The Profound Parent Podcast - with Dr. Dana Johnson
The Profound Parent Podcast Parenting a child with profound autism and complex support needs requires a depth of knowledge, courage, and advocacy that few people truly understand. The Profound Parent Podcast is for parents raising children with high support needs—including nonspeaking or unreliably speaking children—and navigating a world that doesn't always know how to see the whole person. A Profound Parent isn't defined by a diagnosis. They're defined by the depth of knowledge, resilience, and fierce advocacy they develop along the way. This podcast explores what it really means to raise a child with profound autism, complex support needs, and significant communication challenges while holding two truths at once: a child can have profound, lifelong support needs and be thoughtful, intelligent, curious, and capable of learning. Difficulty demonstrating ability is not the same as an absence of ability. Each episode brings you real stories, practical tools, honest conversations, and mindset shifts for navigating communication, advocacy, education, AAC, daily life, and the complicated realities of high-support-needs parenting. We talk about what it means to presume competence, support communication, understand behavior, and advocate fiercely—even when the world underestimates your child. Because understanding profound support needs should never mean underestimating the person. The Profound Parent Podcast: Understanding profound needs without underestimating the person.
Episodes
Spending thousands on autism therapies and not seeing progress? Your child’s diet may be the missing foundation.
In this video, Dr. Dana Johnson, an occupational therapist with training in functional and nutritional medicine, explains why nutrition matters for kids with profound autism and how to start improving your child’s diet without a mealtime battle. Supplements, the gluten-free casein-free (GFCF) diet, red light ...
Nadia Elkhatib is a mother, systems thinker, and the creator and host of Biohacking Autism. For more than twenty years, she has worked through health, sleep, behavior, and anxiety challenges alongside her son, Jimmy, who has autism. Before turning her focus to health, Nadia earned a master's degree in Computer Science and built a career in Silicon Valley technology. She now brings that same analytical, data-driven mindset to autism...
Chris and Jess are parents to two children, Marissa and Logan. Their daughter, Marissa, was diagnosed with autism at just 2 years old, beginning a journey of learning, healing, and advocating for their family.
Along the way, they have explored biomedical interventions, discovered the power of spelling, and taken a deep dive into apraxia. These experiences have transformed not only Marissa’s life, but the quality of life for t...
My guest is Dr. Brian Hooker — a scientist, a father to Steve, and Chief Scientific Officer at Children's Health Defense. Steve regressed into autism as a toddler, a moment that completely reshaped Brian's career and sent him deep into research on environmental and health factors in autism.
Steve is now 28 and thriving.
In this episode, Brian shares the journey — the science, th...
Olivia Rojo, is the mom and advocate behind (@prayingthroughautism). She's a praying mom, former inclusion teacher, and a mom to two beautiful girls—one who is a nonspeaking with profound autism.
She also passionate about staying strong and regulated herself, because caring for her nervous system helps her be a better support for her daughter. Working out with CENTR has also become a big part of self-regulation and se...
Betsy Hicks-Russ is the Executive Director of Autism Odyssey, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting caregivers throughout their journey with education, resources, connection, and encouragement. She is also a co-host and producer of The Telepathy Tapes: Now What? podcast, where she explores autism, communication, caregiving, consciousness, health, and the evolving ways we understand nonspeakers.
Betsy is the creator behind BetsyOnThe...
Tyler Hudson is a husband, father of three, musician, and advocate for families living at the deep end of the spectrum. From Texas, now living in Tasmania, Tyler speaks openly about grief, disability, and the responsibility we owe future generations.
You can follow him here:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/tylerhudsonmusic/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tylerghudson
You can purchase his book, "The Missing Lyrics" on ...
Sarah Kernion is the founder of INCHSTONES, a writer, podcast host, special education consultant, and mother of three, including two children with profound, non-speaking autism. Through INCHSTONES, Sarah brings lived experience and hard-earned clarity to conversations about profound autism, disability, caregiving, communication, and special education. Her work centers the voices and realities of families often overlooked, while hel...
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