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Raising a Child with Autism While Working? How to Navigate Career Breaks and Starting Again with Porscia Lam

EPISODE · Mar 18, 2025 · 51 MIN

Raising a Child with Autism While Working? How to Navigate Career Breaks and Starting Again with Porscia Lam

from Working Mumma · host Carina O’Brien

When Porscia Lam received the news that her son Harry was autistic, her world shifted. She put her legal career on pause to become his full-time therapist, diving headfirst into the world of autism therapy and the challenges of raising a neurodivergent child, all during Melbourne’s long covid lockdowns. Returning to work after a career break is challenging for any parent, but what happens when that break is dedicated to being a full-time carer for a child with autism? In this deeply personal and insightful episode, Carina speaks with Porscia Lam, former corporate lawyer, mother of two, and author of The Unlocking: An Autism Story, to discuss her journey of parenting an autistic child, navigating therapy for autism, and re-entering the workforce after a three-year career break. In this episode, we chat about: Early signs of autism and the diagnosis journey (during Melbourne's record lockdown) The impact of early intervention therapy  The emotional and financial realities of taking a career break as a full-time carer Returning to work after a long career gap—what worked, what didn’t The stigma around career breaks and how to position yourself when re-entering the workforce How to support parents of neurodivergent children Whether you’re a working mum, a parent of a neurodivergent child, or someone navigating a career break, Porscia’s journey is one of resilience, determination, and advocacy. Her insights provide not only hope, but practical strategies for navigating work and family life.   Links & Resources Connect with Porscia  Buy Porscia’s book, The Unlocking: An Autism Story Connect with Porscia: porscialam.com or @porscialam   Connect with Carina and Working Mumma  Follow on @workingmummacommunity or LinkedIn  Get your free 'How to share the mental load' checklist workingmumma.com.au/mental-load/ Connect with Carina on LinkedIn  

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Raising a Child with Autism While Working? How to Navigate Career Breaks and Starting Again with Porscia Lam

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