Show Notes
Deena Nathan's five year old son Hayden is autistic and non-speaking, and he's fluent on his AAC device. In this episode she walks through a day that starts with therapy at 8am, the win she's still not over, and the one thing she wants people to understand about a kid who doesn't talk.
She's also honest about something most people won't say out loud. She has real support, good family, friends who get it, and it's still lonely. Both of those things are true at once, and that might be the most useful thing in this conversation.
What you'll hear
00:00 Welcome 00:43 Meet Deena, Hayden, and the family 01:43 A day built around therapy, and being the chauffeur 04:42 The hardest part is time, and the guilt that comes with it 06:16 The win, the day he called out for Mom 08:02 Who Hayden is, hyperlexic, happy, and fluent on his AAC device 10:28 What she wishes people outside the community understood 12:00 Supported and still lonely 13:22 What she wishes autism families understood, no one's future is predicted 14:57 Feeling seen and heard inside the community 15:58 Why families at different levels end up disconnected 17:48 Deena's coaching work with special needs parents 18:21 Why Rob started sharing in the first place 21:33 Closing
About the guest
Deena Fierstein Nathan is a Certified Life Coach at DFN Connected Growth Coaching, where she works with parents of kids with unique needs. She lives in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago with her husband Kevin and their two kids. She stopped working when Hayden was diagnosed and went all in, including taking classes with his AAC device company so she could use it with him.
Website: dfnconnectedgrowth.com Instagram: @connectedgrowthwithdeena
Sponsors
This episode is sponsored. Mightier is a biofeedback emotional regulation program for kids developed at Boston Children's Hospital. Use code theautismdad22 for 10% off at theautismdad.com/mightier-review.
Best Part Kids is a sensory-friendly multivitamin for selective eaters created by dietitian Brittyn Coleman. Use code THEAUTISMDAD for 10% off at BestPartKids.com.
About your host
Rob Gorski is the founder of The Autism Dad. His book, So Your Child Was Just Diagnosed with Autism, is out December 29 2026. theautismdad.com/book
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