We are back again today with Joni Brown! We are talking ALL about her family’s decision to uproot and move from Minnesota to Colorado for more health/medical options for their daughter, Allie. (If you missed Joni’s first episode, it launched 6/17/24, go check it out HERE ) We talk about the move and how she found and created a support group around her in a new state, how Allie acclimated to her new home and schools, and how they found their place in their new home. We also talk about what life i...
Sep 30, 2024•48 min•Ep. 148
We’ve partnered up with a fellow podcast! Listen to the bonus episode of IN IT: Raising Kids Who Learn Differently. This show is for parents of children who have challenges with reading, math, focus, and other learning differences, like ADHD, autism, and dyslexia. In the following episode, Gretchen and Rachel talk with their guest about what to do when the classroom experience isn’t going well for your kid. As a parent, what should I do to support or change things at school? Check out this and o...
Sep 25, 2024•26 min
Today we had the pleasure of chatting with Jessica Patay, the founder/executive director of We Are Brave Together. We talked about her personal story of her son’s diagnosis with Prader-Willi Syndrome and how she was able to create an amazing community locally, and then duplicate that to support groups all over the United States. You can learn all about We Are Brave Together and the many services that they provide (including affordable retreats for moms!) at their website: https://www.wearebravet...
Sep 23, 2024•47 min•Ep. 147
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 146
Meg Raby Klinghoffer, SLP, Author of the “My Brother Otto” series, Inclusion Ambassador, and staff member at Kulture City, is back in the studio with us. This time to catch up on current developments, celebrations, and what is coming in the future. We talk Kulture Ball + the new AI speak-generated assistance feature in Kulture City’s app, called Koji. Guess what!? It is FREE! Get connected here for all things referenced in this week's episode: Kulture City Meg Raby Klinghoffer Instagram Kulture ...
Sep 16, 2024•49 min•Ep. 145
YOUR questions answered on the podcast today. Topics included are: Best therapy or therapists that we have experienced in our own families How we work through our cycles of grief: what have we learned for our own personal healing and benefit Cleaning products and practices that help us tidy and disinfect our homes daily Want a list with links to some of our favorite cleaning products? Email us or send us a DM and we’ll get it over to you! Check out our webinar with Action Behavior Centers HERE !...
Sep 11, 2024•53 min•Ep. 142
Why would you want to see a neuropsychologist for your child? Today, we had an amazing (& positive) conversation with Drs. Fredriksen and Rothman, pediatric neuropsychologists, who run a practice in Maryland. We discussed many amazing topics, including one we are asked ALL the time: How do we discuss our child’s diagnosis with them? How do we have conversations with them, teaching them about their brains and why they work the way that they do? Their first book is available for purchase, whic...
Sep 09, 2024•52 min•Ep. 143
Something light and easy breezy today, we all need a break and some laughs! Topics covered in today’s episode: Favorite boxed cereals and the proper way to eat them, see also: don’t be gross Car trip snacks- the sweet, the sour, and the savory Game show nostalgia- RIP Bob Barker, we love you forever Cellphone wallpapers- they can tell you a lot about a person Our favorite podcasts and TV shows that we are into right now Have any recommendations? Email us at hello@momstalkautism.com or send us a ...
Sep 04, 2024•54 min•Ep. 142
Today we talk to Michael Gold, co-founder of Future Fans, a toolkit that focuses on teaching kids and families the fundamentals of team sports in a fun and interactive way through stories, games, and toys. This method is great for all abilities, including those who learn differently than typical peers. They even won an Autism Toy Award ! We go in-depth on how the boxes work and the benefits for kids and families: shared interests, new skills, and knowledge of a sport that can lead to connections...
Sep 02, 2024•42 min•Ep. 141
Today we sat down with Lisa Baskin-Wright, our favorite IEP Coach to do a refresh on some IEP tips and tricks as we roll into a new school year. If you haven’t heard the first episode we did with Lisa, make sure to listen, but this will be a quick reminder for you to get you going and not create more mental load than we already have. PLEASE be sure to check out how you can work with Lisa at the links below! IEP Community: https://www.lisabaskinwright.com/iep-community Coaching & Products: ht...
Aug 28, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 140
Jan Stewart is a Hope ambassador and a prestigious guest on this episode. She is a highly regarded autism, neurodiversity and mental health advocate, author, and recipient of the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award®. Her best-selling memoir Hold on Tight: A Parent’s Journey Raising Children with Mental Illness describes her emotional roller coaster story of parenting two children with multiple, complex mental health and neurodevelopmental disorders. Her mission is to inspire and empower readers to pe...
Aug 26, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 139
A little bonus gift for you this week, courtesy of our friend, Danielle Bettmann, of Failing Motherhood Podcast. Danielle interviewed Shannon and Brittney on her show and was kind enough to share it with our audience too. We dive deep into the early years of diagnosis and what that looked like for each of our families: the process, the feelings, the grief, and the realizations we all came to learn as we parent neurodivergent kids. Check out this real and raw episode and don’t forget to head over...
Aug 21, 2024•1 hr
Fellow podcaster and Parenting Coach, Danielle Bettmann, is our guest in this week’s episode. Danielle helps parents of strong-willed children meet their kids’ deepest core needs, improve behavior, and find new levels of patience. As a mom of two, Danielle is passionate about eliminating shame from parents’ vocabulary, solving power struggles, and transitioning from school to home and back again. Danielle specializes in helping families who are struggling but don’t have a diagnosis yet or whose ...
Aug 19, 2024•57 min•Ep. 138
Recovery is necessary after going through periods of Decision and Emotional and Physical Fatigue from being a caregiver (caregiver burnout syndrome). In this episode, our “downloading” continues but we cover and wrap up the topic of the Mental Load by hitting on these few points: Personal actions you can take How Friends, Family + Community can help Importance of Systems, processes can save and hold us up, as one of our faves states in her book, Kelley Coleman, “Systems are our Self Care!”...
Aug 14, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 137
Today we chat with special guest and dyslexia expert Jess Arce, managing director of 3D Learning Experts, which provides virtual tutoring services tailored to children facing brain-based learning challenges. The tutors help bridge the gap with their peers who are struggling with reading, writing, spelling, and math. Jess also opens up about her journey and experience with her and her children’s multiple neurodivergent diagnoses, once again, dyslexia being the mainstay diagnosis in her story. Web...
Aug 12, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 136
In this episode, we unpack two of three prongs to what encapsulates the “Mental Load”: Planning, Organizing + Anticipating = Cost of Cognitive Labor, Time Currency Spent + Decision Fatigue Honest Mom Moments: “I don’t like myself right now.” Reporting the moments when people around you, no matter the circumstance, don’t understand what is at play and you not even liking yourself! In “Moms Talk Autism” fashion we “download” about our lives on this episode, past and current events. There are many ...
Aug 07, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 135
We are thrilled to bring you a community story from a fellow working mama, Britta Merwin. Britta is a meteorologist by day (and by day, we mean EARLY morning) and a mom, wife, and autism advocate every minute of every day! Britta has three children, one diagnosed with autism. You can find her on FoxWeather.com , keeping us all updated on the latest weather, storm warnings, etc. We get to know about Britta and some of the triumphs and challenges she faces as a member of her neurodiverse family. S...
Aug 05, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 134
All four of us in one episode? In the summer? It’s a hot, sweaty, sticky miracle! We had a great time filling you all in on our summer experiences so far. There’s been highs and lows and lots of transitions. We cover everything from staying home to chill, selling homes and big family changes, family trips, and summer camps. Between the four of us, we’ve just about done it all. So, grab yourself an ice cream or a cold drink, and listen in to all of our summer shenanigans!
Jul 29, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 133
Calling ALL parents and kids, this episode is for YOU! We are thrilled to have Jerry Kolber on this week’s episode, creator and advocate for some of the most successful and beloved children’s “edutainment” programming in the world. We chat with Jerry about his own struggles growing up within the traditional public education system, his interest and journey towards TV and other visual media, and to all his latest projects. Jerry has worked with HBO, E!, Bravo, Disney/ABC, Nat Geo, Discovery ID, M...
Jul 22, 2024•48 min•Ep. 132
Surprise! It’s a bonus episode this week! We are so excited to introduce you to one of our favorite podcasts FOR KIDS! Who Smarted? is a fun and educational podcast specifically for kids and their families. There are episodes and topics for everyone’s interests and the recordings are really entertaining with lots of cool sound effects, voices, trivia games, and music. It’s a great way to learn or discover a new interest! We thought an episode about a faraway time and place would be perfect for t...
Jul 17, 2024•17 min
Today we had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with Stuart Butler and Peter Prokop, two gentlemen who were instrumental in creating and directing a new series called Traveling The Spectrum. Both advocate and share a personal connection to the disability community. They believe all families deserve to vacation and create quality memories together. Traveling the Spectrum is a 6 part series that offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of three families living with autism, showcasing their...
Jul 15, 2024•48 min•Ep. 131
Dr. Alisa Elliot, founder, owner and operator of the Chrysalis Spectrum Foundation, www.chrysalisspectrum.com , is back to tell us about her latest venture. Which was a glowing success, Check out www.disabilitycomiccon.com , the theme was "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility" It was an exciting and inclusive event celebrating the power of diversity in the world of comics! At Disability Comic Con, they believe that representation matters. The event aimed to showcase the talents and creati...
Jul 08, 2024•46 min•Ep. 130
We recommend you watch the documentary first, but it is not required to enjoy this conversation. Links below. We are honored to talk with Beth today, the co-star of the documentary, “You Have No Idea”. Beth and her son, Evan, are featured in this amazing film, giving us a real glimpse into autism life for their family and community. Beth opens up about the struggles, joys, and challenges they faced over the years and how she continues to forge a path for Evan. We dive into the origin of the film...
Jul 01, 2024•55 min•Ep. 129
Welcome to the Tashie and Shannon show! Totally kidding, but today’s episode IS just the two of us and we’re answering some specific questions y’all have. Per usual, we are no experts, but we will always share openly about where we are in our journey and what has or is (or isn't) working for us. Some of the topics we cover today are: *High pain tolerances in our kids *Knowing when our non-speaking kids are sick *What supports we use for our kids with ADHD in relation to their IEP *Transitions wi...
Jun 24, 2024•45 min•Ep. 128
Today we chat with Joni Brown about her family’s journey with not only autism but also PCDH19, a rare epilepsy disorder. Today Allie is 20 years old, and Joni discusses their diagnosis story. We dive into the heartache of the life-changing diagnosis, Joni’s tenacity in finding answers, and the triumphs they have made as a family. We also discuss Joni’s book, Don’t Sing Happy Birthday, which has quickly become one of our favorites! We shed some tears, but there is also laughter. Come and join us ...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 127
Welcome to our three-part series on asking for and receiving help from others. Brittney and Jean are having this week's conversation, diving deep into some of the challenges of parenthood and why we DON’T ask for help. What stops us from letting others in? Is it a purely external, logistical issue or are we getting in our own way at times? We break it down into four main areas of resistance when asking for help as moms: Fear of missing out Struggle for control The weight of responsibility Judgme...
Jun 10, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 126
Today we welcome authors Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe and Shahla Alai-Rosales to the podcast to discuss navigating therapies and feeling confident as a parent. Long-time friends and colleagues, they have worked together to bring important insights and knowledge to families all over the world. We are the keystone to our child’s growth and development. We are the guides on their expansion of life, in whatever form and path we end up traveling. Lots of great takeaways and tidbits for you to think about, we ...
Jun 03, 2024•56 min•Ep. 125
Welcome to the Brit and Shan show, in part two of our three-part series on asking for and receiving help from others. We are diving deep into some of the challenges of parenthood and why we DON’T ask for help. What stops us from letting others in? Is it a purely external, logistical issue or are we getting in our own way at times? We break it down into four main areas of resistance when asking for help as moms: Fear of missing out Struggle for control The weight of responsibility Judgment from o...
May 27, 2024•56 min•Ep. 124
It’s finally time. Today, Shannon and Britt tackle menstruation (aka period problems) with the help of our friend Ashley Lewis! You guys have been asking for this one for so long, and we haven’t been able to speak from experience. Ashley shares about her family, and her daughter’s diagnosis, and then gives us some REAL TALK about our kids and their periods based on her experience! Ashley and her family are SO fun, you need to check them out! You can find them HERE on Instagram! She also shares l...
May 20, 2024•59 min•Ep. 123
Welcome to our three-part series on asking for and receiving help from others. Brittney and Tash are starting this conversation by diving deep into some of the challenges of parenthood and why we DON’T ask for help. What stops us from letting others in? Is it a purely external, logistical issue or are we getting in our own way at times? We break it down into four main areas of resistance when asking for help as moms: Fear of missing out Struggle for control The weight of responsibility Judgment ...
May 13, 2024•56 min•Ep. 122
