S2: Episode 58 - Chatting with a mom featured in the documentary "Far From the Tree" about advocating for the non-verbal autistics who type to communicate

Amy Allnutt is mom to three kids; Elizabeth (23), Emma (21) and her non-verbal autistic son Jack (18) and has been married to her husband Bob for 25 years.  The Allnutts' world exploded when their son Jack attended an RPM camp in Austin TX in 2012 where he learned to type to communicate. Since then, Amy and her family have advocated for the voices of those who type to communicate and have shared their story with many to bring hope to other families with children like Jack. The journey has been challenging but worth it. Jack is currently mainstreamed in high school and taking grade level classes with a one on one communication partner. He hopes to attend community college when he graduates in May 2022.  Amy and her family were one of five families featured in the documentary Far From the Tree based on the NY times best selling book of the same title by Andrew Solomon. The film documents their struggles before Jack learned to communicate and how families with children of different identities cope to find peace and acceptance.  The film is still available to watch on Hulu. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_1bVhenzZ0)  In addition to being a Mom and wife, Amy is also a full time Professor at Marymount University in Arlington, VA and a doctoral student in Health and Human Performance at Concordia University Chicago.  You can connect with Amy on FB: @amyshusterallnutt or IG: @amyallnutt ***************************************** To purchase my book “Welcome to My Life – A Personal Parenting Journey Through Autism” click HERE!! You can easily stay connected to the Living the Sky Life podcast and me in various ways.  Please visit my website www.lauriehellmann.com for all the links. I'd love to hear what you think, so if listening on the Apple platform, please leave a written review and rating of the podcast!  If you are interested in being a guest on an episode of Living the Sky Life, please contact me!

Om Podcasten

This podcast comes to you from a very tired and eternally hopefully autism mom of an adult son with profound needs. My intention is to bring together caregivers of special needs children and those who may want to gain a better understanding of our challenges and triumphs. Through the sharing of our stories and experience, I hope to build a larger, more inclusive community of support. Living the Sky Life offers a personal connection from someone who walks daily in caregiver shoes.