Chelsea's Vocation

As a prospective parent, Chelsea presumed her children would go to college. When they were diagnosed with autism, post-secondary education was definitely not part of the conversation among educators and allied health professionals on their teams. While both Justus and Noey went to college, the learning curve was steep for everyone involved.

Cue this episode’s guest:

Emily Raclaw is Director of On Your Marq, a college success program ...

Katrina Tarke-Karge is a Clinical Child and Adolescent therapist at Evidence Based Counseling Solutions in New Berlin, Wisconsin. She has worked with autistic individuals in a variety of capacities from young children to adults for almost 20 years. She has recently taken on a new role as the Director of Child and Adolescent Services and hopes to expand access to mental health treatment for neurodivergent kids, teens, young adults a...

A 2023 graduate from Columbia College Chicago, Noey Budde is still very much trying to find their place in the world, but has a great start with an illustrious background in both the humanitarian and creative fields. Noey is an educated composer creating pieces for various forms of media, primarily podcasts (including this one!) and film. When not in their studio, they’re found working alongside the bright students of Chicago as a ...

Chelsea is delighted to welcome “autism dads” Nick Backes and Justin Sneesby to this Father’s Day episode of the podcast.

Nick is husband and father of three children. Born and raised in southeastern Wisconsin, he is an autism advocate and a stay-at-home dad.

Justin has been a husband to his wife for over 15 years, and they have two children. Their oldest son, Ronnie, is 9, while their other son, Chandler, is 5. They all live in Gree...

Betsy Spalla is a finance professional by day, and a perpetual student of humans’ emotions. Mom of two now-adult babies, one of whom is on the spectrum, she was diagnosed with ADHD after the birth of her second child. Her journey as a mom of a neurodivergent human, in light of her own neurospiciness, has given her a keen insight into human behavior. She is adept at helping her people identify their feelings and triggers to make pos...

Dani Jo is a married mama of two autistic girls (well, now women). She definitely never expected to have the “Autism Mama" title but is thankful for the journey and the fierce women she has met along the way. 

She “bucked the system" as her children were leaving elementary school, as her home school was not implementing their IEPs. She spent a few years advocating for choices for special needs children and played a critica...

Jess Sciborski has been a dedicated special educator for over 20 years, working with students in grades K-12 with a wide range of disabilities, especially emotional/behavioral disabilities and autism. Currently a 1:1 Special Education teacher for an area educational agency, she is a fierce advocate for student needs, dignity for all, and celebrating neurodiversity. She believes in presuming competence and meeting students where the...

Chris Krasovich wears many hats, as a wife, elected official, board member, butterfly raiser, rabid volunteer, stress baker, world traveler, and appointed representative on the Wisconsin Governor's Autism Council, but her favorite hat is her mom hat. Chris has two spectacular children, one of whom is neurospicy, who she laughs with and learns from every day.

In this episode, Chelsea chats with Chris about what acceptance means ...

Sue Vock is a Christ follower, wife, and mom to three, who has worked for nonprofits her entire career. Her daughter Molly is 30 years old, and was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 17 after years of evaluations. Sue ministered at a church for over 18 years, worked at an autism nonprofit, and is currently the Director of Development & Marketing at Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha & Jefferson Counties. She is cu...

Pete Budde is a devoted husband to his high school sweetheart, Chelsea, and a proud father to two incredible adults, Justus and Noey. A lifelong learner, he finds joy in reading, music, and competition. With nearly 30 years of professional experience, Pete has been fortunate to work alongside exceptional teammates and colleagues, forming lasting friendships along the way. His passion for growth and connection defines both his perso...

It seemed to Chelsea that just as she was learning to adult, she had to learn to parent. And then had to learn to be the parent of children with developmental disabilities. She frames her experiences of navigating this journey to nurse Jennie Wright's 7 Stages of Grief (2011).

Chelsea explains her initially ableist feelings around autism and her own feelings of overwhelm kept her in the first four stages longer than she would h...

Chelsea's second-born, Noey, contributes so much valuable insight in this episode introducing them. A recent graduate from Columbia College Chicago, Noey Budde is still very much trying to find their place in the world, but has a great start with an illustrious background in both the humanitarian and creative fields. Noey is an educated composer creating pieces for various forms of media, primarily podcasts (including this one...

Chelsea introduces her son Justus, who made her a mama, and taught her so very much about neurodivergence (different brain wiring).

From the precious story about Mr. Muffin the cat, which illustrates why Justus is often called an "animal whisperer", to the neurotypes Justus rocks in addition to autism (including bipolar disorder, an intellectual disability, and obsessive compulsive disorder), this insight into wh...

Chelsea describes her family as "neurodiverse". What does that mean?

Understand the neurodiversity within Chelsea's family through introductions to herself and husband Pete, and their two now grown children, Justus and Noey. Words like "neuromajority" or "neuro-normative" are differentiated from "neurodivergent" as she reveals Justus and Noey's neurotypes as they were disco...