEAL Share in Common

Navy SEAL veteran Sam Alaimo joins Inchstones host Sarah Kernion for a conversation that bridges two worlds: combat and caregiving. Together, they explore how the endurance, intuition, and community forged in military life parallel the realities of raising children with profound autism. Their dialogue dives into the power of choice in the face of adversity, the way grief reshapes identity, and the resilience required in motherhood. With honesty and depth, Sam shares how lessons from the battlefield illuminate the daily challenges of profound nonspeaking autism and neurodiversity, offering a perspective that redefines what strength and meaning look like when measured in inchstones.

Chapters

• (00:00:01) - Sam Alaimo on What Then?
• (00:02:10) - How Do You Get Back From the SEAL
• (00:04:26) - In the Elevator With a Marine
• (00:07:32) - In the Elevator With Motherhood
• (00:11:51) - The Need for a Team
• (00:16:55) - On the Importance of Freedom
• (00:21:49) - The Science of Knowing Your Child
• (00:23:48) - In the Elevator With Autism on
• (00:26:28) - How I Learned To Love My SEAL Experience
• (00:30:36) - What is something now that you can, you know, even the
• (00:32:52) - In the Land of Loss
• (00:35:43) - The Caregiver Mother