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Adulting with AutismAuthor: April Ratchford MS OT/L
ADULTING WITH AUTISM A movement for neurodivergent adults, created by autistic occupational therapist April Ratchford, OTR/L. Adulting with Autism is a global community for autistic and ADHD adults navigating independence, relationships, college life, careers, emotional regulation, and real-world executive-function challenges. With over 2.7 million downloads, April blends lived experience, clinical insight, and honest conversation to guide neurodivergent adults into their next chapter of growth. Each episode brings practical tools, mental-health strategies, autistic storytelling, and real talk about boundaries, burnout, sensory needs, finances, friendships, and the messy parts of becoming an independent adult. Featuring leading experts in autism, mental health, neuroscience, accessibility, and creative industries along with deeply human stories from autistic adults around the world. If you're a late-diagnosed autistic adult, a college student trying to survive executive-function chaos, or a neurodivergent person trying to build a life that actually fits you are in the right place. Hosted by: April Ratchford, OTR/L autistic occupational therapist, autism advocate, author, and executive contributor to Brainz Magazine. Language: en Genres: Education, Health & Fitness Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Late Autism Discovery, Trauma & Forgiveness with Juan Colon
Episode 347
Saturday, 5 September, 2026
What happens when you spend your childhood being called a brat, a problem, or "bad"—and only later realize that you were an autistic child trying to survive without the language, support, safety, or understanding you needed? In this episode of Adulting with Autism, I talk with Juan Colon, author of The Untold Story of an Autistic Orphan: The Awakening. Juan shares his journey through abandonment, instability, homelessness, incarceration, fatherhood, late autism diagnosis, and the long process of learning to understand himself with compassion instead of shame.amazon+1 For Juan, "the awakening" means more than receiving an autism diagnosis. It means recognizing patterns, accepting responsibility for choices, forgiving people who hurt him, understanding that trauma shaped behavior on all sides, and choosing not to repeat the pain he experienced as a child. This is a raw and hopeful conversation for autistic adults with complicated pasts, parents seeing familiar traits in their children, and anyone trying to move from survival mode into healing, accountability, and a more peaceful life. In This Episode, We Cover Who Juan is: a Puerto Rican father, family man, autism advocate, and first-time author who describes himself as an ordinary man who survived unusual circumstances. Why family, fatherhood, love, accountability, and staying positive are central to Juan's identity. Juan's memoir, The Untold Story of an Autistic Orphan: The Awakening, and why he chose to write it.amazon+1 What "the awakening" means: understanding himself, seeing his behavior from others' perspectives, and finding a deeper sense of purpose. How autism understanding helped Juan view past conflicts, misunderstandings, and painful relationships with more compassion. Why forgiveness is not necessarily about excusing another person; it can be a way of releasing the emotional weight you continue to carry. Growing up without knowing he was autistic. Childhood traits that make more sense now: intense curiosity, sensory-driven impulses, strong reactions, difficulty explaining behavior, and being misunderstood by adults. Juan's story about cutting his grandmother's clothing because the sound and sensation created an urge he could not explain at the time. How sensory seeking or sensory-driven behavior can be misread as intentional misbehavior or "being bad." The labels placed on him in childhood: brat, bad, troublemaker, disruptive, and difficult. Being kicked out of school and treated as a behavior problem rather than a hurting child with unmet support needs. How his son's autism assessment became the beginning of Juan's own self-recognition. Seeing his son show behaviors similar to the stories he had heard about his own childhood. How becoming a parent helped Juan understand some of the stress and fear his own mother may have experienced as a single parent. Why seeking an autism assessment was part of a broader process of understanding unstable work patterns, conflict avoidance, and the tendency to leave jobs or situations when they felt unsafe. How diagnosis changed his parenting: pausing before arguing, trying to see his child's perspective, and responding with more understanding. Why autistic adults who are questioning themselves do not need to be perfect—or wait until they are overwhelmed—to seek guidance. The importance of accepting uncertainty, asking questions, seeking support, and being willing to learn more about yourself. Childhood abandonment, instability, life on the streets, incarceration, and the desire to create a family life Juan did not have as a child. How the desire to become a present, loving father helped him keep moving through hardship. Shame and memoir writing: how to look back honestly without letting the past become your permanent identity. Juan's central self-compassion message: treat yourself as you would treat your best friend. Redemption as forgiveness, responsibility, repair, letting go, and creating peace. Juan's "book bag full of rocks" metaphor for the heaviness of resentment, anger, tension, and unresolved pain. How diagnosis and a compassionate relationship with his wife helped reduce conflict and improve communication. Why being met with love, patience, and gentleness can interrupt an old pattern of defensiveness, argument, running, or escalation. Moving from survival to reflection: recognizing the pattern of running from consequences and deciding to face hard things instead. How asking a social worker for help became a turning point in choosing a more stable direction. Writing a book while autistic: hyperfocus, emotional intensity, revisiting buried memories, crying, planning, and staying with a project because it felt meaningful. The patterns writing revealed: rigid thinking, intense arguments, difficulty letting go without clear proof, and going deeply into a belief or conflict. Therapy as support—not proof that someone is "crazy." Why avoiding therapy may be connected to fear, stigma, ego, shame, or the belief that needing help means weakness. What parents can do when their child's traits bring up grief, confusion, or painful memories from their own childhood: face the feelings, seek support, and resist running from what hurts. Juan's hope: his children and family will experience a life with more love, stability, safety, and support than he did. Why Juan feels "rich" through family connection, healing, and giving others hope—not only through money or status. About the Guest Juan Colon is the author of The Untold Story of an Autistic Orphan: The Awakening, a memoir about his experiences with childhood loss, abandonment, instability, homelessness, incarceration, fatherhood, survival, and late autism discovery.amazon+1 Juan's story centers on the power of self-understanding, accountability, forgiveness, family, faith, and choosing a different path. Through his memoir and public conversations, he shares a message for autistic adults who may feel defined by their past: as long as you are here, there is still room to learn, repair, grow, and build a life that feels more aligned with who you are. His book is available as a Kindle title through Amazon under Juan and Ibelise Books.amazon+1 Key Takeaways An autism diagnosis can help adults reinterpret years of conflict, sensory experiences, social struggle, impulsivity, and shame with greater accuracy and compassion. Being misunderstood as a child can create a painful identity story: "I am bad," "I am a problem," or "something is wrong with me." Sensory-driven or autistic behavior is not automatically malicious behavior. Children often need curiosity, support, and explanation—not punishment and labels. Understanding your autistic child may help you recognize and heal pieces of your own childhood story. Accountability and self-compassion can coexist. Understanding why something happened does not erase responsibility, but it can help create a different response next time. Forgiveness can be a release for the person carrying pain; it does not have to mean pretending harm never happened. Therapy is not proof that you are broken or "crazy." It is one way to seek support, perspective, tools, and healing. Your past may explain parts of your story, but it does not have to decide the life you build from here. A meaningful "why"—such as parenthood, family, love, or a desire to break cycles—can help people choose a different path even when change is difficult.
