Moms Talk Autism Podcast

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 Judgment from others and ourselves Jean and Britt touch on what it is like to ask for help in their own lives, how it was as young mothers and the evolution of that skill over time. It’s a muscle we all have to develop, so let’s get to work!

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 know we did! And don’t forget to grab a copy of their co-authored book. It’s a wonderful guide and resource for a parent in any stage of autism caregiving.  Book: Responsible and Responsive Parenting in Autism: Between Now and Dreams Leave a review for the book too! Book Resource Page Peggy’s website Article Link

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 others and ourselves Join us as we touch on what it is like to ask for help in their own lives, how it was as young mothers and the evolution of that skill over time. It’s a muscle we all have to develop, so let’s get to work!

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 life on on TikTok! Ashley and her husband also just launched a new podcast on Spotify that you can listen to HERE!

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 from others and ourselves Tash and Britt touch on what it's like to ask for help in their own lives, how it was as young mothers and the evolution of that skill over time. It’s a muscle we all have to develop, so let’s get to work!

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 Mom Probs Website

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