I’m back on my own today and breaking down the five things that are actually helping us right now. From finding a new trail to walk (getting fresh air!) to scheduling virtual dates with friends- these are things that are keeping me (and my crew!) sane during this uncertain time. Nothing on this list is groundbreaking, these things are all very doable. Which to me is the most important part! I’m all for helpful ideas but if they’re too complicated I won’t do them- especially now. So I’m sharing t...
Apr 15, 2020•31 min
Today I’m flying solo and sharing our family’s experience dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re going on week 4 of quarantine, which has certainly had its ups as downs! As it has for everyone. I’m sharing how we’re adjusting to our new normal and what has been helping get us though. I get very honest and talk about how tough this is from a parenting perspective. As parents were used to this 24/7 gig, but nowadays there are LITERALLY no breaks! That’s definitely been a challenge but I’m also ...
Apr 08, 2020•56 min
Today I’m chatting with autism mom and fellow podcaster, Malinda Cooke. You might remember Malinda from episode 40 where she was my guest and shared her journey with her beautiful 18 year old daughter, Paige. I’m excited to bring her back on the pod and have her catch us up on the going’s on with her family! First we discuss the the coronavirus pandemic that is affecting us all. Malinda shares how she’s been coping and staying busy with Paige while they’ve been in isolation. Later, we discuss th...
Apr 01, 2020•58 min
Today I’m chatting with autism mom and sibling, Lainey Skiver. Lainey shares her journey with autism which actually started with her brother. Lainey talks about how having a sibling on the spectrum impacted her life, and ultimately helped her to parent her children with autism. Lainey is a mom of four and her two oldest children are both on the spectrum. Lainey shares the early signs with both boys and what led them to seek a diagnosis. We also chat about family dynamics when autism is involved....
Mar 25, 2020•48 min
Today I’m chatting with my sister, Melissa (once again!) all about the pandemic that is Coronavirus. During this very uncertain time I think it’s so important to remember that we’re all in this together- this is uncharted territory for everyone. Today I’m sharing thoughts and concerns from listeners as well as my personal take on this very scary situation. Most importantly I’m sharing tips from all of you to get through this. I received so many great tips that I’m excited to share- I’ll definite...
Mar 17, 2020•1 hr 1 min
Today I’m bringing back a very special co-host...my sister Melissa! We’re discussing all things self care and what that looks like for us personally. I’m sharing how I’ve been trying to up my self care game and what has been actually working for me. Including my recent weekend away with my husband! I’m talking all about the logistics of leaving our kids for the weekend...no easy feat but so worth it! We also get some great listener tips on what they do for self care. Later Melissa and I do a Q&a...
Mar 11, 2020•1 hr 17 min
Today I’m chatting with autism mom and blogger, Stephanie Hanrahan. Stephanie’s journey into autism started with her daughter, Campbell. Though Campbell seemed to be developing just fine to everyone else, and was even ahead of the curve, Stephanie sensed there was more going on. She strongly advocated for her daughter and she was diagnosed with ASD at age 3. Later, Stephanie’s son would also be diagnosed with autism. During all of this, Stephanie’s husband found out he had a life threatening hea...
Mar 04, 2020•43 min
Today I’m chatting with my first returning guest, Leasa Hoogerwerf of Cody Speaks. You might remember Leasa from episode 25, where she opened up about the early days of her journey with her incredible son, Cody, who is now 19. I’m so excited to be bringing her back on the pod! In today’s episode, Leasa catches us up on what’s been going on with Cody since we spoke last year. Leasa talks about some recent victories and challenges they have gone through this past year. Later, we answer some listen...
Feb 26, 2020•59 min
Today I’m chatting with autism mom and blogger, Leah Behrens. Leah is the proud mama to three beautiful kids- two of which are on the autism spectrum. Leah shares her journey with both children, and how her sons early diagnosis led her to seek a diagnosis for his older sister as well. While both are the spectrum, Leah explains how different they are and how each has unique strengths and challenges. Leah and I had a very honest, open conversation about family life and motherhood- especially when ...
Feb 19, 2020•50 min
Today I’m chatting with autism parents and the founders of Chubuddy, Chris and Jane Chu. Chris and Jane share their journey with their son Christian, who has medically complex autism. They talk all about their early days with Christian and how he was initially diagnosed with microcephaly, and later autism and cerebral palsy. Chris and Jane share how part of Christian’s sensory needs was a strong desire to chew. However, they couldn’t find a chewy that really worked for him. They decided to make ...
Feb 12, 2020•42 min
Today I’m flying solo and sharing some life updates. First, I’m talking about Logan’s AAC device and all the progress he’s making! I’m also sharing some new goals for him that we’ve been working on at home and in ABA. We are really trying to focus on functional life skills to help Logan establish more independence. Then I’m talking about a big change for us...which is Logan starting meds for ADHD. This has been a long time coming and I’m sharing all the details that went into making this decisio...
Feb 05, 2020•49 min
Today I’m chatting with autism mom and diet expert, Crystal Jordan. Crystal shares her journey with her son, who is on the autism spectrum. Crystal explains how her sons sleep, skin and gastrointestinal issues became a real challenge in their lives. While they eventually did get an autism diagnosis, Crystal decided to also look into diet as a possible treatment for these issues. Using what she describes as a ‘modified paleo’ diet they were able to see significant improvement for her son in all t...
Jan 29, 2020•41 min
Today I’m chatting with special needs mom and fellow podcaster, Mary Susan McConnell. Mary Susan shares her journey with her beautiful daughter Abi, who has cerebral palsy and microcephaly. Mary Susan is the host of ‘Mama Bear Podcast’ where she shares more or their story and talks with other parents raising children with special needs. What I love about her show is that regardless of diagnosis, special needs parenting really connects us all. Mary Susan and I also talk about self care (she has s...
Jan 22, 2020•41 min
Today I’m chatting with autism mom, Katie, all about her adorable son, Jamie. Katie shares their journey and the road to getting a diagnosis. Jamie is an extremely gifted child and Katie talks about how his diagnosis of autism initially came as a shock. Katie explains that Jamie has “medically complex autism”, meaning his diagnosis of ASD has come with several other hurdles, like seizures and gastro issues. Katie and I initially connected because she was a listener of the podcast. Her and I exch...
Jan 15, 2020•1 hr 11 min
Today I’m chatting with autism mom, Nichole Wilson. Nichole shares very openly about her journey with her daughter, who is on the spectrum. We talk about everything from how she handles difficult behaviors to the challenges of puberty. Nichole is a wealth of knowledge and shared so many good tips and resources! Nichole is also the founder of ‘Autism Moms Are Beautiful’ magazine and she shares how this journey led her to start the magazine. I love Nichole’s mission and her passion behind it! She ...
Jan 08, 2020•42 min
Happy New Year! Today I’m ringing in 2020 by going through my “top 9” posts on social media. This was a fun way to reflect back on 2019 and the posts that resonated most with all of you. I’m also sharing a couple more of my favorite moments for the year as well as my goals for 2020. I’m definitely going to make self care a priority this year (and I think that should be a goal for ALL of us!) and I’m sharing my thoughts on what that means to me personally. I really enjoyed looking back on these p...
Jan 01, 2020•47 min
Special episode! I’m coming at you on a Tuesday today (Christmas eve) to talk all about the holidays. When you have a child with autism, the holidays might look a little different for you and your family. Today I’m sharing our family traditions and how things have changed (or not) since autism has become a part of the equation. I’m also talking about what works for our family and lessons I’ve learned that have helped our holiday run smoother. I’m also wrapping up our 2019 and looking forward to ...
Dec 24, 2019•37 min
In today’s episode I’m talking to autism mom, Erin Cranston. Erin shares her journey with her 6 year old daughter, Courtney. Erin is also a special education teacher (working mainly with autistic children) so she definitely has a unique perspective to share. We talk all about the time leading up to Courtney’s diagnosis as well as how she’s doing currently. Erin also explains the differences of being an autism professional, and an autism parent. Ultimately, having a child on the spectrum herself ...
Dec 18, 2019•1 hr 3 min
In today’s episode I’m talking to my first returning guest...my husband, Manny! First, Manny and I check in with some life updates. We talk about Logan’s recent neuropsychological evaluation and how that went. We also discuss Logan’s birthday and him turning SEVEN! Later, we answer some listener questions...which was really fun! We talk about everything from processing the diagnosis to what we love about each other’s parenting. Manny was my guest way back on episode 4 so it was really great to g...
Dec 11, 2019•1 hr 16 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism dad, Bobby Rubio. Bobby is the writer/director of the incredible Pixar short film, ‘Float’, which is available on Disney +. After I saw Float, I knew I had to reach out to Bobby to hear more of his story. Bobby and I talk all about his journey with his now 12 year old, Alex. Bobby shares very bravely about the early days of Alex’s diagnosis and how he had a difficult time coping. With the support of his wife, he decided to seek help for depression. Bob...
Dec 04, 2019•35 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism mom Jacqui Folks. Jacqui shares her journey with her son Ethan, who is now 18. We talk about the early days after Ethan’s diagnosis 16 years ago and how different things were back then. Jacqui was determined in her pursuit to help her son and find others dealing with similar issues along the way. She managed to do just that and formed ACES for Autism- a local group that is doing amazing things for autism in their community. Jacqui also recently publish...
Nov 27, 2019•37 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with Laura Sylvester of Good Dog! Autism Companions. Good Dog! is an amazing organization that is dedicated to helping families affected by ASD through autism service dog companions. Laura is a fellow autism mom and we talk all about the early days with her son Elliot (who is now 17) and their journey which inspired her to start this incredible organization. Laura gives ALL the ins and outs on service dogs. We discuss the entire process that goes into getting a se...
Nov 20, 2019•52 min
Today I’m chatting with Josh Mirsky and Dave Thompson of the podcast ‘Sounds like Autism’. Josh and Dave share their personal journeys that led them to work together and eventually start their podcast. Josh, who is on the spectrum, talks about his past work history and how tough it was as an adult with ASD. Thankfully, he got a job working at Spectrum Designs where he met Dave who became his mentor and more importantly, his best friend. Josh and Dave have a contagious energy that is so fun! They...
Nov 13, 2019•40 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mom and advocate, Jacqueline Laurita. You may be familiar with Jacqueline from her time on the Real Housewives of New Jersey! Jacqueline very bravely and honestly shared their family’s journey with her son Nicolas, who is on the spectrum, while on the show. As a die hard Bravo fan I followed their story from the very beginning and I am so thrilled to welcome Jacqueline on Adventures in Autism! We talk all about her time on the show and the decis...
Nov 06, 2019•1 hr 8 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mom and podcaster, Susan Scott. Susan and I connected several months back when I was guest on her show, My Autism Tribe. Susan is such a kind and genuine person, I’m so excited to bring her on Adventures In Autism now! We talk all about her adorable son Alex who is extremely gifted and on the spectrum. Susan then shares very openly about her experience as a single mother. We also chat about her amazing advocacy work and some exciting new project...
Oct 30, 2019•55 min
In today’s episode I’m flying solo and keeping it very real about what we’ve had going on lately. First, I’m discussing Logan’s recent regression with potty training. I’m not gonna lie, it’s been tough! But we are doing everything we can to get through this phase and I’m sharing all of it. Next I’m talking about how important self care is and how I’m really making an effort to put it into practice for myself. I share all the little things I’m doing to help myself feel better in a manageable way....
Oct 23, 2019•52 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism sibling, Natalie Castro. Natalie opens up about her journey with adult sister, Angie, who is on the spectrum. Natalie shares how she recently became Angie’s legal guardian along with their mother, and what led to that decision. We also talk about Natalie’s work with her platform, Pieces of Inspiration. Natalie’s goal is to provide other autism families support and resources in their journey. Natalie and Angie have such a special and unique relationship...
Oct 16, 2019•53 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with Dr. Mary Barbera. Mary is an autism mom, a behavioral analyst, an author and a fellow podcaster! Mary and I talk all about her journey with her son Lucas, who is on the spectrum and in his twenties now. Mary shares how his diagnosis at age 3 lead her to her career as an autism professional. Through her work Mary has been able to help countless families, sharing her knowledge through her book ‘The Verbal Behavior Approach’ as well as her online courses. Last y...
Oct 09, 2019•35 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with not one, but two guests! Sandy and Chris Colter are parents to their adorable son Bryce who is on the spectrum. They are also fellow podcast hosts of their show “Parenting Autism”. Together we discuss some of the challenges their marriage has faced on this journey and Chris shares very openly his struggles with his own mental health. We also talk about how parenting a child with special needs can be tough when both parents aren’t the same page- and how they’v...
Oct 02, 2019•53 min
It’s the ONE YEAR anniversary of Adventures in Autism! On today’s episode I’m welcoming my first co-host...my sister Melissa! Melissa is the best aunt to Logan and a huge part of my support system. If you’ve been listening to the show for awhile then you’ve definitely heard me mention her! We chat about how autism has affected our family as a whole and what she’s learned in this journey from an aunts perspective. Then we get to the fun stuff- listener questions! We cover everything from self car...
Sep 25, 2019•1 hr 22 min
