Episode Details

David welcomes Angela Akers-Castro to The Lighter Side of the Spectrum to discuss raising her son Miles, diagnosed with autism at age five after she persisted despite clinicians dismissing concerns because he was affectionate, social, and didn’t “fit the box.” Angela describes early challenges including elopement, severe sleep issues, limited rural services in Eastern Washington, and later an epilepsy diagnosis after grand mal seizures that initially weren’t treated as epilepsy, plus the ongoing difficulty of balancing seizure medications and safety. After high school graduation, she found adult supports in Washington inadequate, researched how other states fund day programs with Medicaid, challenged misinformation, met with lawmakers, and launched the Facebook page “A Place to Belong in Washington” to share stories and policy information and mobilize families. Her tip: keep asking questions until things make sense; her parent confession: not acting sooner on her instincts about an unhealthy school placement. She closes by describing Miles’ lasting impact despite communication challenges.

Topics

00:36 Meet Angela and Miles

01:20 Early Signs and Doubts

04:26 Autism Myths and Misinformation

06:30 Miles Breaks the Mold

11:39 Getting the Diagnosis

14:38 Safety and Elopement Fears

17:06 Family Support and Community Roots

21:23 Epilepsy Warning Signs

26:55 Managing Seizures and Meds

31:04 COVID Disruption and Advocacy

33:55 Seizure Watch Summer Camp

35:34 Advocacy Origin Story

40:13 System Gaps And Case Law

45:28 Public Facebook Pushback

49:21 Ableism And Human Worth

52:17 Miles Community Joy

57:05 Tip Fact Confession

01:02:55 Light On The Spectrum

01:05:11 Join The Facebook Page

01:08:54 Closing Thanks And Links