• It Takes a Village
    Jan 3 2026

    In this episode, we learn how family, faith, and community became the “village” surrounding Christopher — and what true inclusion looks like when love expands outward in circles.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amandablancaster.substack.com
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    23 mins
  • The Role of Music
    Dec 18 2025

    Music as the bridge that bypasses words. In this episode, we tell stories of how rhythm, tone, and melody reached Christopher in ways spoken language could not — and how it became a shared language of joy.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amandablancaster.substack.com
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    27 mins
  • Language or Communication?
    Dec 11 2025

    In this episode, Christopher and I discuss the difference between words and connection. We learn that communication without speech can still be rich, relational, and transformative.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amandablancaster.substack.com
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    17 mins
  • What Is Healing?
    Dec 4 2025

    We explore what “healing” truly means in the context of autism and family life. Is it a cure, a transformation, or a deeper awakening to love and presence?

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    Christopher is the fifth of our eight children, born with classical autism. At three years old, his understanding and communication were that of a six-month-old, yet his story is nothing short of miraculous. Through him, our whole family was transformed. What began as a journey through confusion and silence became one of love and awe, reborn — a passage from loneliness to love, from isolation to connection, from fear to faith and joy.

    In these conversations between Christopher and his mother, Amanda, we’ll share that journey, the lessons, the laughter, and the wonder. We hope that the miracle, the awe, the love, and the joy might reach a little further than our own family.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amandablancaster.substack.com
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    16 mins
  • Overcoming Meltdowns
    Nov 20 2025

    In this episode, we try to understand what’s beneath the storm of a meltdown. We discuss practical and compassionate ways to walk through meltdowns — not as battles to win, but as moments to anchor, soothe, and see the world through an autistic child’s eyes.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amandablancaster.substack.com
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    13 mins
  • Building Connections: Starting on a Swing
    Nov 11 2025

    How a single moment of connection — on a rope swing — began to bridge silence and isolation. The story of finding one inch of shared joy, and how love always finds a way to reach across.



    This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amandablancaster.substack.com
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    10 mins