Moms Talk Autism Podcast

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. 😉

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 versus privileges. 3 things that will mess it ALL up. This one is meaty... Let’s discuss it! Take a listen and meet us on IG! Jonathan's website is HERE. ThriveGuide is HERE. Jonathan's book is HERE. AND... Jonathan was awesome enough to give our listeners a discount on the Thrive Guide if you want to try it out! Use code TEN4MTA for a 10% discount on the monthly OR annual subscription offer on top of the current 30-day free trial!!  

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!  

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

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 and we hope they continue to expand across the country. We love the idea of family and babysitting training too, take a listen and let us know what you think. Website: minfulvoicesautismconsulting.com Instagram: @minfulvoices_autism   FB: mindful voices autism consulting

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.

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!  Grab your coffee (or wine, no judgment) and come chat with us! Jonathan's website is HERE. ThriveGuide is HERE. Jonathan's book is HERE. AND... Jonathan was awesome enough to give our listeners a discount on the Thrive Guide if you want to try it out! Use code TEN4MTA for a 10% discount on the monthly OR annual subscription offer on top of the current 30-day free trial!!

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 myths, Jonathan wrote his book, Challenging the Myths of Autism, where he discusses some of the common myths and how they are incorrect using personal experiences and studies. Today we discuss how we can find what will work best for our child as an individual, as one size does NOT fit all in our lives.  Not only that but in WHAT ORDER should we apply the ideal treatments? That is the key and the purpose of ThriveGuide, developed by Jonathan, which we will dive into more in part 2 of this episode. Also touched on in this episode, which is critical, is the intention and the attitude in which we approach therapy and our children. We discuss how the relationship between the teacher/therapist/parent and the child is the CATALYST to learning. Jonathan was kind enough to provide our listeners with a discount code on Thrive Guide! Use code TEN4MTA for a 10% discount on the monthly or annual subscription on top of the current 30-day free trial offer! Jonathan's website is HERE. ThriveGuide is HERE.  Jonathan's book is HERE. 

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” and “Caregiver” are two different jobs. You didn’t know you were doubly employed, did you? Best takeaway: Find a place for a victory, no matter how small. It makes a difference! Buy Kelley’s book: Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child It’s going to be available as an audiobook too, read by Kelley! Kelley’s Instagram Kelley’s Website

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 well, which then inspired her to create this groundbreaking tool that is available to ALL, simply called, The Feeding Assessment Tool. The Feeding Assessment Tool is a virtual, comprehensive, systematic tool that can help quantify and measure food selectivity (picky eating) and other mealtime issues in kids with autism spectrum disorder. The tool can be used by parents, SLPs, OTs, BCBAs, and nutritionists. The purpose of the tool is to help the team better understand the eating patterns of children with autism. Website: feedingassessmenttool.com  Purchase page: feedingassessmenttool.com/purchase  Facebook: Feeding Assessment Tool https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554779536729 Email: contact@feedingassessmenttool.com

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, can be the best advocate for your child. There is some red tape that happens in the public education system versus private therapy, but we discuss how you can be the best and most insightful version of yourself for your child's team. Sarah is a wealth of knowledge and has given us a deeper understanding of what speech therapy might look like in our children's plan.

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!  

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 story, feel inspired by her curiosity, and carve out your own path to advocacy. Create your legacy inside of the pathway of advocacy you do for your child. It is possible. Change the world for one, and you have changed the world as we speak.  Stay curious my friends!

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 with autism,   Learning what the indicators are How to cope Here's ALL the ways you can find Dr Tay: Dr. Tay’s Podcast, Evolve, HERE Dr. Tay on Instagram HERE Dr. Tay's Website HERE You can also find her Facebook Community to continue discussions from the podcast HERE  

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 website Floor Time Model Universal Design for Learning Take a listen and connect with Sharon here: Website: https://www.therapy2grow.com/ Email: sharon@therapy2grow.com  

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 about choices! You can find Manisha at the links below! Manisha on IG Teach your Kids on YouTube Teach Your Kids Pod on Apple  

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 brother, Michael, and what life and the future look like now that she is one of his legal guardians.   And a surprise guest, Maya, joined us today! She is Shannon’s 18 year old daughter who talks about what it's like to be a sister to Gracie and how she feels about it all. Get ready for a genuine conversation full of love and emotion. We are so happy to share this one with you all!  You can find Mollie on Instagram HERE!

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!

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, Tash, and Shannon  

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 will help your family! You can find some of the items that we linked here on Amazon, but please shop around! You can likely find them on sale!  LINK: https://www.amazon.com/shop/fit.for.the.fight/list/1158T7IA8S0X3?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsffit.for.the.fight_W0A7T313W5PCYMTRAC2H