On today’s episode we will be hearing from three different people and their perspectives on one experience. Daphne, an adult with an Intellectual and Developmental Disability, her sister Tamar, and her friend Tina will be sharing the story of when Daphne attended her 45th high school reunion in October 2025 and the importance of belonging.

In this episode of Family Support Stories, we speak with Dr. Helen Rottier, author and Dr. Morton Ann Gernsbacher, about their joint chapter in Disability Alliances and Allies: Opportunities and Challenges. Helen is an autistic researcher at the Wiseman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Morton is a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Their chapter, titled “Autistic Adult And Non-autistic Parent Advocates: Bridging the Divide”, explores the separation and merging of goals and discussions between autistic self-advocates and nonautistic parent advocates.

This episode discusses what US national priorities can bridge previous divides, creating space for autistic adult and non-autistic parent advocates to work together in establishing policies and practices that improve life for autistic people and their families and communities.

We speak with Dr. Laura Mauldin, author and professor at the University of Connecticut, about her new book In Sickness and In Health. Blending memoir with the stories of caregivers across the country, Dr. Mauldin reflects on how ableism, cultural expectations about love, and gaps in America’s social safety net shape the realities of caregiving. Together, they explore the concept of “The One,” (which refers to the person who carries the overwhelming weight of care), and examine how policy, culture, and community responses can either isolate caregivers or help redistribute the labor of care more collectively.