May 8, 2025 • 14 mins
Episode 1: “Same Street, Different World”
Two families. One neighborhood. Both raise sons diagnosed with autism in 1996—but their journeys unfold in drastically different ways. In this opening episode of The Spectrum, we explore the early signs, emotional toll, and quiet sacrifices of parenting children on opposite ends of the autism spectrum—and the societal forces that embrace one story while overlooking the other.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:11):
Welcome back to Take Care Time,the Tells and the Exhales of
Caregivers.
Am your host Beverly Nance.
Autism or autism Spectrumdisorder is a complex
neurological and developmentalcondition that affects how a
person communicates processes,information, interacts with
others, and experiences theworld.
(00:32):
It's called a spectrum becauseno two people experience it the
same way.
Some may need significantsupport in daily life, while
others live independently, butstill face challenges with
social interaction sensoryprocessing, or routines.
Autism is not a disease.
It's a different way of beingand it's lifelong.
(00:55):
The goal isn't to fix.
But to understand, support andinclude those who live with it.
(01:35):
In 19 96, 2 families, just fourdoors and across the street
apart from each other, welcomedbaby boys into the world.
Both boys would eventually bediagnosed with autism, but how
their stories unfolded couldn'tbe more different.
One family will be celebratedfor their advocacy.
(01:55):
The other quietly overwhelmedand largely forgotten.
This is a story about how autismlives in the headlines and in
the shadows.
This is the spectrum.
In a new development on the edgeof Atlanta, two families settle
in just weeks apart, James andMichelle Martin move into their
(02:18):
new two story brick home withtheir daughter Riley, age two.
Daniel and Karen Sadler move indown the block with their
daughter Maya, also age two bothfamilies have babies on the way.
They don't know each other yet,but their lives are about to run
parallel and slowly, painfullyapart.
(02:39):
November 2nd, 1996, Sean Martinis born.
December's 18th, 1996.
Greg.
Sadler arrives six weeks early.
Sean is a quiet baby.
Alert, serious.
Greg is fussier colicky.
Hard to soothe.
Both mothers jot downmilestones, both sense things
(03:02):
that don't quite fit, and bothat first keep their feelings to
themselves.
Sean lines up his toy trains bycolor cries when his routine is
disrupted.
He knows the names of all 50states by the age of two, but
doesn't answer to his name.
(03:22):
Greg Flaps his hands constantlyavoids eye contact, doesn't
speak, doesn't point.
He covers his ears and rocks inthe corner when the microwave
beeps.
At the pediatrician Michellebrings up Sean's quirks.
She's told he's advanced, maybegifted.
(03:43):
Karen raises her concerns too.
She's told.
Waited it out.
One summer evening, theneighborhood hosted cookout amid
the grills, burgers, andbackyard sprinklers, Michelle
and Karen finally meet.
Both are holding boys who recoilat the noise.
Although Sean speaks a littlebit more than Greg, neither
(04:06):
child really talks.
Sean says some words, neitherplays with the others.
Karen says, my son doesn't talkeither.
Michelle replies.
Mine screams when I sing.
They both laugh, but theirweariness is in their eyes that
night.
Under the flicker of centcandles, they talk about speech
(04:28):
delays, sensory meltdowns, andhow other moms just don't get
it.
They swap doctor names, sharelaminated routines, hope
flickers between them.
By age three, both boys arediagnosed with autism.
Seans label is high functioning.
Greg's diagnosis includes thephrase requires full assistance
(04:52):
in all areas of life.
The Martin family begins earlyintervention.
Michelle throws herself intoresearch enrolling Sean in a BA.
OT and speech.
Karen does the same, but Greg'sprogress is agonizingly slow.
He doesn't respond to prompts,doesn't imitate.
He sleeps in 90 minute stretchesand no one, not even
(05:15):
specialists, can explain what toexpect.
Both mothers cry, but one istold he can still have a great
life.
The other hears, you'll need tothink long-term care.
The diagnosis are just thebeginning.
The ripple effects invade everycorner of their lives.
(05:37):
For the Sadlers, life becomesisolation.
They stop attending churchbecause Greg screams through the
hymns.
They decline.
Birthday party invites.
A beach trip ends in disaster.
When Greg runs into the ocean,fully clothed and bites the
lifeguard trying to stop him.
Karen hasn't had a full night'ssleep in five years.
(05:59):
Daniel picks up weekend shiftsjust to cover therapies.
Maya, their daughter, learns howto unlock bathroom doors in case
her mother collapses fromexhaustion.
We don't vacation.
We don't go eat out Our joybecame managed survival.
The Martins face a differentkind of grief.
Sean while high functioningdoesn't have friends.
(06:22):
He knows Star Wars trivia, butcan't navigate a playground
conversation.
Other kids tolerate him, rarelyinclude him.
Michelle watches him sit alone.
At recess, people say we'relucky because he talks a little,
but what good is talking if noone listens?
(06:43):
James quietly begins to avoidhome after work.
The weight of fatherhood feelsheavier than he expected.
At age 10.
Sean delivers a speech duringAutism Awareness month.
His teacher calls him brilliant.
A local reporter runs a feelgood story.
Meet Sean Martin, an amazing kidwith autism.
(07:04):
That same month, Greg issuspended from his special ed
classroom providing a teacher.
Karen receives a letter,behavioral plan revision.
Recommended no spotlight.
Just paperwork and silence.
Riley.
Martin becomes a brother'svoice.
She explains his quirks toclassmates.
(07:26):
She proudly wears a autismsister T-shirt to school
assemblies.
Maya Satler becomes invisible.
She plays quietly, fights atschool.
Once tells a counselor, no oneever asks me how I'm doing.
They only ask if my brother isstill broken.
In middle school, Sean isdiagnosed with Asperger's.
(07:49):
Michelle embraces it.
It explains him in a way theworld understands Greg is
labeled severe.
The school files say nonverbal.
Karen says they act like thatmeans non feeling at a community
autism walk.
Sean carries the banner.
Greg stays in the car with noisecanceling headphones For most
(08:12):
children, high school graduationis a milestone marked by
celebration, but for families ofchildren with autism, especially
those on the more profound endof the spectrum, it marks
something else.
The cliff at age 22 or earlierin some states, students with
disabilities age out of thepublic school system and the
(08:34):
services structure and supportthat came with it often
disappear overnight.
What was once a predictableroutine becomes a daily
question.
Now what for the Saddlers,Greg's transition wasn't into
adulthood.
It was into a system that feltunprepared to catch him.
For the Martins.
(08:55):
Even with Sean's strengths,there was no clear path.
Just uncertainty forms, and longwaiting lists.
Sean now 23 lives at home.
He volunteers at the library andruns a YouTube channel on
vintage computers.
Greg lives in a group home withtwo other adults and a full-time
(09:17):
aide.
He doesn't speak, still doesn'tsleep through the night, still
hums when he is anxious andsometimes when he's happy.
One boy's future was shaped bysupport, visibility, and
patience.
The other by endurance,exhaustion, and silence.
Before Sean was born, Michelleplanned to go back to grad
(09:37):
school.
She wanted to study psychology.
Maybe open her own smallcounseling practice, but between
Sean's appointments, IEPmeetings and the endless energy
required to decode his socialworld, her textbooks gathered
dust in a tote under the stairs.
I told myself it was just apause.
(09:58):
Michelle's later said, but theyears passed and I became Sean's
advocate, his translator thatbecame my identity.
James once a weekend guitarplayer in a small band sold his
collection of amps and stringsone spring to pay for out of
network therapy.
He never said it out loud, buthe stopped writing songs.
(10:22):
It felt indulgent.
He told a friend, there's noroom for hobbies when your kid
needs 10 different specialists.
For Karen Satler, the cost wasmore than a career.
It was herself.
She taught her quilting classesat a local art center before
Greg was born and after hisdiagnosis.
She never returned.
(10:42):
I tried once, she said, lefthalfway through the class
because Greg bit through thebabysitter's sleeve.
Daniel had dreamed of openinghis own landscaping business.
He had a logo, a business plan,but insurance didn't cover
Greg's feeding therapy and everydollar had to stretch, so he
stayed in his warehouse jobnights and weekends, clocking in
(11:05):
on overtime while his body agedtwice as fast.
You give up your dreams.
Karen once said, because it'sthe only way to protect theirs.
Autism doesn't follow one path.
It branches into diagnosis, intoconfusion, into isolation, and
sometimes into unexpectedconnection.
(11:26):
For the Martins and theSaddlers, their stories began on
the same street.
Over time.
The world responded to theirsons in very different ways,
highlighting how the autismspectrum is more than a
diagnosis.
It is a reflection of whatsociety chooses to support, what
it overlooks and who it uplifts,and in that gap, so many
(11:49):
families are left to figure itout alone.
If you're parenting your childon the spectrum, whether newly
diagnosed or years into thejourney, you don't have to do it
alone.
Join our private Facebook groupCaregiving Life by Take Care of
Time.
It's a safe judgment free spaceto share stories, ask questions,
and connect with others whounderstand the weight and the
(12:12):
wonder of this life.
You can also explore books likeUniquely Human by Barry Prizant
Or visit the resourcehub@autismspeaks.org for
toolkits support and localservices.
Hey, caregiver.
You show up every single day,whether anyone sees it or not.
(12:33):
That's why we created the takeCare of Time Respite Box, a
bimonthly box filled withself-care surprises, designed to
help caregivers like you pause,breathe, and feel seen.
From calming teas and journalsto sensory friendly treats and
reminders that you matter too.
This box isn't about fixingeverything.
(12:54):
It's about giving you a momentbecause rest isn't a reward,
it's a right.
Subscribe or gift onetoday@takecaretime.com.
Do you have a story that youwould like to have told?
We'd love to hear from you.
Contact us atpodcast@takecaretime.com.
(13:21):
Next time on the spectrum, weshift the spotlight to the
siblings.
Riley and Maya were just kidswhen their brothers were
diagnosed, but in their own way.
They became caregivers,protectors, and emotional
translators, long before theyeven knew how to spell autism.
In episode two, we explore whatit means to grow up in a shadow
of a diagnosis and how sistersoften carry the stories no one
(13:44):
thinks to ask about.
Please note that this episodefeatures reenactments and
dramatized details.
While in most cases the exactverbatim dialogue may not be
known, all dramatizations aregrounded in thorough research
and crafted to honor the storiesshared to respect the privacy
and confidentiality of theindividuals involved Names and
(14:08):
some identifying details havebeen changed.
Until next week, take care.
Welcome back to Take Care Time,the Tells and the Exhales of
Caregivers.
Am your host Beverly Nance.
Autism or autism Spectrumdisorder is a complex
neurological and developmentalcondition that affects how a
person communicates processes,information, interacts with
others, and experiences theworld.
(00:32):
It's called a spectrum becauseno two people experience it the
same way.
Some may need significantsupport in daily life, while
others live independently, butstill face challenges with
social interaction sensoryprocessing, or routines.
Autism is not a disease.
It's a different way of beingand it's lifelong.
(00:55):
The goal isn't to fix.
But to understand, support andinclude those who live with it.
(01:35):
In 19 96, 2 families, just fourdoors and across the street
apart from each other, welcomedbaby boys into the world.
Both boys would eventually bediagnosed with autism, but how
their stories unfolded couldn'tbe more different.
One family will be celebratedfor their advocacy.
(01:55):
The other quietly overwhelmedand largely forgotten.
This is a story about how autismlives in the headlines and in
the shadows.
This is the spectrum.
In a new development on the edgeof Atlanta, two families settle
in just weeks apart, James andMichelle Martin move into their
(02:18):
new two story brick home withtheir daughter Riley, age two.
Daniel and Karen Sadler move indown the block with their
daughter Maya, also age two bothfamilies have babies on the way.
They don't know each other yet,but their lives are about to run
parallel and slowly, painfullyapart.
(02:39):
November 2nd, 1996, Sean Martinis born.
December's 18th, 1996.
Greg.
Sadler arrives six weeks early.
Sean is a quiet baby.
Alert, serious.
Greg is fussier colicky.
Hard to soothe.
Both mothers jot downmilestones, both sense things
(03:02):
that don't quite fit, and bothat first keep their feelings to
themselves.
Sean lines up his toy trains bycolor cries when his routine is
disrupted.
He knows the names of all 50states by the age of two, but
doesn't answer to his name.
(03:22):
Greg Flaps his hands constantlyavoids eye contact, doesn't
speak, doesn't point.
He covers his ears and rocks inthe corner when the microwave
beeps.
At the pediatrician Michellebrings up Sean's quirks.
She's told he's advanced, maybegifted.
(03:43):
Karen raises her concerns too.
She's told.
Waited it out.
One summer evening, theneighborhood hosted cookout amid
the grills, burgers, andbackyard sprinklers, Michelle
and Karen finally meet.
Both are holding boys who recoilat the noise.
Although Sean speaks a littlebit more than Greg, neither
(04:06):
child really talks.
Sean says some words, neitherplays with the others.
Karen says, my son doesn't talkeither.
Michelle replies.
Mine screams when I sing.
They both laugh, but theirweariness is in their eyes that
night.
Under the flicker of centcandles, they talk about speech
(04:28):
delays, sensory meltdowns, andhow other moms just don't get
it.
They swap doctor names, sharelaminated routines, hope
flickers between them.
By age three, both boys arediagnosed with autism.
Seans label is high functioning.
Greg's diagnosis includes thephrase requires full assistance
(04:52):
in all areas of life.
The Martin family begins earlyintervention.
Michelle throws herself intoresearch enrolling Sean in a BA.
OT and speech.
Karen does the same, but Greg'sprogress is agonizingly slow.
He doesn't respond to prompts,doesn't imitate.
He sleeps in 90 minute stretchesand no one, not even
(05:15):
specialists, can explain what toexpect.
Both mothers cry, but one istold he can still have a great
life.
The other hears, you'll need tothink long-term care.
The diagnosis are just thebeginning.
The ripple effects invade everycorner of their lives.
(05:37):
For the Sadlers, life becomesisolation.
They stop attending churchbecause Greg screams through the
hymns.
They decline.
Birthday party invites.
A beach trip ends in disaster.
When Greg runs into the ocean,fully clothed and bites the
lifeguard trying to stop him.
Karen hasn't had a full night'ssleep in five years.
(05:59):
Daniel picks up weekend shiftsjust to cover therapies.
Maya, their daughter, learns howto unlock bathroom doors in case
her mother collapses fromexhaustion.
We don't vacation.
We don't go eat out Our joybecame managed survival.
The Martins face a differentkind of grief.
Sean while high functioningdoesn't have friends.
(06:22):
He knows Star Wars trivia, butcan't navigate a playground
conversation.
Other kids tolerate him, rarelyinclude him.
Michelle watches him sit alone.
At recess, people say we'relucky because he talks a little,
but what good is talking if noone listens?
(06:43):
James quietly begins to avoidhome after work.
The weight of fatherhood feelsheavier than he expected.
At age 10.
Sean delivers a speech duringAutism Awareness month.
His teacher calls him brilliant.
A local reporter runs a feelgood story.
Meet Sean Martin, an amazing kidwith autism.
(07:04):
That same month, Greg issuspended from his special ed
classroom providing a teacher.
Karen receives a letter,behavioral plan revision.
Recommended no spotlight.
Just paperwork and silence.
Riley.
Martin becomes a brother'svoice.
She explains his quirks toclassmates.
(07:26):
She proudly wears a autismsister T-shirt to school
assemblies.
Maya Satler becomes invisible.
She plays quietly, fights atschool.
Once tells a counselor, no oneever asks me how I'm doing.
They only ask if my brother isstill broken.
In middle school, Sean isdiagnosed with Asperger's.
(07:49):
Michelle embraces it.
It explains him in a way theworld understands Greg is
labeled severe.
The school files say nonverbal.
Karen says they act like thatmeans non feeling at a community
autism walk.
Sean carries the banner.
Greg stays in the car with noisecanceling headphones For most
(08:12):
children, high school graduationis a milestone marked by
celebration, but for families ofchildren with autism, especially
those on the more profound endof the spectrum, it marks
something else.
The cliff at age 22 or earlierin some states, students with
disabilities age out of thepublic school system and the
(08:34):
services structure and supportthat came with it often
disappear overnight.
What was once a predictableroutine becomes a daily
question.
Now what for the Saddlers,Greg's transition wasn't into
adulthood.
It was into a system that feltunprepared to catch him.
For the Martins.
(08:55):
Even with Sean's strengths,there was no clear path.
Just uncertainty forms, and longwaiting lists.
Sean now 23 lives at home.
He volunteers at the library andruns a YouTube channel on
vintage computers.
Greg lives in a group home withtwo other adults and a full-time
(09:17):
aide.
He doesn't speak, still doesn'tsleep through the night, still
hums when he is anxious andsometimes when he's happy.
One boy's future was shaped bysupport, visibility, and
patience.
The other by endurance,exhaustion, and silence.
Before Sean was born, Michelleplanned to go back to grad
(09:37):
school.
She wanted to study psychology.
Maybe open her own smallcounseling practice, but between
Sean's appointments, IEPmeetings and the endless energy
required to decode his socialworld, her textbooks gathered
dust in a tote under the stairs.
I told myself it was just apause.
(09:58):
Michelle's later said, but theyears passed and I became Sean's
advocate, his translator thatbecame my identity.
James once a weekend guitarplayer in a small band sold his
collection of amps and stringsone spring to pay for out of
network therapy.
He never said it out loud, buthe stopped writing songs.
(10:22):
It felt indulgent.
He told a friend, there's noroom for hobbies when your kid
needs 10 different specialists.
For Karen Satler, the cost wasmore than a career.
It was herself.
She taught her quilting classesat a local art center before
Greg was born and after hisdiagnosis.
She never returned.
(10:42):
I tried once, she said, lefthalfway through the class
because Greg bit through thebabysitter's sleeve.
Daniel had dreamed of openinghis own landscaping business.
He had a logo, a business plan,but insurance didn't cover
Greg's feeding therapy and everydollar had to stretch, so he
stayed in his warehouse jobnights and weekends, clocking in
(11:05):
on overtime while his body agedtwice as fast.
You give up your dreams.
Karen once said, because it'sthe only way to protect theirs.
Autism doesn't follow one path.
It branches into diagnosis, intoconfusion, into isolation, and
sometimes into unexpectedconnection.
(11:26):
For the Martins and theSaddlers, their stories began on
the same street.
Over time.
The world responded to theirsons in very different ways,
highlighting how the autismspectrum is more than a
diagnosis.
It is a reflection of whatsociety chooses to support, what
it overlooks and who it uplifts,and in that gap, so many
(11:49):
families are left to figure itout alone.
If you're parenting your childon the spectrum, whether newly
diagnosed or years into thejourney, you don't have to do it
alone.
Join our private Facebook groupCaregiving Life by Take Care of
Time.
It's a safe judgment free spaceto share stories, ask questions,
and connect with others whounderstand the weight and the
(12:12):
wonder of this life.
You can also explore books likeUniquely Human by Barry Prizant
Or visit the resourcehub@autismspeaks.org for
toolkits support and localservices.
Hey, caregiver.
You show up every single day,whether anyone sees it or not.
(12:33):
That's why we created the takeCare of Time Respite Box, a
bimonthly box filled withself-care surprises, designed to
help caregivers like you pause,breathe, and feel seen.
From calming teas and journalsto sensory friendly treats and
reminders that you matter too.
This box isn't about fixingeverything.
(12:54):
It's about giving you a momentbecause rest isn't a reward,
it's a right.
Subscribe or gift onetoday@takecaretime.com.
Do you have a story that youwould like to have told?
We'd love to hear from you.
Contact us atpodcast@takecaretime.com.
(13:21):
Next time on the spectrum, weshift the spotlight to the
siblings.
Riley and Maya were just kidswhen their brothers were
diagnosed, but in their own way.
They became caregivers,protectors, and emotional
translators, long before theyeven knew how to spell autism.
In episode two, we explore whatit means to grow up in a shadow
of a diagnosis and how sistersoften carry the stories no one
(13:44):
thinks to ask about.
Please note that this episodefeatures reenactments and
dramatized details.
While in most cases the exactverbatim dialogue may not be
known, all dramatizations aregrounded in thorough research
and crafted to honor the storiesshared to respect the privacy
and confidentiality of theindividuals involved Names and
(14:08):
some identifying details havebeen changed.
Until next week, take care.
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