If someone talked over you, ignored you while you were in the room, or touched you without asking, how would you feel?

Many autistic and non-speaking children experience this every day, even from loving parents who don’t realize the impact.

In this episode, I talk with Hollis Peirce, historian, disability advocate, and creator of 21st Century Disability, about what dignity feels like when you grow up in a body others control.

His experiences offer a direct window into what many of our children go through and how small shifts can change everything.

• Why talking about your child instead of to them erodes trust
• How asking permission before touch increases cooperation and regulation
• What “feeling invisible” looks like from the inside
• How to use eye-level communication to build safety
• Why touch, tone, and presence change a child’s brain chemistry
• How to preserve your child’s dignity even in stressful moments

Chapters:

02:10 – Meet Hollis Peirce
07:00 – The childhood experiences that shaped his advocacy
14:00 – When adults talk over a child in the same room
16:55 – Coaching a parent on how to protect their child’s agency
23:30 – The emotional impact of being handled without permission
27:30 – Why asking before touching your child matters
32:33 – Seeing your child’s world from eye level
41:51 – Loneliness from lack of human touch
45:59 – How touch affects brain chemistry
49:00 – Sensory processing differences in autistic children
52:00 – Helping your child feel seen and safe
53:58 – Final takeaway for parents

Mendability (Sensory Enrichment Therapy): https://www.mendability.com

#autismparenting #sensoryenrichment #respectfulparenting