Show notes
What if you could get access to a Masters or PhD level BCBAfor free, within 24 hours, from your phone? That is exactly what Amol Deshpande built after spending years fighting a broken system just to get his own son diagnosed and into care. Amol is the founder and CEO of Frontera, a Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur who previously founded Farmers Business Network, growing it into a nearly four billion dollar company, and served as a general partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers. He pivoted his entire career after his son was diagnosed with autism at age two. In this episode, he shares what the journey has looked like over the past 12 years, why he believes the clinical community is failing parents at the moment of diagnosis, and why his son is now 14, badgering him to watch South Park, spending too much money at Shake Shack, and heading to a Knicks game. This is a conversation about hope, access, and what happens when a parent decides to do something about the system instead of just surviving it. What you will hear in this episode:• Why even a Silicon Valley entrepreneur with everyadvantage struggled to get his son diagnosed• How his son went from a serious autism diagnosis at agetwo to thriving as a teenager• Why the clinical community gets the moment of diagnosiscompletely wrong• Why a diagnosis label is a baseline, not a prophecy• How Frontera gives parents free access to expert BCBAsupport within 24 hours• Why community is one of the most underrated tools inthe autism parenting toolkit• Rob shares his own sons' outcomes including what theywere told would never happen ABOUT THE GUESTAmol Deshpande is a seasoned entrepreneur and parent of a child with autism. His personal experience navigating a fragmented andinefficient care system inspired the creation of Frontera, a suite of toolsthat harnesses technology to expand access to high-quality behavioral healthcare for families everywhere. Amol also invests in mission-oriented ventures through Divergent Investments, his family office. Before Frontera he founded and built Farmers Business Network into a nearly four billion dollar company with 1,000 employees from scratch. Prior to that he was a general partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, where he was the first investor in companies such as Beyond Meat and Axia Vegetable Seeds. ABOUT YOUR HOSTRob Gorski is the founder of The Autism Dad, a blog andpodcast dedicated to supporting parents raising kids on the autism spectrum. As a dad of three autistic sons with over 25 years of experience, Rob brings lived experience, honesty, and heart to every conversation. THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BYIf your mornings feel like a battle before the day even starts, I want to tell you about something that is genuinely changing that for families in our community. It is called VizyPlan, and it was built by a dad who gets it. The app uses AI to create visual routines with images of your actualchild doing each step. Not stock photos. Not generic pictures. Your kid. Yourhome. Your routine. And it goes way beyond mornings. Calming tools, socialstories, and advocacy support, it is all in one place. A real autism playbook for life after diagnosis. Your family's photos and information stay private andprotected. VizyPlan was built with that in mind from day one. When your child can see their day before they live it, everything shifts. VisitVizyPlan.com/app to learn more and download the app. Use the code theautismdad to get your first month free. See your day.Mightier is a clinically proven app that helps kids build emotional regulation skills through biofeedback-based video games. It meets kids where they are and gives parents real tools to support them at home. Visit mightier.com and use code theautismdad22 for 10% off. ONE MORE THINGMy first book is coming. It is called Your Child Was JustDiagnosed with Autism: Real Talk, Support and Next Steps from a Dad Who Has Been There, and it is everything I wish I had when we were in the thick of it. You can get updates, early access information, and preorder details attheautismdad.com/book. Go check it out. If you found this episode helpful, please follow The AutismDad Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Visitlisten.theautismdad.com for past episodes, resources, and ways to support the show. Produced in partnership with Frontera.



