Welcome to Episode 80 of Autism Parenting Secrets. The people who surround you and your child play a HUGE role.And just about everyone wants to be useful and supportive.It’s important to recognize the role our friends and family play in supporting us parents on our journey to support our child.Sincere gratitude is warranted and incredibly uplifting for us.  Because it’s impossible to feel anxiety when you’re feeling grateful.However, even if they have good intentions, sometimes the way people support us is not only unhelpful - it can make things WORSE.So while it SEEMS noble and useful, EMPATHY can be counterproductive.Awareness of this will help you better equip the people around you.  So they can be even more helpful to you as you rise to make better and better decisions for your child, yourself and entire family.The secret this week is…Beware of EmpathyTune in to learn more. You'll Discover:What Seems Nice But Makes Things Worse (5:25)The Qualities To Look For in Friends & Family  (9:07)What's Needed To Create More Possibilities (11:33)Why You Need a Mirror and a Model (15:41)Additional Resources:Free Resource: 33 Mistakes Most Autism Parents Make and How To Avoid ThemTo learn more about Cass & Len’s All-In Warrior Parent Tribe, click hereGot a Picky Eater? - this can helpTo learn more about Cass & Len, visit us at www.autismparentingsecrets.comBe sure to follow Cass & Len on InstagramIf you enjoyed this episode, share it with your friends.Don't forget to subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts to get automatic episode updates for our "Autism Parenting Secrets!"And, finally, please take a minute to leave us an honest review and rating on Apple Podcasts. They really help us out when it comes to the ranking of the show and we read every single one of the reviews we get. Thanks for listening!