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Autism Parenting Q&A with Emmett (S7E10)
Episode 102nd April 2024 • The Autism Dad • Rob Gorski
00:00:00 00:33:39

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In this week’s episode, Emmett, my 15 year old autistic son, and I answer a bunch of your autism related questions. Emmett dug through a huge list of questions you folks submitted via Facebook and create a list of 10 he wanted us to talk about this week. This was a lot of fun. :-)

Resources and Links:

  • Episode mentioned for future reference: "The Parent's Guide to Navigating Autism and Puberty" with Dr. Whitney Casares: theautismdad.link.

Guest Expert:

Emmett Gorski is a 15-year-old autistic advocate and the son of Rob Gorski, the influential blogger and podcast host behind "The Autism Dad." Passionate about raising awareness and understanding of autism, Emmett brings a unique, firsthand perspective to the conversation. Articulate and insightful, he has been featured on "The Autism Dad" podcast, where he discusses topics ranging from identity-first language to the daily challenges and triumphs of being autistic. With a keen interest in technology and a natural ability to connect with people, Emmett is not only a voice for autistic teens but also an inspiration for families navigating the complexities of autism.

Hosted by Rob Gorski:

Rob Gorski, a devoted single father to three incredible autistic sons, is the Founder and CEO of The Autism Dad, LLC. As a multi-award-winning blogger, podcaster, content creator, and influential social media figure for over a decade, Rob continues to share his family's journey, providing insights, resources, and support to the autism community.

Connect with Rob by visiting theautismdad.link

Mentioned in this episode:

Learn More: Goally

The Goally tablet is focused on fostering independence in kids without the distractions of ads, social media, or potentially harmful content. Unlike Kindle and iPad tablets, Goally's Tablet exclusively features educational apps like Khan Academy, Duolingo ABC, and Starfall, and is entirely controlled by parents. Goally's Kids Calendar helps kids with things like task management. Kids also learn life skills through video classes and pre-made routines, enhancing their independence. For more information, you can visit getgoally.com and use the code “theautismdad” to save 10% off your order.

Visit Goally

Learn More About Tranquil Path Financial Planning

Britta Kepf is a dedicated special needs financial planner at Tranquil Path Financial Planning, offering unbiased, tailored advice for families across the U.S. She specializes in retirement and special needs financial planning, helping families navigate government benefits and long-term needs with clarity and peace of mind. For compassionate, personalized financial guidance, contact Britta Kepf at tranquilfp.com.

Visit Tranquil Path Financial Planning

Transcripts

Rob Gorski:

Welcome to The Autism Dad podcast.

Rob Gorski:

I'm Rob Gorski as a single dad to three amazing autistic kids.

Rob Gorski:

I've been the go to global resource for autism parenting since 2010 for

Rob Gorski:

the past seven seasons, this podcast has provided parents with education,

Rob Gorski:

connection, resources, validation, and hope this season you'll hear from parents

Rob Gorski:

just like you, as well as my own kids who will offer their unique perspective

Rob Gorski:

on what it's like for them to navigate the world is young autistic people.

Rob Gorski:

I'll feature experts from across various relevant fields from

Rob Gorski:

parenting and education to therapies, nutrition, self care, and more.

Rob Gorski:

So join us each week and connect.

Rob Gorski:

with people who get it, you can subscribe on any one of your

Rob Gorski:

favorite podcast, listening apps.

Rob Gorski:

And for more information to be a guest or learn about sponsorship opportunities,

Rob Gorski:

please visit theautismdad.Link.

Rob Gorski:

So we're back.

Rob Gorski:

What was that?

Rob Gorski:

That was, that was a, that was a blooper.

Emmett Gorski:

We need to keep that.

Emmett Gorski:

We'll keep it.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

We should keep that.

Rob Gorski:

So we're back.

Rob Gorski:

And, uh, this week I'm sitting down with Emmett, my 15 year old autistic son.

Rob Gorski:

And, uh, Hello.

Rob Gorski:

There you go.

Rob Gorski:

He said hi.

Rob Gorski:

We're, we're going to do kind of a Q and A episode, uh, today.

Rob Gorski:

Emmett went through Facebook and pulled a bunch of your questions

Rob Gorski:

that you guys had asked and made a nice little, very organized list.

Rob Gorski:

And we're going to kind of go through them one by one, answer them the best we can,

Rob Gorski:

give you our, you know, kind of unique perspectives on things and go from there.

Rob Gorski:

How's that sound?

Rob Gorski:

Uh, sounds great.

Rob Gorski:

All right.

Rob Gorski:

Do you want to go first?

Emmett Gorski:

Uh, yeah.

Emmett Gorski:

It doesn't matter what question I ask.

Rob Gorski:

Why don't we start at the top and work our way down?

Rob Gorski:

Because otherwise we're gonna just not get through any of this.

Rob Gorski:

Uh,

Emmett Gorski:

can someone outgrow autism?

Rob Gorski:

Do you want to answer that?

Rob Gorski:

Do you want me to?

Rob Gorski:

I was

Emmett Gorski:

figuring you could answer that since I'm asking you the question.

Rob Gorski:

Okay.

Rob Gorski:

Uh, no.

Rob Gorski:

No, you do not grow out.

Rob Gorski:

Grow out?

Rob Gorski:

No, you don't outgrow autism.

Rob Gorski:

There you go.

Rob Gorski:

I knew it was in there somewhere.

Rob Gorski:

Uh, I think what sometimes maybe confuses people is, well A,

Rob Gorski:

sometimes people just don't know.

Rob Gorski:

Uh, but other times I think that as kids get older, they learn to sort of better

Rob Gorski:

navigate the world, and, and, um, you know, they build skills that help them

Rob Gorski:

to, Either overcome or, uh, better manage some of the challenges in their lives.

Rob Gorski:

So what, what do you, what do you think?

Emmett Gorski:

Uh, so you're essentially saying they don't outgrow it.

Emmett Gorski:

They adapt to

Rob Gorski:

it.

Rob Gorski:

You learn to live with what you got.

Rob Gorski:

Awesome.

Rob Gorski:

And so it's easier, like it may on the surface look like it's easier

Rob Gorski:

than what it was before, but it's, they're just as autistic today

Rob Gorski:

as they were when they were born.

Rob Gorski:

So good question.

Rob Gorski:

Uh, okay.

Rob Gorski:

So I'm just going to word this one a little bit differently

Rob Gorski:

than the way that it was written, because I think it's a little bit.

Rob Gorski:

Uh, can dietary changes make autistic symptoms less pronounced?

Rob Gorski:

I guess it

Emmett Gorski:

depends on what the symptoms are.

Emmett Gorski:

Uh, because if you have a kid that can't, is like non verbal and they

Emmett Gorski:

are aggressive, uh, sort of like I used to be, then, uh, If they have

Emmett Gorski:

a stomach ache, or their leg hurts, or their head hurts, and they can't,

Emmett Gorski:

like, say something about that, they can get aggressive about that, or just

Emmett Gorski:

something that has to do with gut health.

Emmett Gorski:

I don't know why I said leg and face, but, uh, If their stomach hurts, and you

Emmett Gorski:

give them a proper diet, and then their stomach doesn't hurt anymore, it's gonna

Emmett Gorski:

seem like that their symptoms are gone.

Emmett Gorski:

Went away, but in all actuality, it's just their stomach doesn't hurt anymore, so

Emmett Gorski:

it's not getting rid of the symptoms It's getting rid of the cause of a problem.

Emmett Gorski:

Does that make sense?

Emmett Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

Awesome.

Rob Gorski:

So so when it comes to things like this I think that like anybody

Rob Gorski:

else Autistic people kids whatever can have food sensitivities Right?

Rob Gorski:

Um, maybe they have an intolerance to, like, lactose?

Rob Gorski:

Like, you?

Rob Gorski:

I have kids in my family right now sitting in this room who insist on

Rob Gorski:

eating dairy products when we all know that that's not something he should

Rob Gorski:

be doing, and yet he does it anyways.

Rob Gorski:

If you

Emmett Gorski:

ask anyone that has a lactose intolerance, I will guarantee you

Emmett Gorski:

will not find one person that avoids it.

Rob Gorski:

No, yeah, they do.

Rob Gorski:

I'm sure they do.

Rob Gorski:

Some people do.

Rob Gorski:

Ice cream is just too

Emmett Gorski:

good

Rob Gorski:

to avoid.

Rob Gorski:

But the point is, is there's a lot of comorbid things that can go along

Rob Gorski:

with an autism diagnosis, right?

Rob Gorski:

And some of them are manageable.

Rob Gorski:

And if it happens to be a gut related thing or a food sensitivity and you

Rob Gorski:

correct that food sensitivity, then you're alleviating the problem.

Rob Gorski:

And so maybe they're happier or less stressed or there's fewer

Rob Gorski:

outbursts or less aggression.

Rob Gorski:

So, yes.

Rob Gorski:

So, yes and no, right?

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

Yes and no.

Rob Gorski:

There you go.

Rob Gorski:

Just depends.

Rob Gorski:

It just depends.

Rob Gorski:

Sorta.

Rob Gorski:

I guess.

Rob Gorski:

There's, there's a definitive answer.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

Um, okay, so Oh, no, it's your turn.

Emmett Gorski:

Uh, why have more people been diagnosed since, say, 1990?

Rob Gorski:

Oh, like, why are more people getting diagnosed today?

Rob Gorski:

Um You know, I don't know that we actually know that.

Rob Gorski:

I think, you know, there's a couple of different schools of thought.

Rob Gorski:

So I think one is that people like we're more aware.

Rob Gorski:

So more people are being evaluated, right?

Rob Gorski:

Like it's, it's, it's, um, I mean, it's possible to get in and there's

Rob Gorski:

wait lists and stuff like that, but you know, if you suspect something,

Rob Gorski:

you can go to the doctor and people are more aware, so they know what symptoms

Rob Gorski:

to look for and stuff like that.

Rob Gorski:

Um, and I think there's another school of thought that is, you know, if autism

Rob Gorski:

is caused by something environmental.

Rob Gorski:

Or, you know, whatever, um, that it's just more prominent now,

Rob Gorski:

but I think the reality is that we're, we're just more aware of it.

Rob Gorski:

It's more people are being diagnosed because more people are being evaluated.

Rob Gorski:

I think, you know, what do I know?

Rob Gorski:

What do you think?

Emmett Gorski:

Pretty much the same thing.

Emmett Gorski:

I mean, it goes with pretty much every major diagnosis.

Emmett Gorski:

I mean, we're going to have more diagnoses of say depression than we did in 1990.

Emmett Gorski:

Because more people are getting help, and more people, like,

Emmett Gorski:

have the resources to do it.

Emmett Gorski:

Because, even in like early 2000s, there wasn't really many resources for

Rob Gorski:

Well, I mean, there was, but it wasn't Not really.

Rob Gorski:

In the 2000s?

Rob Gorski:

I was treated for depression in the 2000s.

Rob Gorski:

I wasn't talking

Emmett Gorski:

about depression, I was talking about autism.

Rob Gorski:

Oh, well, I mean it was, but you know, we have

Rob Gorski:

like the advent of social media.

Rob Gorski:

Right.

Rob Gorski:

And so, you know, people are talking about it.

Rob Gorski:

There's, you know, people talk about symptoms online all the time and you can

Rob Gorski:

be like, Oh my gosh, my kid does this.

Rob Gorski:

And you get that thought planted in your head and you go see your

Rob Gorski:

pediatrician and you get the evaluation and bam, you have a diagnosis.

Rob Gorski:

You want

Emmett Gorski:

to know what it's like?

Emmett Gorski:

What is it like?

Emmett Gorski:

It's like, um, how it seems like there was less crime in the eighties and nineties,

Emmett Gorski:

but the only reason it seems like that was because there was no social media

Emmett Gorski:

and ways to communicate with each other.

Emmett Gorski:

Does that make sense?

Emmett Gorski:

In real time?

Rob Gorski:

Sure.

Rob Gorski:

Does that make sense?

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

I think that makes sense.

Rob Gorski:

I mean, like, you guys are just asking for our opinions.

Rob Gorski:

I mean, this, you don't, like, tank this to the bank or anything,

Rob Gorski:

but like, I mean, I, I think, I think it's a combination of things.

Rob Gorski:

I think more people are being evaluated because.

Rob Gorski:

Uh, there's just a greater awareness, you know, we're,

Rob Gorski:

we're, teachers are more aware.

Rob Gorski:

So they can point things out.

Rob Gorski:

Pediatricians are more aware.

Rob Gorski:

So they're looking for things.

Rob Gorski:

Parents are more aware.

Rob Gorski:

There's TV shows and movies and, you know, organizations that are advocating.

Rob Gorski:

I mean, it's, it's everywhere now.

Rob Gorski:

So when you're more aware, you're paying more attention.

Rob Gorski:

You get help when you, when you think you need it, or your kid needs it.

Rob Gorski:

Um, We're gonna, well, alright, so, somebody asked, aren't

Rob Gorski:

we all a little autistic?

Rob Gorski:

We're just gonna humor them with this one because I know a lot of

Rob Gorski:

people get offended by this question.

Rob Gorski:

Uh, no, we're not all just a little autistic.

Rob Gorski:

I mean, I, I think, I don't know why people say that.

Rob Gorski:

Maybe they just don't know what to say.

Rob Gorski:

You know, but I, but I mean, maybe somebody means it, you know, in a,

Rob Gorski:

in a, in a negative way at times.

Rob Gorski:

And maybe sometimes people just don't know what to say.

Rob Gorski:

So yeah, I mean, that, that's what I, that's what I kind of think.

Rob Gorski:

So like, do you have a thought or

Emmett Gorski:

not really just, I agree with what you said pretty much.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

So if you hear that and you get offended by it, like, I

Rob Gorski:

get why you would be offended.

Rob Gorski:

Cause maybe you feel invalidated or like you'd being downplayed or

Rob Gorski:

whatever, but you know, sometimes people say things because they

Rob Gorski:

just don't know what else to say.

Rob Gorski:

And maybe they want you not to feel so different or like whatever.

Rob Gorski:

I don't, I don't know.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

I've never had somebody say that to me.

Rob Gorski:

Like you're not autistic though.

Rob Gorski:

No, I know.

Rob Gorski:

I know that.

Rob Gorski:

But like, if, if, if you guys, if I was like, Oh yeah, you know, my

Rob Gorski:

son is autistic and like, Oh, aren't we all just a little autistic and

Rob Gorski:

be like, well, no, we're not I mean, you either are or you aren't.

Rob Gorski:

It's like being pregnant or not pregnant.

Rob Gorski:

Like you either are or you aren't, there's no, there's no little pregnant.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

You're just, you are, or you aren't.

Rob Gorski:

So you either are autistic or you're not autistic.

Rob Gorski:

You either have ADHD or you don't have ADHD.

Rob Gorski:

I mean, it's just sort of like.

Rob Gorski:

Maybe there's traits that people maybe see that might be common between,

Rob Gorski:

you know, humans, but I don't know.

Rob Gorski:

I don't tend to get all, like, worked up about that stuff, so, like, I really don't

Rob Gorski:

have an opinion one way or the other.

Rob Gorski:

But, anyhow.

Rob Gorski:

Uh, you want to do the next one?

Rob Gorski:

You want me to do it?

Emmett Gorski:

Uh, I mean, I don't know how to answer it, so I'm gonna ask you.

Emmett Gorski:

Sure.

Emmett Gorski:

Um, a pediatrician had asked what they should tell the parents of their

Emmett Gorski:

patients at the time of diagnosis.

Rob Gorski:

Okay.

Rob Gorski:

So, you know, that's a good question.

Rob Gorski:

And I, it's, it's nice to hear like somebody asked that because I think there

Rob Gorski:

is a problem with the way that we do this.

Rob Gorski:

So like when you guys were diagnosed, uh, and what do you hear from parents

Rob Gorski:

pretty much anywhere is you get the diagnosis and then you get like a

Rob Gorski:

piece of paper, a little pamphlet or something, and you're kind of shoved

Rob Gorski:

out the door and told to be on your way.

Rob Gorski:

And, you know, in those first moments when your kid is diagnosed, like parents.

Rob Gorski:

Are like their whole world implodes because they're not processing

Rob Gorski:

everything and it's like they're emotionally vulnerable and they don't

Rob Gorski:

know what to do They don't have you know, someone to talk to oftentimes.

Rob Gorski:

They don't have a support system all they know is that there's a list of

Rob Gorski:

phone numbers like You know otpt speech whatever on a piece of paper and that's

Rob Gorski:

what they have to go Uh on and I think what we should be doing is is letting

Rob Gorski:

parents know that You know, yes, it's a diagnosis Is And yes, your child may

Rob Gorski:

be struggling with this, this, this, and this right now, but, uh, we need to

Rob Gorski:

label it so that we can identify a need and match it with a resource, right?

Rob Gorski:

And, and just because your child isn't speaking right now, or just because they

Rob Gorski:

are struggling with this, this, or this, does not mean that they're struggling.

Rob Gorski:

They're always going to be struggling with this, this, and this where we are today

Rob Gorski:

is like a baseline we're establishing like ground zero so that we can build

Rob Gorski:

up and measure progress going forward.

Rob Gorski:

So a lot of times parents walk out of these diagnoses feeling like

Rob Gorski:

this is what their life is going to be for the rest of their lives.

Rob Gorski:

Like their child is never going to progress.

Rob Gorski:

This is what it's going to be like.

Rob Gorski:

And that's not, that's almost never the case.

Rob Gorski:

Kids always make progress, you know, big, small, Um, and I think we need

Rob Gorski:

to make sure that parents know that so that they're not, they're not hopeless,

Rob Gorski:

you know, walking out the door, we get them set up with resources and parent

Rob Gorski:

mentors and other people who have gone through this before to help them manage

Rob Gorski:

the emotional side of this stuff.

Rob Gorski:

So that's what I think.

Rob Gorski:

Awesome.

Rob Gorski:

Awesome.

Rob Gorski:

Awesome.

Rob Gorski:

Awesome.

Rob Gorski:

Awesome.

Rob Gorski:

Awesome.

Rob Gorski:

Okay.

Rob Gorski:

So how do you explain to non autistic siblings about their.

Rob Gorski:

How do you explain autism to a non autistic sibling?

Rob Gorski:

So like, you know, let's say you have like three kids, and one of

Rob Gorski:

those kids is autistic, how do you explain autism to their siblings?

Rob Gorski:

I don't know, brother and sister.

Rob Gorski:

One sec,

Emmett Gorski:

Elliot, it's bothering me.

Emmett Gorski:

Uh, what was the question

Rob Gorski:

again?

Rob Gorski:

Are you kidding me?

Rob Gorski:

Okay.

Rob Gorski:

No, no, we're not going to cut this out.

Rob Gorski:

This is funny.

Rob Gorski:

I, I, I, yeah, no, it's real funny.

Rob Gorski:

So let's just say, how do you explain autism to siblings?

Emmett Gorski:

Um, I mean, you're gonna, I mean, I guess it depends

Emmett Gorski:

on how old the sibling is.

Emmett Gorski:

Okay.

Emmett Gorski:

Because you're, he's bothering me again.

Emmett Gorski:

Ignore it.

Emmett Gorski:

Okay.

Emmett Gorski:

Okay.

Emmett Gorski:

Okay.

Emmett Gorski:

Um, I mean you're gonna describe it differently for different

Emmett Gorski:

age groups, so let's just assume that I don't know 10 to Twelve.

Emmett Gorski:

Mm hmm.

Emmett Gorski:

Um, you would probably say something like, I don't know, you've said this,

Emmett Gorski:

like, spiel of we think differently and act differently in certain aspects and

Emmett Gorski:

deal with things differently and are sensitive to different things and have

Emmett Gorski:

different traits that other people don't.

Emmett Gorski:

And stuff like that.

Emmett Gorski:

Hmm.

Emmett Gorski:

I guess I can't really go into specifics because I don't know

Emmett Gorski:

what the specifics would be for any

Rob Gorski:

given person and you like to be very specific and know all the facts.

Rob Gorski:

So you're not going to like absolutely try and extrapolate anything from that

Rob Gorski:

beyond what you know, to be definite.

Rob Gorski:

Absolutely.

Rob Gorski:

Okay.

Rob Gorski:

So I would agree with what Emmett said.

Rob Gorski:

And just to build on that a little bit, like we just talked to the boys,

Rob Gorski:

even explaining autism to each of the kids who are autistic in my house,

Rob Gorski:

uh, because each of them are different from each other and trying to explain

Rob Gorski:

some of those differences and why they do things a certain way or whatever.

Rob Gorski:

And it's just like, you know, everybody's brain works different.

Rob Gorski:

Everybody does things differently and you know, that's okay.

Rob Gorski:

We just have to, you know, work with it.

Rob Gorski:

And, and you just do it in a non threatening way, like, like just a

Rob Gorski:

very matter of fact and in a positive, you know, way and, you know, validate

Rob Gorski:

frustrations and things like that.

Rob Gorski:

And, uh, maybe get a therapist.

Rob Gorski:

They're great at helping you navigate stuff like this.

Rob Gorski:

We have a Patty.

Rob Gorski:

Patty has been there for us for 20 years, navigating this stuff.

Rob Gorski:

So, we have a Patty.

Rob Gorski:

You should get yourself a patty.

Rob Gorski:

Good, good there.

Emmett Gorski:

You know what Elliot interrupted us for?

Emmett Gorski:

Why?

Emmett Gorski:

He, uh, sent me a link to a chocolate souffle castella cake.

Rob Gorski:

Oh my god.

Rob Gorski:

Okay.

Rob Gorski:

Next question Emmett.

Rob Gorski:

Okay.

Rob Gorski:

I

Emmett Gorski:

just

Rob Gorski:

went back to Elliot.

Rob Gorski:

This one, this one was really important to you.

Rob Gorski:

Oh.

Rob Gorski:

So do you want to answer it or do you want me to, do you want me to ask it?

Rob Gorski:

I don't know how to answer it.

Emmett Gorski:

So,

Rob Gorski:

do you want to ask the question?

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Emmett Gorski:

Uh, before I say this question, um, first off, I would

Emmett Gorski:

probably say that this took, like, a lot of guts to say, um, but this person

Emmett Gorski:

had asked, How can I, uh, feel happy about my 20 year old son and think he's

Emmett Gorski:

amazing when every day is terrible?

Rob Gorski:

That's a tough question.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

And we debated about whether or not to take this one on, but you

Rob Gorski:

specifically felt very, um, you felt it was very important that we honor.

Rob Gorski:

At least address it.

Rob Gorski:

Address it.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

Because it took a lot of courage to, to ask that and

Rob Gorski:

there is zero judgment at all.

Rob Gorski:

Uh, and I guess without knowing any more than that, what I can say

Rob Gorski:

is that, uh, you're very human.

Rob Gorski:

And I think that a lot of times this journey can be so hard

Rob Gorski:

and so exhausting and we don't have the support that we need.

Rob Gorski:

And, you know, sometimes the challenges that our kids have are such that it's,

Rob Gorski:

I mean, it takes more than what we have.

Rob Gorski:

And it's easy to, to become more familiar with the, the bad days and,

Rob Gorski:

and sort of get sucked into that despair and feel like you're drowning.

Rob Gorski:

Um, you know, I, I think that it's, I mean, it's okay to not be okay.

Rob Gorski:

It's okay to be overwhelmed.

Rob Gorski:

It's okay to be miserable for a period of time, but you know, you want to make

Rob Gorski:

sure that you're taking care of yourself.

Rob Gorski:

You want to make sure that you're getting the support that you need

Rob Gorski:

as a parent so that you are able to.

Rob Gorski:

Be the best version of yourself for your son.

Rob Gorski:

And, and I know that when, when you're asking this question, it's not meant.

Rob Gorski:

In, in malice or, or anything like that because there are times

Rob Gorski:

that, uh, and I've told my kids this, like my kids drive me nuts.

Rob Gorski:

They drive me crazy.

Emmett Gorski:

How dare you?

Emmett Gorski:

I am perfect,

Rob Gorski:

perfectly good at driving me crazy because yeah, and, and there

Rob Gorski:

have been times where, where I felt similar to this with some of my kids

Rob Gorski:

during like really difficult times.

Rob Gorski:

And.

Rob Gorski:

It's just, it's a lot for anybody to try and deal with, especially if

Rob Gorski:

you don't have that support, uh, or the resources to help, uh, to help

Rob Gorski:

you navigate some of these things.

Rob Gorski:

So, you know, I guess I wouldn't, I wouldn't focus so much on how

Rob Gorski:

you're supposed to feel happy.

Rob Gorski:

I would focus on figuring out.

Rob Gorski:

Where you can find support and therapy would, again, therapy is huge.

Rob Gorski:

It's so important.

Rob Gorski:

Respite care.

Rob Gorski:

So important.

Emmett Gorski:

And what I would say is, uh, especially therapy, again,

Emmett Gorski:

as you said, because there's going to be a great deal of guilt for even

Emmett Gorski:

having that thought that you can't think of anything like happy about.

Emmett Gorski:

Your son because of how like bad the days are and so therapy could help

Emmett Gorski:

you Sort of move like through it.

Emmett Gorski:

Yeah move through it or at least a little further But again, we don't

Emmett Gorski:

know the situation Specifics and

Rob Gorski:

we don't judge we don't

Emmett Gorski:

judge and we can't make any You giant judgment calls

Emmett Gorski:

without knowing what is happening because there's a multitude of

Emmett Gorski:

situations that could be going on.

Emmett Gorski:

Um, and so we're just choosing this as a sort of overall thing

Emmett Gorski:

you can do to help yourself and try

Rob Gorski:

and move forward.

Rob Gorski:

And yeah, I, I, I think that was well said Emmett.

Rob Gorski:

And I just want to say too, that this doesn't make you a bad parent.

Rob Gorski:

It doesn't mean your kid is a bad kid.

Rob Gorski:

It means that you're, you're in over your head.

Rob Gorski:

And,

Emmett Gorski:

um, almost nothing makes you

Rob Gorski:

mad.

Rob Gorski:

Well, that, I mean, I don't, I don't get mad.

Emmett Gorski:

I've tried and I can't make him mad.

Emmett Gorski:

Over 15 years.

Emmett Gorski:

I haven't

Rob Gorski:

tried.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

I, I don't get, I don't get angry.

Rob Gorski:

And so this isn't

Emmett Gorski:

very anything against anyone like anywhere.

Emmett Gorski:

Yeah.

Emmett Gorski:

My dad is.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah, that's, we can go with weird, but what I wanted to, I wanted to

Rob Gorski:

just say this, you know, like all joking aside, if you're out there listening to

Rob Gorski:

this and you're thinking like, who would say something about that to their kid?

Rob Gorski:

A lot of people.

Rob Gorski:

There's a lot of people out there who feel exactly like this.

Rob Gorski:

And we need to be very, very careful when we judge other parents because

Rob Gorski:

autism is a very broad spectrum.

Rob Gorski:

And you know, while there are significant challenges in my life

Rob Gorski:

with my kids, I'm very fortunate.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

They're amazing.

Rob Gorski:

And.

Rob Gorski:

And as they've gotten older, a lot of those challenges have gotten easier,

Rob Gorski:

but they're all diagnosed with autism.

Rob Gorski:

And then there are families who are raising kids who are very high needs,

Rob Gorski:

who maybe are non speaking, who can't feed themselves, who can't use

Rob Gorski:

the bathroom, who can't do anything without 24 hour a day, seven day a

Emmett Gorski:

week.

Emmett Gorski:

Aggressive through all of that.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

And, and they're diagnosed with the same thing, autism.

Rob Gorski:

And.

Rob Gorski:

We need to be aware that it's not this, you know, what you're experiencing in

Rob Gorski:

your life does not reflect what someone else might be experiencing, even though

Rob Gorski:

their kids have the same diagnosis.

Rob Gorski:

So it makes this whole thing so difficult to navigate.

Rob Gorski:

So I applaud the question because I think it took a tremendous amount of courage.

Rob Gorski:

I think there's a lot of people out there who are going to hear that and feel like

Rob Gorski:

I'm not alone because you are not alone.

Rob Gorski:

You're not alone.

Rob Gorski:

Because, uh.

Emmett Gorski:

Not only is this addressing a question that you would ask, it's

Emmett Gorski:

addressing questions that people who felt either too guilty or too scared to

Emmett Gorski:

ask that because no one would want to.

Emmett Gorski:

No one wants to feel like, what would you call it?

Emmett Gorski:

Not hatred, but

Rob Gorski:

well, you feel guilt because, you know, as a parent, you're supposed to

Rob Gorski:

like love unconditionally, which, I mean, we do, but you, we all have limits, right?

Rob Gorski:

We're not super human.

Rob Gorski:

There's, there's this nonsense that goes around where we talk about like, you

Rob Gorski:

know, autism warrior parents or whatever.

Rob Gorski:

And, and the reality is that we're all, there's no different, like,

Rob Gorski:

I'm no different than anyone else.

Rob Gorski:

Like I have a different personality or whatever, but I'm just as human is.

Rob Gorski:

Is anybody else?

Rob Gorski:

And, uh, you know, I struggle with things.

Rob Gorski:

I find ways to deal with it.

Rob Gorski:

I don't have, you know, a superhuman ability to, to do things that,

Rob Gorski:

that make this life easier for me.

Rob Gorski:

Um, and so I run out of patience.

Rob Gorski:

I run out of bandwidth.

Rob Gorski:

I run out of resources.

Rob Gorski:

I burn out, I get depressed.

Rob Gorski:

I get anxious.

Rob Gorski:

My mental health can, you know, suffer at times.

Rob Gorski:

My physical health can suffer at times.

Rob Gorski:

And it has over the years, you know, so beating yourself up.

Rob Gorski:

Because you're human just doesn't, it's, it's, it's flawed logic.

Rob Gorski:

You're never going to be perfect.

Rob Gorski:

And that's okay.

Rob Gorski:

You're not supposed to be perfect.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

You're doing the best you can with a job that often requires superhuman abilities.

Rob Gorski:

And none of us are superhuman, you know, so thank you.

Rob Gorski:

And if you, if you happen to be listening and you're the one that asked this

Rob Gorski:

question, you can reach out and, you know, we can maybe chat or something if that

Rob Gorski:

would be helpful, but you're not alone.

Rob Gorski:

And, uh, You know, I, I see you, we both see you.

Rob Gorski:

And I think a lot of the people out here listening right now can, can relate.

Rob Gorski:

And, uh, thank you for, for having the courage to ask that.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

Uh, I'm glad you picked that out.

Rob Gorski:

Actually.

Rob Gorski:

That, that was a, that was a, that was an important question.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

Um, so why don't we do this?

Rob Gorski:

Why don't we, there were two more questions in here that I think.

Rob Gorski:

we can refer back to previous episodes or future or future episodes.

Rob Gorski:

Yes, correct.

Rob Gorski:

So there was one that was asking about, uh, when to have like the sex talk with,

Rob Gorski:

you know, Just call it the birds and bees.

Rob Gorski:

Well, is that what they called it?

Rob Gorski:

I think they called it the birds and bees.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah, it's called the birds and bees.

Rob Gorski:

So, I mean, whatever, we can just.

Emmett Gorski:

It's the more childish way of saying it.

Emmett Gorski:

I know we're both adults here.

Rob Gorski:

We're not both adults.

Rob Gorski:

All right.

Rob Gorski:

So we'll say you're more comfortable with the birds and bees.

Rob Gorski:

No, but

Emmett Gorski:

if you're like, Oh, kids might be watching this.

Emmett Gorski:

You don't just want to say the sex talk.

Emmett Gorski:

I mean, I don't know.

Rob Gorski:

I just feel use the right words for things.

Rob Gorski:

Well, okay.

Rob Gorski:

So the question was, at what point do I talk about the birds and the bees?

Rob Gorski:

Is that better?

Rob Gorski:

You're welcome.

Rob Gorski:

Uh, to my autistic, uh, what?

Rob Gorski:

10 year old or something?

Rob Gorski:

10 year old son?

Rob Gorski:

Uh, 11, 11, almost 11, almost 11 year old son.

Rob Gorski:

Um, you know, I did a whole episode on this with Dr.

Rob Gorski:

Whitney Caceres.

Rob Gorski:

It's the parent's guide to navigating autism and puberty.

Rob Gorski:

I will have it linked in the show notes below.

Rob Gorski:

You can also go to the autism dad dot link, click on the podcast

Rob Gorski:

button and scroll down a little bit and you'll find, uh, it's pinned

Rob Gorski:

on there so you can check that out.

Rob Gorski:

We went in depth about.

Rob Gorski:

All of that stuff.

Rob Gorski:

And, uh, she's an autism mom as well as a pediatrician.

Rob Gorski:

And it was an amazing episode.

Rob Gorski:

I was super uncomfortable, but I got through it.

Rob Gorski:

It was really awkward for me at first, but it turned out really well.

Rob Gorski:

It has helped a lot of people.

Rob Gorski:

So you can check that one out.

Rob Gorski:

Um, and then what was the last.

Rob Gorski:

Oh,

Emmett Gorski:

can I ask this one?

Emmett Gorski:

Yeah, yes, go ahead.

Emmett Gorski:

Yeah, uh, so someone had talked about the fact that Elliot hates the dentist.

Emmett Gorski:

Yes, he does.

Emmett Gorski:

And I mean, Elliot despises it.

Emmett Gorski:

He hates it more than socks and sandals.

Emmett Gorski:

I mean, he, it's just the worst thing in the world to him.

Emmett Gorski:

And so Almost

Rob Gorski:

more than microfiber.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah, this, uh Well, it's probably more than microfiber.

Emmett Gorski:

He hates microfiber.

Emmett Gorski:

Yeah, this person had asked, How do we get him to the dentist successfully?

Emmett Gorski:

And Uh, apparently my dad recorded an episode about that and when

Emmett Gorski:

you, when's it going to air?

Rob Gorski:

Uh,

Emmett Gorski:

it, it's soon.

Emmett Gorski:

Soon.

Emmett Gorski:

Soon.

Emmett Gorski:

Sometime soon.

Emmett Gorski:

Not a specific date, uh, but general time span.

Emmett Gorski:

Um, but honestly, the real answer and it's pro, it's not going to work for

Emmett Gorski:

everybody because I guarantee it won't.

Emmett Gorski:

But we just don't tell him.

Emmett Gorski:

We tell him we're going out for ice cream or going to the best bar.

Rob Gorski:

No we don't.

Rob Gorski:

You can't, you can't, you can't do that.

Rob Gorski:

And when

Emmett Gorski:

he asks,

Rob Gorski:

Why, why does this Oh my god, you're having way too much fun with this.

Rob Gorski:

This is like,

Rob Gorski:

okay, so this is like an ongoing family kind of inside joke thing.

Rob Gorski:

Like Elliot struggles with anxiety in the dentist and I can relate to that

Rob Gorski:

because I, I was traumatized as a kid in a dentist, an oral surgery thing.

Rob Gorski:

And, um, I, so I get it, uh, for me.

Rob Gorski:

So I'm very, um, sensitive to this more.

Rob Gorski:

More so than, uh, some of us, but, you know, I think it just depends.

Rob Gorski:

And, and MSRI, like I did record an episode with, um, the pediatric

Rob Gorski:

dentist at Akron children's hospital.

Rob Gorski:

And we talked about ways to help our kids, uh, navigate some of these things.

Rob Gorski:

And there's a bunch of new things that they're doing with sedation and, and drill

Rob Gorski:

this cavity things and stuff like that.

Rob Gorski:

So, uh, that will air shortly.

Rob Gorski:

And then, uh, you'll be able to find that as well at the autism dad dot link,

Rob Gorski:

click on podcast and you'll find it pinned in the, uh, in the thing there.

Rob Gorski:

Okay.

Rob Gorski:

Elliot.

Rob Gorski:

Okay.

Rob Gorski:

We're recording.

Rob Gorski:

We're

Emmett Gorski:

recording.

Emmett Gorski:

And you're talking about me behind my back.

Emmett Gorski:

It's a Q and a about

Rob Gorski:

me.

Rob Gorski:

Okay.

Rob Gorski:

No, it's not.

Rob Gorski:

It's a, it was, it was, it's somebody had watched your reel and they said that

Rob Gorski:

they knew that you were terrified of the dentist and how do we get you to go?

Emmett Gorski:

I.

Emmett Gorski:

I had joked about the fact that you hate the dentist more than socks and sandals,

Emmett Gorski:

and we would just say, Hey Elliot, you wanna you wanna go to Best Buy?

Emmett Gorski:

And I was about to say, before I burst out laughing, And when Elliot asks,

Rob Gorski:

Why does this Best Buy look like a dentist's office?

Rob Gorski:

And we just say, Oh, it's a mall complex, it's in the back.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah, no, we don't, you don't, you don't ever want to lie to your kids if you can

Rob Gorski:

avoid it, obviously, because like, if we said something, and I never did that, I

Rob Gorski:

would never lie to you about that, you would be told, but you might not be told

Rob Gorski:

until, like, the last minute, yeah, so you had less time to perseverate on it,

Rob Gorski:

but, you know, if you lie to your kids, then, then, you know, especially autistic

Rob Gorski:

kids, like, they will latch onto that, and they will sometimes never let it go.

Rob Gorski:

And if you tell them we're going to go get ice cream, but you

Rob Gorski:

take them to the dentist, then they're never going to trust you.

Rob Gorski:

Like, like our kids.

Rob Gorski:

Yeah.

Rob Gorski:

I mean, our kids can latch onto things.

Rob Gorski:

So, you know, the episode will come out and there's a lot of ways that you

Rob Gorski:

can work with your kids on this and then you can work with a therapist.

Rob Gorski:

You know, that can, um, you know, help with social stories and things like that,

Rob Gorski:

but, you know, we kind of joked around about this and then Elliot popped his

Rob Gorski:

head in, but, uh, but yeah, so, I mean, it was a good question, and, you know, I'll

Rob Gorski:

let you guys know when the episode drops, but, uh, there's a lot of stuff that I

Rob Gorski:

learned that I wasn't aware of that we can do, and so now Elliot is going to be

Rob Gorski:

doing sedation dentistry, so, you know, he'll go, and he'll go to sleep, and he'll

Rob Gorski:

wake up, and it'll all be done, and he won't be afraid of the dentist anymore.

Rob Gorski:

And

Emmett Gorski:

my answer was obviously exaggerated.

Emmett Gorski:

Don't do that to your kids,

Rob Gorski:

please.

Rob Gorski:

He's not liable for any damage.

Rob Gorski:

I was just trying

Emmett Gorski:

to make a joke, and it was funny.

Rob Gorski:

So you're capable of doing that sometimes.

Rob Gorski:

Why can't you do that more often?

Rob Gorski:

What?

Rob Gorski:

Like, you were able to kind of like, riff on that and kind

Rob Gorski:

of like, have fun with it.

Rob Gorski:

Because it's funny.

Rob Gorski:

Well, but it wasn't factual.

Rob Gorski:

I Exactly.

Rob Gorski:

Okay.

Rob Gorski:

Well, anyhow.

Rob Gorski:

You know, next time we're going to have to just get all three of us, like, hooked

Rob Gorski:

up on this and do it all at one time.

Rob Gorski:

All right.

Rob Gorski:

On that note, uh, thank you guys very much for taking the time to tune in.

Rob Gorski:

Emmett, thank you for putting this together and finding these questions.

Rob Gorski:

No problem.

Rob Gorski:

I appreciate it.

Rob Gorski:

Uh.

Rob Gorski:

Keep your questions coming in.

Rob Gorski:

There's a, there's a thread pinned on my Facebook page, um, where

Rob Gorski:

you can submit your questions and, uh, you know, everything

Rob Gorski:

else can be found at theautismdad.

Rob Gorski:

link.

Rob Gorski:

You can email me or look up past episodes or check out the marketplace with all the

Rob Gorski:

discount codes and cool stuff like that.

Rob Gorski:

So thank you very much guys.

Rob Gorski:

Have a great, uh, rest of your week.

Rob Gorski:

Have a great day.

Rob Gorski:

Bye.

Rob Gorski:

Before we go, I just wanted to take a moment and say, thank you so much

Rob Gorski:

for taking the time to tune in and for all the support you guys have

Rob Gorski:

shown me over the last seven seasons.

Rob Gorski:

I am so grateful and appreciative of each and every one of you.

Rob Gorski:

If you have found this useful or you just enjoyed listening, if you wouldn't

Rob Gorski:

mind taking a moment to leave a review on Apple podcast or Spotify or whatever

Rob Gorski:

app you're listening to this on or share it with your friends or whatever, uh,

Rob Gorski:

it's a great way to support the show.

Rob Gorski:

Thank you.

Rob Gorski:

I really appreciate it.

Rob Gorski:

You guys can reach me at theautismdad.Link.

Rob Gorski:

That's the autism.

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