049: The Isolation of Raising Kids on the Spectrum, with Ana & Curt Warner

Picture of hosted by Penny Williams

hosted by Penny Williams

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In this episode of the podcast, I'm honored to have talked with Ana and Curt Warner about the challenges and isolation of raising kids with autism. They've shared their experiences raising twin boys with “low-functioning” autism in their new book, The Warner Boys: Our Family’s Story of Autism and Hope, and they've graciously shared a glimpse of their parenting experiences here with us. While your child may not have autism, the struggles and triumphs of this parenthood are much the same. I promise, you'll be moved by their story.

Resources

Some of the resources may be affiliate links, meaning I receive a commission (at no cost to you) if you use that link to make a purchase.

Download a Free Preview of the Book: Chapter 1 from The Warner Boys

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My Guest

CURT & ANA WARNER

Curt Warner is an honors graduate in communication, a two-time All-American at Penn State, a 2009 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, and a former All-Pro running back for the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. A three-time Pro Bowler, Warner was inducted into the Seattle Seahawks Ring of Honor in 1994.

Ana Warner has dedicated her life to the care of her family and the study and treatment of autism spectrum disorder. Both she and her husband have served as keynote speakers at the National Autism Conference at Penn State and the Texas Autism Conference in San Antonio. The Warner Boys is their first book.

 

Thank you!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it. Have something to say, or a question to ask? Leave a comment below. I promise to answer every single one. **Also, please leave an honest review for the Beautifully Complex Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and appreciated! That's what helps me reach and help more families like yours.

Hello!
I'm Penny Williams.

I help stuck and struggling parents (educators, too) make the pivots necessary to unlock success and joy for neurodivergent kids and teens, themselves, and their families. I'm honored to be part of your journey!

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About the show...

I'm your host, Penny.

Join me as I help parents, caregivers, and educators like you harness the realization that we are all beautifully complex and marvelously imperfect. Each week I deliver insights and actionable strategies on parenting neurodivergent kids — those with ADHD, autism, anxiety, learning disabilities…

My approach to decoding behavior while honoring neurodiversity and parenting the individual child you have will provide you with the tools to help you understand and transform behavior, reduce your own stress, increase parenting confidence, and create the joyful family life you crave. I am honored to have helped thousands of families worldwide to help their kids feel good so they can do good.

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4 Comments
  • This episode was so relatable. My son is 3 1/2 with profound ADHD, Autism and a severe communication disorder. The isolation is real. People stop asking you to do things because they already know the answer. Although I do try to find as many things we can say yes to but it’s difficult. My child is such a safety concern as well so I totally understood that. It also helps to hear from someone as well known as Curt to be brave enough to share his family’s story. I see a lot of me in Ana. I’ve become consumed to the point that I’ve starting forgetting who I used to be. I also have three older children who still need me. Thanks for sharing. It helped so much!

  • On my podcast app it seems that this is a different episode than the one described?

    • Yes. I accidentally uploaded the wrong file at first. It was fixed a week ago. You probably need to delete the episode from your app and RE-download it. Many of the apps automatically download new episodes when they are released if you’ve subscribed to that podcast.

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