Inchstones with Sarah | Autism Parenting & Neurodiversity Insights

Autism and disability inclusion don’t begin with policy—they begin with people willing to create spaces where families feel welcome. In this episode, Sarah Kernion speaks with Jeff Mayerson, founder of Wolves Basketball Academy, about how an inclusive basketball program became a powerful source of connection for families navigating parenting autism.

Jeff shares how his unexpected path into autism advocacy led to building a community where autistic children and children with special needs are valued for who they are—not asked to conform. Through real caregiver stories, shared joy, and intentional inclusion, Wolves Basketball Academy demonstrates how sports can foster empathy, socialization, and belonging for children of all abilities.

This conversation highlights the ripple effect of disability inclusion: when autistic children are supported, caregivers feel seen, families connect, and communities grow stronger. It’s a reminder that meaningful change doesn’t require perfection—just the willingness to show up and say, you belong here.

You can also find Wolves Basketball on Instagram @wolvesbballacademy 

Chapters

(00:00:00) - The Inch Jones Podcast: profoundly autistic people
(00:01:30) - Coaching for Autism
(00:06:45) - Clinic for Special Needs Kids in the NBA
(00:13:08) - A Special Needs Girl's Basketball
(00:21:27) - The Help for Kids program
(00:27:28) - The support of parents with a special needs child
(00:29:33) - Jeff Towns on Impact of His Special Needs Kids
(00:35:10) - Jeff Greene on Autism Basketball
(00:35:48) - Jeff's One Inch Zone Clinic

Parenting a child with autism often requires stepping into roles you never expected—advocate, strategist, negotiator, and sometimes the only person in the room who truly understands your child. In this conversation, Sarah Kernion and fellow autism mom Deisare Rogers unpack the emotional labor and the fierce determination behind advocating for autistic children within an education system that often misses their needs.

Deisare shares her lived experience navigating the IEP process, managing behavioral challenges, building community, and trusting the sharp instinct that mothers develop when professionals overlook or minimize their child’s struggles. Together, they reveal how knowledge, persistence, and community support empower parents to claim their place at the table—and rewrite what support should actually look like for autistic children.

This episode is a validation of every parent who has ever felt dismissed, overwhelmed, or alone. It’s a reminder that advocacy is not optional—it's survival. And every small win counts.

You can find Desiree on Instagram @delawaresavealife 

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Autism Mom on Social Media
(00:01:42) - Autistic moms on IEPs
(00:07:30) - On the IEP Meeting
(00:09:09) - Sarah on Restraint for Sensory Kids
(00:12:46) - Kate Swenson on Autism Advocates
(00:18:24) - Autism moms on the autism issues in PA vs Delaware
(00:22:41) - Autism and the IEP
(00:27:04) - The Real World of Parenting
(00:29:35) - What is a Win for You?
(00:30:28) - Inch Jones PODCAST

There are parts of profound autism parenting that most people will never witness and many would never believe. In this episode, Autism Mom Sarah Kernion and Jamie Hrobar, a mother navigating one of the most extreme and misunderstood forms of autism, speak openly about her 21-year-old son, whose life is shaped by relentless self-injury, aggression, fragile communication, and complete dependence for every daily living skill.

Jamie’s story is one of unimaginable intensity: her son hit himself (once counted at 40,000 times a month),  lives with constant neurological distress, and struggles to communicate even the most basic needs. She shares not just the clinical realities, but the emotional ones—what it feels like to love a child whose body is at risk every day, and to parent in a world that does not understand or support families facing profound autism.

This episode is not meant to shock; it is meant to validate, humanize, and bear witness. It honors Jamie’s courage and the countless caregivers who live in crisis-level conditions with little acknowledgment or help.

For families walking similar paths, this conversation says: You are not imagining how hard this is. You are not alone.
For those outside this reality, it offers a rare chance to understand the truth of profound autism—and why meaningful support must begin with seeing these families clearly.

This is Jamie’s story. And it is the story of so many others who deserve to be heard.

Jaime Hrobar is a writer, autism mom, and advocate who shares hope, humor, and authenticity, through her Facebook page Homebound and Healing—a blog about autism, family, recovery, and spirituality that explores finding peace, joy, and perspective through life’s hardest moments.

A mother of two children on the spectrum, including a twenty-one-year-old son with profound non-speaking autism, Jaime draws on over two decades of firsthand experience with IEPs, disability rights, therapies, and complex behavioral challenges. She uses her experience to guide others through education systems, therapeutic supports, and the emotional realities of parenting, making her a trusted advocate and source of encouragement for families navigating similar journeys.

You can find all of her work here:

https://www.facebook.com/HomeboundandHealing

https://www.jaimehrobar.com

https://www.instagram.com/jaimehrobar/

 

Chapters

(00:00:00) - One child's extreme self-injury
(00:00:53) - Jamie Robar on the Special Needs Mom Community
(00:02:02) - Autistic Moms on Motherhood
(00:06:35) - Seeking the Autism Experts
(00:10:56) - Sarah on the Battle
(00:14:35) - Jamie on her Autism Facebook Page
(00:19:55) - Hurricane Florence parallels New Jersey family's life
(00:21:02) - Jim's autism mom on the current political climate
(00:26:34) - Autism mom on the search for a residential placement
(00:31:45) - On the Fear of a Caretaker
(00:38:04) - A caregiver's message about her husband's illness

Motherhood in the autism community is not about perfection, it’s about connection. Autism Moms Sarah Kernion of INCHSTONES and Jess Carrawa of 'If You Know One', open a deeply honest conversation about the courage it takes to be vulnerable, especially in a world that often misunderstands both parenting autism and autism motherhood.

Their exchange moves through discomfort and into understanding, showing how sharing raw experiences builds a bridge between isolation and belonging. Together, they unpack how community, authenticity, and empathy can transform the weight of parenting into something lighter—something shared.

At its heart, this conversation is a portrait of modern motherhood in the age of social media: imperfect, interconnected, and beautifully real.

Jess Caraway is a mom of two, an ever-evolving advocate for her autistic daughter, a passionate supporter of all forms of communication, gestalt language detective, and founder of the If You Know One Project. She dreams of a world that understands autism, and accepts accessibility, inclusion, and presuming competence as beneficial for everyone.

Jess strives to connect with her Instagram community by sharing a glimpse into her family’s journey with an autistic daughter/sister in a way that inspires others to embrace the perspective shift that just because your experiences look different does not mean they are not still good.

Instagram: @jess_ifyouknowone

Etsy shop: ifyouknowone.etsy.com

Sarah is the writer and host of INCHSTONES: The #1 voice of autism mothers & caregivers of children with profound nonspeaking autism.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Jess Caraway on Her Autism Project
(00:03:30) - "It's Okay to Be Unhappy on Social Media"
(00:07:52) - Open Minded: The Importance of Diversity
(00:17:00) - The Ripple Effect of Parenting
(00:25:23) - Melissa on her son's autism
(00:30:48) - Insurance Parlance

Autism parenting isn’t a race, it’s a reorientation. Autism Mom Sarah Kernion and fellow Autism Mom and author Kathleen Somers unpack the quiet revolution of slowing down in a world that rewards speed in their autism parenting journeys. Through honest reflection, they question inherited expectations and challenge the myth of “catching up.” Their conversation illuminates what happens when parents stop measuring progress against typical milestones and start witnessing growth on their child’s unique timeline.

This dialogue invites autism parents to trade anxiety for awareness, performance for presence, and pressure for patience. It’s about conscious parenting that honors both the child’s nervous system and the parent’s emotional bandwidth. The result is a gentler rhythm—where profound autism, neurodiversity, and deep connection can finally breathe.

Kathleen's Book Barely Visible can be purchased here.

Kathleen Somers, a debut author, holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Temple University’s Tyler School of Art, and works as a freelance graphic designer. She is a passionate observer of humanity who believes in the power of connection that comes from each of us sharing our individual stories. When Kathleen isn’t busy with her career as a creative, she is out on her bike finding new roads to explore, or spending time with her son, opening his eyes to everything the world has to offer. She lives with her family in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Barely Visible: An Autism Mom's Journey
(00:00:59) - On Writing My Autism Memoir
(00:05:32) - Looking Back: Learning From Our Elders
(00:11:58) - How to Love Your Child's Emotions
(00:14:35) - Autistic Parents: Their Differences Are Not the Default
(00:21:15) - Autistic Mothers Slow Down Their Child's Development
(00:26:13) - My Son's Car Caught on Fire
(00:29:50) - Kathleen's Story of Mothering an Autism Child
(00:32:53) - A Parent's Love of routine