On this week's episode, I sat down with my friend Megan Champion. Megan is the mom of 3 neurodivergent kids and the founder of On The Hard Days on Instagram. Megan talks about her personal journey toward acceptance, and how she discovered her calling to help other moms of neurodivergent kids with her amazing platform. About Megan Champion: Megan is a mom of three neurodivergent kids, a former educator with 15 years of experience, and the founder of On The Hard Days. Megan provides connection &am...
Apr 24, 2023•43 min•Season 6Ep. 12
This week I speak with Sara Roberts about her autism parenting journey. In this unscripted conversation, we learn about her life and the challenges she faces raising her autistic son. About Sara Roberts: Sara is a single mom to her 8 year old son with autism, adhd, dmdd and ocd. She wants to share their daily struggles and obstacles so other parents can know that they aren’t alone. Connect with Sara on Facebook About Rob Gorski and The Autism Dad podcast: Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amaz...
Apr 17, 2023•44 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Sensory eating is something so many autism families struggle with on a daily basis, mine included. My guest this week is Brittyn Coleman, aka The Autism Dietitian. Brittyn is one of only a handful of dietitians across the country specializing in autistic kids. She’s here to help us better understand what sensory eating is and how it differs from picky eating. We also talk about how we can help ensure proper nutrition in our kids, and expand their menus in creative ways. About Brittyn Coleman: Br...
Apr 10, 2023•54 min•Season 6Ep. 10
In this weeks episode, I share my annual Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month message. About Rob Gorski and The Autism Dad podcast: Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amazing autistic boys and Found and CEO of The Autism Dad, LLC. Multiple award-winning blogger, podcaster, content creator, social media influencer, and respected public figure for well over a decade. Connect with Rob Gorski: https://listen.theautismdad.com ....
Apr 03, 2023•9 min•Season 6Ep. 9
In this week's episode, I take on the controversial topic of ABA therapy. My guest, Ashley Gibson-Stewart, is a board-certified BCBA with a decade of experience. We validate what our autistic adult friends endured as kids in ABA therapy. At the same time, we talk about how much ABA has changed since then, what we’ve learned, and how it’s very different now. We can’t begin to heal what has been done in the past if we don’t first acknowledge it. What happened to our adult autistic friends back in ...
Mar 27, 2023•31 min•Season 6Ep. 8
In this weeks listener questions episode, I answered your questions about ADHD. You guys have been sending in some really good questions and I picked the top three to answer this week. They are as follows: How did I go 43 years without being diagnosed? How do you know the difference between ADHD and simply being forgetful, unmotivated, or unfocused? What are some strategies that can be used to help manage ADHD? About Rob Gorski and The Autism Dad podcast: Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amaz...
Mar 20, 2023•19 min•Season 6Ep. 7
In this week's episode, my friend Ray Bracht joins me to talk about special needs parenting from a dad’s perspective. Ray is an autism dad and an autism step-dad. He opens up about what his journey as a special needs dad has been like. We talk about some of the challenges he’s currently facing, what he fears about the future, how all the stress impacts his marriage, and what his hopes are for his amazing family. We talk dad stuff and even answer some listener questions. This was a great conversa...
Mar 13, 2023•59 min•Season 6Ep. 6
In this week's episode, Mckell Smith is back to answer your questions about speech therapy. Mekell is a Speech and Language Pathologist, as well as a special needs Mom. Speech therapy is so important to so many kids, and won’t believe some of the things speech therapy can actually help with. It’s actually, kind of amazing. Mckell helps you navigate your speech journey by sharing things like when to get your child evaluated, how to prepare for your initial evaluation, what questions to ask, how t...
Mar 06, 2023•42 min•Season 6Ep. 5
In this weeks episode, I take some time to answer one of your listener questions. Since I began talking about the challenges I’ve been facing as I help my son make the transition into his adult life, you folks have been asking me “How do I prepare my kids for adulthood and when should I start?” This is such a good question and honestly, I had a tough time recording this episode because in doing so, I recognized some mistakes I’ve made as a parent. Those mistakes have made preparing my kids for a...
Feb 27, 2023•17 min•Season 6Ep. 4
In this week’s episode, Dr. Crystal Morrison and I discuss our personal experiences with parenting guilt. We all experience parenting guilt, but how do we manage it and prevent it from impacting how we parent our kids? Secondly, on the topic of parenting, we talk about the importance of not only building your village but keeping the people within it communicating with each other for the betterment of your child. Dr. Crystal Morrison introduces us to Meerkat Village, a tech platform she Co-Founde...
Feb 20, 2023•32 min•Season 6Ep. 3
In this weeks episode, you’ll learn everything you need to about ABLE accounts. Sarah Pennington from ABLEnow, explains that ABLE accounts are tax-advantaged savings and investment accounts for individuals with disabilities. They allow these individuals to save money without impacting their eligibility for public benefits like SSI or Medicaid. This is incredibly important for special needs families. About Sarah Pennington: Sarah Pennington serves as Brand Manager for ABLEnow, the national tax-ad...
Feb 13, 2023•28 min•Season 6Ep. 2
My guest this week is Marissa Pittard and she is empowering parents. We talk about what inspired her to create a free service that not only helps parents locate desperately needed services, supports, and resources but also builds out a roadmap for their newly diagnosed special needs kids. This is a free service for families within the United States and it's changing lives. About Marissa (Missy) Pittard: Missy is the Co-Founder & CEO of Beaming Health. More importantly, she and her brother ar...
Feb 06, 2023•28 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Welcome to The Autism Dad podcast, I'm Rob Gorski. This show is inspired by my own personal journey as a single dad raising three autistic kids. It's all about special needs parenting, the challenges that we face every day, and some of the things we have to learn to navigate along the way. This season, we're going to put a major focus on empowering parents. We're going to talk about building a community of support around your family, the importance of self-care, and connecting with the services ...
Jan 22, 2023•35 sec
Season 5 is officially over and I thought it would be fun to close the season out by revisiting one of my favorite interviews from this season. Sit back and enjoy a great conversation with my friend Kate Swenson. Connect with Kate Swenson: Finding Cooper's Voice Check out Forever Boy About Kate Swenson: Kate is Cooper's mom, the founder of Finding Cooper's Voice, and the author of the new book Forever Boy . Host Bio: Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amazing autistic boys and Found and CEO of ...
Dec 30, 2022•32 min•Season 5Ep. 54
In this episode you'll learn what Board of DD is, who SSA's are and what OOD stands for. Autistic kids grow up to be autistic adults and many will need the services and supports that these agencies provide. This is our experience and what we've learned along the way. We've been talking about this on Facebook and I wanted to share what our journey has been so far. Come join the conversation at facebook.com/theautismdad Host Bio: Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amazing autistic boys and Found ...
Dec 23, 2022•21 min•Season 5Ep. 53
In this final episode of season 5, I sit down and speak with Doug Farrago, retired family physician and author, about his book, “Noki.” Noki is about an autistic young man who has the remarkable ability to essentially become any boxer he’s ever seen fight. It’s a brilliant story, a fairly quick read, and I love the representation. Guest Bio: Douglas Farrago is a retired family physician, author of seven books, and loves working with autistic people. Doug authored Noki, a book that blends his lov...
Nov 28, 2022•19 min•Season 5Ep. 52
In this brief episode, I share a look back at Season 5 and a glimpse of what I have in store for Season 6. Thank you all for helping to make this podcast such a success. I'm looking forward to continuing to bring you content that is positive, relevant, and educational. Have a fantastic holiday season, and I'll see you in the new year. Host Bio: Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amazing autistic boys and Found and CEO of The Autism Dad, LLC. Multiple award-winning blogger, podcaster, content cr...
Nov 25, 2022•5 min•Season 5Ep. 51
There has been such a demand for this topic and I’m really excited to get the ball rolling on potty training. My guest today is Molly Johnson, otherwise known as The Autism Consultant. She’s here to share some potty training tips and tricks. . Guest Bio: Molly is an autism consultant, working with parents to reduce challenging behaviors and teach their child new skills. When working with parents, Molly helps families understand the reason for the barrier and how to move beyond that barrier in a ...
Nov 15, 2022•33 min•Season 5Ep. 50
This week my guest is Christina Abernethy from Love Hope & Autism. She's here to talk about her journey as an autism mom, how something called Goally has profoundly benefited her son, and the advocacy work she's doing to make public restrooms more accessible. Mentioned in this episode: Visit getgoally.com and use the code "theautismdad" to save 10% off your order Guest Bio: Christina is a dedicated wife, mother of three, and passionate advocate for people impacted by disabilities. She has co...
Nov 08, 2022•27 min•Season 5Ep. 49
My 22 year old autistic son Gavin is here today to talk about his very first experience voting. He shares how it went, how he prepared for it, and also has advice for other first time voters with a disability. Link to pt1 Guest Bio: Gavin is 22 years old, diagnosed with autism and several rare genetic conditions. Gavin is very passionate about politics and gaming. He’s currently working on becoming more independent and building a life of his own. Host Bio: Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three ama...
Nov 04, 2022•14 min•Season 5Ep. 48
In this week's episode, I talk with Madeline Cheney from The Rare Life Podcast, where she shares her family's journey raising two amazing kids, one with very rare conditions. We have a conversation about what life is like for her family, some of the challenges they face, and how she's helping other families dealing with similar things. Guest Bio: Madeline Cheney is the host/creator of The Rare Life, a well-loved podcast for parents of children with rare conditions. She finds huge fulfillment in ...
Nov 01, 2022•29 min•Season 5Ep. 47
In today's episode, I talk briefly about helping my adult autistic son engage in the voting process. I've learned a few things along the way and thought it would be helpful to discuss this as many out there are in a similar situation. Important Links: My Autism Parenting Support Forum: Click Here Host Bio: Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amazing autistic boys and Found and CEO of The Autism Dad, LLC. Multiple award-winning blogger, podcaster, content creator, digital marketer, social media i...
Oct 29, 2022•8 min•Season 5Ep. 46
In this week's episode, my friends Rose and Sunny from Bened Life are here to discuss the importance of inclusion and neurodiversity in the workplace. We come at this from a couple of different perspectives with the goal of Guest Bio: Sunny Cash is the Community Director for Bened Life. She has over 10 years in the psychology and neurodiversity field. When she's not working on building a neuro-inclusive community, finding the best disability accommodations for her coworkers, or connecting with o...
Oct 24, 2022•30 min•Season 5Ep. 45
A mom asks this week's Listener Question in the support forums. She wants to know what to expect during her toddler's autism evaluation. This is a great question, and answering it can be very helpful for many parents. Important Links: My Autism Parenting Support Forum: Click Here Host Bio: Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amazing autistic boys and Found and CEO of The Autism Dad, LLC. Multiple award-winning blogger, podcaster, content creator, digital marketer, social media influencer, and re...
Oct 21, 2022•6 min•Season 5Ep. 44
Today's episode is based on a listener request, and it's all about acute residential care. My guest is Brandon Clark, PsyD. Brandon is the clinical director at Springbrook Autism Behavioral Health and is here to answer parent questions about acute residential care. Guest Bio: Brandon Clark is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and the clinical director at Springbrook Autism Behavioral Health. He has a doctorate degree in psychology with an emphasis in industrial/organizational theory. He enjoys ...
Oct 17, 2022•22 min•Season 5Ep. 43
This week's Listener Question is about how to deal with an unsupportive family member or a family member that doesn't understand or accept your child's autism diagnosis. I hope this helps, and please continue to send your questions. Host Bio: Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amazing autistic boys and Found and CEO of The Autism Dad, LLC. Multiple award-winning blogger, podcaster, content creator, digital marketer, social media influencer, and respected public figure for well over a decade. Co...
Oct 14, 2022•7 min•Season 5Ep. 42
This is a Quick Take Bonus Episode answering a listener's question: "How do I talk to my kids about autism?" To grab the full episode, and listen to the entire conversation, click here . My friend Rose joins me today to help parents navigate this challenging situation. Rose just happens to be autistic and has a tremendous amount of insight, which she freely shares. This episode will help you form a strategy for talking to your child about their own autism or even helping them better understand a...
Oct 12, 2022•9 min•Season 5Ep. 41
Today's listener question is a really good one. "How do I talk to my child about autism?" My friend Rose joins me today to help parents navigate this challenging situation. Rose just happens to be autistic and has a tremendous amount of insight, which she free shares. This episode will help you form a strategy for talking to your child about their own autism or even helping them better understand a sibling, friend, or family member who's autistic. Guest Bio: Rose is a Neurodiversity and Disabili...
Oct 07, 2022•30 min•Season 5Ep. 40
So many of our kids benefit from visual schedules, but they can be a pain to create and manage. Goally is a visual scheduler for kids that actually works. It's incredibly versatile, digital, easy to use, and grows with your kids. Tanna Neufed is a speech pathologist and Product Manager at Goally. She's here to explain how Goally can help your kiddo. Guest Bio: Tanna Neufeld is a licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist with over 15 years in the field working with complex communicator...
Oct 04, 2022•24 min•Season 5Ep. 39
Today's listener question is a tough one, and it was pulled from my support forum, here . A mom sent this in and I really felt this and wanted to address it directly. I hope this helps. QUestion/Statement My son was diagnosed about 5 years ago with autism, severe ADHD and language delay. He's come a long way but still struggles with most aspects of social interaction, especially with kids his own age. During COVID we started homeschooling and he likes it so much better than going to school. In p...
Oct 01, 2022•10 min•Season 5Ep. 38
