Navigating Challenges in Parenting a Child with Special Needs

Ever wondered what keeps two people together when the days are intense and the answers aren't clear? Kelly talks with Bob and Amy Allnutt about raising their son Jack, who is severely autistic. These two figured out something pretty special about making a marriage work - it's not about seeing eye to eye, but about creating room for different ways of handling things. When they finally found a way for Jack to communicate by typing, he told them something they'll never forget: "I'm trying and I'm really smart." Bob and Amy get real about the hard stuff - the violent episodes, the exhaustion, and what happens when you stop trying to be right and start trying to understand. It's a conversation that'll make you think differently about what it means to have someone's back.

This episode was made possible by a grant from Templeton Religion Trust. To learn more, go to templetonreligiontrust.org.

For more information on Bob, Amy and Jack Allnutt, check out Andrew Solomon's excellent book Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity or the fantastic documentary Far From the Tree (based on the book).

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