The Oprah Winfrey Show: The Podcast Faces of Autism
Feb 3, 2026
Guest
Katie (parent featured from Autism Every Day)
Guest
Jesse (parent featured from Autism Every Day)
Guest
Michelle (parent featured from Autism Every Day)
Guest
Anshu Batra
Katie, Jesse, and Michelle: parents who share sudden loss of speech, regression, and daily caregiving strains. Dr. Anshu Batra: developmental-behavioral pediatrician and parent of two autistic children. They discuss early warning signs, regression, therapies and costs, sibling impacts, sensory behaviors, and paths to communication and hope.
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Episode notes
Autism Can Emerge After Typical Milestones
- Oprah learned autism presents as a spectrum and can appear after normal development.
- Early milestones do not rule out later regression into autism.
Mistaken For Hearing Loss
- Michelle thought her son was deaf after he stopped responding following a respiratory infection and hospitalization.
- She searched terms like PDD-NOS online and learned autism applied, despite being an educator.
Home Video Before Regression
- Christian appeared typical in home video but lost speech and toilet skills within months after falling ill.
- Parents watched earlier tapes hoping to find the child they remembered before deciding to act.
