Krista Petraco Bourne’s journey is one of heartbreak, awakening, and bold action. In this episode, she shares how being misled early on led to unnecessary suffering—and why trusting your gut, asking hard questions, and assuming competence in your child changes everything. The secret this week is… Don’t Be MISLED
Welcome to Episode 264 of Autism Parenting Secrets.
If you’ve ever felt like you weren’t being told the full truth… this episode is for you.
I’m joined by Krista Petraco Bourne, a speech-language pathologist, mom, and fierce advocate who’s walked a difficult—but empowering—path with her son, Joey.
She shares the heart-wrenching story of Joey’s regression, misdiagnosis, and medical trauma—and how her silence kept them both stuck for far too long.
But everything changed when she trusted her instincts, broke through institutional misinformation, and embraced a new, hopeful path.
This conversation is about courage, discernment, and how to reclaim your power as a parent.
The secret this week is…
Don’t Be MISLED
You'll Discover:
About Our Guest:
Krista Petraco Bourne is a licensed speech-language pathologist and the mother of a non-speaking adult son with severe autism and autoimmune challenges linked to vaccine injury. With over 30 years in the field, Krista’s personal experience led her to question mainstream narratives and seek out innovative approaches to communication, including becoming a practitioner-in-training for Spelling to Communicate. She’s a board member at Autism Health, working to connect families with groundbreaking biomedical and therapeutic resources.
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