Who will care for my child when I can't? For parents raising children with profound autism, the question of adulthood can feel impossibly far away—until suddenly it isn't.

Nicole Milo's son Caleb entered residential care at five and spent 17 years living hours from his family. As adulthood approached, Nicole confronted the disability-services cliff and realized the existing options didn't match the life she envisioned for him. So she began building another one.

Nicole joins Sarah Kernion to discuss profound autism, residential care, guardianship, adult services, caregiver grief, advocacy, collaboration and [House of Hope](https://houseofhopect.com/), the micro-residential model she created to bring Caleb back to his community.

This is a conversation about planning long before 21—and allowing ourselves to ask a question many exhausted parents have stopped asking: What would the best possible adult life for my child actually look like?

00:00:00 Introduction to Nicole Milo and House of Hope
00:01:21 The emotional toll of raising a child with profound autism
00:03:37 Sending Caleb to residential school and the guilt of distance
00:05:59 Learning to surrender and trust caregivers
00:07:16 Deciding to build a solution before the cliff hits
00:09:28 Facing fear and committing to action despite uncertainty
00:12:00 Faith, grace, and pushing through weakness
00:13:27 Collaborative advocacy instead of adversarial fighting
00:16:10 Give and take with schools and agencies
00:18:38 Facing judgment from the community over resources
00:20:20 The transition cliff and guardianship challenges
00:21:22 Designing the micro residential model and staffing gaps
00:24:18 Helping other families find hope and vision
00:27:25 Closing reflections and gratitude