Healing the Parent So the Child Can Heal Too with Dr. Theresa Lyons

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Theresa Lyons - an international autism educator, Yale-trained scientist, and autism parent who has spent over 11 years bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and the everyday reality of raising a child with autism. She is also the founder and CEO of Navigating Awetism (yes, spelled that way intentionally).

We talk about something that doesn't get nearly enough attention: the trauma that autism parents carry. Not just from meltdowns and aggressive behaviors, but from the isolation, the dismissive doctors, the feeling of having nowhere to turn. Dr. Lyons shares the research that first brought her to EMDR - a small but powerful clinical trial showing that when parents received EMDR therapy, their PTSD symptoms dropped below clinical levels and their children's behaviors actually improved, without any direct intervention on the kids.

We also get into the science of autism itself - why there is no one-size-fits-all explanation, what functional medicine offers that conventional pediatric care often misses, and why the latest research now classifies autism as either persistent or non-persistent (37% of kids no longer qualify for the diagnosis a few years after being diagnosed - a number that has quietly changed everything).

Dr. Lyons also shares her own experience completing eight EMDR sessions - not because she had a clinical PTSD diagnosis, but because she wanted to show up more regulated and present for her daughter.

One line that stayed with me: "If I need support, I can ask for it - and I can't tell other parents to do the same if I didn't."

If you work with families navigating autism, or if you are a parent carrying more than you've ever said out loud, this one is for you.

Connect with Dr. Theresa Lyons:

• Website: navigatingawetism.com
• YouTube: Search "Navigating Autism" or "Dr. Theresa Lyons autism"