Profound Autism, Powerful Love: How One Mother Learned to Let Go and Lead with Marie Watkinson

Motherhood doesn’t come with a manual—but if it did, autism parenting would be filed under “plot twist.”
In this candid episode of the Inchstones podcast, host Sarah Kernion welcomes Marie Watkinson, a successful NYC entrepreneur and owner of Spa Chicks on the Go and devoted autism mom, for a raw, unfiltered look at what it means to raise a profoundly autistic child in a world that wasn’t built with him in mind.

From the gut instinct that something was different, to the rollercoaster of diagnosis, advocacy, and redefined expectations, Marie’s story captures the emotional landscape of parenting through the lens of neurodiversity. Together, she and Sarah explore how inchstones—not milestones—become the markers of growth, strength, and survival for autism families.

This conversation is equal parts real talk, hard truth, and soft place to land—for any parent navigating the beautifully chaotic world of autism.

Top Takeaways:

• Inchstones are the new milestones for autism parents.
• Mother’s intuition matters—more than any textbook.
• You will grieve, grow, and get stronger.
• Support systems make survival possible.
• Social media can connect isolated autism caregivers.
• Special needs parenting forces a rewrite of motherhood’s script.
• There’s no perfect outcome—just powerful love and persistence.

About the Guest:
Marie Watkinson is the founder of Spa Chicks On The Go, a luxury mobile spa business based in NYC. She’s also the proud mom of Ryan, her 16-year-old son with profound autism. Marie and her husband Chris live in Port Jefferson, NY, where they fiercely advocate for inclusive education, dignity, and a future where every neurodiverse child has a place to thrive.

Chapters

• (00:00:01) - Marie Watkinson on Special Needs Parenting
• (00:01:07) - Ryan's Mother's Journey as a Mother
• (00:05:39) - One mother's experience with autism
• (00:10:04) - No guidebook for special needs parents
• (00:12:46) - One Mother's Experience with Special Ed School
• (00:18:25) - On the Loss of Autism
• (00:22:51) - Sarah on her autism diagnosis
• (00:26:45) - One mother's story of her autistic son
• (00:31:15) - One parent's struggle with her son's autism
• (00:36:19) - How a Parent's Issues Affect His Business
• (00:41:46) - Marie O'Brien on Parenting With a Big Man