Welcome to *The Autism Mom Coach Podcast*. I’m your host, Lisa Kra. I am a lawyer, a life coach, and, most importantly, I’m the full-time single mother of a teenager with autism. In this podcast, I share tools and strategies you can use so you can fight like hell for your child without burning out. Let’s get to it.

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the podcast. I’m so glad you’re here, and I hope you’re doing well.

For this week’s episode, we’re going to do something a little different. I’m going to talk about something that has nothing to do with autism—at least on the surface—in order to make a point about autism parenting.

For those of you who don’t know, I’m a huge fan of true crime, and for the past few weeks, I’ve been glued to YouTube watching the **Karen Read retrial**. Very quickly, for those of you who don’t know, this is a trial going on in Boston. Karen Read is a woman accused of killing her boyfriend, a Boston police officer, by hitting him with her car and leaving him to die.

This case is very complicated. It has everything: a toxic relationship, accusations of a police cover-up, and all sorts of technology that the experts are trying to piece together to tell the story. Because of all the drama—especially with the witnesses, some of whom aren’t credible—there’s been a real focus on the technology to tell the story.

This has turned into a battle of the experts. One expert who testified specialized in analyzing data from the defendant’s Lexus SUV. He testified that the data—on an SD card—placed the defendant at the scene at the time they believe her car hit the victim.

During cross-examination by the defense attorneys (who are spectacular), they didn’t focus on the data itself. Instead, they questioned his credentials. They pointed out that on his LinkedIn profile and his company’s website, he claimed to have a **Bachelor of Science**, but on the CV he submitted to the court, he stated he **had not yet received his Bachelor’s degree**.

This became a big deal—not because of the degree itself but because it raised questions about his credibility. If he was being deceptive about his education, how could the jury trust his testimony in other areas?

What really caught my attention—and why I’m talking about this today—is that his **real expertise** didn’t come from a Bachelor’s degree. It came from his **experience**. He had done this analysis many times and had testified as an expert in similar cases. His certifications and trainings were valuable, but the core of his expertise was his hands-on experience.

The defense attorney tried to shame him by pointing out that he had been “working on” his Bachelor’s for 17 years. But in reality, that generalized education had nothing to do with his ability to analyze the data.

This connects directly to autism parenting. In our society, we’ve been taught that expertise is tied to degrees and formal education. You become an expert by getting a certain number of credits, completing internships, and earning certifications.

That’s why so many parents say to me, “I’m not the expert—they are.” This often comes up when schools call parents in the middle of the day to ask for guidance. Parents are baffled. “What do you mean? You have the OT, PT, behavioralist—you’re the experts. Why are you asking me?”

I totally get it. But here’s the thing: **their education, internships, and trainings pale in comparison to the amount of real-world experience you have parenting your child with autism**.

That’s why you are the expert on your child. You’ve done the 10,000 hours and then some. You’ve earned the equivalent of a Bachelor’s, a Master’s, and a Doctorate in your child.

Now, I’m not saying you know everything or that you don’t need the support of teachers, caseworkers, therapists, doctors, and psychologists. You absolutely do. But ultimately, **you are the one making decisions about your child**. You’re the one implementing their suggestions at home, seeing how they work in real time and adjusting as needed.

Here’s an example: When my son was 13, his aggression was escalating. I was told—very forcefully—that we needed to implement **ABA**. But I knew from experience that ABA would not only fail but be a disaster for him. The “experts” insisted that ABA was the gold standard.

I don’t share this to put you in conflict with your child’s support team. I share it to remind you that **you know so much more than you give yourself credit for**.

This is your reminder—thanks to the Karen Read trial—that experts come in all shapes and sizes. You don’t need a degree on your wall that says “Master’s in Autism” to be an expert on your child.

Your child is unique. They won’t fit neatly into any category or checklist. That’s why it’s so important for you to **trust yourself**.

All right, everyone. I hope this was helpful. I’ll talk to you next week.

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Thanks for listening to *The Autism Mom Coach Podcast*. If you’re ready to apply what you’re learning to your life, it’s time to schedule a consultation call with me.

Podcasts are great, but the *ahas* are fleeting. Real change comes from applying and implementing what you’ve learned. That’s exactly what we do in my one-on-one coaching program.

To schedule your consultation, go to [www.theautismmomcoach.com](https://www.theautismmomcoach.com), click “Work With Me,” and take the first step toward taking better care of yourself—so you can show up as the parent you want to be for your child with autism.