Jan. 16, 2026

Aunt, Artist, Advocate: Building Communication And Dignity For Profound Autism with Jennifer McGee

Send us a text The story begins with a hard reality many families face: a beloved child who may never speak. Jennifer McGee joins us to share Isaiah’s path through profound autism—years of isolation in a classroom with low expectations, a legal fight to enforce IDEA and FAPE, and the life-changing shift that came with the right ABA team. What unfolds is a blueprint for hope built on practical tools, persistent advocacy, and a refusal to accept “can’t learn” as a verdict. We walk through the ...

Send us a text

The story begins with a hard reality many families face: a beloved child who may never speak. Jennifer McGee joins us to share Isaiah’s path through profound autism—years of isolation in a classroom with low expectations, a legal fight to enforce IDEA and FAPE, and the life-changing shift that came with the right ABA team. What unfolds is a blueprint for hope built on practical tools, persistent advocacy, and a refusal to accept “can’t learn” as a verdict.

We walk through the early signs and missed milestones, the shock of seeing services cut to the bone, and the decision to pursue litigation that forced a district to rebuild its special education program around functional skills. Then the pivot: implementing PECS properly, introducing a speech-generating tablet, and adapting signs to fit Isaiah’s motor abilities. Communication reduces distress and opens the door to progress—hygiene routines, haircuts without struggle, eating out safely, and meaningful community inclusion. Along the way, we talk about small accommodations with big impact, like a chair in a fast-casual line or booths that prevent elopement.

Jennifer also brings her artist’s lens to advocacy. Through Inclusive Art House and a book series beginning with Izzy Can’t Talk, she turns lived experience into accessible stories that teach nonverbal communication, social challenges, and public meltdowns with warmth and clarity. We celebrate Isaiah’s strengths—precision, humor, killer basketball shots; how about 25 in a row killer shots? —and stay honest about regressions that sometimes come about. Resources like the Profound Autism Alliance, airline and TSA practice programs, and social networks round out a toolkit families can use today.

If you care about special education, autism acceptance, and real-world strategies for nonverbal communication, this conversation offers both heart and how-to. Listen, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help more families find these stories.

Links for Jennifer McGee:

https://inclusivearthouse.com/pages/meet-the-team

LinkedIn: Jennifer McGee

01:38 - Setting The Stage: Profound Autism

02:19 - Meet Jennifer And Isaiah’s Early Signs

06:09 - School Isolation And Missing Services

08:21 - Litigation, Accountability, And Program Reform

15:24 - ABA, PECS, And Communication Breakthroughs

19:09 - Daily Life Skills And Community Access

24:59 - Discovering Isaiah’s Talents And Joy

29:19 - Art, Books, And Advocacy Through Story

34:59 - Caregiver Burnout, Self Care, Persistence

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Hello everyone and welcome to today's episode of On the Spectrum with Sonia.

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Just imagine having a child who nobody would think they would never be able to speak.

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But in some instances, especially those with profound autism, this is the reality that many families have to face is that they will not hear their child speak.

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They will not hear their child saying, Mommy or Daddy, I love you.

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Certain things that parents yearn for when they have a child to hear those statements and sentiments and be able to express ideas with their child, having that not be a possibility due to the profound autism that takes over and impairs the speech of a child.

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With us today is Jennifer McGee.

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She is an artist by profession.

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She wrote a book But Izzy Can't Speak, which talks about her nephew Isaiah, who came to live with her when he turned 15.

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And she dedicates a lot of her art, which she will share with us more in detail, to promoting awareness about not only autism, but disabilities in general.

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So let's please welcome without further ado, Jennifer.

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Thank you so much for being here today.

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Hi, thank you so much for having me.

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I'm really excited to talk to you.

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So, Jennifer, what is so your nephew Isaiah, he was diagnosed at three with profound autism.

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Yes.

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What were the symptoms he was displaying that caused your sister to go and get a diagnosis?

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So he he was really delayed across the board walking.

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He was not having any words at all.

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So very, very delayed in even crawling, just all of the milestones.

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And what was it like for your family when he got that diagnosis of being on the spectrum?

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Um, scared, not really understanding what that meant and how to how to help him.

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And at that time, I did not live close to my sister.

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Um, so we were separated with distance and um, you know, I had younger kids, and so I I wasn't close to that part of her journey.

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I know it was a real struggle for her um finding support.

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Zaya's now 20, so this was uh 17 years ago, 16 years ago when she was really um dealing with this.

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And even though I offered her support, you know, through like phone calls and and trying to help her cope, as far as really that day-to-day, what that looks like, I was not not part of that.

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When you used to visit Isaiah and you got to observe him when he was younger, what were things that stood out for you?

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So Isaiah was just always um looking away, not really engaging in um in conversation.

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He was very, I would say, hyper.

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He would stem a lot, um, and just really not be able to sit down for long periods of time, just always really uncomfortable and running around.

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Um, I would ask my sister, like, what what is going on?

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Like, what can they do?

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There should be something.

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And her response was, there's there's nothing.

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There's just nothing that that we can do.

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And I think that she was very lost and um, I'm sure going through a lot of depression herself and just not really being able to to support his needs and get him the the right therapies and and such that he needed.

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Were you aware of any therapies he they tried to start for him or any of that?

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No, no, not at not at all.

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And I'm I'm really not sure because I know the school that he was in was also not very supportive.

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Isaiah was put into just an isolated environment.

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And I feel like based on my experience of the school when we took over and Isaiah came to live with us, um, they weren't very supportive and helpful in this is these are some paths that you can go on.

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So they had him very much isolated from other peers with the were you aware of anything, like any skills training they were trying to do with him, or was there at least maybe a special ed teacher or a paraprofessional he was assigned to who could devote some one-on-one time with him?

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It was actually very maddening.

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So when we took over, we were really excited to work with the school.

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This is a school system that I have two older kids that went through the entire school system from kindergarten to graduation.

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And so I I was not familiar with the special needs part of the school.

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So we were really excited to work with them and just see what can we do, what's really going on.

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And after a few meetings, we realized very quickly that the school just basically wrote him off.

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Just, okay, we're gonna keep him at a table, we're gonna show him like some videos.

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And as long as he's not really like be having disruptive behaviors, we're just gonna leave him alone.

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After we reviewed his records from years back, we could see where services such as like speech was actually down to um 30 minutes a month.

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And for a child that can't talk and that has no um needs speech, needs pecs, needs these things, it was it was not it was not there.

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And um, this is really overwhelming for parents.

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Um, and not all parents have the ability to advocate.

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Um it the the school system has a duty and a responsibility to to teach all the kids.

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And they do know.

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They do know a lot of things that they can do.

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Um, for example, that ABA therapy would help Isaiah, or even some other therapies, such as speech, such as OT.

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So to minimize those services was was a real detriment to him at a point where he was at at the best place to learn, at the time of his life where he would have been the most to absorb.

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So it's harder as we get older to learn for everyone.

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So at these younger years are really, really important.

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So we we our our excitement turned to anger with with the school system.

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Did you then pursue any recourse against the school by chance?

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We sued the school system for for this.

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And um, it was uh it was it was a process.

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It was actually a a huge grieving process for me because I I was grieving for Isaiah and the quality of life that was not not given to him.

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And it it it it was it was very traumatic.

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I will say that that process, of course, the school system was forced to look at the the classroom environment that they had for these individuals, these students, and they changed it quite a bit.

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When when we first went into the school, it was just a table and a chair in an empty room.

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And very, very sad.

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Isaiah was given his lunch in the classroom.

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So we're talking no socialization at all.

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There was three or four other kids in the room with him, and and that's it.

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By the end of that process, they had a classroom that was it had a sink, a kitchen, a bed, so that they could teach functional daily living, which is something that they knew to do the entire time.

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And I know that they knew to do this because some of the private schools in the county that they collaborate with for many, many years have this.

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They're all educated in special education.

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I mean, this is their chosen career.

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So, yeah.

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So I it's it's absolutely that they know to do this, but no one was holding them accountable.

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And so they they just didn't do it.

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And that must have been very heartbreaking for you.

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Uh for for sure.

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For sure.

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And the arrogance that the school system had and the way that they talked to me and my husband in a very condescending way, just I mean, they even told us that he was not able to learn.

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We asked, like, why has he been with these same goals for 10 years and he's not making progress?

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Well, it's because he's retarded and he's not able to learn.

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And that's the reason why.

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That is so appalling.

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Like this literally makes me want to go and vomit.

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It was disgusting.

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And so we at that point, we s we we got an an educational advocate who was amazing.

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And we continued to go to IEP meetings, and then I mean it just really it became a point where I I just felt there was so much tension.

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For example, I requested that uh they let me know like daily, like what Isaiah was doing, like what kind of day he had because he is nonverbal, he he can't speak.

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And I know that this is something that they do with the elementary schools.

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They have a journal, a daily journal, and the teacher writes in the journal and sends it home, and then the parents can, you know, if they have a question or that they have something, they can, you know, write.

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And it's just a great way to communicate.

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Well, I asked for that for Isaiah, and there was pushback about that.

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And to me, that seems like common sense.

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You have a child who's nonverbal, he can't tell me how his day was, he can't tell me that he didn't eat his lunch.

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And when you have a person that that can't can't tell you the things that they need, I need to know that for his health.

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I need to know, is he not eating, or you know, did he not play, or just all just simple communication.

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So we we decided that no, this was unacceptable.

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Fortunately, our kids were older and we had the time and resources to pursue litigation.

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And that must have been a very challenging process in and of itself when you pursued that litigation.

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Absolutely.

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Absolutely, it was.

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There's not a lot of attorneys that specialize in this uh this type of law, and also it's very expensive.

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So it was, it was really hard, but it was absolutely worth it, even though Isaiah never went back to to the that school system.

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But I know that they were forced to look at their program and they were forced to make changes.

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So other children are benefiting from that.

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So I I I feel good about that.

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Well, I mean, that's a good thing that came about, right?

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Is they were forced to make the subsequent remedial measures to ensure that the place was getting their act together.

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There was so much deceit.

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I mean, we're in Georgia, and so there's there was already litigation before for a GNETS program and the county had they had him in a GNETS program, but on paper they said that they didn't.

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I mean, it was just a lot of people.

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But it's a GNET's program?

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So it's a program that actually uh um and I'm I'm sorry I don't have all the specifics, but part of the reason that um that it was litigated was because of the restraints and the way that they would handle children when they had disruptive behaviors.

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And also just putting them in a segregated classroom and not socializing.

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Those were part of the problems with the the GNET.

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So they were still doing that, and it was a GNET school, but they had on paper that it was a school system classroom just housed in a building that was GNET.

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So it it just was shady.

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So it kind of was seemed like they went against providing the free appropriate public education.

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For sure.

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Yes.

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Yes, for the least restrictive means.

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You know, that's what I understand about the IDEA.

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That's what I think the main goal of the IDEA is, is that um it stands for individuals uh with disabilities in education act, I believe.

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Yes.

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That, you know, students who have different abilities or or have disabilities, the right to a free appropriate public education using the least restrictive means.

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Correct.

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I do have a law degree.

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I don't use it.

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If I left it, I would I became a therapist.

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But I did take some um I did look I studied a lot of special ed law, and that is an area that's definitely uh an area that would probably be growing.

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Yes.

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I mean it's i it's very needed.

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I don't know why that it's there's just not many attorneys that specialize in in that for at least for the parents.

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So we need more more resources there and more attention for that.

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No, absolutely.

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And you know, as a as a guardian, I can only imagine that you had the right to receive at least those daily reports from the school.

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So to get so the whole litigation now, did you go to court?

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Did they actually do a full-out trial with this?

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Yeah, that's true.

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Yeah, I I just wasn't going to back down because I knew that no one else was going to do it.

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And so um, yeah, we we did.

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Like I said, they were just forced to to make some changes and um it was that was a very good thing.

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By the time it it did go to court, um, we just Isaiah was in such a good place with ABA.

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He had ABA at home and was making so much progress that that's what we chose to continue for him, and um, and it it really it really was a game changer.

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I mean, we were told that it was too late for him, that um, you know, he wasn't really gonna be well, like the school told us he wasn't gonna be able to learn.

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So, um, but he did.

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He learned a lot.

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We started with PECs, and um, the the school was not actually doing PECS correctly.

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We actually while while he was still at school, we we insisted on having a training that they went through and that we went through, which was really helpful.

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And so, and then he progressed from PECS to uh a speech pad, which he still used PECS, but also introducing the the speech pad.

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And now we use a combination of sign language, the the PEX, and and the speech pad.

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And how did you go about finding the proper help that Isaiah needed?

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Well, I'll tell you, it's hard, but social media really helped um finding some groups on Facebook and just continuing to ask questions and make phone calls and just just talking to people.

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Um, and we were just so blessed to find uh a BCBA, um, and that's a behavioral analyst uh in an ABA company that was willing to take him because a lot of ABA companies do not take adolescents or adults.

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So finding the person that we did, she she just changed his life.

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She taught us how to teach him.

00:16:15.339 --> 00:16:23.819
And that um the So what were some ex what are some examples you can give us about what they've done with Isaiah and what they were working on?

00:16:23.979 --> 00:16:29.739
So like so that people can have a better understanding and appreciation for the help he needed and was finally getting.

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For sure.

00:16:30.620 --> 00:16:38.620
So and this is actually why I wrote Izzy Can't Talk was for this to to educate and kind of highlight what we we went through.

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So he would turn the lights on and off, he would throw things, he just had behaviors that were were difficult and and challenging.

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And they taught us, well, pecs and how to use the picture cards and build a routine for him around his hygiene, which is something that we still continue to work on, but that was really big for us, and around meals, how to find the things that motivate him to make a difference with his behavior.

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Isaiah, that is definitely meals.

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He's a he's a foodie.

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And so we were able to use the meal time as a as a learning time, and then from that extend that into other parts of his day.

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For example, getting a haircut.

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So we we really struggled with haircuts, but now that's something that he'll do with ease, cutting his nails.

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Um, and then even more important um is being able to go out into the community.

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So we're able to travel with Isaiah and go out to restaurants regularly.

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But this is something that we couldn't do safely before ABA.

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This was a growing moment for you as well, and learning how to also support Isaiah and keep the maintenance at home as well.

00:17:56.220 --> 00:17:56.700
For sure.

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You know, and and I know that other parents and and families really struggle with this also, this balance of supporting your loved one and helping them with their needs, along with also maintaining yourself and your your career and your goals is a it's a huge struggle.

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And so we we were very overwhelmed and scared.

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Um the professionalism that um that RBCBA and her team gave us, I mean, it it was priceless.

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As to what means of communication he'll he'll use the most.

00:18:30.380 --> 00:18:36.620
Um we it works well with pictures, so we we try to keep a lot of pictures on hand.

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Sign language is easy because it's always with us, it doesn't have to be charged.

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So if his tablet is not charged, I mean, we're always still using sign language.

00:18:45.019 --> 00:18:54.860
But it's I guess our sign language, I mean, we base it off of American sign language, but Isaiah can't, he doesn't have the motor skills to make all of the signs.

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So a lot of the gestures and signs are what he uses, and then we we base it off of that.

00:19:00.860 --> 00:19:04.940
Um, and like how has it been then watching this transformation?

00:19:05.259 --> 00:19:06.539
Amazing, amazing.

00:19:06.779 --> 00:19:15.580
Seeing Isaiah come out of his shell and really seeing his personality bloom, it makes everything worth it.

00:19:15.740 --> 00:19:16.539
It really does.

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And he's just such a kind and fun person.

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He's so laid back and funny and and gentle.

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But when he, you know, when he's having behaviors, you don't you don't see that.

00:19:28.140 --> 00:19:37.580
And so him being able to have some control over his communication and over his own body, it really allows him to be his genuine self.

00:19:37.820 --> 00:19:41.340
Being it's an amazing thing to witness and to be a part of.

00:19:41.500 --> 00:19:44.380
I feel very blessed and grateful.

00:19:44.539 --> 00:19:47.019
Um, Isaiah gives me so much gratitude.

00:19:47.180 --> 00:19:55.340
Gratitude for the things that I can do myself that that I've taken for granted for so long, and also that I can help him on his journey.

00:19:55.660 --> 00:19:58.620
And what was it like to watch his personality bloom?

00:19:58.779 --> 00:20:03.259
What are things you've learned about Isaiah that you did not necessarily know before?

00:20:03.500 --> 00:20:07.900
Just how much control that he has, for example, playing basketball.

00:20:08.140 --> 00:20:12.060
So we never thought that he would, you know, like to play basketball.

00:20:12.220 --> 00:20:15.180
I don't know that he really likes it, but he does it so well.

00:20:15.340 --> 00:20:20.220
So when he shoots baskets, I mean he makes like yesterday he made 25 shots in a row.

00:20:20.700 --> 00:20:21.420
My goodness.

00:20:21.580 --> 00:20:23.500
I I mean it's it's it's wild.

00:20:23.660 --> 00:20:29.980
It's really, and you never would have known that just seeing him, just how talented he is.

00:20:30.140 --> 00:20:32.779
He's very good at balancing things.

00:20:33.019 --> 00:20:39.420
So he can take a chair and stand it on one leg, and nobody else in the room can do it.

00:20:39.580 --> 00:20:42.220
He's done it with things like on the back of the couch.

00:20:42.380 --> 00:20:46.620
Just stand them up, and no, no one else can do it, but it but he can.

00:20:46.779 --> 00:20:58.860
And so to to know, wow, you're Are really cool and you you have these skills and and this insight that we don't have and that we don't see just really shows us he's just like us.

00:20:59.180 --> 00:21:01.580
He's just he has his struggles.

00:21:01.820 --> 00:21:05.100
We all have struggles and he his are really hard and challenging.

00:21:05.420 --> 00:21:09.180
When did you write this book and what inspired you to start writing?

00:21:09.340 --> 00:21:11.900
Because I know you're an artist already by trade.

00:21:12.220 --> 00:21:25.740
I know you focus a lot on face painting, you travel a lot for work, and you also have been dedicating fine arts to those to promote disability awareness, including that of autism as well.

00:21:25.980 --> 00:21:30.299
So tell us like a little bit about how this all ties in together, too.

00:21:30.700 --> 00:21:49.980
So it really started during the time of the litigation with the school system and just um the anger that I had with um and the frustration that these educators um are not uh teaching and using their knowledge.

00:21:50.299 --> 00:21:56.620
I felt compelled to educate people about Isaiah and and his struggle.

00:21:56.779 --> 00:22:08.299
And so I I decided um at first started with some illustrations because I feel like art is the universal language and it is something that that I'm it's very meaningful to me.

00:22:08.460 --> 00:22:12.620
And so I want to see more art in the community and in public spaces.

00:22:12.779 --> 00:22:18.060
For example, we have a piece called uh Inclusion Needs No Words, inspired by Isaiah.

00:22:18.299 --> 00:22:26.060
And um, it's just some kids sitting on a rug, enjoying each other's company, not talking, just enjoying c each other's company.

00:22:26.220 --> 00:22:30.860
So I I I started with the illustrations and then I said, you know, I I really need to do more.

00:22:31.019 --> 00:22:50.460
And so I felt like a children's book was the best way to to to do this because it's it's simple enough for children to understand, and it's a story that families can share together and talk about these important topics and concepts, but it's just broken down in a in the in a very humorous, cute way.

00:22:50.940 --> 00:22:55.900
Um, but it but it talks about all the communication that Isaiah uses.

00:22:56.140 --> 00:22:58.380
This is actually the first book in the series.

00:22:58.460 --> 00:23:03.580
We have a another book, Izzy Can't Talk, but he can make friends, and that will be out next month.

00:23:03.740 --> 00:23:08.380
And in that book, we talk about the social parts of profound autism.

00:23:08.539 --> 00:23:21.259
So the first book is about communication, and the second book is about the social struggle, and then the the third book is about public meltdowns and how to handle how we handle Isaiah in in public and as we travel.

00:23:21.500 --> 00:23:30.940
And when you were writing this book, But as you can't talk, what were some thoughts, memories, stories that really stood out to you when you were in this whole writing process?

00:23:31.180 --> 00:23:33.420
So it really is therapeutic for me.

00:23:33.660 --> 00:23:42.460
I was at a point where I was just so angry that I felt like writing the book just it made me feel like I was doing something important.

00:23:42.620 --> 00:23:47.820
And I I want to get it out there and share Isaiah's story and that that was therapeutic.

00:23:48.140 --> 00:23:54.460
As far as moments of um in the book, like there's a scene with the trampoline.

00:23:54.539 --> 00:23:59.980
That is something that Isaiah enjoys, and um, and we spent a lot of time on the trampoline and jumping.

00:24:00.140 --> 00:24:10.140
Isaiah flipping the lights on and off is uh definitely something that um that we experienced a lot, uh, not so much now, but prior to to ABA.

00:24:10.299 --> 00:24:16.220
So the little scenes in the book are are actually resonate with our daily life.

00:24:16.539 --> 00:24:21.900
So that was really therapeutic, and I just I feel like it's it's authentic to our family.

00:24:22.140 --> 00:24:37.980
And it, you know, a lot of people are gonna benefit, you know, from reading this book because there are many people out there who have kids with profound autism, and so many people are gonna be helped and feel understood and feel like finally somebody gets me when they read when they stories.

00:24:38.299 --> 00:24:39.259
That is my hope.

00:24:39.420 --> 00:24:57.420
And I I just feel like in all the work that I do with the art and um I I go to a c a lot of conferences now as I continue to try to build my education and to advocate, is I I want to help families because I know how it feels to be overwhelmed and not know what to do.

00:24:57.580 --> 00:25:09.259
And if the circumstances that we're going through and what we went through with Isaiah had happened 10 years prior when my kids were younger, there is no way that I could do this work.

00:25:09.580 --> 00:25:12.460
There's no way I would have been able to publish a book.

00:25:12.620 --> 00:25:18.779
It just life was happening in a in a way with with kids and all of the things.

00:25:18.940 --> 00:25:21.900
There's only so much time in a day and only so much energy.

00:25:22.140 --> 00:25:31.740
And so that really pushes me um even now to to to keep going and to try to help other people because I know what it feels like to be overwhelmed and it's hard.

00:25:31.900 --> 00:25:32.620
It's really hard.

00:25:32.700 --> 00:25:36.140
I want to have conversations about you know how hard it is.

00:25:36.299 --> 00:25:39.340
And um, and it's not, it's it can feel very hopeless.

00:25:39.580 --> 00:25:53.900
When I see Isaiah at 20 now having a meltdown where he may he may pick up something and and throw it, it could be because his stomach is hurting, it could be because we're not getting it right with the communication, and that can be dangerous.

00:25:53.980 --> 00:25:55.580
It's it's so hard.

00:25:55.820 --> 00:26:04.380
So I I really want to help other people, other other families that are are going through this too to feel supported.

00:26:04.779 --> 00:26:08.380
What what are your best pieces of advice or suggestions or tips?

00:26:08.620 --> 00:26:17.980
I I would say number one is just don't give up because tomorrow is a new day and the it has new opportunity and hope.

00:26:18.140 --> 00:26:26.700
And by that I mean if you go out to eat and it's a meltdown, and that doesn't mean that you can't you can't try again.

00:26:26.860 --> 00:26:29.019
Go go back out to eat another day.

00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:31.100
Keep keep at it, keep going.

00:26:31.340 --> 00:26:35.100
And another very big important thing I think is self-care.

00:26:35.340 --> 00:26:42.860
It is so exhausting taking care of a family in general, but a person with profound autism, it's hard.

00:26:43.019 --> 00:27:01.100
And just taking five minutes to put on moisturizer or to put on some mascara or step outside and do some stretching, you know, of course you have to get it when you can, but self-care is really, really important because caregivers are human too, and we all have needs.

00:27:01.259 --> 00:27:10.539
And um, just that five minutes of you know, stepping outside or or putting on your makeup, it just keeps you human and it's really important.

00:27:10.779 --> 00:27:15.580
Yeah, it's so important that people continue to take care of themselves, even though it's so difficult.

00:27:15.740 --> 00:27:23.900
And yes, not giving up is gonna be crucial to getting things accomplished, to getting things to continue to evolve.

00:27:24.140 --> 00:27:31.740
I tell myself often when we travel and when we go into the community that this is part of our advocacy.

00:27:31.900 --> 00:27:36.460
Other people, neurotypical families, need to see our family.

00:27:36.620 --> 00:27:39.100
They need to see us and they need to be near us.

00:27:39.180 --> 00:27:40.460
And Isaiah needs it.

00:27:40.620 --> 00:27:43.580
It's good for everyone, and it is part of our advocacy.

00:27:43.820 --> 00:27:46.299
Isaiah deserves to go out to eat.

00:27:46.460 --> 00:27:52.140
He deserves to go to the grocery store and be able to pick out things that he wants.

00:27:52.299 --> 00:27:53.900
It's his world also.

00:27:54.220 --> 00:27:57.660
And so I think that other people need to remember that too.

00:27:57.820 --> 00:28:01.420
Of course, we have to make accommodations, and it's not always easy.

00:28:01.660 --> 00:28:09.820
And sometimes when we have a full day of errands, you know, Isaiah gets out of the car at a couple of places, and then my husband and I take turns.

00:28:09.900 --> 00:28:13.019
And so that way he sits in the car, he's more comfortable there.

00:28:13.340 --> 00:28:19.259
But it really is about continuing to do the hard things so that they become easier.

00:28:19.500 --> 00:28:29.100
Have you noticed when you take Isaiah out and he's had meltdowns that people give you funny glances or give an attitude to you?

00:28:29.340 --> 00:28:30.380
Most of the time, no.

00:28:30.539 --> 00:28:37.019
Actually, it's so surprising how kind people are and helpful that people are.

00:28:37.420 --> 00:28:50.620
Of course, there have been some times where um we we have gotten uh the looks, especially Isaiah's not verbal, but sometimes he makes noises, and if he has to go to the bathroom.

00:28:50.779 --> 00:28:55.259
So that's um we went to Publix the other day and we had he had to go to the bathroom.

00:28:55.340 --> 00:29:00.140
He was being really, really loud, stimming really hard, and I'm just making a beeline to the bathroom.

00:29:00.380 --> 00:29:02.700
And we get a lot of looks, but I see that as normal.

00:29:02.860 --> 00:29:04.700
I mean, people don't know.

00:29:04.940 --> 00:29:08.460
And and when you hear someone being really loud, you're gonna turn your head and look.

00:29:08.620 --> 00:29:11.740
And for me, I don't let it bother me.

00:29:11.980 --> 00:29:14.140
Again, this is my advocacy.

00:29:14.299 --> 00:29:15.980
Isaiah is being himself.

00:29:16.140 --> 00:29:19.019
Um, I'm not ashamed of him, I'm not embarrassed.

00:29:19.259 --> 00:29:20.380
This is our life.

00:29:20.620 --> 00:29:28.860
And and I I feel like that when other people see us, it just the more people see us, the more normal it becomes to see people that are different.

00:29:29.100 --> 00:29:35.100
So, but most of the time, people are really kind and really accommodating.

00:29:35.259 --> 00:29:37.900
I'll tell you another story about accommodating.

00:29:38.060 --> 00:29:42.539
We went to Chipotle one time, and Isaiah has a difficult time standing in line.

00:29:42.700 --> 00:29:48.060
So I was with him by myself, and so I just got a chair and put the chair in line.

00:29:48.140 --> 00:29:52.299
It was a pretty long line, and as long as Isaiah can sit down, he's totally happy.

00:29:52.539 --> 00:30:01.420
The people were Chipotle, they were fine with it, and it's very odd to be standing in the line waiting for your food, and someone have a chair and and and sitting in the chair.

00:30:01.580 --> 00:30:15.259
And as the line moved up, we moved up with the chair, and we were able to get our food and and it worked, and the people were so very nice, and that's just a very small accommodation, but it made it so I didn't have to turn around and leave.

00:30:15.420 --> 00:30:20.380
Otherwise, you know, Isaiah would have been running for the door and we I wouldn't have been able to stand in line and get our food.

00:30:20.539 --> 00:30:22.060
So just a small accommodation.

00:30:22.380 --> 00:30:26.779
Do you notice there are certain places where Isaiah has more meltdowns than others?

00:30:27.019 --> 00:30:32.220
Are there like specific stores that he really can go into or restaurants, for example?

00:30:32.539 --> 00:30:37.820
No, no, I I wouldn't say for Isaiah in particular, there's any one place that's different.

00:30:38.060 --> 00:30:42.860
We do try to know everywhere that we're going and be prepared in that way.

00:30:43.019 --> 00:30:50.220
So, but Isaiah has been, he's he's very well traveled now and he's been to Disney, he's been on airplanes.

00:30:50.539 --> 00:30:54.460
We just have to kind of pay attention to him and what day he's having.

00:30:54.700 --> 00:30:58.299
Some days he's more sensory-sensitive than others.

00:30:58.460 --> 00:31:03.820
So some days he can tolerate a large crowd for longer than other periods.

00:31:04.060 --> 00:31:15.580
We use a wheelchair when we're going to be in the community for an extended amount of time because for Isaiah, sitting down is very comfortable and he will last a lot longer.

00:31:15.740 --> 00:31:28.940
Um, so and when we go to restaurants, we sit at a booth, and so me or my husband sits beside him, or whoever's with me will sit beside him beside him so that way he's not tempted to like get up and run around.

00:31:29.100 --> 00:31:30.060
And that works for us.

00:31:30.140 --> 00:31:35.180
So we try to go to restaurants that we know that we can accommodate his needs.

00:31:35.259 --> 00:31:37.500
But there's not one place over the other.

00:31:37.660 --> 00:31:41.500
It's it's more about how is Isaiah dealing with this day today.

00:31:41.820 --> 00:31:55.500
I think you mentioned that Delta Airlines has a program where people, even if they're not flying anywhere, maybe people who are afraid to fly have anxiety, they can go and practice getting on a plane.

00:31:55.900 --> 00:31:56.940
Yes, and meet the pilot.

00:31:58.380 --> 00:32:03.420
Yes, and that is that is something that we did, and um I'm so grateful for that program.

00:32:03.740 --> 00:32:07.019
The TSA is also very helpful.

00:32:07.180 --> 00:32:15.980
So they have a number that you can call and set up a member number with them and and get help with them, and they'll they'll help you with a wheelchair.

00:32:16.140 --> 00:32:25.500
But practicing that getting on the airplane, meeting the pilot, not going anywhere, but just that experience absolutely is a game changer.

00:32:25.740 --> 00:32:28.460
And Isaiah, I take it, does he like to fly?

00:32:28.860 --> 00:32:29.820
He does like to fly.

00:32:29.900 --> 00:32:30.779
He he does.

00:32:31.019 --> 00:32:33.660
We try to keep the flights under two hours.

00:32:33.900 --> 00:32:40.220
I really wouldn't do one over three hours for him just because I I don't think that he could handle that, but he does like to fly.

00:32:40.380 --> 00:32:46.779
Um, and I know this you can see he's grinning from ear to ear, and he's sitting happy and he's comfortable.

00:32:47.100 --> 00:32:57.019
We take his favorite snacks, we take gummies uh uh so for the ear popping so that he has something to chew on, and um, yeah, and and and he loves it.

00:32:57.340 --> 00:32:58.460
And that's wonderful.

00:32:58.620 --> 00:33:01.420
I'm glad that, you know, it seems like you really have come.

00:33:01.580 --> 00:33:03.500
It's like kind of like a full circle moment.

00:33:03.980 --> 00:33:08.220
He's in a he's in a moment of regression right now from the the past couple of weeks.

00:33:08.380 --> 00:33:14.060
We had a dental appointment and um he had quite a bit of sedation in order to get his teeth cleaned.

00:33:14.140 --> 00:33:18.700
And I believe that he's had some kind of a reaction from from that sedation.

00:33:19.100 --> 00:33:29.980
So we're in a bit of a regression, and um we're really having to be very mindful of our routine and be out in the community less at this moment.

00:33:30.299 --> 00:33:32.539
Unfortunately, this week has been better.

00:33:33.180 --> 00:33:43.420
But this has really reminded me of how far we have come because we're having a lot of the behaviors that we had initially and we we we got Isaiah in 2020.

00:33:43.580 --> 00:33:55.019
And so thank God I have the the skills that I learned, the calm counts um to to to help Isaiah through this period.

00:33:55.340 --> 00:33:58.620
So, Jennifer, where can people find your artwork?

00:33:58.779 --> 00:34:01.980
How can people get a hold of your books?

00:34:02.220 --> 00:34:16.779
Yeah, so Inclusive Art House is the the art company that I have, and we create illustrations and fine art that we feel is empowering for disabled people.

00:34:17.099 --> 00:34:18.940
And the book is on there as well.

00:34:19.019 --> 00:34:21.099
As uh we have some coloring books.

00:34:21.259 --> 00:34:33.900
I have a small team of uh artists and illustrators that work with me, and they're all amazing, all very skilled and talented and very passionate about um Isaiah and and people like Isaiah.

00:34:34.139 --> 00:34:45.500
And where can people get information about the empowerment, uh advocacy courses, things like that, like how you're doing, like you say, you're traveling now to better your education.

00:34:45.739 --> 00:34:47.659
Where can people find access to those things?

00:34:47.980 --> 00:34:50.779
So for me, I just I find them online.

00:34:50.940 --> 00:34:54.699
Um, and I have connected a network of different people.

00:34:54.779 --> 00:34:57.579
So I get a lot of emails and I get a lot of invitations.

00:34:57.739 --> 00:35:01.019
And my contact is also on Inclusive Art House.

00:35:01.259 --> 00:35:10.779
I would be happy to to reach out and speak to anyone um that wants more information on a excuse me, a specific subject, such as Profound Autism.

00:35:10.940 --> 00:35:17.179
There is the Profound Autism Alliance, and I believe that's ProfoundAutismAlliance.org.

00:35:17.419 --> 00:35:30.859
But they are an amazing organization that I'm a member of and just have so much resources on their website and trainings, and they have been a wealth of information for us.

00:35:31.179 --> 00:35:31.500
Okay.

00:35:31.899 --> 00:35:33.739
Well, thank you so much for sharing that.

00:35:33.899 --> 00:35:36.940
All of your links will be on our show notes for people.

00:35:37.179 --> 00:35:40.299
Are you on any socials at all where people can follow you or find?

00:35:40.779 --> 00:35:44.379
Free short Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

00:35:44.539 --> 00:35:46.699
I'm a little slow about posting a lot of stuff.

00:35:46.779 --> 00:35:48.299
I'm trying to do better.

00:35:48.539 --> 00:35:57.259
Um, it's not my natural skill to post a lot on social media, but due to the encouragement of my kiddos, I'm I'm trying to do more.

00:35:57.579 --> 00:35:58.379
Okay, great.

00:35:58.619 --> 00:36:04.619
And then afterwards, if you wouldn't mind sharing your handles or things like that, that way I can also add that to the show notes.

00:36:04.779 --> 00:36:08.139
But thank you so much for being here today, Jennifer.

00:36:08.699 --> 00:36:12.699
I appreciate your story, hearing your story and your journey with Isaiah.

00:36:12.859 --> 00:36:18.460
I think, you know, a lot of people, this has been very inspirational and touching for me me to hear about it.

00:36:18.619 --> 00:36:23.659
And I'm sure it's gonna be that way for many, if not all, of our listeners on here.

00:36:24.379 --> 00:36:25.099
Thank you so much.

00:36:25.339 --> 00:36:25.659
Thank you.

00:36:25.739 --> 00:36:31.099
And I really appreciate you giving a platform for these conversations.

00:36:31.259 --> 00:36:33.179
And these conversations are important.

00:36:33.579 --> 00:36:36.699
And so thank you for doing the work that you do.

00:36:37.099 --> 00:36:37.739
Thank you so much.

00:36:37.819 --> 00:36:39.500
I I'm on the spectrum myself.

00:36:39.739 --> 00:36:45.179
So, you know, I always look at people, you know, who have loved ones on the spectrum as family.

00:36:45.339 --> 00:36:57.980
So, you know, I look at it as we're all one family at the end of the day, no matter where you are on the spectrum, whether you're sure, you know, higher functioning or lower functioning, like they say, or with more support needs, less support needs.

00:36:58.219 --> 00:37:02.379
But, you know, I think it's we're all big we're all one family at the end of the day.

00:37:02.539 --> 00:37:07.659
And I feel like, you know, this is where we all need to stand together and collaborate more.

00:37:07.819 --> 00:37:12.379
And there needs to be more unity and less division, especially for us.

00:37:12.779 --> 00:37:14.460
I agree a hundred percent.

00:37:14.619 --> 00:37:15.899
Um, I agree.

00:37:16.059 --> 00:37:25.739
People that are on the higher end of the spectrum are often looked at by society as not having a disability and not not having needs, and it's just not true.

00:37:25.980 --> 00:37:29.019
It can be so debilitating in so many different ways.

00:37:29.259 --> 00:37:32.859
And so it it is a spectrum, but it's everyone needs support.

00:37:33.980 --> 00:37:35.099
Well, thank you, Jennifer.

00:37:35.419 --> 00:37:35.980
Thank you.

00:37:36.219 --> 00:37:39.980
And yes, everyone, this will conclude today's episode.

00:37:40.139 --> 00:37:48.699
Remember to like, subscribe, and share with your friends and your family if you enjoy these episodes.

00:37:49.099 --> 00:37:53.899
And I'm looking forward to being back with another episode soon.

00:37:54.299 --> 00:37:54.619
Take care.

Aunt, Artist, Advocate: Building Communication And Dignity For Profound Autism with Jennifer McGee

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