How Autism Moms Become Advocates: Navigating IEPs, Systems & Small Wins

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