Meet Karen Hilts

Founder of Empowered Parenting | Autism Parenting Advocate | Mindset Coach | Digital Strategist

Karen Hilts is a devoted mother, seasoned social service professional, and digital strategist with a passion for empowering families raising children on the autism spectrum. As the parent of an autistic adult son, Karen brings a rare and powerful combination of lived experience, professional insight, and deep empathy to her work with parents navigating similar paths.

Karen began her career in the Social Service Work field, gaining foundational experience in trauma-informed care and emotional wellness. Over time, she expanded her approach through specialized training in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), the Law of Attraction, and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT Levels 1 & 2). She pairs this expertise with her strong technical background as a web developer, helping heart-centered practitioners bring their transformative work online.

But Karen’s greatest qualifications come from real life. Raising an autistic child in a time when support systems were scarce, she faced many of the toughest challenges alone. Her son’s behaviors, meltdowns, and developmental needs had a profound impact not only on her, but on her younger children — who often bore the emotional weight of growing up in the shadow of daily chaos. The trauma, confusion, and overwhelm left lasting marks on the whole family.

It wasn’t until her son’s teen years that Karen crossed paths with Sue Simmons — a pioneering autism parenting coach whose brain-based, compassion-first model was unlike anything she’d encountered. Over the next decade, Sue’s guidance helped Karen, her children, and their entire family begin to heal. Through Karen, her children learned to process and move through the lingering effects of early trauma. Today, they enjoy a close, supportive bond and a newfound sense of peace — something she once feared might never be possible.

That journey ultimately became her mission.  Karen helped bring Sue’s work online — co-creating signature programs, webinars, and digital resources to serve families around the world. When Sue passed away in 2023, Karen committed to preserving her legacy. With the full support of Sue’s family, she launched Empowered Parenting — a living resource and coaching platform that honors Sue’s groundbreaking contributions while expanding on them with fresh tools, heart, and perspective.

Now based in Niagara with her husband, Karen continues to walk beside parents who feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and unsure where to turn. Through Empowered Parenting, she offers coaching, courses, and community — helping caregivers reclaim their confidence, reconnect with their children, and build lasting change at home.

Karen believes deeply that every parent can change the trajectory of their child’s life — and that with the right tools, support, and mindset, healing is not only possible… it’s inevitable.  She believes there is no better expert than a parent.