Ep 25 - Carrie, Autism and YaYa Podcasting

Carrie Caulfield Arick is the creator of YaYa Podcasting. This company was created partly for her love of podcasting, but also out of necessity. Carrie and her husband have a 17 year-old son on the autism spectrum. During his time at a public school, and the year and a half long transition to publicly funded private placement, what they refer to as ‘the dark time’, Carrie realized the need to be able to make money, but also be available for her son in a variety of capacities. Thus YaYa podcasting was born – not just as a momentary fix, but also as something her son could potentially take on. In this episode we talk about the transition of a child on the autism spectrum into adulthood, what that looks like for them, for him and how they are preparing for it. Carrie also speaks about advocating for your child, how being at the crisis level can really push you to find the strength in yourself required to face the challenge. She closes with some sound advice and resources for parents who are looking to create a business from home, with little to start with. This episode is honest about the challenges we face at times with our children, but also about finding the strength, the knowledge, and the motivation to navigate ourselves into a clearer and perhaps more comfortable future – if there is such a thing.