In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism dad, Kyle Jetsel. Kyle is a father of six children and he has two sons on the spectrum. Kyle shares very openly about his journey and especially how it affected his family and marriage. After struggling for years with the challenges autism can bring, he and his wife decided to really change their mindset and bring joy back to their family. And they did just that! Through his coaching series ‘Autism: Thrive in Choas’, Kyle has been able to help many mor...
Sep 18, 2019•51 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism mom and fellow podcaster, Jody Warshawsky. Jody and I connected through Instagram several months back and at this point she feels like an old friend! Jody and I talk all about her adorable daughter Remy, who has autism and epilepsy. Jody shares their journey with Remy’s medical needs and how it was affecting her school situation. Jody and her husband recently made the decision to homeschool Remy and we chat all about how they came to that conclusion an...
Sep 11, 2019•1 hr 10 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism mom and author, Julie Hornok. Julie shares her journey with her daughter, who is now 16 and completely flourishing. Their story is so hopeful and inspiring! Julie also talks about how her daughter inspired her to reach out within the autism community and provide support for other autism moms. This lead her to start hosting events and eventually to write her amazing book, ‘United in Autism’, which actually has a forward written by none other then Temple...
Sep 04, 2019•38 min
Today I’m flying solo and sharing some life updates! I’m giving a breakdown of how our summer went- the good and the bad! Summer definitely brought us some new challenges and I discuss all of it. One of those challenges was Logan dealing with anxiety, which is not typical for him. It was definitely tough to navigate and we did our best to help him though those anxious moments and just support him. It was not easy but we made it through! I also talk about the start of school and how well Logan ha...
Aug 28, 2019•54 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism dad, James Branaum. James shares his journey with his son Alex, who was just recently diagnosed this past spring. We talk all about the process of getting the diagnosis and the emotions that surround it. We also touch on family dynamics and how having a child with special needs can be tough on a marriage. James shares his views on “leaning in” with your spouse and relying on each other for support. Very valuable advice! I had a great time talking with ...
Aug 21, 2019•51 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism mom and author, Eileen Lamb. Eileen is also on the spectrum herself and she shares her unique perspective as an autistic adult raising a child with autism. Eileen and I discuss her childhood and the challenges she faced with undiagnosed autism. Later in adulthood, it was her son Charlie’s diagnosis that led her to seek her own. After Eileen was also diagnosed with ASD, she decided to create a network of support and guidance with her social media channe...
Aug 14, 2019•43 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism mom Wendy Garafalo. Wendy and I talk all about her journey with her adorable son, Luca, who was diagnosed with ASD at 4 years old. Wendy shares how Luca’s fascination with letters (and particularly spelling in reverse) inspired her to start her website and blog, EVOLution. EVOL is love spelled backwards- Wendy shares the whole story in the episode and it’s just the sweetest! Wendy and I also chat about Luca’s diet and how small changes led to a lot of ...
Aug 07, 2019•1 hr 8 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism mom & @autismsupermoms founder, Anne G. Bragg. Anne is a mother of five (all girls!) and her 15 year old daughter Rebecca was diagnosed with ASD as a young toddler. Anne shares her story with Rebecca and how their journey has changed through the years. Anne gets very candid and shares openly about the ups and the downs of raising a child with autism. Anne’s journey with ASD is what inspired her to start her instagram account, Autism Supermoms. Anne...
Jul 31, 2019•1 hr 21 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with BCBA Heather Grimaldi. Heather talks about what initially drew her to the field of autism and how her passion led her to becoming a BCBA. Heather eventually started her own ABA company, Proof Positive ABA. After Heather sold her company (but stayed on as a consultant!) she found herself in the world of supplements! Heather went on to create ‘Simple Spectrum’, a supplement designed specifically for individuals on the spectrum. Simple Spectrum addresses some of...
Jul 24, 2019•37 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism mom (x2!) and floortime therapist, Rebecca Higby. Rebecca’s autism journey started with her son, Theodore. She shares how initially some of his symptoms went under the radar until he was diagnosed at age 3. When her younger son came along, Rebecca was on “high alert” and able to spot the early signs of autism much sooner. After he was diagnosed, he started receiving floortime therapy and Rebecca loved that approach! She became such a believer in floort...
Jul 17, 2019•1 hr 1 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with BCBA, Shelby Dorsey. Shelby and I connected on social media and I was instantly drawn to her positivity and passion for what she does. Little did I know, Shelby had an amazing journey that got her to where she is today. Her story is incredible! As a young, single mom Shelby proved to herself and others that anything is possible with hard work and a little good faith. I think anyone, no matter what their circumstance can benefit from her message. We also talk ...
Jul 10, 2019•1 hr 2 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism sibling and professional, Tara. Tara has two adult brothers on the spectrum, Tanner and Tyler. She shares how growing up with them really shaped her into who she is today and led her to her profession in education and autism research. Tara and I talk a lot about how it can be difficult for autism family’s to access services and resources- especially for adults on spectrum. Because of that, Tara decided to take action through her career. Not only for he...
Jul 03, 2019•49 min
Today I’m chatting with autism dad, Tim, all about his journey with his son, Rafa. Tim and I connected on Instagram through his account @autismdads. Tim started the account as a way to connect with and educate the autism community (himself included!) from a dads perspective. Tim saw that parenting in general (and especially parenting a child with autism) is very focused on mothers- he wanted to show that the dads have a part in all this too! Tim and I talk about not only his son, but also the ve...
Jun 26, 2019•1 hr 1 min
In today’s episode I’m flying solo and checking in with some updates of what’s been going on with Logan and our family. First, I’m discussing Logan’s whole potty training journey. I’m giving details about Logan’s “intensive potty training program” he completed at his ABA center back in March- I’m thrilled to say it worked! Then I’m talking about how we wrapped up the school year and Logan’s IEP meeting. I used tips given by past guests of the podcast and they were so helpful! I’m also sharing so...
Jun 19, 2019•51 min
Today I’m chatting with autism mom, Whitney Sarnowski. Whitney shares her story with her son Kyson, who was just very recently diagnosed with ASD. Whitney is a former special education teacher and is currently studying for her boards to become a BCBA. Whitney talks about her entire journey from autism professional to autism mom. She also shares a lot of insight on getting your child diagnosed at an early age- which is key because we know early intervention is so important! Whitney also started h...
Jun 12, 2019•1 hr 20 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mom and podcaster, Malinda Cook. Malinda shares her journey with her daughter Paige, who is now 17 and beginning to plan for transitioning out of high school. Malinda gives a lot of important insight into this process and what it’s been like preparing for the next chapter in Paige’s life. It was because of this transition that Malinda and her husband decided to start their own podcast ‘Sans the Sugarcoat’ to share their journey as Paige begins a...
Jun 05, 2019•1 hr
In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mom and author, Holly Teegarden. Holly shares her journey with her daughter and how hard work and determination lead to lots of progress. Holly’s daughter is in middle school now so we discussed the new challenges they’re facing now that she’s entering the teenage years. Holly also recently co-authored the book “It’s Going to Be AUlright” with other autism moms sharing their stories and experiences with their children on the spectrum. Holly is a...
May 29, 2019•39 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mom Kelly Davis. Kelly shares her journey with her adult son, Steven, who is 28 years old. Steven was diagnosed with ASD at age 2 and has proved many doctors and professionals wrong with everything he has accomplished! Kelly shares their early struggles and challenges they faced with Steven- she drops many pearls of wisdom along the way! I loved hearing Kelly’s perspective as a mom with an adult child on the spectrum. Kelly’s story and positive ...
May 22, 2019•54 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with Haley Moss, Florida’s first openly autistic lawyer. Haley is also an author, an artist, and amazing activist in the autism community. Haley is truly remarkable and I learned SO MUCH from our conversation. Haley talks about growing up as an individual on the spectrum and the challenges that she faced. She shares how her passion for advocating led her to pursue law as a career because she saw it as a way to make real changes. Haley and I also chat about the dis...
May 15, 2019•53 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mama, Sara Lex. Sara shares her journey with her son Owen, and how early concerns led her to seek a diagnosis for him at just 16 months old. Sara went on to get a second and third opinion which confirmed that Owen had ASD. From there they faced some difficulty with getting services and therapy set up for Owen. Sara and her husband were determined to get Owen in ABA therapy but insurance issues made that a real challenge! Sara and I talked about ...
May 08, 2019•48 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with school psychologist, Kathryn Cooley. Kathryn currently works as a consultant for several schools, primarily doing diagnostic assessments and specializing in autism. Kathryn talks about what first drew her to the field and how she found a passion working with individuals on the spectrum. She also shared a lot of really useful information for what exactly goes into the assessment, and how a school based diagnosis differs from a medical one. Kathryn also shared ...
May 01, 2019•49 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism sibling, Juliana Fetherman. Juliana shares her family’s journey with her brother, Michael, and also talks about developing her app ‘Making Authentic Friendships’, which is designed as a way to facilitate friendships for people with special needs. Juliana is such an incredible sister and she talks all about the lessons she’s learned from having a brother with ASD. She explains how the idea of the app was inspired because of Michael and his desire to mak...
Apr 24, 2019•36 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with special education teacher, Stephanie DeLussey, AKA Mrs. D from Mrs. D’s corner! Stephanie is a wealth of knowledge on all things regarding special education, from lesson planning to IEP meetings- she is truly an expert in her field. Stephanie and I chat all about how teaching was her calling from a young age, and how she got into special education specifically. Stephanie shares so many amazing tips and helpful pieces of information, for parents and teachers! ...
Apr 17, 2019•50 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism mom and author, Kathryn Jenkins. Kathryn shares her journey with her son Logen, and how he inspired her to write her book, The Inclusion Alphabet. The book is a beautiful story of what it means to be inclusive, with a different word representing each letter of the alphabet. Kathryn also talks about her sons sibling relationship and how incredible those bonds are. We also touched on common issues associated with ASD that both our sons deal with, like di...
Apr 10, 2019•49 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with Anesa, who is a BCBA and creator of “8 the plate”. Anesa and I get in depth about all things ABA therapy! We discuss why it is so effective and also shed some light on the misconceptions surrounding ABA. She shares what led her to work in this field and how it truly became her passion. Through that passion, she saw there was a real need for help when it came to over coming food struggles for many individuals on the spectrum. Anesa took that need and created 8...
Apr 03, 2019•39 min
I wanted to put together this special bonus episode as way to honor World Autism Awareness Day 2019. Today I’m talking about what autism awareness means to me personally and why it is SO important. I also discuss my favorite ways to advocate for autism (hint: this podcast!) and what I wish people knew about autism. I posed these same topics in my Instagram stories last week and I’m sharing all the awesome feedback I got as well. Autism awareness is the first stop on road to acceptance and inclus...
Apr 02, 2019•34 min
On today’s episode I’m chatting with speech and language pathologist and autism mom, Deidra Darst. Deidra shares her journey with her son Colin, and talks about how his diagnosis lead her to not only start a blog, but also write two books! We also discuss her work as an SLP and how that affected her when it came to her own son. As if she’s not busy enough, Deidra also does amazing advocacy work in her home state of West Virginia as director of The Mountaineer Autism Project. Deidra is an absolut...
Mar 27, 2019•52 min
On today’s episode I’m chatting with Eileen “Mama Fry” Shaklee, of the blog ‘Autism with a side of fries’. Eileen was really at the forefront of blogging- especially when it comes to autism! I personally have followed her for years and it was such a treat to chat with her! We talk all about her journey with her son, who she lovingly refers to as “Kiddo”. Eileen shares how their story started and how things have changed for them over the years now that Kiddo is 14. Eileen is not only a wealth of ...
Mar 20, 2019•54 min
On today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mama Brittney, who you might know as The Unapologetic Autistic. Brittney is not only a mother to two little ones with ASD but she herself is also on the spectrum. I connected with Brittney through her Instagram account and I was immediately drawn to her honesty and sense of humor. She brings both to today’s episode as she shares her journey and very unique perspective! I’m so thrilled to welcome her as a guest and I hope you enjoy listening!
Mar 13, 2019•44 min
Today’s episode includes a lot of firsts! My guest Kristin was the first listener to ever reach out to me after I started the podcast. She’s also my first guest with a daughter on the spectrum and she details her journey with her little girl, Mikayla. Kristin also lives in Sydney, Australia making her my first international guest! Kristin and I chat all about her daughter and how it initially took her some time to come to terms with Mikayla’s delays and other “red flags”, and later her diagnosis...
Mar 06, 2019•1 hr 1 min
