Everyone Focuses on Your Child.
Who's Focusing on You?
Mom-first support that teaches you to regulate yourself first—so home, school, and hard moments feel manageable again
Grounded in lived experience. Informed by professional training. Built for the unpredictability of autism parenting.
When “Do more. Be better. Never stop.” didn’t work
Thinking my emotional dysregulation was because of my son, I poured all my energy into controlling him instead of regulating myself.
Not surprisingly, that backfired. I struggled to help him calm down and ended up co-escalating more times than I like to admit.
Then came the pandemic: his anxiety spiked, aggression followed, and our world shrank overnight.
For our safety and my sanity, I had to learn how to stay regulated even when he wasn’t. I couldn’t help my son until I steadied myself first.
So I stopped chasing strategies and started building a system—one that focused on regulating me before trying to manage him.
For years, I believed if I just did enough—found the right therapy, read the right book, tried harder—my son would be “okay.”
You know, the kind of “okay” where he “outgrew” his autism, or managed it well enough that it stopped running his life and mine.
But “enough” never came.
No matter how many milestones he met or predictions he shattered, autism was still there—still part of every plan, every decision, every day.
I was exhausted—ashamed of how I reacted, walking on eggshells in my own home, bracing for the next school call.
Simply put: I was a hot mess.
Out-Research. Out-Resource. Out-Run.
That’s how The SOLID System was born: a repeatable framework that teaches moms how to lead with confidence.
That was my plan for “beating” autism.
Regulation Starts With You
Your child’s nervous system is wired to look to yours for cues of safety.
When you’re steady, they feel safe. When you’re spiraling, they do too.
I teach you how to stop catastrophizing, lead with confidence, and build a life that works for your entire family by regulating yourself first.
Now, as a life coach for overwhelmed and under-resourced autism moms,
When my son’s behaviors turned aggressive, I didn’t have time for theory or guesswork. I needed something that actually worked.
That’s how a lawyer became The Autism Mom Coach. I built the coaching practice I needed when everything depended on me holding it together.
I read the books, but none of them reflected my lived experiences.
I went to therapy, but spent the sessions explaining autism to the clinician.
I sat through “parent training,” but it was all about fixing my child, not understanding myself.
When you’re steady, your child feels safe. And when that happens, everything shifts.
In my 18 years of autism parenting, I've experienced everything from contentious IEP meetings and medication mishaps to public meltdowns and inpatient hospitalizations.
I looked for support, but what I found were platitudes: “Stay calm.” “Fill your cup.” “Put on your oxygen mask first.”
Hi, I’m Lisa Candera—The Autism Mom Coach
Ok, how?
Credentials
18 years lived experience as a solo autism mom
Certified Life Coach
Contributor for Autism Parenting Magazine, ASRC, and Collaborative ABA
Creator of the S.O.L.I.D. System
Speaker at Autism Parenting Summit, Autism Services & Resources Connecticut (ASRC) Workshop, and more
Host, The Autism Mom Coach podcast
“When my 6-year-old started having aggressive meltdowns, I felt frozen. Within weeks of coaching with Lisa, I felt more confident and capable. I don’t see meltdowns as signs of failure anymore—I see them as clues. That shift has made me a better advocate and a better mom.”
Racheal Eerdmans, Mom of a 6-year-old
🎙️Watch Rachael’s full testimonial →
“Lisa helped me stop second-guessing and start trusting myself.
Now, I know what to expect, how to respond, and how to stay calm when all three of my boys are competing for my attention.”
Chelsea Juels, Mom of 4-year-old twins
🎙️Watch Chelsea’s full testimonial →
MY SIGNATURE APPROACH
The SOLID System
The platitude-free formula for taking back control of your life
Making decisions based on your values and what's right for your child: not from fear, panic, or what everyone else thinks you should do.
S (Self-led)
O (observant)
L (level)
I (Intentional)
D (deeply resourced)
Noticing what's happening in the moment: your child's cues, your own thoughts and body signals, without immediately catastrophizing or jumping to "this will be a disaster."
S (Self-led)
O (observant)
L (level)
I (Intentional)
D (deeply resourced)
Keeping your nervous system regulated during chaos so you can stay steady and give short, clear cues instead of spiraling or losing control.
S (Self-led)
O (observant)
L (level)
I (Intentional)
D (deeply resourced)
Acting with confidence and purpose, trusting your expertise as the person who knows your child best—no more second-guessing every move.
S (Self-led)
O (observant)
L (level)
I (Intentional)
D (deeply resourced)
Protecting your Time, Energy and Attention (TEA) by by setting boundaries, asking for help, and prioritizing self-care: so you can parent for the long-game.
S (Self-led)
O (observant)
L (level)
I (Intentional)
D (deeply resourced)
Does It Get Easier?
WHERE I AM NOW
After almost two decades in autism parenting, I’ve learned this:
It doesn’t get easier—it just changes.
New challenges show up.
I still have hard days. But I meet them differently now.
Not because autism got easier, but because I got better at riding the rollercoaster.
I can handle anything this autism parenting journey throws my way. (Even if I don’t want to)
I can handle crises without unraveling.
I can grieve without getting pulled under.
I can treat myself with compassion and grace.
If you’re in the thick of it—exhausted, ashamed of how you’re reacting, wondering if you’ll ever feel steady again—you can.
Not by doing more for your child, but by finally giving yourself the same tools and support you’ve been giving everyone else.
And So Can You. Let Me Teach You How
“As a licensed therapist, I already understood the psychology behind [my child’s behaviors]. What I needed was someone who could help me apply it in real life—when my child was melting down, when I was losing my patience, when I couldn’t stop replaying how I reacted.
Coaching with Lisa gave me that. She helped me see what was happening in my brain and body when I was triggered, and taught me what to do about it.
I learned how to regulate before reacting, how to recover faster after hard moments, and how to extend compassion to myself instead of shame.
Stop waiting. As women, as mothers, we’ve already put ourselves off.
I initially put off coaching with Lisa because I did not think I had the time. In reality, coaching with Lisa gave me back so much of my time spent second-guessing myself and spinning in guilt and blame.
Alison, Therapist and mom of 15 year old son with autism
Former 1:1 client
“As a mom of 19-year-olds diagnosed just before the pandemic, I was looking for a coach who got it. Not only does Lisa get it, but she also helped shift my perspective on my twins' journey.
For me, the real grief hit when my twins’ peers graduated high school and went off to college. I dreaded going out in public, afraid of being asked how they were doing. I didn’t know how to answer without feeling like a failure or embarrassed for my kids.
Yes, I knew they were on a different path AND it still stung. Working with Lisa gave me the space to process my grief and focus on what was going well for my kids. Instead of comparing them to their peers, I started focusing on how far they have come and trusting ‘in their own time.’
Almost a year after I started working with Lisa, I was at a party with parents of kids attending prestigious schools like MIT. Without a second thought, I proudly announced that one of my kids was starting community college. This was a complete 360! For any autism moms looking for support, I highly recommend Lisa's coaching program.”
Tasha, Mom of twins
Former 1:1 client and Solid Circle Founding Member
From Moms Who’ve Done the Work
Best for: Moms who've stabilized and want continued accountability, tools, and connection
You've Spent Years Putting Everyone Else First.
Now It's Your Turn.
The SOLID Circle:
Group Coaching Membership
Best for: Moms who need intensive, hands-on support for their specific challenges.
