{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Refrigerator Moms","title":"What \"Extreme Caregiving\" for Profound Autism Really Means","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2712,"description":"Brittney Crabtree is raising four kids whose needs land at opposite ends of the autism spectrum, and she joins Julianna and Kelley for an honest conversation most autism content skips. Her 19-year-old son is profoundly autistic and nonspeaking, needing the round-the-clock care she calls extreme caregiving, not parenting. They get into daily safety planning, sensory and frustration-driven aggression, and a services system that promises community integration then turns families away. Brittney also opens up about long-term residential care, siblings who become caregivers, California's Self-Determination Program, and the grief of planning for a future she won't always be part of.Key TakeawaysExtreme caregiving means 24/7 supervision to keep a profoundly autistic, nonspeaking adult both healthy and physically safe.Aggression tends to fall into two buckets: frustration from being unable to communicate a need, and sensory overload.\"Fort Knox\" home setups (door and pantry locks, shiplap over drywall) become necessary for safety and elopement risk.Caring for a profoundly autistic adult is caregiving, not parenting, and naming that distinction helps mentally.Long-term residential planning carries real grief, and starting the acceptance process early helps.Finding appropriate services can feel like a hide-and-seek game where you already have to know someone.California's Self-Determination Program lets families negotiate a budget and choose their own providers, including caregivers their child clicks with.There's no \"test the waters\" equivalent for adult disability housing the way a college dorm works for typical kids.Siblings often shift from a brotherly role into a caregiving one.Families worry the broader autism conversation is leaving profoundly affected, nonspeaking people behind.🔗 Learn More:Website: refrigeratormoms.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/refrigeratormoms/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/refrigeratormomsFacebook:...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/HulBGQUSL2z8d_6F6RH17faDl04BfOUOawVExctAmvs/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS83OWUz/Yjk2Nzk5MWE4NTRh/Y2FkMDcxZGU0MmU4/NDkwNS5qcGVn.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}