Autism episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 23, 2025 · 44 MIN

Autism

from Building Friends

Going through my son’s diagnosis during the same time RFK Jr. spouts disinformation about vaccines causing autism has been a wild ride. Countless studies have proven that there is no connection between autism and vaccines, and yet his rhetoric continues to harm the autism community.My own misconceptions and narrow-minded view of autism really made me drag my feet when it came to getting a diagnosis for my son. When we got him diagnosed, I didn’t expect to be so moved by the experience. I got to see his intellect in action and advocate for the parts of autism that make him uniquely him. I wrote this opening piece when I was coming to terms with his diagnosis. Since then, so much has changed, but I wanted to be transparent about a time in my life where I felt really uncertain about the future. Today, my son is talking so much and participating in school. A couple of months after his diagnosis, he started naturalized ABA therapy, and he continues to grow, play, and be curious and funny at the same time. I am incredibly grateful to the avengers of people who help my son on a daily basis. I am privileged to pay for some services out of pocket and others through insurance. I appreciate you for reading this and giving me grace to have a conversation, make mistakes, and be open about my feelings with another parent going through a similar experience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Going through my son’s diagnosis during the same time RFK Jr. spouts disinformation about vaccines causing autism has been a wild ride. Countless studies have proven that there is no connection between autism and vaccines, and yet his rhetoric continues to harm the autism community.My own misconceptions and narrow-minded view of autism really made me drag my feet when it came to getting a diagnosis for my son. When we got him diagnosed, I didn’t expect to be so moved by the experience. I got to see his intellect in action and advocate for the parts of autism that make him uniquely him. I wrote this opening piece when I was coming to terms with his diagnosis. Since then, so much has changed, but I wanted to be transparent about a time in my life where I felt really uncertain about the future. Today, my son is talking so much and participating in school. A couple of months after his diagnosis, he started naturalized ABA therapy, and he continues to grow, play, and be curious and funny at the same time. I am incredibly grateful to the avengers of people who help my son on a daily basis. I am privileged to pay for some services out of pocket and others through insurance. I appreciate you for reading this and giving me grace to have a conversation, make mistakes, and be open about my feelings with another parent going through a similar experience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NOW PLAYING

Autism

0:00 44:32

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Building Friends?

This episode is 44 minutes long.

When was this Building Friends episode published?

This episode was published on October 23, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Going through my son’s diagnosis during the same time RFK Jr. spouts disinformation about vaccines causing autism has been a wild ride. Countless studies have proven that there is no connection between autism and vaccines, and yet his rhetoric...

Can I download this Building Friends episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!