Today you get Jean, Brit & Tash, and we are talking all about the importance of allowing our kids to struggle, finding a balance between support and independence, AND teaching them coping skills & resilience! We share some of our personal experiences and how we adapt our parenting styles. Come and chat with us!
"Where there is water, I will wait!" Dayna Harvey is a water safety educator and swim instructor, specializing in teaching neurodivergent swimmers the importance of safe water play and exposure. She breaks down her program and gives real, tangible examples of things we can all do with our kids today to start teaching about water safety in all scenarios, not just around pools. Check out the links below and please email her directly if you have further questions or concerns. She genuinely cares ab...
What is Functional Neurology and how does it apply to autism and other neurodivergence? On this week’s episode, Dr. Brandon Crawford discusses his journey into functional neurology, emphasizing the importance of understanding neurodivergence, particularly in children with autism. He explains how sensory processing affects motor skills and cognition, and how neuroplasticity can be harnessed to create positive changes in the brain. We all agree that tailored treatment plans for our kids is so impo...
It’s a new year and exciting new content for Moms Talk Autism! This is going to be a big year for our families as some of our kids transition from elementary to middle school. Scary, exciting, and most likely a few bumps along the way. Big changes for the podcast as well: a brand new merch collection is almost ready. We are NOW also offering ad-free VIDEO recordings of every episode via Patreon! We can’t wait to connect with you on this platform! We can comment along with you and create chats.. ...
An autism diagnosis can be life-changing for your child. It can also greatly impact your family and what the future holds for family planning. In this episode, we tell our personal stories of when we decided to have or not have more children after diagnosis. It's a very personal decision and we hope hearing our stories will help you along your family's autism journey. Instagram: @momstalkautism Email: hello@momstalkautism.com
Today we had the opportunity to sit down with Katja Piscitelli and chat all things gestalt language processing! Katja, also known as @BohoSpeechie on Instagram, is a pediatric speech-language pathologist. She owns her own practice called Total Spectrum Speech. We talked about what gestalt language processing even MEANS, how it applies to our kiddos, and ways that we as parents, teachers, and providers can help our exceptional children. This was such a great episode and we are so excited to share...
You have a limited offer you can use now for Magic Mind, that gets you up to 48% off your first subscription or 20% off one-time purchases with code MOMSTALKK20 at checkout! You can claim it at: https://www.magicmind.com/MOMSTALKK20 Take a walk with us back through our 2024 year, what a ride! We talk about our favorite kid/family moments, along with some funny stories that have happened to us lately. We just all hope the giant fish at Bass Pro Shop are okay. If you’re looking to listen to some o...
It’s so easy to spiral down in the “what if” game and second-guess ourselves. When it comes to our exceptional children and their care, it can feel even more stressful, like if you screw up this one therapy, medication, opportunity, etc then I’ve failed as a parent. We are here to tell you that’s NOT TRUE! Today we look back and discuss what we wish we would have known. If you don’t remember anything else from this episode, remember Shannon’s advice: NEVER SAY NEVER. Because, if you do, you will...
Today Brittney shares her personal journey through the legal process of establishing conservatorship for Austin. We also discuss parents' emotional and logistical challenges, the necessary legal documentation, and the court proceedings involved. Brit also shares insights about the courtroom experience, the emotional weight of legal decisions, and the responsibilities of being a conservator.
Tash, Britt, and Shannon ask each other the tough questions today. Actually, we all came up with some funny scenarios, laughed, and got to know each other a little better. We all need a break sometimes and we hope this episode can be that for you too. What would you do if you got stuck in an elevator with your besties? Hopefully not what Tash does!
In today's episode, Jean and Tash welcome Amy McCoy, an autism parent, award-winning children's author, and disability educator. We discuss the unique challenges faced by siblings of children with autism, the importance of literature in fostering understanding, and the need for community support. Amy shares her experiences as a parent and educator, emphasizing the significance of creating connections and providing resources for families navigating the complexities of autism. Amy also discusses t...
Today we explore the humorous and chaotic realities of mothering kids on the spectrum. We highlight the challenges and absurdities of parenting, from creative messes in the home to toilet troubles. Let's not forget food preferences, social skills, and the management of medication. Look, sometimes you just have to laugh. Let's talk about some things that ONLY parents in our community will fully understand!
It's another community story! Today, Shannon and Jean talk with Stephanie, a psychiatric nurse practitioner who shares her unique perspective as both a medical professional and a mother of a child on the spectrum. We discuss early signs of autism, the emotional challenges of diagnosis, the importance of finding the right support, and the ongoing journey of parenting a child with special needs. Come with us as we talk about the significance of community, connection, and understanding in the lives...
Today is another Moms Talk Moms! Sometimes you just need something a little lighthearted. You get Tash, Shannon and Jean today and we are discussing MANY important things like: If you had unlimited funds, what business would you start? Are avocados overrated? Is it ever okay to lie? Is a hotdog a sandwich? What's your favorite sandwich and where did you eat it? Do you think our dreams have hidden meanings? Were Ross and Rachel really on a break? What physical traits do you share with your relati...
Lisa Zeiderman is a Managing Partner at Miller Zeiderman LLP in New York State and specializes in divorce cases involving disability. She is a wealth of knowledge and offers some important points about divorce and disabled dependents. We covered disagreements about diagnoses, special needs care, custody, and child support, as well as some free and valuable resources for women who may be considering and/or in the process of divorce. DISCLAIMER: Lisa’s commentary is not meant to be a substitute fo...
Life updates and our usual chaotic conversations. Ya know, just another MTA day. Brittney doesn’t like the sound of birds and offers some sage medical advice. Tash needs a break from social media and we are all on board. Jean is literally on the move. Our kids are growing up, so we are all trying to figure out the early parenting stages and puberty stages. Fun. Advice on IEPs, Title 9, and teen angst. Let us know if any of these subjects resonate with you! Topics: Chaos in Our Lives Personal Ref...
Today Tash & Doug chat with Harry Psaros, a father and autism advocate. Harry shares his journey as a parent of a child on the autism spectrum, discussing the early signs of autism in his son Gus, the challenges of the diagnosis process, and the importance of community and support for parents. The conversation emphasizes the need for fathers to be involved in advocacy, the significance of self-care, and the hope of seeing children thrive in their journeys. Harry's insights and experiences pr...
It is thought that experiencing joy and experiencing grief are two mutually exclusive emotions or houses of emotions. In this episode, through an authentic conversation, we debunk that isn’t the case and prove the two can coexist and WHY it's important to embrace joy with grief.
Stacie Sherman is a journalist from New Jersey and the mother of two adult children on opposite ends of the spectrum. She recently published a book about raising her two autistic kids while juggling a full-time career as a single mom. Stacie shares openly about both the blessings and the hardships of being a mother of autistic children in many different areas of her journey, including the most recent one of acquiring the conservatorship of her daughter. Instagram: @stashermie Book: My broken roa...
This is the final installment of our version of the stages of grief. We bring it all together and discuss what happens during and after the process of grieving an autism diagnosis. You've reached a level of acceptance and peace...now what? There is a wheel of adaptation with grief, broken down into four hemispheres, all intersecting and overlapping. Dr. Nancy B. Miller first presented this concept in the book, Nobody's Perfect: Living and Growing with Children Who Have Special Needs. We hope you...
Why Title IX? What is an IEP or 504? In this episode, we ask our specially informed and expert guests and attorneys about those uber-critical things. Let's meet our guests, shall we: Susan Stone, Student & Athlete Defense, Co-Chair Susan Stone co-chairs KJK’s Student & Athlete Defense/Title IX Practice Group. Recognizing the need for legal services to protect students, professors and individuals with disabilities, Susan handles matters ranging from special education issues to student dis...
The idea of acceptance can give a false impression that everything is ok or that you are not struggling anymore. A better way to look at acceptance is that you have reached a certain level of resolve or can see the reality of your life for what it is now. In this episode, we discuss the first time we reached a level of acceptance with our autistic children and how we strive to return to that place in various ways. It's a great discussion, real and raw, about the difficulty of the journey and the...
Today, we are joined by Emily O’Laughlin, one of our community members. We discuss her family’s story, trials, and triumphs. We also discuss how they helped their son create a T-shirt company and sparked his entrepreneurial spirit! You can reach Emily here: Instagram Website
Depression is an appropriate response to processing any grief. It is often portrayed as unnatural, something to be fixed, or to get rid of as quickly as possible. The truth is, it would be unusual NOT to feel it. There are times and circumstances when a longer period of depression may be part of your life and having discernment to recognize and know when you are depressed is essential to your grief journey. This episode explores the many sides of depression and how it has shown up in our lives. ...
Calling all families of non-speakers or minimal speakers! Dawnmarie Gaivian and Dr. Dana Johnson discuss the amazing breakthroughs they and others have been experiencing using spelling to communicate. Is communication a motor skill or cognitive? Both? What is apraxia, and how does it affect a person? How does vision and reflex integration affect communication for nonspeakers? Biggest takeaway: Always presume competence with nonspeakers. We had a great chat about what that exactly means for you a...
This stage usually involves feelings of guilt, whether or not those feelings are well founded. A frequent thought in this stage is the "if only" statement: "If only I would have done THIS, then THAT would have never happened," etc. Bargaining can last a while as we sort through our emotions. It can also be fleeting thoughts that come and go as we begin to process our child's diagnosis. Moving in and out of bargaining quickly or being in this stage while simultaneously in another is common. We ca...
The topic of “siblings” is well-requested on the podcast and today we have an amazing, heartfelt episode for you! Shannon has a conversation with Amanda Owen about her relationship with her brother, Nick, who was born with a rare chromosomal abnormality. As a keynote speaker, Amanda often speaks to parents about the sibling dynamic. She shares her SEEDS acronym that she developed to help parents reflect on their relationships with their neurotypical kids. She also shares about her non-profit, Pu...
On to the next phase of grief: Anger! Remember that grief is not linear, and just because we talk about it in stages does not mean that you will go through it stage-by-stage or even every stage. In this episode, we share all about anger and how we dealt with it. Don’t forget that anger does not necessarily mean raging on others but possibly having a level of anger towards yourself. This is an important part of the process, but we should not stay in for long.
Today’s episode is with a special guest, a community member, and a fellow autism mom. Sonya Bell is a mother to four children, two of those are young Neurodivergent adults. Today she shares her story as a mother in a time where advocating was much different than it is now. Sonya shares about the beginning days of her son’s autism diagnosis and how her faith was instrumental in being hopeful. She also shares about the obstacles her son has overcome to be where he is today living independently at ...
Denial. It’s the first stage of grief and a sneaky, tricky thing. Most people think of denial as being a bad thing, but the truth is... Denial is there to protect you. To give you a semblance of control you’re craving in an overwhelming situation. Today we dive into all things denial and our personal experiences with it! Don’t forget to give us a 5-star review if you love the show and give us a follow on IG @momstalkautism!
