Today we were able to chat with Tara Clark from Modern Mom Probs! If you haven’t found Tara online, you definitely should; her links are below! Today we had a great conversation about her son’s diagnosis. Jack was diagnosed in 4th grade with Developmental Coordination Disorder, also known as Dyspraxia. We discussed the ins and outs of their story, but it morphed into even more; a discussion about how one size doesn’t fit all and why we must follow our instincts. Tara on IG Tara's Podcast Modern ...
May 06, 2024•38 min•Ep. 121
This one is a bit wild, y’all. Just like Tash’s favorite chunky sweater. We talk about pet peeves, our favorite outfits and clothing, ways to unwind and relax, and our apps that we just can’t quit! This is exactly what it’s like when we are all in the same room. Lots of giggles, maybe a couple of swears. Just giving you a heads-up. 😉
Apr 29, 2024•47 min•Ep. 120
WHAT DO I DO ABOUT THE OREOS?!?! :D (Inside joke… listen and you’ll understand!) For a discussion on consequences, this one has a lot of laughs. It's important to laugh at ourselves, right? How do we teach our kids consequences that empower them to make better choices? What is the framework around this? AND.. if we haven’t been the best with consequences in our home, how do we start now? Great convo all about this but we also touched on: 6 Rules in Creating Consequences. Teaching our kids rights...
Apr 22, 2024•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 119
Welcome to the first of our Merry-Go-Round Episodes! We needed a fun way to revisit episode topics that we'd already done, but as you all know, certain topics are ever-changing. Much like a merry-go-round we just circle right back around. Today’s episode we touch on SLEEP! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like for us to revisit and update and we'll get on it!
Apr 15, 2024•56 min•Ep. 118
We love it when DM chats lead to podcast guests. Katie shares her personal story about her son’s diagnosis and therapy journey, specifically ABA. This led to her finding her voice, speaking up, and helping others in her area and state to receive more coverage for autism services. We all have to start somewhere! Connect with Katie on Instagram @7luckyleaps
Apr 08, 2024•57 min•Ep. 117
Today we had a great discussion with Rachael Farkas at Mindful Voices about therapies and services available to autistic families in a “one-stop shop” style company. There are places out there that can provide speech, OT, potty training, ABA, etc all from one location and team. Everyone works together and has access to your kids’ data and information…amazing! Honestly, this is how it should be. We love that Rachael and Chrissy are creating such a great resource for parents in the Nashville area ...
Apr 01, 2024•54 min•Ep. 116
Life is tough, but so are YOU! Shannon and Britt here to talk about current struggles with our autistic kids. Dentists, ER visits, soccer practice, and the struggle to get on a literal bus. No one says this life is boring, am I right? Things happen to us, that’s life. How we react and process and move forward? Well, that’s where it’s really up to us. The more we practice and learn and stumble and pick ourselves up and try again, the stronger we become. Cliche, but true.
Mar 25, 2024•52 min•Ep. 115
Another amazing conversation with Jonathan Alderson today! We dive into the topic of feeling frustrated when our kids “just won’t listen” to us and how we can find our way back to the joys of parenting again, even with kids who may have more challenging behaviors. How can we adjust our expectations? What are the changes that we can make in our intentions and our attitude that will yield better results for ourselves and our kids? We also discuss the topic of dating our kids and how that can help!...
Mar 18, 2024•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 114
Today we had the pleasure of talking with Jonathan Alderson. Jonathan has a Master's of Education from Harvard and also completed a three-year intensive certification training in autism treatment at the Autism Treatment Center of America. While we could go on and on about his BIO , what we discuss is even MORE important. After working directly with autistic children, Jonathan started to see that so many of the beliefs that we have been sold were not actually the case. Inspired to debunk these my...
Mar 11, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 113
We can’t wait to dive in with our guest today, Kelley Coleman, author of “Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child”. No joke, this is one of the best books on autism and parenting disabled kids we’ve ever read! We talk about the book and venture into other topics including: The “Go Home, Google, and Cry” method isn’t the only option anymore Invisible vs. NOT visible vs. visible disabilities. Say that three times fast. The cost of “Cognitive Labor”, this is a big one “Parent” ...
Mar 04, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 112
It is of no mystery to most of us, or so it seems, that feeding and diets are significant touchstones in having a kid on the spectrum. No matter where they fall, that is the very thing that became apparent in all of her work. Join us for this expert guest, Elizabeth Klein, BCBA, LBA + M.Ed., who shares her professional experience in the field and is currently the clinical supervisor over an ABA program. Proper nutrition is a passion of her and her husband, as they own a nutrition business as wel...
Feb 26, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 111
In today's episode, we had the pleasure of chatting with Sarah Anzalone, Speech Language Pathologist. Sarah works in the Camas School District as an SLP working specifically with elementary-age children. Sarah shares with us about coming from a large district in Las Vegas to a much smaller district in Camas and how different that looks. She also gives some insight on the direction of pre-entering a district to receiving your child's IEP and what that can involve as well as how you, as the parent...
Feb 19, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 110
It’s another Grab Bag today! We polled you guys this week on Instagram to get your questions! (Another reason to chat with us on IG, wink wink…) Here’s what we tackle: Spreading awareness vs being protective of our children’s diagnosis, how do we handle this? How do you handle punishment in your home with your kids? How do we personally handle aggressive behaviors directed towards you? Come and chat with us! We love hanging out with you!...
Feb 12, 2024•52 min•Ep. 109
What!? Wait?! We are talking about one of our very own. It’s a long story but it’s all about the journey, in this case, Jean’s Journey to advocacy, and blossoming into the public education advocate, specifically at the cause of reimagining Special Education. You might want to listen to this in sections. Understandably, Jean, while compelling in facts and passions she shares, distilling it down to simpler form, is a real weakness. However, weak she is not, the hope is you see yourself in her stor...
Feb 05, 2024•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 108
Today we have an amazing conversation with Dr. Taylor Day. She is a child psychologist and parent coach specializing in autism and neurodivergent care and today joins Jean & Shannon for a special episode. In this episode we cover a lot and it may even double as an actual therapy session for all three ladies, as we have a very powerful discussion. Join us as we discuss: Some comorbidities of autism in the DSM-V Being a sibling growing up in the home, Naming PTSD + CPTSD in parents of children...
Jan 29, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 107
Sharon Peddie is an occupational therapist that works in her local school district and private practice. Her experience in both of these fields offers her a unique perspective on the importance of OT in all aspects of a person’s life. Different strategies and techniques are used depending on the environment. Seems obvious, but not everyone views therapy that way. Favorite takeaway from this episode: You are a co-regulator with your child! Some links that Sharon mentions in this episode: Ukeru we...
Jan 22, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 106
Today’s show is all about homeschooling! We chat with Manisha Snoyer of Teach your Kids about the different ways that you can educate your children while thinking outside of the box. We discuss curriculum, what a day in the life of homeschool can look like, and where you can find more support and information if it’s something that you are considering for your kiddos! While the four of us don’t homeschool, we know that a chunk of our community does and this was a great conversation as friends abo...
Jan 15, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 105
We have an AMAZING one for you today! Little warning.. the tears start early, at the 6 minute mark! It’s not sad, it's heartwarming. Its emotion evoking. And so thoughtful. Today we talk about what it's like to be a sibling to an autistic individual. We had the pleasure of speaking with Mollie Garre, who is the daughter of previous guest, Monica Meyers (amongst many other things, she’s also an incredibly talented artist, mother and wife to name only a few!) She discusses growing up with her brot...
Jan 08, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 104
Can you believe it?! We are officially in 2024. Today we got together to discuss our vision for the upcoming year, personal, professional, and podcast! 2023 was quite the year for the 4 of us; many lessons learned. We are taking those lessons into this year and want to share with you what that means for us! From growing in our advocacy, to growing through a divorce, to learning to SLOW DOWN.. we talk about it all with YOU! Join us on the pod and IG , and let us know what your vision for 2024 is!...
Jan 01, 2024•41 min•Ep. 103
Another year has come and gone… 2023 has had many ups and downs for each of us personally. We touch on the highs and lows, as well as talk about our favorite podcast memories over the last 12 months. Most importantly of all, we are so grateful to have YOU here with us this year. We hope this podcast continues to be an avenue to feel connected, maybe learn a thing or two, and laugh at our ridiculous banter and lame jokes. What can we say…we’re in our Mom Era. Merry Christmas! Love, Brittney, Jean...
Dec 25, 2023•46 min•Ep. 102
It can feel like keeping our kids safe is a moving target. Just when we think we have it figured out, something new pops up that we have to problem-solve. If you’re anything like us, it’s one of your biggest worries. Today, Jay and Shannon discuss all of the safety precautions they have taken in and around their home to keep Gracie safe and help limit the stress that we feel on a daily basis. Take some notes. What works for us may not work for everyone, but you’re bound to hear something that wi...
Dec 18, 2023•56 min•Ep. 101
In today's episode, we bring you another incredible community member. We had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with June Bunn or as I've been calling her, “Mama June”! June shares all about her journey in raising Adrienne, her daughter who is on the autism spectrum. With a diagnosis that was given or more “fought for” in the year 2008 a time where there truly was no support medically or educationally through a public school district. With the barriers overcome and a mom who would not giv...
Dec 11, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 100
From meeting her husband on the Fiddler on the Roof national tour to starting their family together and having two amazing boys, Colleen discusses her journey through Autism and Down Syndrome diagnoses. We talk about the feeling of being blindsided by multiple health issues with her sons Eli and Luke. Colleen walks us through their journey and discusses all that she’s learning, including the seemingly difficult skill of learning to be okay with asking for help. You can find Colleen on Instagram ...
Dec 04, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 99
This episode is about suicide and suicide prevention. We feel strongly this is a topic we all need to be aware of and educated about, particularly as it relates to parenting neurodivergent children. If you or someone you love needs to seek help, the US Suicide Hotline for calling and texting is 988, available 24/7. A quick Google Search will bring up any other country’s hotline as well as multiple language preferences and options. AnneMoss Rogers is a mental health and suicide education expert, ...
Nov 27, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 98
All of us girls on the pod follow Mama Fry! This was such a great conversation about the ins and outs of raising an adult son with autism. We talked a little about her journey with her son as he grew up, but really focused on what the transition to adulthood looks like. What does it look like when our kiddos turn 18? If you’re concerned about what adulthood looks like, conservatorship, etc., tune in this week and listen to this convo! It’s a serious topic, but it comes along with a good deal of ...
Nov 20, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 97
Lots of great questions from our listeners this week. These are some of our favorite episodes to record, we love hearing from and talking about the subjects that are most important to you. This week, we touched on a wide variety of topics: Puberty and Hygiene Medical-grade strollers and equipment Chiropractic care Aggression Friendships with Typical Families Potty Training Supporting Friends Emotionally As always, you can reach out to us anytime if you have any grab-bag questions or episode subj...
Nov 13, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 96
In this episode, we continue with part two of Monica’s story. This episode details a little more of what the future planning for Michael looks like along with Monica and what she is moving into career-wise.
Nov 06, 2023•50 min•Ep. 95
Today's episode starts us with part one of this two-part series. We sat down to chat with the lovely Monica Meyers, a community member, advocate, and trailblazer to this community in the state of Washington. Monica shares her experience not only with her son's diagnosis that came in a time of no internet but also the courageous amount of advocacy she's done for not only her son but the autistic community as a whole. You can find Monica on her website HERE!...
Oct 30, 2023•50 min•Ep. 94
We holiday OUR way. Join us for a discussion on the many ways the holidays can look, but mostly feel, and how we have navigated that. There is a build-up of hyperintense emotions and activities around these times, no matter the holiday or culture; nuances that don’t become apparent until you are faced with the realities of having an autistic or neurodivergent child. We talk about the different sets of expectations and the comparison trap! This episode is brought to you by Fun and Function, check...
Oct 23, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 93
We are halfway through school this semester and wanted to do a little check-in. We discuss each of our kids’ progress and the challenges that we are facing this year in school. Overall, we are all doing pretty well, but that doesn’t negate the fact that we still worry. It’s a lot and we know you get it too. We mentioned a book and documentary that has come out recently and is available in the US and internationally, go check it out. The Reason I Jump...
Oct 16, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 92
