Today I’m chatting with my sometimes cohost, my sister Melissa! We’re giving some updates and talking about how Mel is doing in her cancer journey. She’s just finished her second month of maintenance chemo and so far, so good. She’s elaborating on that and sharing her feelings now that she’s 6 months out from her brain surgery. Also, I’m giving some updates on Logan and how he’s been doing lately. We’ve had some recent changes to his schedule and meds- these were not planned changes (I’m explain...
Nov 18, 2020•59 min
Today I’m catching up with past guest, Whitney of @thebehaviorcompass. Whitney shared the early years of her journey with her son Kyson back on episode 41 of AIA. Today, we’re picking up where we left off and answering some awesome listener questions! Since we recorded that episode, a lot has changed for Whitney. She talks very openly about experiencing feelings of grief and burnout after Kyson was diagnosed with ASD. We discuss all of that and how self care has played a huge role in getting Whi...
Nov 11, 2020•1 hr 16 min
Today I’m chatting with autism mom, Jenna Handlen, all about her beautiful daughter, Annabelle. Jenna talks about how Annabelle’s speech delay as a toddler raised red flags for her pediatrician. Although Jenna moved forward with early intervention, she felt her doctor was being overly concerned and that Annabelle was “fine”. Jenna was very open about her feelings of denial at that time. She shares how it took time and a mindset shift to come to terms with the fact that Annabelle had autism. We a...
Nov 04, 2020•54 min
In today’s episode I’m flying solo and talking about a very important topic: self care. I feel like we all hear the term “self care” A LOT these days, and it really does have a different meaning to us all. Today I’m sharing how I’ve been working on improving my own self care, and how I recently discovered a new meaning to the term. I am getting VERY personal (consider this your warning!) and talking about a couple different health issues that I’ve been dealing with lately. I share how this has f...
Oct 28, 2020•1 hr 16 min
Today’s episode is a little different. October is Down syndrome awareness month and I really wanted to celebrate that by sharing a story of Down syndrome here on the podcast. Today I’m chatting with Lauren Molloy, all about her journey with her adorable daughter, Autumn. When Lauren was 10 weeks pregnant, she learned she was having a baby girl. She also learned that her baby had Down syndrome. Lauren talks all about processing that diagnosis throughout her pregnancy and how she prepared for her ...
Oct 21, 2020•1 hr 12 min
Today I’m chatting with autism dad and podcaster, Fred Marvel, all about his journey with his son Aleks. Their story starts out very differently from any I’ve ever heard before. When Aleks was just an infant, he suffered brain trauma caused by shaken baby syndrome. Fred shares how this happened after Aleks was being babysat by someone they thought was a trusted friend. Dealing with this unthinkable situation as new parents really forced Fred and his wife to become strong advocates for Aleks from...
Oct 14, 2020•41 min
Today I’m chatting with past guest, Kelly of @growingupsteven. Kelly was on the pod way back on episode 38 and I’m thrilled to bring her back on today. Kelly and I catch up on everything that’s been going on with her, Steven and their family. Kelly is also answering listener questions and as usual, her answers are so truthful and thought provoking! One of the things I appreciate most about Kelly is her honesty. She is so willing to go there and give the raw truth on many difficult to discuss iss...
Oct 07, 2020•59 min
Today I’m flying solo and catching you guys up on what’s been going on with us! To start I’m sharing how Logan’s first few weeks of school are going. Although Logan is able to go in person, this year (so far) has still been very different due to covid- I’m talking all about that! I’m also giving some updates on Logan’s aac and our journey with medication. It’s been a year now that Logan has had his talker and he has truly made so much progress! As far as medication, that has also been several mo...
Sep 30, 2020•47 min
Today I’m chatting with my guest Lindsay Schuster. Lindsay and I connected in an autism Facebook group where she had posted about recently becoming a caregiver to her 53 year old cousin, John, who is on the spectrum. After John’s mother (Lindsay’s aunt) passed away, Lindsay and her family were trying to decide the best course of action for John. They were planning on an assisted living facility, but Lindsay felt a calling for John to move in with her family and become his main caregiver. While t...
Sep 23, 2020•49 min
Today I’m chatting with autism dad and special education attorney, Lloyd Donders. Lloyd became interested in special education law when he was navigating the school system for his own son, who is on the spectrum. Even though Lloyd was a lawyer himself, he still had a hard time getting his son all the services he needed within their school district. Once he learned everything he needed to in order to help his own son, he set out to help other families as well in this very often challenging area. ...
Sep 16, 2020•48 min
Today I’m once again chatting with my sister, Melissa. We’re giving some updates and talking about everything that’s been going on with our family lately. First we’re discussing Mel’s brain cancer journey and more importantly, finishing treatment! These past couple months have been a blur of radiation, doctors appointments and medication. It’s so great to get this first phase of treatment behind us! Mel talks about the tough parts of her journey (like losing her hair and total exhaustion) and lo...
Sep 09, 2020•1 hr 24 min
Today I’m chatting with autism mom and DIY queen, Whitney Gainer. Whitney is bravely sharing her journey with her 3 year old son, Jed, for the first time ever. As a mother of six, Whitney definitely had her fair share of parenting experience! But as she explains in this episode, Whitney was thrown a complete curveball with her youngest. Today we are discussing all the details of their autism journey and the impact it’s had on her and her family. I first became familiar with Whitney several years...
Aug 26, 2020•1 hr
Today I’m chatting with special education teacher, Ann Hall. Ann holds a very special place in my heart because she was actually Logan’s preschool teacher the year he was diagnosed with autism. We have maintained a friendship ever since and I’m thrilled to welcome her as a guest! Today we’re discussing ALL the things regarding to the 2020/2021 school year. Obviously, this year is going to be very different. Ann gives her perspective as a teacher going into this year. She’s sharing her thoughts a...
Aug 19, 2020•1 hr 17 min
Today I’m chatting with speech and language pathologist, Kennedy Richardson. Kennedy and I talk all about her journey and how she is now working as an SLP in a high school. Kennedy originally set out to work with young children in early intervention, but after working with older kids and adults she really found her calling. I was super excited to have this conversation with Kennedy- I feel like there is so often a focus on young children, especially when it comes to speech. But progress can trul...
Aug 12, 2020•48 min
Today I’m chatting with fellow autism mom and author, Dr. Lisa Peña. Lisa shares her journey with her beautiful daughter, Isla. After several years and pursuing many different doctors and treatments, Isla was diagnosed with autism. Through all the ups and downs Lisa remained her greatest advocate and biggest supporter. Their journey inspired Lisa to first start her blog (The MOCHA tribe diaries) in an effort to help connect other moms with autistic children. Lisa also wrote her book “Waiting for...
Aug 05, 2020•53 min
In today’s episode I’m flying solo and sharing what I’ve learned after doing 100 episodes of this podcast. This show really started from my own desire to have conversations with other people who were on a similar path. I was desperately craving connection from people who “got it”. I knew that if I was seeking that connection, then it was likely that others were too. And thus Adventures in Autism was born! After 100 episodes and countless incredible conversations with my many amazing guests, I ha...
Jul 29, 2020•1 hr 1 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mom, Desiree Goode. Desiree shares her journey with her adorable daughter, Ellie. Desiree explains how despite her early concerns about her daughter, doctors dismissed her and instead just labeled Ellie “strong willed”. Desiree knew there was something more at play and continued to advocate for Ellie and eventually she was diagnosed with ASD. Desiree and I also talk about how isolating it can be during the early days of a diagnosis, as well as h...
Jul 22, 2020•45 min
In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mom, Tiffany Klett. Tiffany and I connected several months back when she became a listener of the podcast. I’m thrilled to welcome her on the show today as a guest! Tiffany shares her unique journey with her youngest son, Parker. Tiffany also has two older sons who are neurotypical. Parker was born when his brothers were 12 and 13 years old. As Tiffany says, Parker was “the surprise of a lifetime!”. Tiffany talks all about Parker’s early years (...
Jul 15, 2020•47 min
Today I am once again chatting with my sister, Melissa. We’re discussing some recent updates on her journey with brain cancer and next steps for her treatment. Per usual, Mel is as candid and honest as ever! We talk about her new challenges while recovering from brain surgery and how they’re affecting her day to day life, as well as her future. We’re also talking about her therapy (specifically OT and PT) and how it’s amazing to see the similarities between her and Logan- even though they’re obv...
Jul 08, 2020•1 hr 27 min
Today I’m flying solo and talking about some things that have been happening in our world lately. First, I’m sharing an update on our journey with medication for Logan. It feels like we’re finally on the right track and I’m explaining why that is. We are also resuming ABA therapy this week (hallelujah!) and we are so excited to get back into a routine- Logan is definitely ready! I’m also answering some listener questions that come up often. Specifically my thoughts around grief and processing fe...
Jul 01, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Today I’m chatting with fellow autism mom and podcaster, Laurie Hellmann. Laurie shares her journey with her son, Skyler, who is now 17. Laurie takes us back to the early days of Skyler’s diagnosis, and also talks about what life looks like now. Laurie and I also discuss her divorce from Skyler’s dad and how her current (amazing!) husband ended up adopting him. Laurie started her podcast ‘Living the Sky life’ in September 2019 as way to share her experience raising a now teenager on the spectrum...
Jun 24, 2020•47 min
In today’s episode I’m talking to my sister Melissa Mitchell about her recent brain cancer diagnosis. On May 26th Melissa suffered a massive seizure. After rushing her to the hospital, doctors found she had a very large tumor on the right side of her brain. We’re discussing EVERYTHING today. (Warning: this is very personal and traumatic subject matter.) From the months leading up to the seizure, to the actual day and what has followed since. Melissa is also bravely opening up about her mental he...
Jun 17, 2020•1 hr 41 min
In today’s episode I’m flying solo and sharing what happened when our entire family recently got sick with Coronavirus. I wanted to share this because even though every case is different, I think it’s helpful to hear everyone’s experiences with the virus. We are all (thankfully!) recovered now and on the other side of things. I’m giving all the details today- from our symptoms, to testing, to how we got sick in the first place. This past month or so has really been crazy for us. I’m so thankful ...
Jun 10, 2020•37 min
This episode is different from any I’ve ever done before. Today I’m having a conversation with my friend, Jody Warshawsky. Jody is a fellow mom and podcaster, she’s also someone I truly admire and respect. Jody and I decided to come together for this episode (which will be airing on both of our podcasts) to talk about the recent social injustice and racism issues affecting our country. I am not someone who would typically speak out on these issues. However, with the murder of George Floyd I can ...
Jun 03, 2020•1 hr 4 min
Today I’m chatting with autism dad and advocate, John Felageller. John shares his journey with his son who was diagnosed with ASD as a toddler. John talks about how because of his son, he developed a real passion for advocacy work and made it his career. We also talk about his recent divorce and raising a child on the spectrum while co-parenting. John shares several great tips in terms of openness and communication! John and I also discuss how him and his son are handling quarantine and recent e...
May 27, 2020•49 min
Today I’m chatting with autism mom and advocate, Jean Mayer. Jean shares her journey with her son Rory and how his diagnosis of ASD lit a fire in her to become his greatest supporter. Jean talks about the impact ABA had on Rory and how she began fighting her school district to get ABA therapy integrated into his school day. This led her to campaigning for a seat on her school board. Talk about a strong mama! I had a great time chatting with Jean about her family and her work as an advocate. I wa...
May 20, 2020•1 hr 14 min
Today I’m chatting with my friend, Jaime Clark. You might remember Jaime from episode 11, where she shared her journey with her son Blake. Since we recorded that episode Jaime and I have been able to form a real bond and friendship! It was so fun to bring her back on the show and catch up with her. During our conversation, Jaime talked about everything from potty training, to getting Blake an AAC, to preparing for IEPs & the transition to kindergarten. These are all topics I get asked about ...
May 13, 2020•58 min
Today I’m flying solo and talking about what we’ve been up to in #qaurantinelife. First I’m sharing some our recent struggles with Logan’s ADHD becoming more of concern. I talk about ways we’re trying to fulfill his sensory diet and an update on our journey with meds. Later I’m discussing our experience using Telehealth for therapy and Logan’s recent IEP meeting which took place over zoom. This years IEP was definitely unlike any other, that’s for sure! I’m also sharing the backstory of how Loga...
May 06, 2020•46 min
Today I’m chatting with autism dad, Dean Trottier, all about his journey with his son, Charlie. Charlie was diagnosed with autism just after his second birthday. Dean shares his experience as a single dad going through the process of getting a diagnosis and finding the right services for his son. Dean is also Canadian so we talk about the good and bad of Canada’s healthcare. It was really interesting to hear how things differ from here in the states. We also talk about his older son who was more...
Apr 29, 2020•55 min
Today I’m chatting with autism mom and advocate, Kate Cortelyou. Kate shares her journey with her son James and how their struggle with the school system led her to becoming an advocate and helping other families in her area. Kate and I talk all about the early days of her sons diagnosis and the emotions she felt at that time. We also discuss the challenges they faced within their district when finding the right placement for her son. Kate fought for (and won!) what she felt was best for him and...
Apr 22, 2020•1 hr 1 min
