This week’s episode comes from a thought I’ve had for years but finally put into words.

When my son was first showing signs of autism, I was terrified of what the future would look like. The things that kept me up at night. The delays, the struggles, the uncertainty...they all felt like deal breakers.

The truth is, a lot of those fears came true.

My son is nonverbal. He needs help with things most people don’t think twice about. The life I imagined back then as a worst-case scenario is, in many ways, the life we’re living now.

And we’re happy.

In this episode, I talk about how that happened, why the things I thought I needed turned out not to matter the way I expected, and why I’m more at peace in this life than I ever thought I’d be.

This isn’t a universal story. It’s mine. But if there’s something in it that connects with you, take it.

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“Kids with autism don’t like to wait.”

I heard that in a waiting room while my nonverbal son Lucas was sitting quietly a few feet away. I was ready to be offended...and then realized they weren't talking about us.

What started as a simple oil change turned into something bigger. A busy drop-off counter, a quiet moment with his iPad, then a long walk through construction to a strip mall that used to feel impossible.

And he handled all of it.

No meltdown. No fight. No chaos.

Just patience.

In this episode, I talk about what changed and why it wasn’t luck. It was something we built over time. Trust, consistency, and understanding. A rhythm.

I also get into what that actually looks like in real life:

• Why waiting used to be so hard
• How things like food grabbing changed
• What I do when he gets overwhelmed
• ...and why this has never been a one-way street

Because as much as I’ve worked to understand him, he’s been learning me too.

If you’re raising a child with autism or just trying to understand progress that doesn’t always look obvious, this one’s for you.

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Ten years ago, I started writing about my son Lucas. What I didn’t realize back then was how much I would change along the way.

When your child is nonverbal, it’s easy to get stuck waiting. Waiting for words. Waiting for progress. Waiting for a moment that may never come.

But what I’ve learned is this: communication was always there. It just didn’t look the way I expected.

In this episode, I talk about what finally shifted my perspective from focusing on speech to recognizing understanding, intent, and connection through actions, routines, and trust.

Because trust changes everything.

When Lucas trusts me, he waits. He stays regulated. He doesn’t grab food, melt down, or panic in the same ways he once did. Not because he suddenly “learned behavior”, but because he knows I understand him and I’ve got his back.

I share real moments, from food struggles to transitions to a birthday party that showed me just how far we’ve come.

If you’re raising a child who communicates differently, this episode is about seeing what’s already there and building from it.

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I used to feel like I was waiting for something that would finally make everything make sense - my son’s verbal language. When you’re raising a young child with nonverbal autism, the hardest part isn’t always the day-to-day. It’s the uncertainty, the questions, and not having answers for any of it.

In this episode, I talk about those early years, the pressure from other people, and the reactions that come when your child doesn’t fit expectations. From denial disguised as reassurance to “cures” that miss the point entirely, it’s a reality a lot of parents quietly deal with.

The shift came when I stopped waiting. Not because everything got easier, but because I started seeing my son for who he is right now—not someone I’m still waiting to meet. That’s where autism appreciation began for me, and it changed everything about how I see him, our life, and what actually matters.

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I didn’t have answers when people asked why my nonverbal son was clapping, making sounds, or doing things they didn’t understand.

And that wasn’t because I was embarrassed.

It was because I genuinely didn’t know.

Over time, that changed. Not because someone explained it to me, but because I started paying attention. What looked random wasn’t random. What looked confusing actually had a purpose.

And once I understood that, something else clicked.

This isn’t just something my son does.

We all do it.

We just don’t do it out loud. We don’t do it in public. We don’t let ourselves.

This episode is about stimming, what it really is, and why the difference between my son and the rest of us might not be what you think.

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I used to think the hardest part of raising a nonverbal child was what he couldn’t say.

I was wrong.

This week, I talk about something I didn’t understand for years and honestly, didn’t even believe in at first: receptive language.

There’s never a moment when my son tells me what he’s learned. No updates. No explanations. One day he just knows what something means, and I’m left wondering when it happened.

It finally clicked when I lost my voice.

I thought I could just gesture, point, and figure things out without speaking. It didn’t work. Because my son doesn’t just communicate without words, he understands them.

That realization changed everything.

This episode isn’t about what he can’t say. It’s about everything he’s been understanding this whole time and what I almost missed because I was focused on the wrong thing.

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My son Lucas just turned 15, and I’m still catching my breath. He’s nonverbal, he has profound autism, and in my head he’s always been my “baby” — the kid with the same songs, the same books, and the same comfort routines. Then I look up and realize he has a mustache, he’s tall, and I’m standing there saying “go potty” like time hasn’t moved at all.

This week, I talk about what that moment brought up for me as his dad. I get into why I’ve always hated the “mental age” shortcut and why Lucas isn’t “really five” just because some parts of his life look younger to the outside world. He’s 15. He’s a teenage boy. And like everyone else, he’s fully himself.

I also talk about something that surprised me recently: Lucas’s receptive language. When I lost my voice, I learned pretty quickly that we can’t do life through pantomime alone, and that he understands far more than I sometimes stop to realize. It made me think about the words I use with him, the respect he deserves, and the reality that my little boy is growing into a young man.

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This week on Hi Pod! I’m Dad, I talk about something I’ve come to admire about my son Lucas as he’s gotten older: he never pretends.

Lucas is a nonverbal teenager with profound autism, and one of the things that stands out to me more and more is how real he is. He can’t fake a smile. He can’t hug someone just to be polite. If he’s happy, you see it. If he’s excited to see you, you know it. Everything about him is genuine.

I think about how many people spend time telling the world who they are — funny, generous, authentic — while Lucas simply shows you. There’s no performance, no pretending, and no trying to be the person someone else expects.

Years ago, when Lucas was very young, I worried I might never understand him without words. What I didn’t realize then is that I would end up understanding him better than most people I’ve ever met.

This episode is about authenticity, parenting, and why sometimes the person who says the least can still teach you the most.

It's Here! Get the book – “Hi World, I’m Dad: How Fathers Can Journey to Autism Awareness, Acceptance, and Appreciation” on audio, digital, or print.

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Also, be sure to read the blog that started it all - Hi Blog! I'm Dad.