Mother's Guide Through Autism: Recent Episodes
Brigitte Shipman
This podcast is to inspire, support, and build community for mothers raising children with autism. Brigitte Shipman is the host and creator of this podcast and it has been inspired by her son Joseph who has been living with autism for the last 29 years. Together, Brigitte and Joseph hope to offer mothers of autistic children hope for the future. They will be sharing what they have learned in their journey as well as have expert guests on the show to give you knowledge, resources, insights, and inspiration.
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If you’ve ever felt like you’re holding it all together on the outside…while your insides are screaming—this episode is for you.
Brigitte sits down with Kimberly Guche, a pediatric speech-language pathologist, mindset coach, and mom of four, to talk about something we rarely say out loud: parenting an autistic or highly sensitive child can feel overwhelming. The pressure. The unpredictability. The constant scanning for the next meltdown. It’s a lot.
But here’s the hopeful part—your energy matters more than you think.
Kimberly introduces her Five Minute Chaos to Calm Method, a gentle yet powerful practice designed to help parents reset their nervous systems, reconnect with their inner calm, and respond to their child with confidence and clarity. No fancy tools. No hour-long routines. Just five minutes that can change the tone of your whole day.
✨ In this episode, you’ll hear about:
- The hidden signals your nervous system is constantly sending (and how your child picks up on them)
- What it means to be emotionally congruent—and why your kids feel the difference
- Grounding, breathwork, and visualization strategies for the real world
- Why calming your energy can shift your whole household
- Permission to not be perfect—and still be the parent your child needs
This conversation is a breath of fresh air for any mom who’s been stuck in survival mode and is ready for a reset.
💛 Tune in for hope, heart, and doable tools you can start using today.
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:50 Kimberly's Journey and Professional Background
05:10 Challenges and Discoveries in Parenting and Therapy
07:58 The Power of Meditation and Self-Regulation
11:24 Shifts in Support for Families and Sensory Interventions
13:48 Five Minute Chaos to Calm Method
20:36 Guided Exercise for Calm and Grounding
25:08 Finding Calm and Peace
25:34 The Power of Nature
26:30 Dealing with Overwhelm
27:28 Personal Anchors and Visualization
31:17 Handling Chaotic Situations
33:55 Supporting Moms of Autistic Children
34:54 The Importance of Self-Care
39:12 Final Thoughts and Resources
🔗 Resources & Links
Kimberley's Website:
https://entrancinginspirations.com/
Chaos to Calm 5 minute Reset Audio:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14sOHXoXJ8vYtzTFaeZ_G4s6F8_iVonzp/view
Peaceful Parenting Meditation:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y2klA61iQE-hTZBsaC4H7-PXTBmakYfo/view
Learn more and join the Chill & Chat Membership:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/chillandchat
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
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In this heartfelt episode of Mother’s Guide Through Autism, host Brigitte Shipman sits down with Kathleen Somers, a mother and author, to explore the complex emotional landscape of raising a child with an invisible disability.
Kathleen reflects on her 24-year journey parenting a son with high-functioning autism—from initial denial to acceptance.
With honesty and humility, she shares the moments that shaped her: learning to let go of expectations, finding the courage to trust her instincts, and most of all, allowing herself to become a student of her son’s inner world.
The conversation explores:
- What it’s like to raise a child with a disability most people can’t see
- The emotional terrain of guilt, fear, frustration, and deep love
- Teaching self-advocacy in ways that empower children long-term
- Embracing who your child truly is
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:22 Kathleen Summers' Journey and Memoir
04:20 Initial Diagnosis and Early Challenges
06:28 Navigating School and Social Dynamics
08:02 Gross Motor Skills and Sports
10:01 Understanding High-Functioning Autism
13:40 The Meaning Behind 'Barely Visible'
17:10 Lessons Learned from Parenting
20:40 Understanding and Accepting Differences
21:34 Advocating for Your Child
22:42 Teaching Self-Advocacy
23:19 Parental Reflections and Lessons
24:32 The Importance of Self-Advocacy
26:21 Advice for Autism Moms
31:06 Letting Go and Building Independence
36:32 Final Thoughts and Resources
🔗 Resources & Links
Kathleen's Website:
https://www.kathleensomers.com/
Learn more and join the Chill & Chat Membership:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/chillandchat
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
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Can what your child eats really affect their behavior?
In this episode of the Mother’s Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte speaks with Sonya Bell—a registered nurse, autism mom, and integrative nutrition health coach—about the powerful connection between food and behavior in neurodivergent children.
After both her son and daughter were diagnosed with developmental differences, Sonya began exploring the role of nutrition.
From removing food additives to embracing whole, clean eating, Sonya shares the steps that helped her son thrive emotionally and behaviorally—and how you can begin making changes too.
You’ll also hear about her inspiring book Moving Forward: Details of an Autism Journey, and the importance of hope, self-care, and community support on this path.
💡 Topics we cover include:
- Food journaling
- Top 3 dietary changes to support neurodivergent kids
- Family-wide nutrition shifts that work
- Faith, resilience, and parental self-care
- Tools and programs to support your journey
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:52 Sonya Bell Background
04:06 Early Diagnosis and Challenges
08:07 Exploring Integrative Nutrition
11:38 Discovering the Link Between Food and Behavior
15:23 Top Nutrition Tips for Neurodivergent Children
16:55 Blossom Coaching Program
18:31 Sonya's Book: Moving Forward
20:42 Faith and Family Support
22:33 Advice for Moms and Caregivers
27:59 Contact Information
🎧 Listen now and discover how nutrition might be the missing piece in your child’s journey—and your own.
🔗 Resources & Links
Sonya's Website:
https://www.beyondradianthc.com/
Sonya's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/beyondradiant422/
Sonya's Books:
https://www.beyondradianthc.com/category/all-products
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
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In this heartfelt episode of the Mother’s Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte Shipman and Maureen Brice are joined by special guest Kim Heinl to reflect on the powerful experience of the Recharge and Restore Retreat for Autism Moms—a weekend of deep connection, rest, and healing.
Kim shares her transformative journey of rediscovering self-care, how it changed her perspective as a mom, and the surprising ways it impacted her son, Maverick. Together, the three women open up about the emotional toll of parenting children with autism—and the power of community to restore hope, strength, and joy.
✨ Whether you're feeling exhausted, alone, or in need of connection, this episode will remind you that you're not alone—and that caring for yourself is caring for your child.
🔔 Plus, learn more about the launch of Chill & Chat—a new monthly membership where autism moms can gather for support, honest conversation, and practical tools to thrive.
Enjoy!
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Welcome & Introduction
01:08 Book Promotion and Podcast Introduction
01:28 Welcoming Guests and Setting the Scene
02:35 Retreat Experiences and Reflections
03:55 Emotional Impact and Community Building
07:37 The Power of Support and Self-Care
11:43 Continuing the Journey and Future Plans
25:45 Creating a Supportive Community for Autism Caregivers
26:21 Introducing the Members-Only Group
26:44 Monthly Meetings and Coaching Tools
27:07 The Importance of Shared Knowledge
27:34 Details of the Monthly Gatherings
29:10 Jonathan's Introduction and His Journey
30:26 The Emotional Support Gap in Autism Care
32:49 Continuing the Support Beyond the Retreat
35:46 Upcoming Events and How to Join
37:12 Sharing Wins and Personal Stories
41:31 Final Thoughts
🔗 Resources & Links
Learn more and join the Chill & Chat Membership:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/chillandchat
Maureen's Website:
https://hopedreambelieve.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
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What does it really take to support a child on the autism spectrum—especially one who thinks visually or struggles with communication?
In this powerful episode of the Mother’s Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte sits down with Dr. Temple Grandin—renowned scientist, inventor, author, and autism advocate.
Dr. Grandin shares personal stories from her childhood, including what helped her go from being nonverbal to finding her voice, how her mother’s practical support made all the difference, and why early intervention is non-negotiable.
Together, they explore:
- Why visual and mathematical thinkers need a different kind of support
- How to teach practical skills that build confidence and independence
- Why mentorship and hands-on experiences are essential for long-term success
- The dangers of letting kids zone out on screens—and what to do instead
Whether you're a parent, teacher, or therapist, this conversation is packed with practical tools, insights, and hope.
📌 Don’t forget to subscribe for more conversations that help you support your autistic child with confidence and heart.
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:13 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
02:24 Temple Grandin's Early Childhood and Education
03:10 The Role of Early Intervention and Parental Involvement
06:36 Challenges and Solutions in Education and Work
11:42 Visual Thinking and Its Importance
15:37 Encouraging Independence and Practical Skills
27:06 Driving and Independence
29:20 Encouraging Independence in Children
30:09 Temple Grandin's Documentaries and Visual Thinking
31:49 Supporting Mathematical Thinkers
33:26 Effective Teaching Strategies for Children with Autism
36:57 The Importance of Mentorship
37:46 Practical Advice for Parents
44:16 Job Skills and Employment for Autistic Individuals
45:43 The Role of Visual Thinkers in the Workforce
47:22 Time Management and Practical Tools
48:31 Final Thoughts and Resources
Temple Grandin Website:
https://www.templegrandin.com/
📘 Get the book:
A Mother’s Guide Through Autism — available now on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
📬 Stay connected:
Sign up for news, updates, and support: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
🎵 Theme music:
“Look at the Clouds” by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Support the show
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In this heartfelt episode of Mother's Guide through Autism Podcast, Brigitte sits down with award-winning journalist, autism mom, and author Peggy Henkel Wolf to discuss the intricacies of responsible and responsive parenting for children on the autism spectrum.
For nearly two decades, Peggy has been exploring themes in autism parenting and self-determination on her blog.
They discuss:
- how to parent children with autism with presence, trust, and respect for their autonomy
- the importance of creating space and options for children
- balancing responsible and responsive parenting
Episode chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:42 Guest Introduction: Peggy Henkel Wolf
02:42 Peggy's Parenting Journey and Insights
04:44 Sam's Diagnosis and Early Years
06:37 Navigating Autism with Limited Resources
10:20 Emotional Impact of Autism Diagnosis
14:07 Writing and Publishing 'See Sam Run'
19:13 Responsible and Responsive Parenting
20:23 The Importance of Reinforcing Key Values
20:56 Balancing Responsibility and Responsiveness
21:42 Using Social Stories for Effective Learning
22:55 Navigating Pervasive Developmental Disorder
32:00 Encouraging Independence and Agency
35:42 Final Thoughts and Resources
Peggy Website:
https://peggyheinkelwolfe.com/
📘 Get the book:
A Mother’s Guide Through Autism — available now on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
📬 Stay connected:
Sign up for news, updates, and support: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
🎵 Theme music:
“Look at the Clouds” by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Support the show
Send us a text
In this episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism, Brigitte speaks with Coach Lee Hopkins, a social connections coach and late-diagnosed autistic adult.
As the founder of Patterns of Possibility, he supports individuals and organizations in creating connection through authenticity, boundaries, and conscious conversation.
Lee shares his personal journey and insights into helping neurodivergent individuals build meaningful relationships without losing themselves in the process.
They discuss:
- different types of relationships, setting boundaries using needs, negotiables, and nevers
- the importance of parents modeling and nurturing authentic connections
- practical tools for parents to support and understand their children's unique ways of connecting with others
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest
03:01 Coach Lee Hopkins' Journey
05:27 Challenges of Social Connections
07:41 Parental Support and Patience
15:24 Strategic Vulnerability Explained
23:48 Defining Friendships and Social Categories
26:02 Understanding Family and Friend Connections
27:08 Facilitating Conversations with Children
27:07 Strategic Vulnerability in Friendships
27:41 Defining Friendships and Autonomy
29:05 The Importance of Clear Definitions in Relationships
29:41 Recognizing True Connections
31:30 Needs, Negotiables, and Nevers Framework
37:13 Practical Activities for Building Social Confidence
38:13 Expressing and Understanding Emotions
41:53 Inspiring Hope and Trust in Parent-Child Connections
46:01 Final Thoughts and Resources
Enjoy!
Coach Lee's Website:
https://www.patternsofpossibility.com/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachleehopkins/
TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@patternsofpossibility
📘 Get the book:
A Mother’s Guide Through Autism — available now on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
📬 Stay connected:
Sign up for news, updates, and support: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
🎵 Theme music:
“Look at the Clouds” by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Support the show
Send us a text
In this episode of the Mother's Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte talks to Nancy Gilette, a certified RDI consultant and behavior coach with over 20 years of experience in supporting autistic children and their families.
Nancy shares her unique approach to shifting from crisis and compliance to connection and co-regulation.
They discuss:
- the importance of parental regulation and self-care
- how we can shift from a crisis mindset to one focused on co-regulation
- understanding and addressing behavior
- what truly matters for enhancing quality of life for both parents and children
- and more!
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
02:06 Meet Nancy Gilette: An Expert in Autism Support
03:14 Nancy's Journey and Approach to Autism
04:33 The Importance of Parent Support in Autism
07:26 RDI vs. ABA: Key Differences
16:19 Shifting from Crisis to Connection
19:41 Practical Tips for Parents
26:29 Handling Public Meltdowns
28:46 Handling Child Meltdowns in Public
29:35 Proactive Strategies for Challenging Environments
29:56 Co-Regulation and Emotional Engagement
31:51 Visual Referencing for Better Interaction
34:22 Navigating Developmental Stages
36:34 Core Tools for Parenting Autistic Children
39:23 Empowering Parents and Building Resilience
39:39 The Importance of Regulation and Connection
41:18 Creating a Supportive Environment
53:15 Final Thoughts and Resources
Nancy's Website:
https://www.nancygilette.com
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/nancygilettecoaching/
📘 Get the book:
A Mother’s Guide Through Autism — available now on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
📬 Stay connected:
Sign up for news, updates, and support: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
🎵 Theme music:
“Look at the Clouds” by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Support the show
Send us a text
In this episode of the Mother's Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte talks with Lynn Greenberg, a passionate advocate for neurodivergent children and the author of a children's book about dyslexia.
Lynn talks about her personal journey with her son Jonathan's dyslexia diagnosis, navigating the educational system, and creating a supportive roadmap to success.
In this episode, they discuss:
- the importance of following parental intuition
- recognizing the unique strengths of neurodivergent individuals
- the story behind co-authoring 'Robbie the Dyslexic Taxi' with her son, a book inspired by their experiences to help children understand and embrace differences
- and more!
Enjoy!
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:12 Introduction to Today's Guest: Lynn Greenberg
02:34 Lynn's Personal Journey with Her Son's Dyslexia
03:57 Navigating the School System
05:56 Creating a Roadmap to Success
10:37 The Birth of Robbie the Dyslexic Taxi
13:47 Advice for Parents of Neurodivergent Children
15:33 Finding Community and Support
18:38 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Lynn's Website:
https://robbythetaxi.com
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
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In this episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte interviews Ethan Pompeo, who shares his incredible journey of battling an autoimmune disease called PANDAS.
Today, his company, Green Valley Nutrition, provides CBD products to help people battling various ailments, including autism-related symptoms.
In this episode, he talks about:
- his struggles with neurological symptoms and the frustrating search for an accurate diagnosis as a teenager
- how discovering CBD transformed his life
- the importance of lifestyle changes, such as dietary adjustments and exercise, in managing inflammation
- the potential benefits of CBD for kids with neurological differences, including autism
- and more!
Whether you're a parent seeking solutions for your child or interested in the health benefits of CBD, this episode offers hope and inspiration.
Enjoy!
Chapters:
01:45 Ethan's Journey with Pandas
05:44 Understanding Pandas and Its Impact
08:14 The Role of Diet and Lifestyle Changes
14:38 Exploring CBD as a Treatment Option
17:06 Helping others with CBD
24:36 The importance of listening to your kids
Green Valley Nutrition:
https://www.greenvalleynutrition.com/
Ethan Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ethan_pandas/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
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In this episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte talks to Clain Udy, co-founder and president of Autism Elevated.
Clain shares his journey of raising a high-functioning autistic son and emphasizes the importance of focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses.
In this episode, he discusses:
- his transformation in understanding autism, shifting the focus from societal norms and deficits to recognizing and nurturing strengths.
- practical strategies for parents to identify and nurture their children's strengths
- the importance of creating the right environment for autistic individuals to thrive
- the importance of self-belief
- and more!
Enjoy!
Chapters:
01:10 Welcoming Clain Udy
02:59 Clain's Background and Achievements
03:42 Clain's Son's Journey and Achievements
05:06 Initial Reactions to Autism Diagnosis
08:35 Shifting Perspectives on Autism
09:59 Creating a Supportive Environment
14:13 Focusing on Strengths
21:22 Empowering Parents to Define Their Children's Strengths
22:02 The Concept of a Personal User Guide
23:13 Memoir and Practical Framework in the Book
24:30 Addressing Common Parental Concerns
25:09 The Importance of Environment for Thriving
27:06 A Metaphor for Understanding Autism
31:19 Nolan's Story: Thriving Through Passion
34:45 Rebranding Autism: A New Perspective
38:42 Final Thoughts and Resources
Clain's Website:
https://autismelevated.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
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In this episode of the Mother's Guide through Autism podcast, Brigitte and Maureen Brice discuss the critical importance of self-compassion for autism moms.
They talk about their personal experiences and the pervasive issue of mothers prioritizing everyone else over themselves. They urge moms to live a lighter life by focusing on daily practices of self-care and self-love.
Brigitte is an autism parent coach, author, speaker, and the host and creator of the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast. Maureen is an Author, Autism Expert, Advocate, Certified Health Coach, and Inspirational Speaker.
Enjoy!
Recharge & Restore Retreat for Autism Moms:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/retreat
Maureen's Website:
https://hopedreambelieve.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
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In this episode of Mother's Guide through Autism podcast, host Brigitte Shipman welcomes back Maureen Brice for a deep conversation about the stress and challenges autism moms face.
Drawing comparisons to the high stress levels experienced by combat soldiers, they explore the emotional toll of raising a child on the autism spectrum. Brigitte and Maureen discuss their personal journeys, the importance of self-care, and the need for a paradigm shift in parenting a child with autism.
Also, they talk the upcoming retreat designed to support and heal autism moms by creating a community where they can share experiences and recharge their batteries. Retreat info ⬇️
The episode emphasizes the significance of giving oneself permission to prioritize self-care in order to better support their families.
Brigitte is an autism parent coach, author, speaker, and the host and creator of the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast. Maureen is an Author, Autism Expert, Advocate, Certified Health Coach, and Inspirational Speaker.
Enjoy!
Episode Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: The Stress of Autism Moms
01:26 Discussing Maureen's Work and Book
02:34 Personal Autism Journeys
03:27 Superhero Moms: The Reality
05:04 Challenges and Advocacy
06:55 Emotional and Physical Toll
12:35 The Importance of Self-Care
14:24 Scientific Insights and Stress
18:41 Paradigm Shift for Autism Moms
19:45 Calling All Moms for a Paradigm Shift
20:22 The Unique Challenges of Autism Moms
20:53 Building a Supportive Community
21:35 The Importance of Self-Care
24:49 Introducing the Retreat for Autism Moms
33:48 Final Thoughts
Recharge & Restore Retreat for Autism Moms:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/retreat
Maureen's Website:
https://hopedreambelieve.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
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Dr. Hokehe Eko is a Board Certified Pediatrician specializing in Integrative Medicine for children with ADHD/Autism on a mission to empower families with neuro-divergent children.
In this episode, she shares:
- how a change in diet had dramatic effects on her daughter and her patients
- why addressing the underlying issues is crucial in helping your autistic child
- 4 Pillars of Health
- the importance of recognizing the gifts of your child
- and more!
Enjoy!
Dr. Eko Website:
https://www.glowpediatrics.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/glowpediatrics/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hokeheekomd/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
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Maggie McGarvie is a speech-language pathologist who embraces neurodiversity and brings sixteen years of professional experience to her work.
Maggie has served in various environments, from early intervention to supporting adolescents transitioning out of the education system. Her heartfelt passion lies in helping families strengthen their connections with their children.
In this episode, she shares:
- the importance of observing your child for effective communication
- how your child’s repetitive phrases have meaning and how to understand them better
- ways to play with your child that deepen connection
- and more!
Enjoy!
Maggie's YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@YourAtHomeSLP
Maggie's Email:
yourathomeslp@gmail.com
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/yourathomeslp/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Purchase the Audiobook:
https://adbl.co/3Elwodv
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
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Brigitte invites Maureen Brice back to the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast for a new segment called Chill and Chat with Maureen & Brigitte to make a big announcement!
If you are a mom raising a child with autism, you don't want to miss this announcement. Tune in!
Brigitte is an autism parent coach, author, speaker, and the host and creator of the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast. Maureen is an Author, Autism Expert, Advocate, Certified Health Coach, and Inspirational Speaker.
Enjoy!
Recharge & Restore Retreat for Autism Moms:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/retreat
Maureen's Website:
https://hopedreambelieve.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Support the show
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Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown is a triple board-certified sleep physician and the founder of Restful Sleep MD. She is also the best-selling author of Beyond Tired—A Sleep Physician’s Guide to Solving Your Child’s Sleep Problems for Good.
She helps women and their children prioritize sleep, achieve optimal health, thrive, and live to their fullest potential.
In this episode, she shares:
- why sleep is so important for our kids' development
- practical strategies to help your kids sleep
- tips for moms to get their own good night's sleep
- and more!
Enjoy!
Dr. Funke Website:
https://www.restfulsleepmd.com/
Beyond Tired Book:
https://a.co/d/2aSRSQt
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/restfulsleepmd/
Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/drfunkebrown/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/funke.afolabibrown/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
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Toni Boucher is a speaker, writer, consultant, and mother of 3 neurodivergent children, who comes from a long autistic family line.
Being a late-diagnosed autistic herself, Toni shares important tips on how to understand your autistic child better, create a meaningful connection with them, and harness their autistic strengths.
In this episode, she talks about:
- harmful stereotypes you should do away with
- how to create a stronger bond with your child
- how to turn "problematic" behaviors into something useful
- how to identify and harness your child's strengths
- and more!
Enjoy!
Toni's Website:
https://www.toniboucher.net/
The Creative Community and Career Center 4 Autism:
https://www.c4autism.com/
Thinking Person's Guide to Autism:
https://thinkingautismguide.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism...
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
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Send us a text
Melinda Edwards is a mother, author, psychiatrist, and founder of the nonprofit organization LIving Darshan.
In this deeply spiritual conversation, Melinda shares how her daughter’s autism changed and inspired her to foster a deeper understanding of autism in the world.
You will learn from the lessons she gained from her daughter on the spectrum and her story will inspire you t to find more meaning and purpose in your child’s autism diagnosis.
In this episode, she talks about:
- the openness and love her daughter brought when she was born
- the fear she experienced when her daughter was diagnosed with autism
- how she began to see and understand the gifts her daughter brought to the world with her connectedness and exquisite sensitivity
- and more!
Enjoy!
Melinda's Website:
https://www.melindaedwardsmd.com/
Living Darshan:
https://livingdarshan.org/
ICAN Conferences:
https://icanconferences.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism...
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
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Send us a text
Jennie Abbot is an award-winning Children's Yoga and Mindfulness Educator and the Founder of The Harmony Kids Co.
Jennie shares how self-regulation is a crucial skill we can teach our kids, especially kids on the spectrum, through yoga.
Watch this episode to see how we can use yoga and mindfulness to help our kids self-regulate in challenging situations and to foster emotional and physical well-being in our children.
In this episode, she shares:
- the positive impact of yoga on kids in schools
- why yoga is so beneficial for our kids on the spectrum
- 2 great self-regulation tools to help your neurodiverse kids
- and more!
Enjoy!
Harmony Kids Yoga Co:
https://theharmonykidsco.com/
Peaceful Play: Minful Movement Game for Kids:
https://theharmonykidsco.com/collections/mindfulness-tools/products/peaceful-play-mindful-movement-game-for-kids
Discount Code: YOGA20
@harmonykidsyogamindfulness3786
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
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This mom-and-son team, Julie Coy and Grant Maniér, will inspire you with their extraordinary journey of creativity, advocacy, and success.
Grant's art sells for tens of thousands of dollars and Jullie and Grant raised over half a million dollars for charities with his art.
Grant, who lives with autism, is an exceptional eco-artist known for creating unique and meaningful works of art using recycled materials. Julie is the author of children’s books featuring characters with disabilities inspired by the art her son Grant created.
In this episode, they share:
- how focusing on strengths empowers people with special needs
- how they went from "can't do" to "can do"
- their secrets to success
- and more!
Enjoy!
Website:
https://www.jigsawgrant.com/
Voiceover:
https://grantmanier.icanvoice.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/JigsawGrant
Check out his video with Temple Grandin:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-165
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Support the show
Send us a text
Crystal Y. Sanford talks about how to support our autistic teens and tweens in transitioning into adulthood successfully.
Crystal is the owner and director of Sanford Autism Advocacy Group. She is an expert in the field of Autism and IEPs and she is also a mom to a teenage daughter who is on the spectrum.
Watch this episode to equip yourself with the knowledge to prepare your autistic child for employment and independence.
In this episode, she’s going to share:
- how to teach your autistic child the life skills they need for independence
- why observing your child is so important for future success
- steps you can take to prepare your child for employment
- and more!
Enjoy!
Sanford Autism Advocacy Group:
https://www.sdautismhelp.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/sdautismhelp
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sanford_autism_advocacy
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Support the show
Dr. Ali Perkinson is a licensed educational psychologist, speech-language pathologist, board-certified behavior analyst, and neurodiverse couples counselor.
Dr. Ali offers social communication therapy and helps people increase connections in neurodiverse romantic relationships, friendships, or parent-child dynamics.
In this episode, she shares:
- 3 tips on how to boost your bond with your autistic child
- dating advice for autistic individuals
- how to use your child’s motivation to increase social skills
- and more!
Enjoy!
Connection Squared:
https://www.connection-squared.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Kari A. Baker is an author, speaker, and podcaster who is the founder of KIND Families. Kari shares her story of struggling to accept the autism diagnosis of her son Brady and eventually finding peace and purpose through it.
In this episode, she shares:
- how she shifted from struggling with her son’s diagnosis to embracing it
- how she found the gifts and purpose in the unexpected journey of autism parenting
- what changed her perspective
- and more!
Enjoy!
Kari's Website:
https://kariabaker.com/
KIND Families:
https://kindfamilies.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Sylvia Moore Myers is a mental health coach, speaker, and author of Gold Scars. Sylvia is bringing a very important perspective of being a late-diagnosed autistic adult and she’s sharing her incredible story of bouncing back from tragedies in her life, including the loss of her son.
This episode will give you insight into living on the spectrum and offer you wisdom on how to heal from grief, loss, and trauma.
In this episode, she’s going to share:
- how she healed from the tragic death of her son
- common misunderstanding people have about autism
- challenges faced by autistic adults
- and more!
Enjoy!
Sylvia's Website
https://www.sylviamooremyers.com/mothersguide
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/SylviaTizzyMyers
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sylviamooremyers
Gold Scars:
https://www.sylviamooremyers.com/books/gold-scars
Use code MJA50 to get 50% off
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Crystal Y. Sanford is the owner and director of Sanford Autism Advocacy Group, LLC. Crystal is an expert in the field of Autism and IEPs and has 20+ years of experience in special education in public schools.
This is a must-listen episode if you ever felt intimidated by IEP meetings or nervous about advocating for your child.
In this episode, she’s going to share:
- top 3 tips for navigating IEP meetings with confidence
- one thing you should do before you sign the IEP
- why it’s important to adjust your expectations
- and more!
Enjoy!
Sanford Autism Advocacy Group:
https://www.sdautismhelp.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/sdautismhelp
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sanford_autism_advocacy
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Jenifer Breaux is a retired army veteran who is the owner of JB Travel Pros, a franchise of Dream Vacations, where she helps people travel the world with excitement.
Jenifer is also an expert in traveling the world with children with special needs as the mother of two amazing young men who both are on the autism spectrum.
In this episode she shares:
- her stories of resilience in getting her children's diagnoses
- practical tips to families with neurodivergent children for overcoming the challenges of travel
- the importance of creating family memories
- and more!
Enjoy!
Jenifer's Website:
https://www.iamjeniferbreaux.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/iamjeniferbreaux
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/iamjeniferbreaux
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Sarah Milko and Lisa Ponticello are co-founders of AutismUp, an organization committed to making a positive difference in the lives of individuals with autism and their families.
Since establishing AutismUp in 2004, Sarah and Lisa tirelessly worked to provide support and resources to indiviudals with autism and thier families.
In this episode, they share:
- how they started AutismUp to support each other and how it’s grown to now support over 37,000 families
- how they created programs they wished existed for thier kids with autism and now they offer more than 80 classes
- why it’s important to support them through their lifecycle with innovative programs and initiatives
- and more!
Enjoy!
AutismUp:
https://autismup.org/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AutismUp
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/autismuproc
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
autismparenting #mothersguidethroughautism
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Dr. Austėja Landsbergienė is a doctor of Social Sciences and Education, the author of six parenting/educational books, and the founder of a cluster of private schools in Lithuania.
For her great impact on changing the educational culture, Austeja was acknowledged as one of the most influential businesswomen in Lithuania in 2020 and was nominated as Businesswoman of the Year in 2022.
In this episode, she shares:
- why we don’t have to do it all
- how to deal with the judgment of others
- why making mistakes is a good thing
- one thing we can do to make the education system better
- and more!
Enjoy!
Dr. Austėja Landsbergienė Website:
https://www.austejalandsbergiene.lt/en
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/austeja_landsbergiene/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/austeja.landsbergiene
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Kim Bays is a mother of twin autistic sons and one stepson, a manager at Exponential Property Group, and the founder of Martha’s Ranch Foundation.
Kim and her husband Matt started Martha’s Ranch in 2020 to aid families impacted with autism by providing a place to take a vacation surrounded by those who understand the unique challenges and joys of autism.
In this episode, she shares:
- how differently autism presented in her twin sons
- how autism families can have a safe and fun vacation at a beautiful place at Martha’s Ranch
- her advice to moms raising kids with autism
Enjoy!
Martha's Ranch:
https://marthasranch.org/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Check out more episodes of the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast on Apple Podcast here: https://apple.co/30UFFW3
autismparenting #mothersguidethroughautism
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Susan P. Sherkow, M.D. is a founder of the not-for-profit Sherkow Center for Child Development and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
She has presented and published extensively on the application of psychoanalytic developmental theory to the treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with ASD, including a TEDx Talk and co-authorship of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Perspectives from Psychoanalysis and Neuroscience.
In this episode, she shares:
- what neuroscience is revealing about the brains of kids on the spectrum
- the importance of connectivity and what you can do at home to help create more connection neurologically and emotionally in your child
- how local, social support groups can help your child develop
- and more!
Enjoy!
The Sherkow Center:
https://www.sherkowcenter.org/
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Perspectives from Psychoanalysis and Neuroscience
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Jeannette Paxia is a multiple-time #1 International Bestselling Author, sought-after Empowerment speaker, and coach for Women and children.
Jeanette shares her personal journey with her son Jacob's autism diagnosis, the challenges and lessons learned, and how advocating for him has been a transformative experience.
In this episode, she discusses:
- challenges and lessons learned from raising her son Jacob on the spectrum
- why she created the book Superheroes on the Spectrum
- what to do when your child is being bullied at school
- and more!
Enjoy!
Jeannette's Websites:
paxcoach.com
https://innersuperhero.org/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Melissa Doman is a sleep coach exclusively for children with special needs. She is back on Mother's Guide to dive deeper into the strategies and how-to’s of sleep for your kids!
In this episode, she shares:
- the important prep work to set you and your kids up for success
- the one-change-at-a-time approach to ensure long-term success
- troubleshoots for when things don’t go as planned
- and more!
Enjoy!
Melissa Doman Sleep Consulting
https://www.melissadomansleepconsulting.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Jaime A. Heidel, The Articulate Autistic, is a late-diagnosed autistic/ADHD writer, advocate, consultant, and communication translator.
In this revealing episode, Jaime shares:
- her struggles of growing up autistic and not knowing
- the common misunderstandings that happen between autistic and neurotypical individuals
- how she helps autistic and neurotypical couples/families to understand each other better
- and more!
Enjoy!
The Articulate Autistic:
https://www.thearticulateautistic.com/
Jaime's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thearticulateautistic/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Jeremy and Charity Rochford are Certified Life Coaches who specialize in helping Neurodivergent and Neurodiverse Families understand communication, culture, and their own unique family dynamic.
They are a Neurodivergent/Neurotypical couple who have been happily married for over 20 years and have two Neurodivergent children.
In this episode, Jeremy and Charity share:
- advice on how to work through differences in “mixed-neurotype” relationships
- Jeremy’s autism diagnosis and how it helped to bridge the gap for their kids
- tips on how to help your autistic kids harness the benefits of their uniqueness
- and more!
Enjoy!
Neurofam Family Coaching
https://www.ourneurofam.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Nicole DeWard is a wife and mom of 4 amazing kids. She started RISE coffee & tea in 2020 for those like her daughter, Bekah, who has Down Syndrome. She wanted to create a safe work environment for adults with special needs and to give them a bigger stage to SHINE their light.
In this episode, Nicole talks about:
- what it’s like to have a daughter with Down Syndrome, a son with autism, a neurotypical son, and an adopted daughter
- how her daughter Bekah’s perspective brings more joy to her family
- what we can learn from having special needs individuals in our lives
- and more!
Enjoy!
Nicole's Website
https://nicoledeward.com/
RISE coffee & tea
https://rise-coffeetea.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: "Look at the clouds" by Tristan Lohengrin
tristanlohengrin.bandcamp.com
Becky Large is nationally and internationally recognized for her support of people and families living with autism and the creation of the innovative Autism Travel Club program and Autism Traveler app.
Becky was instrumental in having the Town of Surfside Beach declared The First Autism Friendly Travel Destination, anywhere, in 2016.
In this episode, Becky talks about:
- the adjustment she had to make about college to improve her son’s mental health
- how Autism Travel Club is changing the hospitality industry and supporting families with autism
- practical travel tips
- and more!
Enjoy!
Champion Autism Network
https://championautismnetwork.com/
Autism Travel App
https://autismtravel.club/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Carrie Cariello is the author of What Color Is Monday? Someone I’m With Has Autism, and Half My Sky. She speaks regularly about autism, marriage, and motherhood, and writes a weekly blog at carriecariello.com.
In this episode, Carries talks about:
- what it’s like to have 5 kids with one on the spectrum
- the sibling dynamic with autism
- how to say no
- “untethering” as her son Jack transitions into adulthood
- and more!
Enjoy!
Carrie's Website:
https://carriecariello.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Gina Kavali is a syndicated radio personality and host of "Life With the Spectrum" on YouTube. Gina is also a proud mother to an 11-year-old son, Lyric, who is on the spectrum and the inspiration for everything she does now.
Based in Atlanta Georgia, Gina Co-Founded Atlanta's first premier speed dating event for young adults on the spectrum called "Table Talk." It was just featured on season two of Love On The Spectrum on Netflix.
In this episode, Brigitte and Gina talk about:
- how we need more schools that can teach to each kid the way they learn
- “Table Talk” speed dating for adults on the spectrum
- how to bring out the best in our kids
Enjoy!
Gina's Website:
https://gkasts.com/
Life with the Spectrum:
https://www.youtube.com/@lifewiththespectrum
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Spencer Doman is the director of Doman International, author of The Doman Method: From Special Needs to Wellness and Answering Autism, and coach to parents on how to help their children reach their fullest potential and express their innate intelligence.
In this episode, he shares:
- What Doman International does to help kids with special needs
- What sets the Doman Method apart from other therapeutic approaches
- Why you should never give up on your child
- and more!
Enjoy!
Doman International:
https://www.domaninternational.org/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Deborah DiMare is a renowned interior design consultant, author, and educator. She is a leading authority in designing environments that promote optimal mental and physical health for the special needs population including Autism, ADHD, and sensory difficulties.
Design for Autism was born out of the experience of creating a space for one of Deborah's daughters who is autistic.
In this episode, she shares:
- how toxic most of our homes are and what this means to our kids
- top 3 things we can do to make our home less toxic
- tips on how to make our space sensory-friendly
- and more!
Take 35% off Deborah’s Non-Toxic/Sensory Kids Room Design Course:
https://dimaredesign.com/online-babies-and-kids-room-design-course/
Use code MOTHERSGUIDE35 at checkout.
Enjoy!
Deborah's Websites:
www.deborahdimare.com
https://www.vegandesign.org/
https://dimaredesign.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
In this special episode of the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast, Maureen Brice, author, autism expert, and certified health coach, hijacks the mic to have a lively conversation with Brigitte about her book A Mother's Guide Through Autism.
In this episode, they discuss:
- how the book is a toolkit for moms raising kids with autism
- the vulnerability and emotions that moms are afraid to talk about
- what you need to know to make this journey lighter
Listen to Maureen Bryce talk about her own autism parenting journey in our previous episode:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-130
Maureen's Website:
https://www.hopedreambelieve.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Melissa Doman is a sleep coach exclusively for children with special needs. She has helped hundreds of families by providing lasting solutions for their child's sleep struggles.
In this episode, she shares:
- the most common sleep struggles families with autistic kids face and what to do about it
- practical steps families can take for sleep struggles
- and more!
Enjoy!
Melissa Doman Sleep Consulting
https://www.melissadomansleepconsulting.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Dr. Sally Fryer Dietz is the Founder and Director of Integrative Pediatric Therapy and
Integrative Concussion Therapy.
Dr. Sally explains why sensory integration is key to child development and why CranioSacral Therapy works so well for children with autism.
Listen to some of her success stories and find out how CranioSacral Therapy helped a kid who used to eat furniture!
Enjoy!
Integrative Pediatric Therapy
https://iptkids.com/home
Upledger
https://www.upledger.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
In this special episode, we put together some of the most helpful advice we received from the three moms we had in our previous episodes.
Please note: this is an audio-only episode
This episode includes topics on:
- perspective shifts that make the journey easier
- must-have on the autism parenting journey
- how to set your child up for success
- and more!
You can listen to the original episodes below:
My Son Is Not a Tragedy: Miracles that Autism Helped Us to See with Tulika Prasad
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-14
Sabita Finds Her Voice—One Mom’s Journey to Help Her Autistic Daughter and Others Alike with Dr. Stephanie Vavilala
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-62
Mom on a Mission: Changing Lives One Gluten-Free Snack at a Time with Jennifer Wiese
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-83
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Autism parenting can be hectic on regular days but throw in the holidays, things can quickly get out of hand!
Tune in to this episode for my best advice for the holiday season so you can be prepared and actually enjoy the holiday season a little more!
Happy Holidays!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Kelly Beins is a sensory parent and seasoned Occupational Therapist with over 28 years of clinical experience, including 18 years with certification in sensory integration.
Kelly explains to us what Polyvagal Theory is, how it revolutionized the way we view the body’s response to stress, and how it can be applied therapeutically to help a wide range of people including children with autism.
Find out how a powerful listening therapy can help your child with sensory processing and emotional regulation.
Enjoy!
Safe and Sound Protocol:
https://www.whatisthessp.com/
Kelly Beins Consulting:
https://www.kellybeins.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
In this special compilation episode, we put together information about 3 alternative therapies you might want to try for your autistic child.
This episode includes topics on:
- equine-assisted therapy and oxytocin
- how music therapy can help with building skills
- creating connection through meditation
- and more!
You can listen to the original episodes below:
Equine Therapy to Empower Your Child and Yourself with Kristy Newstrom
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-27
Is Music Therapy Right for Your Child? with Marissa Scott
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-30
Calm and Connected Kids with Meditation with Lorraine Murray
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-35
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
In this eye-opening compilation episode, we put together the most helpful information about vision and autism from the past episodes we had with our 3 expert guests.
This episode includes topics on:
- why a vision exam is a must for kids with autism
- how a vision exam is different from an eye exam
- how inflexible/inefficient vision affects behavior
- what to look for in your kids
- and more!
You can listen to the original episodes below:
Why Every Child with Autism Needs a Vision Exam with Patricia Lemer
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-43
Could Vision Problems Be Causing Difficulties in Your Child’s Learning? With Dr. Sarah Lane
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-50
Why Vision Therapy is a GAME CHANGER for Your Child's Future with Patti Andrich
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-106
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
In this special compilation episode, we put together the most helpful information we received on holistic treatments from the 3 experts we had previously on our podcast.
This episode includes topics on:
- nutrition
- brain inflammation
- genetic epigenetic mismatch
- 4 foods to avoid
- toxicity
- and more!
You can listen to the original episodes below:
Providing a Roadmap for Neurodevelopmental Disorders with Maria Rickert Hong
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-46
Functional Medicine Approach to Autism with Dr. Will Cole
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-42
Toxic Factor in Autism and Working with Homotoxicology with Mary Coyle
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-47
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
In this super helpful compilation episode on behavior issues, we put together the best advice we got from the 3 experts we had on our podcast.
This episode includes topics on:
- social skills
- meltdowns and their triggers
- toilet training
- reasons kids hit
- and more!
You can listen to the original episode below:
No More Meltdowns with Dr. Jed Baker
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-26
Autism Logistics - How to Work with Challenging Behaviors with Kate Wilde
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-29
How to Reduce Daily Battles with Your Child with Madeleine Woolgar
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-65
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
In this special compilation episode, my son Joseph shares what he remembers about growing up on the autism spectrum.
Please note: this is an audio-only episode.
Enjoy!
You can listen to the original episodes below:
Insight from the One Who Lived It
What Joseph Remembers of "Waking Up"
Patience Goes a Long Way
Dealing with Confusion of Reading Social Cues and Other Pains of Growing Up with Autism
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism
Sign up to get news and updates from me
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
In case you missed it, I wanted to bring you the very first episode of the Mother's Guide Through Autism podcast, which aired back in 2019.
Listen to how my autism parenting journey started and get insight and knowledge from my own story.
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Debbie Reber is a parenting activist, bestselling author, speaker, and the CEO and founder of Tilt Parenting.
Debbie shares her story of going from not knowing what to do to figuring out what works to help her differently-wired son thrive. She talks about how she had to change the way she thought about what it means to parent a child.
She offers so many nuggets of wisdom to help you support your neurodivergent child in the best way you can. Find out what they are in this episode.
Enjoy!
Debbie's Website:
https://tiltparenting.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Len Arcuri is the Co-Founder of All In Parent Coaching and the co-host of the Autism Parenting Secrets podcast.
At 18 months old, his son Ry was diagnosed with moderate/severe autism and life-threatening food allergies.
Len shares his journey of going from being at war with autism to accepting it, and offers his wisdom to enjoy this journey more.
Find out what his top 3 steps to take on the autism parenting journey in this episode.
Enjoy!
Len's Website:
https://autismparentingsecrets.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Maureen Brice is an author, autism expert, advocate, certified health coach, speaker, and single parent of 3, with her youngest son living with special “extra needs” and autism.
Maureen shares her deeply personal story of raising her son with autism including a traumatic experience her son Jonathan had in school.
She also talks about the importance of trusting your gut and urges parents to have their kids tested for allergies.
Find out what happened when Maureen was facing a life-threatening illness.
Enjoy!
Maureen's Website:
https://www.hopedreambelieve.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Dr. Eric and Christine Weiss share their journey of seeking information and therapies to help their autistic son Marston.
Serendipitous moments and their research led to their son trying out stem cell therapy, which turned out to be a game-changer. Convinced by the results, Dr. Weiss incorporated stem cell therapy into his medical practice to help people with autism.
Find out how stem cell therapy might benefit your child in this episode.
Dr. Eric and Christine Weiss's website:
https://www.educatingmarston.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
In this special compilation episode, I put together the sage advice of 5 moms who were recently featured in the Grief Series.
These wise words from moms who've been on the autism parenting journey will give you insights and perspectives, and encourage and inspire you on your own journey.
Enjoy!
You can listen to the original episodes with the links below:
Eileen Lambs
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-115
Stella Spanakos
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-116
Kathy Heath
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-117
Christine Goulbourne
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-118
Janeen Herskovitz
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-119
Sarah Wayland
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/podcast/episode-121
Check out my upcoming group coaching program
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/beauty-after-grief
Sign up for news and updates from me
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Through her own struggles and healing from allergies, Luminara Serdar discovered an energy-healing modality that led her to help kids struggling with autism behaviors.
Luminara, an autism transformation expert with a background in biochemistry and genetics, discusses why so many kids are getting diagnosed nowadays and why some of the biomedical protocols don’t work.
Find out how Luminara’s protocol is helping kids shift their autism behaviors.
Enjoy!
Luminara's Website:
https://www.autismtransformed.com/
Embrace Beauty After Grief 6-Week Group Coaching Program:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/beauty-after-grief/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Andrea Pollack recalls the feeling of relief and terror she felt when she received the autism diagnosis of her son 22 years ago.
After witnessing the struggles of her son in school, Andrea left her 19-year law career to homeschool her son. After gaining knowledge and tools in her 8 years of homeschooling, she returned to school to earn a Master’s degree and education.
Now, Andrea educates, supports, and empowers parents to help their autistic children reach their highest potential and create a peaceful home.
Listen to this episode and discover Andrea’s best parenting practices to support your children.
Enjoy!
Autism Parent Solutions:
https://autismparentsolutions.com/
Embrace Beauty After Grief 6-Week Group Coaching Program:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/beauty-after-grief/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Mr. Sam is a neurodivergent educator who has ADHD. He’s also the Director of Young Scholars Academy, a strength-based, talent-focused virtual enrichment school that supports twice-exceptional, differently-wired, and gifted students to feel seen, nurtured, and happy as heck.
Mr. Sam shares his struggles growing up with ADHD and how he turned around his struggles into success and how he now helps neurodivergent students thrive.
Listen to this episode and find out the very best ways to help your autistic child thrive and be happy.
Young Scholars Academy:
https://youngscholarsacademy.org/
Embrace Beauty After Grief 6-Week Group Coaching Program:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/beauty-after-grief/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
This episode was originally released on the Autism Blueprint Podcast on July 11, 2023. Used with permission.
I was recently interviewed by Janeen Herskovitz for her awesome podcast Autism Blueprint. We spoke on many topics including autism and adulthood.
Listen to this episode and discover the simple and powerful approach I used to help my son Joseph become independent.
Check out the original episode on Autism Blueprint: https://puzzlepeacecounseling.com/episode109/
Embrace Beauty After Grief 6-Week Group Coaching Program:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/beauty-after-grief/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Dr. Larry Miller is a family physician, health coach, author of Healing the Symptoms of Autism, and father of three kids.
Ever since Dr. Larry's oldest son was diagnosed with autism, he has been resolute in his commitment and dedication to healing the symptoms of those diagnosed.
Find out what Dr. Larry discovered to help his son with his self-injurious behavior, and so much more.
Enjoy!
Dr. Larry's Website:
https://www.myhopewellness.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/myhopewellness/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/myhopewellness/
Embrace Beauty After Grief 6-Week Group Coaching Program:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/beauty-after-grief/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Brigitte gives a recap of the 8-part grief series that featured 8 remarkable women who shared their experience with grief on the autism parenting journey.
Brigitte also makes an exciting announcement. Find out what.
Enjoy!
Embrace Beauty After Grief 6-Week Group Coaching Program:
https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/beauty-after-grief/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Sarah Wayland is the founder of Guiding Exceptional Parents, the author of Is This Autism? A Guide for Clinicians and Everyone Else, and a mother of two autistic adults.
In this last installment of the Grief Series, Sarah dives into the emotional journey of receiving her sons’ autism diagnoses and raising them.
She talks about the mixed emotions that range from acceptance to depression to anger to joy and offers a deeper understanding of what the mother’s grief is all about on the autism parenting journey.
Listen to this episode and find out how you can turn your pain into something beautiful as Sarah did.
Enjoy!
Sarah's Website:
https://guidingexceptionalparents.com/
Behavior Revolution:
https://thebehaviorrevolution.com/
Is This Autism:
https://www.isthisautism.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Dr. Rita Eichenstein is a licensed neuropsychologist and the author of the award-winning book, Not What I Expected: Help and Hope for Parents of Atypical Children.
Dr. Rita offers us the perspective she gained from working with thousands of children with special needs and their parents as a clinician. She explains what happens hormonally and neurologically when we have kids and receive their autism diagnosis.
Listen to this episode as Dr. Rita demystifies the grief process you might be going through with the special needs diagnosis of your kids.
Enjoy!
Dr. Rita's Website:
https://www.drritaeichenstein.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Janeen Herskovitz is a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Florida and owner of Puzzle Peace Counseling, LLC.
Janeen has a unique perspective on the grief that parents go through from her own experience of raising a child with autism and also from being a licensed mental health counselor who helps parents raising children with autism.
Listen to Janeen share her own complex experience of grief and talk about why it’s so important for parents to process their grief as she and her clients have done to get to a happier place.
Enjoy!
Janeen's Website:
https://puzzlepeacecounseling.com/
Autism Blueprint:
https://puzzlepeacecounseling.com/category/podcast/
Autism Blueprint Classroom:
https://www.autismblueprintclassroom.com/
Use code SAVETEN to save $10
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/puzzlepeacecounseling
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Christine Goulbourne is a special needs mom, advocate, and writer. She shares her experience of going through the cycle of grief that arose from the autism diagnosis of her son.
The emotional challenges Christine discusses in each stage are very relatable to most, if not all, autism moms. She shares the strategies and tools she adopted to handle them.
Listen to this episode and discover the secrets Christine found to cope with challenging emotions and to find joy beyond grief.
Enjoy!
Christine's Website:
https://www.sensoryfriends.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/CreatingSensoryFriendlyandInclusiveCommunities/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
If you are struggling or have dealt with difficult feelings (anger, fear, grief, etc.) arising from the autism diagnosis of your child, you are not alone.
Kathy Heath, a blogger and a mom of three with one autistic child, openly shares the complexity of feelings she experienced after receiving her middle son’s autism diagnosis several years ago.
She talks about the transformational process of going from denial to acceptance and why it’s so important for moms to sit with their fear and feelings of being lost.
Listen to this episode and find out what key realizations Kathy had to help shift from grief to experiencing more beauty and joy in her life.
Enjoy!
Kathy's Website:
https://theautismedit.com/
Kathy's Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/theautismedit/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Stella Spanakos is the founder of the nonprofit organization the Nicholas Center and three social enterprises called Spectrum Designs, Spectrum Bakes, and Spectrum Suds, where 60% of the staff are individuals with Autism.
Stella created the Nicholas Center to offer life-skills programming, vocational skills training, and supported employment to her son Nicholas and other adults on the spectrum like him because the needs of autistic adults were not being met.
Stella and I talk about the expansion and growth that the Nicholas Center and the three enterprises have seen in recent years and how innovative programs are meeting the needs of autistic adults and the local communities in New York State.
Stella shares how she experienced grief at the beginning of the autism parenting journey and the pivotal moment that snapped her out of her self-pity so she could move forward to help her son Nicholas.
She also gives practical advice on employment and 5 necessary things you must do for your sanity on your autism parenting journey.
Listen to this episode and find out what they are and get inspired by her powerful words of wisdom and encouragement.
Enjoy!
The Nicholas Center
https://tncnewyork.org/
Spectrum Designs
https://www.spectrumdesigns.org/
Spectrum Bakes
https://spectrumbakes.org/
Spectrum Suds
https://www.spectrumsuds.org/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Eileen Lamb is a writer, photographer, podcast host, and a mother of three. She brings a unique perspective of raising a severely autistic child while being on the spectrum herself.
Eileen talks about the grief she experienced from her son’s diagnosis and the vulnerability of talking about it publicly because of the bullying and harassment she receives on social media.
Eileen and I talk about the importance of allowing ourselves to feel what we feel and being vulnerable.
Listen to this episode and discover the lessons, insight, and wisdom that Eileen has to offer.
Enjoy!
Eileen's Website
https://theautismcafe.com/
Social Media
https://www.instagram.com/theautismcafe/
https://www.facebook.com/theautismcafe
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
In this first episode of the Grief Series, I talk with Lisa Jo Rudy, a mother of an autistic son, writer, and consultant.
Lisa and I talk about the grief, the joy, and the struggles she experienced as a mother raising a son on the spectrum.
Lisa also talks about the value of developing meaningful skills like her son did with the clarinet as well as why we need to make museums and zoos more inclusive.
Listen to this episode to learn from Lisa's insights and life lessons.
Lisa's websites:
www.lisajorudy.com
http://www.autisminthemuseum.org/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
The grief that Mothers go through when they get the autism diagnosis of their children is often not talked about. There is a lot of complicated feelings that come with this type of grieving, along with some criticism that might come our way for sharing these vulnerable feelings.
Listen to this brand-new series on grief where I and other mothers share our perspectives, insights, and lessons we gained from experiencing grief that came from the autism diagnosis of our kids.
Learn how to get through grief and find the gift in it.
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Karen Thomas started taking her son to therapists one after the other at age 5 for his sensory overload issues, anxiety, tantrums, and OCD.
The response they got from the therapists was that they as parents were not being stern enough and that if they were more strict he wouldn’t behave the way he did.
After years of searching and trying, one therapist said he might have autism. He then was finally diagnosed at age 10 after 5 years of going to different therapists.
After a decade of research and trial and error, her son no longer has symptoms of autism. Because of the success she had with her son, she started to help other moms with kids on the spectrum with her online program.
Listen to this episode to discover what Karen did to help her son thrive.
Karen Thomas website:
https://naturallyrecoveringautism.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Check out more episodes of the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast on Apple Podcast here: https://apple.co/30UFFW3
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
Lois Letchford’s autistic son Nicholas was called “the worst child ever” by his first-grade teacher. School testing suggested that he had no strength and a “low IQ.”
Not accepting what the teacher and school said, Lois started teaching Nicholas at home. Although she initially failed, she eventually found learning methods that worked for her son.
Nicholas graduated in the top 20% of his high school class and went on to earn his PhD in Applied Mathematics from Oxford University.
Listen to this episode and find out what Lois did to help her son succeed.
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amothersguidethroughautismbook.com/book
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Check out more episodes of the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast on Apple Podcast here: https://apple.co/30UFFW3
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
A lot of moms with kids on the autism spectrum don’t feel they have possibilities.
Too often, their mindset keeps them stuck in doom and gloom instead of feeling the possibility of what they daydream about.
I share with you a powerful exercise to shift from feeling stuck to feeling the possibility of what you’re craving on this episode.
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
I know many moms don't want to hear anything about self-love when they're knee-deep on their autism parenting journey.
But I've discovered self-love practices are truly crucial if you want to live lighter and happier, and be the calm and joyful mom you want to be.
Listen to this episode if you are feeling exhausted and don't feel much joy on your autism parenting journey. What you learn here can be a game-changer!
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
It is so hard for many moms to ask for help, even when they need it desperately!
Oftentimes, they'd rather do it themselves than to have to deal with guilt, disappointment, and feeling rejected.
But the thing is, you can’t do it alone on this autism parenting journey.
I'm going to show you how to shift the negative feelings that come with asking for help so that you can get the help you need on your journey.
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Theme song: Look at the Clouds by Tristan Lohengrin
https://soundcloud.com/tristanlohengrin/look-at-the-clouds
The holiday season can be a very stressful time for many families with kids on the spectrum.
From routine disruption to food sensitivity to non-understanding relatives, there is a lot to navigate during the holidays.
I myself have many stories of stress over the holidays.
I share my tools and strategies on how to navigate the holidays with less stress and more ease.
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
In this week's interview, I talk to Patti Andrich who is an internationally honored occupational and vision therapist, researcher, and author.
Patti shares her personal struggle of learning to read as a child with Dyslexia, which led her to pursue a career in helping people with learning differences.
Find out why including vision therapy might change the path of your child's future in this interview.
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Dr. Julie Logan DC is a physician who specializes in working with children with the symptoms of Autism, ADD/HD, PANDAS/PANS, and food sensitivities.
She shares her personal journey of recovering from Hashimoto and one of her sons recovering from autism.
Find out what treatments and therapies he used to successfully resolve the symptoms of autism.
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
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If you are wondering if college is an option for your child on the spectrum, this interview is for you.
Alex Morris-Wood is the Associate Vice President of Transitions & The Student Experience at Beacon College in Florida.
Alex helps neurodiverse students to prepare for college and works to create systemic change to increase college retention for students who learn differently.
Find out what barriers to higher education exist for students who learn differently and what we can do to break down these barriers.
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
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It is very frustrating and overwhelming when your child's needs are not met at school.
Your kid is being bullied and you feel like you’re doing the teacher’s job at home all night long.
There is a huge gap between teachers, parents, and professionals when it comes to supporting our kids that have disabilities.
Parents are overwhelmed and looking for resources to help their kids get the support they need so they can be happy, productive citizens.
And teachers are NOT getting trained or educated on how to support kids on the spectrum.
In this episode, I share with you tips and strategies on how to approach your child's teacher to get the support your child needs.
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
There are seasons in our lives when the level of chaos is exceptionally great and our exhaustion seemingly endless.
I want to assure you that these times don't last forever and share with you some tips to stay calm in spite of the chaos that's present in your life.
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
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When you have young kids, daily life can be chaotic. And even more so when you have a young child on the spectrum.
I remember feeling so overwhelmed when I had an infant son and a 5-year-old Joseph to care for, even though I kept a stoic face and seemed like I had it together.
I stopped pretending to have it all together since then but have learned some tools to stay calm and cultivate joy in my daily life.
I share some tips on how to stay calm amidst all the autism parenting chaos in this episode.
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
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Joseph and I get together for this special 100th episode of the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast!
We share reflection and insight and we also talk about self-soothing methods and employment for people on the spectrum.
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
For this week's podcast episode, I talk with Becca Hopson about how to tap into your inner urge to create the life you're thirsting for.
Becca Hopson is a feminist wellness coach. She helps to empower women to create change and take action to create the life they are thirsting for.
We talk about some of the struggles many moms face to create the change they desire in their life and the resistance to doing the work needed.
Becca offers some tools to overcome resistance and challenges so you can create the life you desire.
You can learn more about Becca and download your copy of Inner Wisdom
by going to https://beccahopson.com/
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
When you get the autism diagnosis of your child, it's easy to get stressed out and let life be a checklist of endless to-dos.
When I got my son's diagnosis, my life became exactly that: a checklist of all the therapies, looking for resources 24/7, and advocating for my son.
I was a ball of stress much of the time and having fun or being kind to myself was not on my list of to-dos.
But I discovered that being kind to myself was a must if I wanted to be a kinder and more present parent.
I share my small acts of kindness practice that will change your life for the better.
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
When you have a child with special needs, it's easy to focus on the difficulty and challenges of daily life.
I have found that the daily practice of gratitude made my life happier and deepened my joy in spite of the challenges I faced as a mother raising a child with autism.
Practicing gratitude will open up more possibilities for you and I'm sure that it will deepen your joy, too.
I share my daily gratitude practice step by step in this episode.
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
No parent plans to have a child with special needs when they're starting a family.
So when they get their child's autism diagnosis, there is quite a bit of adjustment they have to make in their expectations.
Making adjustments to their expectations is also true as the kids get older. We have our plans for them and they have their own.
I share my story of letting go of my plans for my son Joseph as he was becoming independent.
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
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Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
The moment you have a child, advocating begins. But even more so with a child on the spectrum.
It can be very frustrating navigating the school system, healthcare, or any public places when you are dealing with people who might not be well-versed in autism.
I want to tell you why we should always advocate with kindness even when it's hard and how we can approach difficult situations with kindness and better results.
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.coom
When you have a child on the spectrum, fear can come up pretty strongly.
It certainly did for me.
The fearful thought I often had was, "Joseph would have a bleak future without me," which led me to believe that I could never die.
Fear is part of the human experience but if you constantly fear the worst-case scenarios for your child, you would be weighed down to the point of exhaustion.
I'll show you how to crush your fear in this episode.
Enjoy!
Purchase my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism:
https://amzn.to/3mO1fmS
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
If you are currently struggling with the autism diagnosis of your child and their future, please take a breath and give yourself grace.
It is okay not to be okay with your child being diagnosed with autism.
Ironically, when I allowed myself to be okay with not being okay with my son’s diagnosis is when I found acceptance of the life I had. I was no longer TRYING to be okay or searching for a cure for my own aching heart.
Learn how you can be where you are AND find more joy and peace on this autism parenting journey in this episode.
Enjoy!
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
When I went through my life tsunamis including my son's autism diagnosis, I didn't know how to work through my grief.
And although I had moments of grief, I pretty much used all my energy to avoid it. Many of my clients have a hard time with it too because let's face it, it's difficult to feel painful feelings.
While it's difficult, doing the inner work and working through grief is an important step toward healing and living a joyful life.
I share my thoughts on how you can gently and kindly grieve in this episode.
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Putting the oxygen mask on yourself first is #3 on my top 10 list of essential advice on the autism parenting journey.
This journey begins with you, and the practice of nurturing yourself will not only benefit you but also your child on the spectrum because you will have more resilience to meet the daily challenges.
I share my practice of self-nurturing in this episode.
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
We mothers are good at giving and helping others but not so good at asking for help.
You might be struggling to ask for help or might not even realize that you need help on the autism parenting journey but I want to tell you that getting help is crucial to living with more joy and resilience while you help your child on the spectrum.
Find out why you should get support ASAP and how you can do so in this episode.
Enjoy!
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This is truly the number 1 advice I give to mothers I coach on the autism parenting journey.
We all need to hear from someone who has been in our shoes that can offer us hope, especially when we are deep in fear and pain from the autism diagnosis of our kids.
Enjoy!
Credit:
Welcome To Holland
by Emily Perl Kingsley
Copyright©1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley.
All rights reserved.
Recited by permission of the author.
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In my 30 years of the autism parenting journey, I've learned a lot. And so, I decided to share my top 10 list of advice for the autism parenting journey.
I will be sharing each piece of advice for the next 10 weeks and this episode is an introduction to the list.
I also recite the Mother Guide's Prayer from my book A Mother's Guide Through Autism to give you strength on your autism parenting journey.
Enjoy!
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I use my Sundays as my personal growth and discovery day. I use this time to fill myself up with inspiration before the work week begins.
I encourage you to develop your own self-discovery practice so that you can begin to experience more peace and create more joy in your life on your autism parenting journey.
I believe this practice is essential because we mother guides often get lost in the caretaking of our kids that we start to forget ourselves—we lose ourselves in the process.
The self-discovery practice can bring you back home to yourself where peace and healing reside in the heart.
I share my 5 Small Steps to Begin Your Self-Discovery Practice in this episode.
Enjoy!
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Check out more episodes of the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast on Apple Podcast here: https://apple.co/30UFFW3
In this episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism, I talk to Dawn Barclay, an award-winning author who has spent a 30+ year career working in the travel industry, about traveling strategies for kids on the spectrum.
Dawn wrote her upcoming book Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse because she understood how difficult it was for parents to travel with kids, especially kids with special needs, and there was no guidebook to help them with it.
She says that in one study done by IBCCES, where 1,000 special needs parents were interviewed, they found that 87% of them didn't travel and of those, 93% would’ve if they knew where to go and what to do.
Dawn believes that children deserve to be global citizens and they deserve to see a world outside of their own, and she wants to open up the world for people by giving them the tips and strategies offered in her book.
She shares the number one reason parents with special needs kids don't travel and what they can do to make their trips possible and successful.
Enjoy this episode!
Dawn's websites:
http://www.dawnbarclayink.com
http://www.travelingdifferent.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TravelingDifferent
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/travelingdiff
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/traveling_different
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
For this week's episode, I'm sharing the interview I did recently for the Autism Detectives Radio Show with Patricia Lemer where I talk about the deep grief mothers of autistic kids go through that they need to process in order to move forward lighter and happier.
We talk about my newly released book A Mother's Guide Through Autism which my son Joseph and I co-authoredand what the intention of this book is.
We also talk a lot about healing the mother's heart and I share my personal journey of how I went from not processing my grief and getting sick in the process to healing my heart by incorporating practices like self-compassion.
Enjoy this episode!
You can listen to the original recording at:
http://www.healthylife.net/RadioShow/archiveADD.htm
You can find Patricia Lemer at:
https://www.patricialemer.com/
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
In this episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism, I speak to Sarah McClary, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a daughter on the spectrum, about her emotional journey of receiving her daughter's autism diagnosis and finding hope from the remarkable progress her daughter made with ABA.
Sarah's daughter Leah was diagnosed with autism shortly after her third birthday after her pediatrician noticed some differences in her development.
Sarah described the day of the diagnosis as one of the hardest days of her life and recounts the emotional pain she experienced in the beginning of her autism parenting journey.
It was recommended that Leah have ABA therapy, and soon after she started, she made extraordinary progress in speech and communication.
After seeing remarkable changes in Leah, Sarah changed careers and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Sarah explains what ABA is and how it can help kids on the spectrum and addresses the controversy around ABA and the negative experiences some autistic adults say they had with the therapy in their childhood.
She hopes to change the view of ABA by providing compassionate and value-based care to her clients as a therapist because ABA has been life-changing for her daughter and she passionately believes that ABA therapy can make life easier for kids on the spectrum and their families.
She shares the lessons she learned on this journey and offers advice to mothers raising children with autism.
Enjoy!
Please pardon the occasional noise in this episode.
You can find Sarah McClary at:
https://www.hopebridge.com
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Check out more episodes of the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast on Apple Podcast here: https://apple.co/30UFFW3
In this episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism, I talk to Jennifer Wiese, founder and CEO of BeeFree Gluten-Free Bakery and mom to an adult son with autism.
Jennifer shares her story of starting her company after her eldest son was diagnosed with autism back in 2008 and learning later that the gluten-free diet helped him to function better.
While searching for gluten-free foods to help her son's overall wellbeing, she quickly found that gluten-free and tasty did not often go together.
She enlisted the help of her mother, and they got busy in the kitchen recreating favorite family recipes. Once they created a snack that all four of her boys would enjoy, BeeFree Gluten-Free Bakery was born!
Now 12 years later Jennifer is laser-focused on bringing delicious snacks full of real ingredients to the world while creating jobs for adults with autism.
Jennifer shares her struggles and successes as well as the lessons she's learned on this autism parenting journey and inspires us with her mission to help make this world a better place for her son and others on the spectrum.
Enjoy!
You can buy Jennifer's delicious gluten-free snacks here:
https://www.beefreegf.com/
Follow her on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/beefreeglutenfree/
Sign up to get news and updates from me: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com
Check out more episodes of the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast on Apple Podcast here: https://apple.co/30UFFW3
In this episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism, I talk to my friend Sarah Magnoni, a life coach, intuitive medium, Reiki Master, and the host of the Intuitive AF podcast, who shares her experience of living through her daughter's diagnosis of both autism and schizophrenia.
Sarah takes us through the journey of her daughter's developmental/behavioral differences at age 1, diagnosis of autism at 9, and her eventual diagnosis of schizophrenia at 18.
Sarah talks about the struggles of getting care for her adolescent daughter for mental health and shares the heartbreaking story of her daughter being discharged without getting help for her psychosis in the emergency room.
She also talks about the importance of getting help for ourselves and how getting therapy and coaching helped her get through challenging times.
Sarah has written a book called Not Alone: A Parent's Guide to Navigating Mental Illness to give voice to other families struggling with mental illness and to give hope to those who are affected by it.
You can find out more about Sarah Magnoni at https://www.sarahmagnoni.com/
You can find her book Not Alone at https://www.amazon.com/Not-Alone-Parents-Navigating-Illness/dp/1737563932
Find reources and help at National Alliance on Mental Illness:
https://nami.org/Home
Enjoy!
If you would like to get news and updates from me, go to https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
More episodes of the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast are available on Apple Podcast here: https://apple.co/30UFFW3
In this special, audio episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism, my son Joseph takes the mic and shares his experience of writing our upcoming book Mother's Guide Through Autism/Through the Eyes of the Guided.
Our book gives two different perspectives of going through the autism journey: mine being the mother's and Joseph's perspective being the one who lived it.
He talks about why he agreed to team up with me and what he was able to accomplish by writing his part of the book.
Enjoy!
Sign up for our book waitlist here so you don't miss my sneak peek updates and the book launch: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/book
If you would like to get news and updates from me, go to https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
More episodes of the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast are available on Apple Podcast here: https://apple.co/30UFFW3
I am so excited to share that my book Mother's Guide Through Autism is coming soon!
This book, written by me and my son Joseph, offers two distinct perspectives. In part one of the book, I share my journey and lead mothers through a journey to heal their own hearts. In part two of the book, “Through the Eyes of the Guided”, Joseph offers insight into his experience living with autism.
Writing this book has been one of the most extraordinary experiences of our autism journey and I want to share how we came to write this book together.
Enjoy!
Sign up for our book waitlist here so you don't miss my sneak peek updates and the book launch: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/book
If you would like to get news and updates from me, go to https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
I celebrate my son Joseph turning 30 this month!
In this episode, I wanted to share some thoughts and reflections and what has helped me during difficult times along the way.
These past 30 years have been full of growth as a human being for me. I have evolved into a much kinder, patient, and loving person because of my son.
He has taught me more than I could ever have taught him. He teaches with love and grace. I am filled with gratitude for my autism parenting journey with one of the most unique, delightful humans on this earth.
Thanks for picking me to be your mom. Happy 30th Birthday Joseph!
Enjoy the show!
If you would like to get news and updates from me, go to https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
When I began the autism journey with my son Joseph, I decided to speak about anything and everything I learned about autism to help my son. And I continue to do so to this day.
The more we share our stories and offer knowledge, the more we are making a difference in our society.
Let's come together not only for the month of April but each and every day to give opportunities for our children to shine their light.
Happy Autism Awareness Month!
Enjoy!
If you would like to get news and updates from me, go to https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
In this episode, I talk about the importance of having self-compassion on the autism parenting journey.
I myself lived many years without practicing self-compassion on my journey as a mother and I want to encourage all mothers to incorporate this powerful practice.
I can honestly say that if I had the understanding of what self-compassion meant and how to practice it, I would have lived a much happier life! I want you to live a happier life!
I'm going to guide you through a practice of self-compassion in this episode.
Enjoy!
If you would like to get news and updates from me, go to https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com and subscribe to my newsletter.
When I started advocating for my son Joseph, sometimes I hit a wall. Some educators and administrators at his schools were defensive or wanted nothing to do with my son.
Perhaps they were fearful or intimidated or had their own negative experiences with disabilities in the past.
Whatever the reason, what I decided to do was that I was going to be kind.
I thought if I entered a meeting with kindness, perhaps I would be heard. I knew that my requested strategies would be a win-win for all of us.
Were there times that kindness didn’t work in certain moments? YES! But what I noticed over time was that although fear was greater than kindness for some, eventually kindness would offer each person an experience that helped heal and lessen their fears.
I left those meetings being who I wanted to be, a kind person with my goals met.
In this video, I want to offer you some practical advice on how to advocate for your child on the spectrum.
Enjoy!
If you would like to get news and updates from me, go to https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
Why is kindness essential on the Autistic Spectrum Disorder journey?
Well, you probably have noticed that this autism parenting journey is no cakewalk.
It comes with a lot of daily frustration, fear, guilt, and overwhelm that can cause heavy wear and tear on your mind, body, and soul, and because of that, you need to bring a massive amount of kindness to yourself.
I talk about why you should practice kindness to yourself and guide you through one of my kindness practices in this video.
Enjoy!
If you would like to get news and updates from me, go to https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
"My child was just diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, now what?"
This is a question that is often asked by newly diagnosed parents. I can remember the immense feeling of overwhelm taking me hostage when my son Joseph’s diagnosis was confirmed.
To say my mind, body, and spirit were overloaded with fear of the future is an understatement.
There was so much to process. I processed what this diagnosis meant for my son, my family, and myself. I decided to put myself on the back burner and move to what was most important to me at the time, which was finding ways to help my son.
So I got to work--finding help for my son and advocating for him.
As you begin this process of finding help for your child, I want to share some important tips in this video.
Enjoy!
If you would like to get news and updates from me, go to https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
More episodes of the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast are available on Apple Podcast here: https://apple.co/30UFFW3
The days following hearing the words “Joseph is autistic,” were some of my darkest days. I was living with the deepest pain I had felt in my 32 years of life.
But along the way I found hope. And hope was what got me out of the deep dark forest of pain. I learned that hope is the north star. When I found hope, I learned to hold on to it.
In this episode, I show you how you can do the same to find your way out of the deep dark forest of pain.
Enjoy the episode!
If you would like to get news and updates from me, go to https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
In this episode, I talk about the grief that mothers go through when they receive their child's autism diagnosis.
Once you hear the words “Your child is Autistic,” you may feel like your world has been shattered or you may feel relief to know what you have suspected all along.
For me, it was daunting to hear that my son was going to live with a lifelong disability (this was back in 1995).
I believe grief is a part of the autism journey. I encourage developing a relationship with grief because becoming familiar with grief will strengthen your healing journey.
Enjoy this episode!
If you would like to get news and updates from me, go to https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
There were so many times in my life I wished I had a handbook on parenting (I still do at times!).
I was fearful about making the wrong decisions for my child and it got even scarier when my son Joseph was diagnosed with autism.
There were so many therapies to choose from and I was constantly seeking things to help my son.
When I connected to my love for Joseph, I was able to listen to my heart which gave me instructions on how to proceed.
I share my process and guide you through this step by step in this episode.
Enjoy!
If you would like to get news and updates from me, go to https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
In this brand new episode of 2022, I talk about using joy as a guide on this journey of raising our kids with autism.
It's so hard to have any goals or set New Year's Resolutions when you are in survival and trying to cope with the autism diagnosis of your child. (I know, because I've been there...)
My message is that you will be okay. Your child will be okay. Have hope and connect to the joy that is inside of you to carry you through.
I share some tools to connect to your joy even through life challenges.
Enjoy!
If you would like to get news and updates from me, go to https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com and subscribe to our newsletter.
In this week’s episode, Brigitte interviews Marcelle Ciampi, a respected autistic author of Everyday Asperger, to talk about her life as a late-age diagnosed woman on the spectrum and her work to promote workplace inclusion.
Marcelle is the Senior Manager at Ultranauts Inc., a fully remote engineering firm with an Autistic hiring initiative where she is credited for architecting a universal design approach to workplace inclusion.
Her knowledge is shared through training and consultancy work at Fortune 500 companies. She serves as the founder of Spectrum Suite LLC, the Co-Founder of The Diversity with Dignity Global Roundtable, and Co-Executive of neuroguides.org. Marcelle is also a contributor to the book Spectrum Women: Walking to the Beat of Autism.
Marcelle shares her story of struggling with her middle son and his eventual diagnosis of autism and her own late-age diagnosis that came much later.
She started writing about her experience of living on the spectrum and what it was like to receive a late-age diagnosis as a woman, which she turned into a blog and later, a book.
She talks about her motivation behind her advocacy work which stems from her desire for autistic people who have been bullied and told they need to be different than they are to know that they’re valuable and worthy.
She also talks about workplace inclusion and the universal design approach that she helped to architect to consider the challenges of every team member and to support them through all life circumstances and capabilities.
They discuss the obstacles to employment that autistic adults face and the broken systems that were not set up to support neurodivergent people and in what ways we can improve our recruitment process.
In addition, they talk about the importance of vulnerability in the workplace that encourages everyone to feel accepted and supported and to be able to have mature, kind, and uncomfortable conversations where everyone can express themselves safely.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:Marcelle email
marcelle@ultranauts.co
Spectrum Suite
http://www.myspectrumsuite.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/everydayaspergers/
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com
Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week's insightful episode, Brigitte interviews Greg Burns who is a system safety engineer in Australia to talk about his recent autism diagnosis in his late 50’s and his experience of living on the spectrum.
Greg shares his story of how he came to be diagnosed on the spectrum in this late 50's back in 2019. Through his online interaction with other autistic adults, he realized he had many characteristics common in autistic individuals. He was soon after diagnosed by a psychologist in his local area.
His diagnosis helped him realize that he had been masking to fit in with the neurotypical ways of communicating. He says that masking can cause stress that can be internalized and manifest as various kinds of illnesses, which he personally experienced.
He recalls his mom telling him that he didn’t develop a personality until he left home, which he believes resulted from trying to fit in and masking.
He talks about the challenges of the neurodiverse-neurotypical marriage of 30 years with his wife Robyn and how his primary motivation for getting diagnosed was to offer understanding to his wife and himself of his behaviors that distressed her so they could both get their needs met.
The diagnosis provided much understanding for how his thinking would be different from most people’s thinking and what would make him stand out.
He also talks about how his autistic traits, such as focus and attention to detail, have helped in his successful engineering career.
He shares his poem called "My Language" which expresses frustration and sadness of how autistic people are not being understood.
Finally, he shares what he wants us to know most about being autistic.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:Embrace Autismhttps://embrace-autism.com/what-its-like-to-be-autistic/
Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/EmbraceASD.Community/
Poetic Christi
http://poeticachristi.org.au/
"My Language" Poem
https://the-art-of-autism.com/my-language/
Mother's Guide Through Autism Private FB Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week’s episode, Brigitte interviews Sandra Kwesell, a child development expert and the founder of the Pillars for Success® parenting program, to talk about the parenting principles that can bring out the positive responses in our children.
Sandra has worked with children and families in just about every setting on Earth, ranging from preschools and public schools to day treatment and residential settings, to youth prisons and everywhere in between.
She has degrees in Elementary Ed., Special Ed., and Counseling and has combined her knowledge and experience to create the Pillars for Success® parenting program, designed to empower and support families with the insights, rules, and tools to move from a journey of heartache and frustration to a journey of solutions and celebration.
Sandra shares the tragic story of her brother’s suicide at a young age which lead her to pursue a career in human health and development. This devastating and shocking event has pushed her to dedicate her career to help in any way to prevent similar tragedies from happening in other families.
With over decades of research and experience in education and counseling, Sandra has developed her parenting program based on effective parenting principles she discovered.
She talks about 3 major reasons why challenging and defiant behaviors occur in our children and explains that in almost all cases, children are trying to satisfy the needs of these 3 categories.
She goes over the principles and concepts behind the Pillars for Success® parenting program that can give us a better understanding of our children’s challenging behaviors and how we can empower ourselves to support our children’s needs.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:Pillars for Success
https://www.pillarsforsuccess.com/
9 Pillars of Successful Parenting
https://amzn.to/3iHQWhJ
Pillars for Success Course Workbook
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1725977702/
Mother's Guide Private Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week's episode, Brigitte interviews Patricia Lemer, an author of three books including Outsmarting Autism, to talk about transitioning kids on the spectrum into adulthood.
Patricia Lemer is a Licensed Professional Counselor, and practiced as an educational diagnostician in the Washington, DC area for over 40 years. She was a co-founder and served as Executive Director of Developmental Delay Resources (DDR), an international, non-profit organization for 20 years.
Ms. Lemer and Brigitte talk about the estimated 800,000 adults that are entering adulthood needing support services and how we as a society need to prepare for a very wide range of kids with different abilities entering post-secondary education and employment.
Ms. Lemer says that transition is a huge team sport that involves schools, government, social service agencies, parents, and the child and we need to look at the developmental level of each child instead of their chronological age by giving them a functional assessment to see where the child is in many different areas including nutrition, finances, personal hygiene, sensory skills, and social skills.
She tells us about the alternate options to traditional college and employment that include internships, college-like programs, day programs, colleges with monitored apartments with “house parents,” farm programs, and multigenerational communities with jobs.
She talks about the innovative businesses that parents of kids with autism are creating to employ adults on the spectrum like Rising Tide Car Wash and The Chocolate Spectrum.
Ms. Lemer says to help kids find ways to use their obsessions and passions in a productive way and to harness their technical skills to make a vocation out of it.
Finally, she addresses the slightly controversial topic of the neurodiversity movement and its positive and possibly negative aspects.
You can find Ms. Lemer's books Outsmarting Autism: Build Healthy Foundations for Communication, Socialization, and Behavior at All Ages , Outsmarting Autism: The Ultimate Guide to Management, Healing and Prevention (now available in Italian), and EnVisioniong a Bright Future: Interventions that Work for Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders wherever books are sold.
You can also listen to her biweekly webcast radio podcast, "The Autism Detectives" on www.HealthyLife.net.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:
Patricia Lemer Website
https://www.patricialemer.com/
Patricia Lemer Email
developdelay@gmail.com
Outsmarting Autism
https://www.outsmartingautism.com/
Autism Detective Podcast
http://www.healthylife.net/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week's wonderfully helpful episode, Brigitte interviews Madeleine Woolgar, a speaker and parent coach to talk about how parents can reduce daily battles with their children.
Madeleine began to work with families with children on the spectrum over ten years ago. Her work focuses on shifting the moms' mindset so they can go from guilt-ridden and stressed out to creative and clear-thinking and better able to take care of all that they need for their child.
Madeleine talks about the common daily battles that parents engage in with their children like tantrums and control battles and how important it is for us to understand why these battles occur in the first place. She urges us to get into the head of the child to understand what they need in the moment.
In addition to understanding our child's why in doing what they do, Madeleine says that it's important to understand why you’re having the kind of reaction you’re having to your child’s behavior so that you can uncover hidden thoughts and beliefs that may be causing you to be more reactive.
She explains why parenting strategies often don’t work and why working on your mindset is key to reducing battles with your child.
She tells us to become aware of our thoughts and ask, “What was I thinking about myself in the difficult moment?”
She also says that we need to give ourselves as much grace as we can in these moments of difficulty. She says to start with yourself in giving compassion because if you’re stressed, you cannot stay calm in challenging situations.
She leaves us with this advice: Reach out for help if you're struggling.
Enjoy!
Resources/Links5 Ways to Reduce Daily Battles
www.mumswhothrive.com/dailybattles
Heartled Mums for Strong-Willed Children Facebook Group
www.facebook.com/groups/heartledmums
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mentormadeleine
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mentormadeleine/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week’s insightful episode, Brigitte interviews Martin Silvertant, an award-winning graphic designer, co-founder, researcher, and blogger at Embrace Autism to talk about his personal journey of growing up with autism without knowing it and being diagnosed at 25.
Martin shares his story of how he had an inkling that he was different as a teenager. He knew he had a hard time relating to people before that but when he turned 12 it seemed that his awareness opened up to see how different he was from others. Before turning 12, life seemed like a movie that was playing, Martin recalls.
He remembers that their classmates were relating to each other in ways that were not intuitive to him at all and that confused him. He had to put in a lot of effort to know how to respond and to understand what was socially appropriate. He didn’t know anything about autism at the time but he knew he was different in some way.
When he was 19, he found a website that listed a long list of symptoms of Asperger Syndrome and he was absolutely shocked that the whole list described him exactly how he was. He was later officially diagnosed at 25.
He tells how he was more focused on concepts and activities than people and not wanting to have social interactions growing up. He explains that autistic people don’t get dopamine from social interactions like neurotypical individuals do but instead get dopamine from pursuing special interests.
He recalls one of his birthdays where his parents thought he was not happy with the gift he received because he did not show a lot of excitement although in fact, he was happy with the gift. He realized that he did not show his emotions in the way that he was expected, and in order to please his parents, he learned to “act up” his emotions especially on birthdays. Oftentimes, he felt like he had to put up an act even with his parents.
He says that the biggest struggle he faced on this journey was not having a sense of belonging, feeling different, and feeling wrong. He beat himself up for that until he later realized that he’s not equally good at everything but his brain is specialized in some ways and he is good at other things.
As an adult, he now feels he is living more authentically because he has learned to seek out situations where he can be more authentic and has gotten more comfortable with being himself.
He attributes his creative talent to having great attention to detail which is common among autistic people. He feels that his strength is his creative process and that he is able to generate ideas easily and make connections and have insight in subjects that a lot of people don’t necessarily do.
He also talks about why eye contact is difficult for autistic people and people with alexithymia (which is common in autistic people).
His advice to autistic adults is to be themselves since they often camouflage or mask themselves to fit in or to be liked.
Martin gives this advice to parents of autistic individuals: question your own assumptions to keep showing curiosity in your child and their cognitive process. Keep asking questions and keep showing interest in your child and engage in the activities that they’re interested in.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:Embrace Autism Website
https://embrace-autism.com/
Embrace Autism Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/EmbraceAutismInc/
Embrace Autism Facebook Community Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/embraceautism.community
Mother's Guide FB Group
https://bit.ly/2R4J5kA
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week’s insightful and enlightening episode, Brigitte interviews Siena, an 18-year-old multi-award-winning neurodiversity advocate, bestselling author, and UN Young Leader for the SDGs, to talk about bullying and how to grow up awesome and autistic.
Siena recalls being different at a young age and how she struggled to make friends. She was constantly bullied and had to change schools 11 times over the course of her secondary school career. She was beaten with sticks, shoved in lockers, held out a window, called robotic, cold, freaky, weird, and psycho in every school she went to.
When she was diagnosed with autism at 12, everything made sense to her and she realized all of the bullying she experienced wasn’t her fault but it was the prejudices and stereotypes that people had and it was the problems people had in their own lives that they were taking out on her.
She says that the biggest thing we have to do is to hold bullies accountable. Although all the schools had a zero-tolerance policy, none of the bullies were held accountable even when the bullies admitted to it.
Siena doesn't see being autistic as having deficits and instead, she sees it as a strength. “My autism is a difference, not a disability," she says.
Siena says that the biggest misconception people have about autism is that they are all are alike. A lot of people don’t see autistic people as leaders and see them as people who have communication struggles or who would be quiet in the corner. She hears of a lot of people who don’t get job promotions or don’t get the leadership roles they deserve because of the misconception.
She says that another misconception is that more males have autism. She explains that autism presents differently for girls and women and they are great at masking and pretending to be neurotypical.
Siena started Quantum Leap Mentoring when she was 13 because there was a lack of resources for neurodiverse individuals who are going through school. This website offers many articles on autism and how to thrive in school.
She talks about her book The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Guide: How To Grow Up Awesome and Autisticwhich offers resources and practical advice for autistic girls. She almost didn’t write this book due to her busy schedule but she knew she had to write it when she realized that there wasn’t any book available for autistic girls that was written by an autistic girl.
Siena offers this advice to autistic individuals: Learn as much about yourself as possible and see your autism as a strength and focus on the positive areas and learn how autism really affects you.
Her advice to mothers of kids with autism: Broaden your idea of what happiness is. Know that your child might have different preferences and ways they can be happy.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:
Siena's Website
https://www.sienacastellon.com/
Quantum Leap Mentoring
https://www.qlmentoring.com/
Twitter
https://twitter.com/qlmentoring?lang=en
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/qlmentoring/
The Spectrum Girl's Survival Guide
https://amzn.to/3xIa1pH
Mother's Guide Through Autism Private FB Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week's amazing episode, Brigitte interviews Dr. Stephanie Vavilala, a licensed mental health counselor, the founder of Awetism Wonderland, and a mother of a 9-year-old girl who has autism and is nonverbal. Dr. Stephanie has a mission to provide support for children on the spectrum, as well as their families.
Dr. Stephanie shares her story of struggling to conceive for 5 years with 6 rounds of IVF treatment and 3 miscarriages, and finally giving birth to Sabita who was her miracle child and an absolute joy to her.
Sabita was diagnosed to be on the spectrum after she turned one. Wanting to find solutions to help her daughter, Dr. Stephanie went back to school and became a Board Certified Behavioral Therapist.
Realizing how hard it was for parents to find services for their children in her county, she decided to add ABA Therapy to her existing company Therapeutic Expressions which offered mental health services.
She immersed herself in the work of helping other kids like Sabita, and that became her life focus for many years. Although she loved it, she lost herself along the way from neglecting to take care of herself. That is when she realized that she needed to create a community for special needs moms.
She then created Flamingle, a local support group for special needs moms to have fun and play and to support each other.
She is now very passionate about making life easier for special needs families through the use of technologies and with resources and support that she herself has found helpful in empowering her own daughter to unleash her full potential.
Dr. Stephanie recently pulled Sabita out of school to get her homeschooled because Sabita was not getting what she needed from the current school curriculums.
Knowing the needs of other children like Sabita, Dr. Stephanie decided to create Awetism Wonderland, which is an autism therapy center opening up this fall in St. Augustine, FL.
Awetism Wonderland is a comprehensive center with everything for autism therapy--OT, PT, ABA, Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Play Therapy, Baking Therapy, and many more.
The center was created to give kids like Sabita a place of different types of learning environments with a strength-based approach that provides social interaction as well as functional academic skills and life vocational skills. This center will provide support for kids on the spectrum as well as their parents, siblings, and peers.
Dr. Stephanie has also recently published a beautiful children's book called Sabita Finds Her Voice which is about her daughter finding her voice through technology. She shares two of the communication apps that have been helpful for Sabita.
She leaves us with this advice: Trust your gut, take care of yourself, reach out to a community, and advocate wherever you go and educate others!
Resources/Links:
Dr. Stephanie Website
https://stephanievavilala.com/
Therapeutic Expressions
https://therapeuticexpressions.com/
Awetism Wonderland
https://awetismwonderland.com/
Sabita Speaks
https://www.sabitaspeaks.org/
Sabita Finds Her Voice
https://amzn.to/34ws0mp
Verbal Victor
https://bit.ly/3oYGd57
Proloquo2go
https://apple.co/3vyn24O
Mother's Guide FB Group
https://bit.ly/2R4J5kA
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this special episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism, Brigitte's son Joseph Shipman takes the mic to share what he's learned in the last 29 years of living on the autism spectrum.
This episode is for mother guides, father guides, guardians, and young people living on the autism spectrum who want to gain knowledge and insight about living an authentic, meaningful, and fulfilling life.
Joseph shares 7 important things for parents and autistic people to remember to create an authentic, meaningful, and fulfilling life including taking risks, having life responsibility, figuring out who you are and what you want, making mistakes, and more.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week’s inspiring episode, Brigitte interviews Yenn Pukis, an autistic and non-binary author, advocate, public speaker, and community leader, to talk about building resilience for preteens and teens on the autism spectrum.
Yenn has published 9 books including The Parents’ Practical Guide to Resilience for Preteens and Teenagers on the Autism Spectrum and The Guide to Good Mental Health on the Autism Spectrum and has presented as a speaker at a range of events including TEDx Canberra.
Yenn was one of the first people to be diagnosed as adult with autism in Australia back in 1994 when it was called Asperger Syndrome.
They recall being bullied a lot in school and struggling socially although they did well academically. They ended up getting into trouble with the law and life became extremely difficult for them. They developed a mental illness at 21 called Schizoaffective disorder due to self-medicating and drugs.
At 25, no longer wanting their life to be negative and chaotic, they set about to change their world. “I want to put things in the world to make it better, not worse. And when I leave it, I want to leave it in a better way than it was,“ Yenn says passionately.
They went on to university and earned three degrees including a Master’s in Visual Art and obtained a highly sought-after job in the Australian public service 14 years ago. They became an autism employment success story.
They became a passionate autism advocate after meeting a 21-year old autistic man she would call Adam whom she met in the psychiatric ward when she was there for her mental illness.
Adam had been told all that he couldn’t do and he was so limited by other people’s negative expectations that he spent the past 6 years sitting in his room playing computer games and not engaged in anything. He had no confidence in himself and had no understanding that he had anything to offer in the world. Moved to do something about this, Yenn published a book called The Wonderful World of Work, and shortly after, she was asked to give a TED Talk.
Yenn has written more books that are focused on positive self-knowledge of autistic people to help individuals like Adam.
They are now one of the most visible autistic advocates in the world and they feel that they are living proof of what people can achieve and what strengths autistic people can bring to the world with motivation and passion.
They share some of the biggest struggles young autistic people face and keys to help them build resilience during difficult times.
They also give great advice to parents on how to help their autistic kids navigate through high school and employment.
Finally, Yenn tells us to have the neurodiversity lens, listen to autistic people to understand autistic people, be an ally, and encourage our kids to ask questions.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources and Links:Yenn Website
http://jeanettepurkis.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/yennpurkisbooks
Twitter
https://twitter.com/yennpurkisMother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week's highly informative and inspiring episode, Brigitte interviews Dr. Robert Melillo, one of the world’s most sought after and respected experts on neurobehavioral disorders and learning disabilities, to talk about the primary issue that he says is behind many of the neurological disorders including autism and ADHD.
Dr. Melillo has written 5 best-selling books including Disconnected Kids which has been translated into 8 languages. He also created Brain Balance Achievement Centers which has approximately 150 centers and has helped tens of thousands of families.
He shares his journey of diving deep into research on various neurological conditions when his wife sought his help for a friend who had a child with autism and discovered that his own son had ADHD shortly after.
Not knowing how to help and not finding much help from his colleagues either, he spent 10 years researching to find the answers he was looking for and finally developed a brain balancing program to help the friend's son, his own son, and many other children.
He explains that functional dysfunction--a developmental imbalance that makes two hemispheres of the brain not communicate properly--is behind most of the neurological disorders we see today and in autism, there is usually a developmental delay in the right hemisphere of the brain whereas it's the left hemisphere of the brain in dyslexia. He says that it’s all about the functional connection and functional disconnectivity, however the specific condition presents itself as.
He further explains the functions of the right brain and the left brain and how they develop in our early years and why people with autism typically don’t hear the tone and inflection of voice and have difficulty forming attachment and personal relationships with others and maintaining them.
He goes on to explain what is causing it all and how we can reverse the skyrocketing increase in these conditions.
He talks about his at-home brain balance program, which is offered in his book Disconnected Kids, that can help parents understand what’s happening in their child’s brain and help them do things using different types of stimulation including exercises to get rid of retained primitive reflexes and stimulate one side of the brain or the other as well as incorporating diet and nutrition.
He also shares some inspiring success stories where children had remarkable improvement in their conditions from participating in his program.
He tells parents not to listen to people who tell them there is nothing they can do about their child’s condition. He says that in most cases, the conditions can completely go away or be significantly improved.
He also offers some wise advice to parents on improving and maintaining the well-being of their children.
Finally, he leaves us with this message for parents with adults children with autism, "it's never too late."
Enjoy this Episode!
Resources/Links:Dr. Robert Melillo Website
https://www.drrobertmelillo.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/DrRobertMelillo/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/DrRobertMelillo/Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte's Website:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week's episode, Brigitte talks about having and cultivating self-compassion to be more forgiving, loving, compassionate, understanding, and kinder as a human being to ourselves and to others.
Brigitte explains what self-compassion means to her and what it might look like, and talks about the 3 areas she is focusing on to cultivate self-compassion:
- Paying attention to self-talk
- Being kinder to herself when she falls short
- Nurture mind, body, and spirit in the form of self-care
She also talks about rest and "adult recess" as forms of self-care.
She is starting a year of self-compassion and inviting you to join her on this journey.
She ends with one question to ask yourself to reflect on where you are as you begin this journey to self-love and self-compassion.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte's Website:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week's episode, Brigitte shares what her son Joseph wrote on World Autism Awareness Day to bring more awareness and understanding to autism.
Brigitte says that awareness is the beginning of understanding that brings us all the ability to move forward with love and grace and that this applies in all the areas of our life that we are navigating to live authentically.
She shares that her awareness has grown deeper from the words of her son. His words inspire her to live with the intention of being kinder, notice the beauty in each person, and be the highest version of herself.
She hopes that his words will inspire you and that you take your own awareness with you and that you put it out into the world.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte's Website:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week's episode, Brigitte talks about the fear of the future for our children that often shows up strong for mothers of children with autism.
Brigitte is no stranger to fearful thoughts that weighed her down like a bag of rocks for decades. Her fearful thoughts ranged from "What if my son never talks?" to "He will never find love," to "What would happen to my son when I’m gone?" and many more.
To alleviate the fear of "What would happen to my son when I’m gone?" Brigitte had told herself, "I have to make sure I don’t die until I know my boys will be okay."
Fear was taking up so much of her energy that she didn't have much energy left.
The truth is, she knew she had no control over what their future was going to be but she still carried the heavyweight of fear for decades.
Later, as Joseph got older, she was able to see that he could be independent one day and the regrets came over her. What if I could’ve seen that possibility back when he was 3? What if I could’ve seen into the future and just realize that he was going to be okay?She now knows that she could've been more present if she wasn't so occupied by her fear and wishes that she had a way to shift her fear the way she is able to now.
She shares her practice of calming her fear and urges you to take up this daily practice to shift your own fear of the future for your child.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte's Website:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week's insightful episode, Brigitte interviews Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht about her experience of being diagnosed with autism at 48 and her perspective of living with autism.
Dr. Natalie is a late-diagnosed, registered psychotherapist practicing for over twenty-five years to help individuals with autism reach their potential.
She is also a founder and blogger at Embrace ASD which offers evidence-based articles on a variety of autism topics including the latest autism research, and resources to help individuals with autism.
She shares her experience of being diagnosed with autism at age 48 in 2017 and how her first reaction was joy because it gave her the much-needed understanding of who she was.
She tells how prior to being diagnosed, she felt a lot of shame and felt like she was always wrong and apologizing for who she was. It was difficult for her to maintain friendships and being in groups and she felt broken before the diagnosis. “I didn’t see myself as different. I saw myself as wrong,” Dr. Natalie says.
Once she understood that she had autism, everything started to change and things other people found peculiar in the past made sense to her.
She shares the beautiful and profound manifesto (which you can find on her website Embrace ASD) she wrote a few days after her diagnosis, in which she says she can choose to see herself as having superpowers and she chooses to embrace ASD.
She also offers new insight into the empathic capacity of autistic people and talks about the double empathy problem to help us bridge the gap in communication between neurotypical individuals and autistic individuals.
In addition, she explains 3 reasons symptoms are different in girls and women.
Finally, she gives advice on how to best support our loved ones with autism and encourages us to always approach with curiosity.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:
Embrace ASD
https://embraceasd.com/
Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte's Website:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this fourth and final installment of the 4-part series Self Compassion, Brigitte and Dr. Michelle Trias discuss the importance of sleep and how we can establish a solid sleep routine for our wellbeing.
Dr. Michelle explains that during sleep, your brain stores new information and get rid of toxic waste, your body repairs cells, restores energy, and releases molecules like hormones and proteins, and you get a boost in your immune system so you get sick less often and have more energy throughout the day.
Dr. Michelles also says that sleep is a vital player in your ability to regulate hormones that control appetite and metabolism as well as to lower your stress and improve your mood, and to help you focus and think more creatively.
Brigitte and Dr. Michelle talk about the importance of getting into a good sleep routine, which can set you up for a great night’s sleep, which can set you up for a great morning, and therefore set you up for a great day.
They offer some Do's and Don'ts before bedtime and tips on how to go back to sleep should you wake up in the middle of the night.
Enjoy this episode!
Dr. Michelle Trias is a graduate from the University of Central Florida and completed her Doctorate in traditional naturopathy from the New Eden School of Natural Health and Herbal studies. Whether it's digestive discomfort, skin conditions, cholesterol, or fatigue, natural foods and herbs are the way back to better health. Dr. Michelle is on a mission to help you heal your gut and help you take control of your health and wellness.
Resources and Links:
Dr. Michelle Websitehttps://mynaturowellness.com/
Dr. Michell Email
drmichelle@mynaturowellness.com
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mynaturowellness/
Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte's Website:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this third installment of the 4-part series Self Compassion, Brigitte and Dr. Michelle Trias discuss how our use of social media is causing many of us to have anxiety and depression and what we need to do to counter that.
Research shows that frequent social media users have been shown to have worse mental health than low or no social media users. Social media users that have negative interactions have higher levels of depression and people who use 3 more social media sites are more likely to have anxiety.
Dr. Michelles says that the negative interactions that we have on social media are having detrimental effects on our mental health and we are also often using social media to measure our self-worth, which can lead to anxiety and depression.
She also says that internal self-loathing begins to happen when you are exposed to hateful comments by others on social media.
They offer some simple social media strategies to counter the negative effects and lower anxiety and how to boost your self-worth.
"Remember that the opinion that matters the most is the opinion you have for yourself," Dr. Michelle says.
Enjoy this episode!
Dr. Michelle Trias is a graduate from the University of Central Florida and completed her Doctorate in traditional naturopathy from the New Eden School of Natural Health and Herbal studies. Whether it's digestive discomfort, skin conditions, cholesterol, or fatigue, natural foods and herbs are the way back to better health. Dr. Michelle is on a mission to help you heal your gut and help you take control of your health and wellness.
Dr. Michelle's Face Mask Recipe:
1 teaspoon of honey
1 teaspoon of coconut oil
1/4 ripe avocado
2 drops of lavender oil
Resources and Links:
Dr. Michelle Websitehttps://mynaturowellness.com/
Dr. Michell Email
drmichelle@mynaturowellness.com
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mynaturowellness/
Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte's Website:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this second installment of the 4-part series Self Compassion, Brigitte Shipman and Dr. Michelle Trias discuss how healing the emotional aspects of ourselves is key to healing whatever condition we may have, and how loving ourselves is an important component of that process.
Dr. Michelle explains that in order to achieve optimal health and wellbeing, we have to look at the whole person including past history, traumas, relationships, and heartbreaks to get to the "why" of illnesses.
She tells us that the number one killer for women is heart disease, which she believes is intricately linked to emotions in many cases.
She shares a story where she started crying when she kept hearing "You are enough" from an instructor in a yoga class. She says that many of us consciously or unconsciously carry the belief that we are not good enough moms, we are not doing enough, or in some way "not enough" and that we need to incorporate daily practices to love ourselves.
They talk about the importance of positive self-talk which can release the happiness hormone in the body and remembering that "we are not our thoughts" when negative self-talk pops up in our head.
Enjoy this episode!
Dr. Michelle Trias is a graduate from the University of Central Florida and completed her Doctorate in traditional naturopathy from the New Eden School of Natural Health and Herbal studies. Whether it's digestive discomfort, skin conditions, cholesterol, or fatigue, natural foods and herbs are the way back to better health. Dr. Michelle is on a mission to help you heal your gut and help you take control of your health and wellness.
Resources/Links:Dr. Michelle Websitehttps://mynaturowellness.com/
Dr. Michell Email
drmichelle@mynaturowellness.com
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mynaturowellness/
Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this first installment of the 4-part series Self Compassion, Brigitte and Dr. Michelle Trias discuss how chronic stress can contribute to numerous illnesses and the importance of adopting practices to reduce stress in our daily lives as mothers.
Dr. Michelle explains what happens physiologically when we are experiencing stress and the possible consequences that can result from chronic stress including hair loss, hypertension, poor digestion, adrenal fatigue.
"Stress can literally kill you because it starts to wear down on your body," Dr. Michelle says.
She shares 3 simple practices that she uses to reduce stress in her own life and offers them to you to start incorporating into your life. These practices will help to calm and relax the mind, handle pressure and unmet expectations, and recover when we fall into the "pool."
Enjoy this episode!
Dr. Michelle Trias is a graduate from the University of Central Florida and completed her Doctorate in traditional naturopathy from the New Eden School of Natural Health and Herbal studies. Whether it's digestive discomfort, skin conditions, cholesterol, or fatigue, natural foods and herbs are the way back to better health. Dr. Michelle is on a mission to help you heal your gut and help you take control of your health and wellness.
Resources/Links:Dr. Michelle Websitehttps://mynaturowellness.com/
Dr. Michell Email
drmichelle@mynaturowellness.com
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mynaturowellness/
Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week's episode, Brigitte interviews Dr. Sarah Lane, a Developmental Optometrist who specializes in working with children who struggle with the development of their visual skills and visual processing abilities.
Dr. Lane offers Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation to children and adults in her community and is a creator of Meaningful Moves which are a collection of exercises designed for parents and caregivers to easily use with babies to help optimize the development of sensory and motor skills.
She tells how Developmental Optometry found her when she started developing vision problems in 2nd grade. She struggled with reading and learning but she somehow made it through doing things differently from her classmates and sister and always making the high honor roll.
When she got to optometry school, she had frequent headaches that resulted from switching from looking at a board far away to looking at her notes. She was diagnosed with a vision problem—problem with focusing and two-eye coordination—and was recommended to do vision therapy, which she had never heard of. She changed her career path to help others who had vision problems that could be helped with vision therapy.
Along the way, she became a student of yoga and movement and as her vision improved with vision therapy, yoga, and movement, she started to ponder the question of how does the organization and movement of the body impact the visual system.
She brings a lot of learning to her optometry session with her clients including MNRI, Feldenkrais Method, Pilate, and Yoga as she believes in the importance of having a holistic approach and putting a lot of different pieces together that over time allow us to create the shift we desire.
She shares a success story of a boy in 7th grade who struggled to do what teachers wanted him to do exactly in the way they wanted. When he came to see her, she discovered that he was seeing double pretty much all the time and that double vision was related to the stress within his body. She brought in different modalities and body movement to balance the nervous system and now moving into high school, he is no longer seeing double and able to articulate what’s happening because of the tools he gained.
Dr. Lane's goal is to teach a person how their visual system works and to teach them tools to continuously maintain organization within the visual system. She helps them to have an experience that gets them more connected with how their eyes and visual system works.
She also talks about Meaningfull Moves, a program of exercises that parents can do with their children that set the foundation for sensory, motor, and visual development that include 5 areas of movement--Hand, Feet, Side to Side, Up and Down, and Upside Down.
Finally, she gives us this advice, “Take a deep breath and pay attention to your child and pay attention to yourself. Take one step at a time to make sure that each movement or each step gets you to a better place mind, body, and spirit.”
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:Meaningful Moveshttps://www.movewithyourbaby.com/
Focus Center for Vision and Learning
https://www.focusvisioncenter.com/
Meaningful Moves Book
https://amzn.to/3pa5lUZ
Feldenkrais
https://feldenkrais.com/
MNRI
https://masgutovamethod.com/
Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week's insightful episode, Brigitte interviews Sarah Wayland, Parent Coach, Certified Relationship Development Intervention (RDI®) Consultant, and Special Needs Care Navigator who helps parents learn how to confidently and effectively help their children with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, and other brain-based differences at home, at school, and in the community.
Sarah is a mom of two young adult sons who are on the spectrum and shares her journey of raising kids with autism.
She tells how different their diagnoses came and how differently they expressed themselves when they encountered difficulties; the older son would shut down whereas the younger son would let her know in a very conspicuous manner.
She also tells a story of how she could not sit with her son for 10 minutes without doing anything because her grief was so great in the first few years of her autism journey. She got cognitive behavioral therapy with a counselor to manage her own anxiety so she didn’t bring her own “stuff” to her interactions with her son. Once she got through, she was able to sit with him for however long she wanted to.
She now feels that she was giving him the wrong message that he wasn’t perfect and that she had to fix him, and wishes that she had enjoyed every moment she had with him and loved him for exactly who he was in those early interactions.
Sarah also shares how RDI or Relationship Development Intervention has hugely helped her to confidently and effectively help her children develop the skills they need to navigate the world. It has helped her so much that she became an RDI consultant herself.
She talks about the four core challenges of autism--co-regulation, joint attention, self-regulation, executive functioning skills--and how to use the RDI curriculum to improve these areas of functioning.
RDI helps to establish a Guiding Relationship between parents and children, which means that parents are there to be their guide and to help their children navigate life so that they can be the best version of themselves.
In RDI, parents take the guiding role in the day to day life with their kids at home to teach them the skills they need in the areas of core challenges. She gives us the example of helping her son develop joint attention by using their playtime with Pokemon toys.
One of the strategies in RDI that she found useful was to slow down. She realized that she needed to give her son time to process things and give him the chance to think through things for himself before she jumped in to help him.
Sarah likes to give parents she works with the education piece but also the strategies to help them help their children develop a sense of self-competence and self-efficacy.
In addition, she talks about the importance of allowing our kids to go at the right pace for them as opposed to going at a pace society says they need to go, as she recalls her son having anxiety in college until he was able to go at the right pace for him.
Finally, she tells you to trust yourself and listen to your child because you know better than any experts and your intuition will guide you.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:Sarah's websitehttps://guidingexceptionalparents.com/
Parenting Autism and ADHD Summits and online classes
https://thebehaviorrevolution.com/
RDI Practitioners
https://www.rdiconnect.com/
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
In this week's episode, Brigitte interviews Dr. Jeni Weis about her experience of growing up with her mother and brother both on the autism spectrum.
Dr. Jeni holds her doctorate degree in Traditional Naturopathy, and she is board certified through the American Alternative Medical Association. Her practice focuses on Autoimmune Disease, Thyroid Disorders, and finding the Root Cause of her patient's symptoms. She operates a virtual telehealth practice, seeing patients from all over the world.
Dr. Jeni recalls her childhood where she thought her mother was very different and strange compared to her friends' moms until she was about 11.
Dr. Jeni tells us how she and her mom traded roles of teacher and student and at times, it was a source of incredible frustration for Dr. Jeni. But as an adult, she is so grateful for her experiences, patience she developed, cooking skills, and for the loving, supportive mother she had, and realizes she had a wonderful and blessed childhood.
She also talks about overcoming serious health challenges through diet and lifestyle changes, which made her decide to become a doctor in Traditional Naturopathy.
She is currently in the process of creating a virtual holistic wellness center called "Eat, Move, Think" where top experts in the field of natural medicine are able to offer their knowledge and expertise in the areas of nutrition, movement, and mindset.
Finally, she reminds us of the importance of diet for our kids with autism and tells us to keep a food journal so as to avoid foods that are inflammatory for them.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:Dr. Jeni Website
https://www.drjeniweis.com/
Holistic Health Circle Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/drjeniweis
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
Please note there are some background noises in parts of the recording.
In this week's insightful and informative episode, Brigitte interviews Mary Coyle, an autism mom and homeopath who has been working with individuals with ASD, ADHD, and SPD for over 25 years to help them stimulate the self-healing mechanism.
Mary began her journey into health when her 2-year-old son was constipated and fretful and started having recurring ear infections and was put on an antibiotic repeatedly.
Shortly after that, he started losing eye contact, stopped waving and looking, and was diagnosed with ASD. He also had terrible rashes, temper tantrums, and throwups.
After making some progress with some protocols but not satisfied with the results, Mary started to wonder about the connection between toxicity and autism.
Mary was at the time working in the chemical industry and was exposed to a lot of heavy metals and chemicals and was also at a lot of construction sites. She then started reading a book on toxicology on what happens when people are exposed to too much pesticides or heavy metals.
She realized that her son had the same exact symptoms as people who were exposed to too much toxins--IQ decrement, behavioral issues, sleep problems, mood issues, cognitive decline, picky eating, pale skin, circles under the eyes. She decided to take the word autism out and replace it with the word toxicity.
She then started to put her son on a homeopathic detoxifying program and saw incredible results and she ended up becoming a homeopath because a lot of parents called her up to find out what she was doing.
Mary explains that the homeopathic detoxifying program helps mitochondria function better so that the body can repair itself. She also talks about the connection between under-functioning mitochondria and microbial overgrowth that can be prevalent in our kids.
She goes on to explain the philosophy of Homotoxicology which uses "like cures like" to move toxins out from the body while supporting the functioning of the body.
She shares some success stories of her clients who started developing expressive language after being on her protocol, and reminds parents to never give up. She says to keep finding methods to destress them and keep encouraging rehab and allowing them to be the best that they can be.
"I'm looking forward to the day when we can celebrate these sentient beings and honor them with the gifts that they have. And they should be leading us, not us leading them with how the future of the world should go," Mary tells us wisely.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:Mary's Website
http://realchildcenter.com/
Soma & RPM
https://www.halo-soma.org/
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
In this week's highly informative and eye-opening episode, Brigitte interviews Maria Rickert Hong, Certified Holistic Health Counselor and author of Almost Autism and Brain Under Attack, who has recovered her son from Sensory Processing Disorder along with a host of other health conditions.
Maria Rickert Hong is a former Wall Street equity research analyst who is now a Certified Holistic Health Counselor. She helps parents recover their children from neurodevelopmental disorders including autism, almost autism, ADHD, ADD, PDD-NOS through diet and lifestyle changes.
Her journey into health began when her first son started developing symptoms of diseases at 3 months old. As time went on he had numerous health conditions including asthma, sensory issues, constipation, and more, and was on about 10 different medications by the time he was 18 months old.
By the time he was 3 and Maria had her second son, Maria developed severe adrenal fatigue, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, bronchitis, and shingles when she wasn’t getting enough sleep from her son waking up 6 times a night. Maria ended up taking Zoloft and Ambien for insomnia but they didn’t help.
Frustrated with not getting help for her son nor herself from her conventional, western doctors, she started doing research and found nutritionist Ann Louise Gittleman and her books which led her to try out magnesium for her insomnia, which solved her sleep problem immediately.
After working with a naturopath for herself and her son and seeing significant improvement in their health, Maria decided to pay it forward and become a Holistic Health Coach.
Maria is also the Education and Media Director for Epidemic Answers, a 501(c)3 non-profit that lets parents know that recovery is possible and is the sponsoring non-profit of The Documenting Hope Project.
She lays out the roadmap for the recovery process for many disorders which includes proper nutrition and lifestyle, finding the right practitioner, and finding therapies that incorporate reflex integration. She emphasizes the importance of getting to the root causes of the issues.
"No one thing caused your child’s autism. It’s a multitude of factors. It’s a perfect storm. And because of that, there’s no one thing that will undo it. And it’s always a journey," Maria says.
She tells us it's never too late and that some adults with autism have turned things around. She also reminds moms to take good care of themselves because if they don't they can't take care of their child either.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:Maria Website
https://www.mariarickerthong.com/
Epidemic Answers
https://epidemicanswers.org/
Documenting Hope (Chirp Study)
https://documentinghope.com/
Ann Louise Gittleman
https://annlouise.com/
The Magnesium Miracles
https://amzn.to/3pYd9Kt
Sonia Story
https://www.moveplaythrive.com/
Brain Balance
https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/
College of Optometrists in Vision Development
covd.org
Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism
In this week's information-packed episode, Brigitte interviews Teresa Badillo who is a mom of an adult son with autism and a writer for The Autism Exchange and Epidemic Answers about getting to the root of the issues in autism at the biomedical level.
Teresa embarked on a mission to find alternative non-invasive biomedical, therapeutic, sensory, and educational solutions for autism after the diagnosis of her son in the early 90s. She has served on several Boards of Director: Foundation for Children with Developmental Disabilities (FCDD); The Autoimmunity Project (TAAP), Developmental Delay Resources (DDR) and currently Epidemic Answers (EA).
She has been researching and writing articles for The Autism Exchange and Epidemic Answers’ websites and consult and advise parents on biomedical protocols to autism spectrum disorders.
She shares her journey of struggling to find the answers and right therapies for her son in the '90s when there wasn't much awareness, information, or resources for autism. She recalls the story of being told that her son was going to be institutionalized and how not many doctors wanted to work with kids with autism back then.
She took whatever therapy that was available at the time, including oxygen therapy among other things, and saw improvement gradually over time. She says that autism is like peeling the layers of an onion and many layers have to be addressed at the biomedical level as well as behavioral and sensory levels.
She talks about how comorbidity is common in autism and how her son started having seizures when he entered puberty. Seizure can develop in 1 in 4 kids with autism at puberty because of the hormones that kick in around that time, she says.
She shares some of the therapeutic protocols that parents can look into to reduce the symptoms of autism.
She advises autism moms to look into the gut-brain connection and find the right help and support they need to make this journey a little easier.
She tells autism moms to never give up no matter where they are on this journey. "Body is the great healer, we just have to figure out what it needs," Teresa says.
She also tells autism moms to not dismiss their intuition even if their doctor doesn’t see what they see. "You know your child best. Find the right doctor who will work with you. Follow your gut!"
Enjoy this Episode!
Resources and Links:Teresa email
badillo9@aol.com
Epidemic Answers
https://epidemicanswers.org/
The Autism Exchange
https://www.theautismexchange.com/
Great Plains Laboratory
https://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/
Genova
https://www.gdx.net/
Julie Matthews
https://nourishinghope.com/
Dr. Nemechek
https://www.nemechekconsultativemedicine.com/
Dr. Bernard Rimland (Autism Research Institute)
https://www.autism.org/BMV Life Coach Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's informative and insightful episode, Brigitte interviews Joye Newman, author of Growing an In-Sync Child, about the importance of movement for children to become more confident and competent in everything they do.
Joye Newman is the co-author (with Carol Kranowitz) of the best-selling book, Growing an In-Sync Child: Simple, Fun Activities to Help Every Child Develop, Learn, and Grow and an expert in Perceptual Motor Development. She earned her M.A. in Education and Human Development from The George Washington University.
She integrates behavioral optometry, occupational therapy, movement, and psychology to help kids feel more comfortable in their own bodies so that they’re in control of their bodies and their bodies work for them.
She explains that children on the spectrum tend to be clumsy and not comfortable in their bodies because they are often not comfortable in their sensory or visual systems, which causes them to receive information haphazardly and react accordingly.
She talks about the importance of understanding the underlying causes of a child's inability to do certain activities and address those things first before he or she can learn to do the actual activities. She tells us that behaviors are not things we have to act against or change but what we have to learn is to understand what the behavior is saying.
She says that children are too often taught to do things when they’re not ready to learn them and if you try to get your child to do what he’s not developmentally ready to do, it becomes a splinter skill. She urges parents to meet their kids where they are and stay with them until they're comfortable and ready to move on to a new skill or activity.
Instead of thinking about how we can get these autistic children to function in the “normal” world, Joye asks us to change our perspective and concentrate on getting our kids comfortable in their own bodies. Joye says that when they're comfortable in their bodies, they’ll be able to navigate through the world just fine. But if they're not comfortable in their bodies, they can’t be expected to navigate. "Try to forget what someone else told you and let your child guide you," Joye says.
She also offers simple activities like "Hold Up the Wall" and "Paperballs" you can do with your kids at home from her In-Sync Activity Cards that incorporate "push, pull, lift, or carry" that are so important for your kid's development.
And finally, Joye leaves us with these wise words: There is no norm. Your child is not wrong. There is nothing wrong with your child. There is something different with your child. Find a way to embrace it.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources and Links:Growing an In-Sync Child Website
https://in-sync-child.com/Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/insyncchild/
BMV Life Coach Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's highly informative and powerfully enlightening episode, Brigitte speaks to Patricia Lemer, author of Outsmarting Autism, about the power of vision, which might be the missing link for the structural issues many children and adults with autism have.
Patricia Lemer is a Licensed Professional Counselor, and practiced as an educational diagnostician in the Washington, DC area for over 40 years. She was a co-founder and served as Executive Director of Developmental Delay Resources (DDR), an international, non-profit organization for 20 years.
Ms. Lemer has served as a bridge between optometry and the public for over 30 years. She is the author of many articles and podcasts on Vision Issues in Autism and ADHD.
She explains what vision is and how it's different from eyesight, which is about the clarity of seeing. She tells us that vision is about what we do with what we see and the interaction between the eyes and the brain—conceptual, organizational, imagination—that helps us to move through space without having trouble with coordination and other essential functions, which many people with autism lack.
People with autism are often having a binocular problem, she explains, where the two eyes may not be sending the brain the same message simultaneously which leads to information not being processed by the brain properly.
Lack of eye contact, which is traditionally considered psychological, may actually be the result of having double vision or inefficient vision, and cross eyes might be due to a brain-eye coordination problem although it’s often considered to be a muscle problem, Ms. Lemer says.
She also says that kids with autism are often limited in visual flexibility and inflexible behavior is a sign or symptom of inflexible vision and as we loosen up the vision, we loosen up the behavior as well.
She recommends every child with autism have a developmental vision exam with a qualified optometrist so that the underlying issues with visual processing can be addressed with vision therapy.
In addition, she goes over the 5 important steps you can take to help your child with autism function better and be the best version of himself.
And finally, she offers 3 crucial things to remember when your child gets diagnosed with autism.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources and links:Patricia Lemer Website
https://www.patricialemer.com/
Patricia Lemer Email
developdelay@gmail.com
Outsmarting Autism
https://www.outsmartingautism.com/
Autism Detective Podcast
http://www.healthylife.net/
College of Optometrists in Vision Development
https://www.covd.org/
The CHIRP Study
https://documentinghope.com/chirp-study/
Jean Ayres
https://amzn.to/3m2WB2c
Optometric Extension Program Foundation
https://www.oepf.org
“See It. Say It. Do It.” - Lynn Hellerstein
https://amzn.to/3fz65A4
“Thinking Goes to School” - Harry Wachs
https://amzn.to/375z22x
BMV Life Coach Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's information-packed episode, Brigitte interviews Dr. Will Cole about the functional medicine approach to autism.
Dr. Will Cole, IFMCP, DNM, DC, is a leading functional medicine expert who consults people around the world via webcam and locally in Pittsburgh. Named one of the top 50 functional medicine and integrative doctors in the nation, Dr. Cole specializes in clinically investigating underlying factors of chronic disease and customizing a functional medicine approach for thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, hormonal imbalances, digestive disorders, and brain problems.
He is the bestselling author of Ketotarian and The Inflammation Spectrum. Dr. Cole has also cohosted the popular podcasts goodfellas and Keto Talk and will be hosting the new podcast, The Art of Being Well, which launches in early 2021.
Dr. Cole grew up in a household where health and wellness and adaptogenic tonics were the norms of the family and he soon went into the field of integrative medicine to further pursue his passion in health and wellness.
He explains how functional medicine is different from mainstream medicine in that it combines the best of conventional and alternative medicine where it's strongly evidence-based and at the same time getting to the root cause of the problem.
He discusses the alarmingly increasing rate of autism along with conditions like Hashimoto's, autoimmune conditions, digestive disorders, and many more, and believes that there's "genetic epigenetic mismatch" where our genes have not adapted to the fast-changing environment around us, resulting in many dysfunctions we see today.
He believes that each patient is unique and requires a highly individualized approach to achieving their optimized health but he also believes that inflammation is the commonality in most cases.
He talks about the connection between gut inflammation and the dysfunction of the brain and reveals the 4 foods that are most likely to disrupt your child's microbiome and raise inflammation in their brain.
He also talks about the importance of intuition and says to not let your intuition be delegitimized even by your doctors when it comes to your health and your child's health.
Furthermore, he gently reminds moms to take good care of themselves because they simply cannot afford not to and they can only give what they have.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources and Links:Dr. Will Cole Website:
https://drwillcole.com/
Functional Medicine Website:
https://www.ifm.org/
Dr. Cole's Books:
https://drwillcole.com/ketotarian
https://drwillcole.com/the-inflammation-spectrum
https://drwillcole.com/intuitive-fasting
Dr. Cole Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/doctorwillcole/
Dr. Cole Twitter:
https://twitter.com/drwillcole
Dr. Cole Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/drwillcole/
BMV Life Coach Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's highly informative episode, Brigitte interviews Carol Stock Kranowitz who is an author of a groundbreaking book The Out-of-Sync Child about Sensory Processing Disorder.
They discuss what Sensory Processing Disorder is, how it affects children in different ways, and which therapies can help them manage their sensory issues.
Carol, a former teacher, introduced Sensory Processing Disorder to parents and educators around the world through her “Sync” series books. Carol speaks internationally about SPD's effect on learning and behavior and how families, teachers, and professionals can offer “In-Sync” experiences to support children and adolescents — at home, at school, and out and about.
She shares her unexpected journey of becoming an expert on SPD while she was working as a movement teacher at her sons’ preschool and observing kids who seemed to be "out of sync."
She worked closely with the occupational therapist who came to give a workshop at the school and started organizing the information she received to help herself and her colleagues about sensory issues, which she later turned into her first book The Out-of-Sync Child.Carol breaks down the 8 sensory systems and tells us how sensory processing issues can affect children in many different ways. She shares with us some examples of over-responsivity, under-responsivity, sensory craving, and the combination of all. She says that there are more than 29 million ways people can exhibit sensory processing disorder.
She talks about the therapies parents should look into to help their kids manage their sensory issues as well as activities they can do at home.
Finally, Carol offers parents the most important thing to remember about SPD.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources and Links:
Out-of Sync Child Website
https://out-of-sync-child.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/CarolStockKranowitz
Twitter
https://twitter.com/OutOfSyncChild
Star Institute
https://www.spdstar.org/
Irlen lenses
https://irlen.com/
In-Sync-Child Website
https://in-sync-child.com/
BMV Life Coach Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman interviews Dr. Michelle Trias to talk about the importance of self-care for all mothers but especially for autism moms.
Dr. Michelle Trias is a graduate from the University of Central Florida and completed her Doctorate in traditional naturopathy from the New Eden School of Natural Health and Herbal studies. She is passionate about helping people find their way back to health through natural foods and herbs.
Dr. Michelle defines self-care as taking steps each day to help your mind, body, and spirit so that you feel regenerated and rejuvenated and ready to take on the next part of the day.
She tells how easy it is for autism moms to end up in a place of upset and resentment because they keep giving to other people without getting their own cup refilled--they keep giving from a depleted place.
She says that your ability to be present in the moment is hampered unless you spent time loving yourself doing self-care on a regular basis.
She shares her own experience with her children when she lacked patience and understanding because her self-care tank was empty. She makes sure to fill her own cup daily so that she is able to have more patience and understanding in difficult situations. "More I love myself, the more patience, the more understanding I have," Dr. Michelle says.
She urges autism moms to nurture themselves the way they nurture their children because when there is no love in the tank, there is no love to give and the person who is ultimately responsible for the love that is in their cup is them.
She offers tips on how to implement self-care even when you think you don't have time and what foods to eat to relieve stress and anxiety.
She reminds moms that they are the heartbeat of their house and what happens to them will affect everyone else in every way, emotionally and physically.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources and Links:Dr. Michelle Website
https://mynaturowellness.com/
Dr. Michelle Email
drmichelle@mynaturowellness.com
Dr. Michelle Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mynaturowellness/
Dr. Michelle Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mynaturowellness/BMV Life Coach Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
Brigitte Shipman and her son Joseph continue the conversation on Joseph's postsecondary life and share their lessons and insight they gained from the experience.
Joseph is a 28-year old who is an adult on the autism spectrum and offers his perspective on what the transition into adulthood was like.
He talks about "Indecision Paralysis" that he often found himself in, faced with a myriad of choices about what to do with his life.
Tune in to this candid conversation between mother and son to peak into their life of living with autism.
Enjoy!
BMV Life Coach Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman and her son Joseph candidly talk about the life after postsecondary education.
Joseph who is a 28-year old living with autism shares his experience of going through a period of trial and error trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life.
He talks about being put on academic probation at a community college from failing classes he was not interested in, having a 6-month period of doing "nothing", and having a sense of not even knowing what the problem was.
Brigitte and Joseph both look back at this period in his life and offer mother's and son's perspectives about the process of transitioning into adulthood.
Enjoy this episode!
BMV Life Coach Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's informative episode, Brigitte interviews Sarah Kennedy who is a certified life coach for parents and supporters of LGBTQIA+ youth as well as an occupational therapist specializing in sensory integration.
In addition to having two children on the autism spectrum, Sarah herself was diagnosed with autism as an adult and has sensory processing challenges and brings a unique lens to the individual experiences we each have within the world.
She works with many parents to help them create a suitable home sensory environment for their children on the spectrum or with sensory challenges.
She offers some strategies to implement at home as many parents are homeschooling during these challenging times. She encourages parents to take care of themselves first and then try to identify if their child is a sensory seeker or a sensory avoider. That would in turn help them to find ways to help their child regulate their sensory processing.
She reminds us to know that our child is perfect for this world and there is a hole in this world exactly the size of our child that our child is going to fit and that their purpose is so amazing.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:Sarah Kennedy Coaching
https://sarahkennedycoaching.com/
Sarah Email
sarahkennydycoaching@gmail.com
Out of Synch Child
https://out-of-sync-child.com/
BMV Life Coach Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this special episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism, Brigitte Shipman and her son Joseph Shipman celebrate the one year anniversary of the podcast.
They share their reflection and insight they gained in the last year from creating and producing this podcast together as well as their hope for the future.
Make sure to tune in till the end to learn how to enter the FREE giveaway for the first edition, signed copy of Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin.
Enjoy!
Resources/Links:
BMV Life Coach Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's insightful episode, Brigitte Shipman interviews Lorraine Murray, the founder of the Connected Kids program, who has been practicing meditation for over 30 years and has been teaching it since 2003.
She started teaching meditation to kids and teens to give young people skills to reduce stress, anxiety, and to build their self-esteem. She is the author of two bestselling books, Calm Kids and Connected Kids: Help Kids with Special Needs Shine with Mindful, Heartfelt Activities.She shares her own journey of starting a meditation practice as an adult to cope with difficult feelings that arose from challenging childhood and how it helped her move through the grief of losing her mother.
She is passionate about sharing the practice of meditation with both mothers and their children since whatever the mother is feeling is easily felt by her child--especially the ones on the spectrum--and the grounded and calm energy she cultivates through meditation can have positive effects on her child.
She says that practicing meditation doesn’t mean that you won’t ever be stressed but the ability for recovery and self-regulation will be stronger with meditation. It can also be a calming and connecting activity for both you and your child to do together. Meditation can offer both you and your child a toolkit to reduce stress and anxiety, she tells.
She talks about the importance of self-compassion and how to turn inward to bring acceptance to our feelings instead of avoiding them and reminds us to not rush and cultivate for ourselves a sense of wonder and curiosity kids have.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:
Teach Children Meditation
https://teachchildrenmeditation.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/teachchildrenmeditation/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/connectedkids/?hl=en
Twitter
https://twitter.com/meditation4kids
Insight Timer App
https://insighttimer.com/
Self-Compassion Meditation
https://self-compassion.org/
BMV Life Coach Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's informative episode, Brigitte Shipman interviews Nancy Kling, the founder and director of Behavior Pluswho has worked with children with challenging behavior since 1992.
Nancyhas extensive training and experience with autism spectrum disorders and a wide variety of behavior issues. She is an author of the book The Cup Kid: Parenting a Child with Meltdowns.
She explains what's happening with a child with a tantrum using an analogy of a cup where their cup becomes full of sensory and emotional overload. A lot of kids don’t realize that their cup is getting too full so they don’t step away and the cup runs over.
She tells us that If we can figure out what’s going in the cup and what empties their cup, we can do whatever we need to do to help them chill out before it runs over.
She advises parents to come up with a list of cup fillers as much as they can and to also pay attention to what kids do when they have time on their own because what they do will be a cup emptier for them.
Understanding what goes on in situations where a cup kid tends to have a meltdown will help to make necessary changes to prevent meltdowns before they happen.
She shares a success story where they incorporated the strategy of jumping to help a boy on the spectrum manage his meltdowns in school and at home.
Finally, she offers advice to autism moms to stand strong and help their child find their “thing” that they like and they’re good at and cultivate that because their self-esteem comes from doing things they like and that they’re good at.
She emphasizes the importance of focusing more on what they can do than what they can’t do. "It’s important to focus on the strengths they have and to continue to develop those skills," Nancy says.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:
Behavior Plus
http://behaviorplus.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Behavior-Plus-206325446056498/
Email
nancy@behaviorplus.com
Visual Timer
https://www.timetimer.com/
BMV Life Coach Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism, Brigitte Shipman interviews Alicia Trautwein who is the creator of The Mom Kind, writer, advocate, motivational speaker, and mom of three autistic children.
On her blog The Mom Kind, she shares the ups and downs of raising three autistic children while being on the autism spectrum herself, along with providing valuable resources to autism parents.
She shares her personal journey of growing up with autism but not knowing she had it and being diagnosed after her children's diagnoses of autism at the age of 33.
Her autism diagnosis as an adult has helped her to bring more self-acceptance and understanding to her childhood as well as her current challenges.
She shares what it might be like to have three children on the spectrum and how everybody’s sensory needs are clashing at times. One could be needing quiet and one might be needing to scream.
She emphasizes the importance of creating her own space to make time for herself to decompress, and urges other autism moms to get the care they need for themselves.
"You have to take care of you first. You can’t take care of everyone if you’re falling apart," Alicia tells us.
She also talks about the difficulty of getting her daughters diagnosed since autism was not considered common among girls and how that needs to change.
In addition, she offers advice for this difficult time of covid and for the autism journey in general. She reminds parents to ask for services their children are entitled to whether they're attending school or not and to provide stability and structure as well as a space to decompress.
Finally, she tells parents to give themselves grace for the regression that might take place and the difficult things that will come up, and to remember to let the small things go and enjoy spending time with their children.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:
The Mom Kind
https://www.themomkind.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/themomkind
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/themomkind/
Twitter
https://twitter.com/themomkind
Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/themomkind/
BMV Life Coach Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's informative episode, Brigitte interviews Victoria Boone, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, best selling author, and behavior consultant for families of children with various special needs including autism.
Victoria is also the founder and Executive Director of The Hamilton Center, an ABA agency dedicated to helping individuals improve the quality of their lives throughout California and Nevada.
She explains that ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) is a science-based intervention that's used to change behavior and it can be used to build independent living skills and social skills.
She recalls an experience of helping a 6-year old boy develop a shoe tying skill over a 6-month period and how great it was to see how proud he was of his accomplishment. She also loves helping kids develop social skills to make friends and carry conversations.
She also offers a simple strategy from her book Positive Parenting with Autism that parents can start using with their child at home right away.
In addition, she addresses the controversy around ABA of how it can be tough on the children and how it may not be honoring of neurodiversity.
She emphasizes the importance of finding the right ABA agency for your unique child and to remember to ask for their approach as well as their credentials.
Finally, Victoria reminds autism moms to take one day at a time and remember that they need self-care too since parents that have kids on the spectrum are 4 times more likely to be diagnosed with various mental health diagnoses than parents who have kids who are neurotypical.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources/Links:
Victoria's Website
https://www.vbconsultingandcoaching.com/
The Hamilton Center
https://www.thehamiltonctr.com/
Positive Parenting for Autism
https://amzn.to/33LiDQJ
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's wonderfully enlightening episode, Brigitte interviews Madeleine Woolgar, a speaker and coach, who helps moms go from burned-out to energized and clear.
Madeleine began to work with families over ten years ago and has worked internationally in home-based play therapy programs. While having the honor of living with these tenacious, loving families, she saw that the best way to help these children was to support the parents (who are doing so much supporting themselves).
Madeleine empowers and supports parents through both mindset work and self-care so that they are really able to be deeply loving and effective in helping their child.
Her work has been focused on shifting the moms' mindset so they can go from guilt-ridden and stressed out to creative and clear-thinking and become better able to take care of all that they need to for their child.
She talks about how much of their mindset can contribute to draining their energy or creating more energy and how guilt can play a huge role in moms feeling burned out.
She reveals 3 common "Mom Guilt Myths" that you are likely engaged in and how they can sabotage your wellbeing and lead to burnout, and shares a new mindset that you can implement instead so that you can feel clear and revitalized.
She emphasizes the importance of giving ourselves grace and allowing ourselves to be human and practicing the new mindset.
Listen to this episode and start shifting your mindset so you can be your most loving, revitalized self to your child.
Enjoy!
Resources/Links:
Madeleine's Website
https://www.mumswhothrive.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mentormadeleine
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/mentormadeleine/
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman had the pleasure of speaking with Marissa Scott who is a Board Certified Music Therapist, Certified Labor Doula, Owner & Executive Director at The Sonatina Center for Creative Arts Therapy in New Hampshire.
Marissa shares her journey of becoming a music therapist after realizing that she could combine her love of music with working with children with special needs.
She has ten years of experience working with clients with Autism, Downs Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Expressive Language Disorders, Sensory Processing Disorders, and more.
She specializes in helping infants and young children of all abilities build communication, social, motor, and cognitive skills necessary to thrive through music and play.
They discuss why music therapy might be very effective for children with autism for a wide range of benefits that include enhanced motor skills, social/emotional development, expressive and receptive communication, and cognitive/sensory behavioral improvement.
Marissa also offers simple tips you can incorporate at home such as adding a melody to social stories and playing music that matches your desired atmosphere to soothe or energize your child.
Tune in to this informative episode and see if music therapy might be beneficial for your child.
Enjoy!
Resources/Links:
The Sonatina Center
https://www.thesonatinacenter.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/thesonatinacenter/
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/thesonatinacenter/
Twitter
https://twitter.com/sonatinacenter
Certified Board for Music Therapists
https://www.cbmt.org/
American Music Therapy Association
https://www.musictherapy.org/
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
2In this week's episode, Brigitte interviews Kate Wilde, the Director of Global Outreach for The Autism Treatment Center of America who has spent the last 28 years working with children and adults on the autism spectrum and their families as well as therapists, educators, and schools.
She is the author of Autistic Logistics and The Autism Language Launcher and she shares some of the effective methods and techniques she used in working with over 1,500 children to help them with learning, behaviors, and communication.
This episode is full of practical advice about how to toilet train, how to handle hitting as well as insight into why they do what they do in the daily challenges.
She also discusses how to facilitate verbal communication by using a step-by-step guide she has used effectively with children with autism.
Her techniques are simple and every mom can do it. If you're struggling with the difficult behaviors of your child or want to understand why they do what they do, this is a must-listen!
Tune in and learn how to work with your kids more easily.
Enjoy!
Resources/Links:
Kate Wilde
https://katecwilde.com/
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman talks about the difficulty of dealing with judgment from others and how to use self-compassion to work through it.
Brigitte knows from her own experience and hearing from other mother guides that judgment is something you deal with on a regular basis. You might feel it at the supermarket when your child is having a tantrum or from a friend or family member at a gathering or at a restaurant. She's been there and it's hard.
It's hard enough to deal with the daily challenges of raising a child with autism but add the judgmental stares at the supermarket, stress mounts even more for mother guides.
That's why she wants to help you incorporate the practices of self-compassion so that you can soften the judgment you feel from others and feel more grounded and calm even when you're going through tough times.
Tune in and learn how to start incorporating self-compassion into your daily life. You'll thank yourself for it.
Enjoy!
Resources/Links:
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's inspiring episode, Brigitte Shimpan interviews Kristy Newstrom who offers therapeutic riding for children and adults with special needs (or functional diversity) and is a founder of Divine Equine Assisted Therapy Center and PATH certified instructor.
Kristy shares her deep passion for working with horses and children with functional diversity. She has worked professionally with children for 20+ years earning the nickname, "The Child Whisperer" and now offers Equine Assisted Therapy to improve human physical, mental, and emotional health.
She talks about why Equine Assisted Therapy is so effective with children with autism and how movement in general (in this case the horse) can help turn off a meltdown within 30 seconds.
She tears up speaking about how wonderful it is to witness the magic that unfolds when functionally diverse children start working with horses. She loves how horses meet the child where he or she is and provide acceptance and a safe place to be himself.
Kristy also passionately speaks about the importance of functional diversity, acceptance, and inclusion. She created her non-profit Divine Equine Assisted Therapy Center in Santa Cruz to provide a space to empower people through experience with horses as well as a place of acceptance and belonging for all people.
Tune in to find out more about Equine Therapy and be inspired for what's possible for your child.
Enjoy!
Resources/Links:
Divine Equine Assisted Therapy
https://divineequinetherapy.org/
PATH International
https://www.pathintl.org/
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's highly informative episode, Brigitte Shipman interviews Dr. Jed Baker who is a clinical psychologist and director of the Social Skills Training Project, a private organization serving individuals with autism and social communication problems.
Dr. Baker is an award-winning author of eight books including The Social Skills Picture Book, The Social Skills Picture Book for High School and Beyond, and No More Meltdowns. His work has also been featured on ABC World News, Nightline, the CBS Early Show, and the Discovery Health Channel.
Dr. Baker shares his story of how The Social Skills Picture Book came to be and why it was so effective in helping children with autism do better in different social situations and how you can create your own picture book to help your children.
Dr. Baker offers 3 steps to tackling meltdowns which include 3 categories of calming distracters and 7 categories of triggers that can cause meltdowns. These categories can provide a map for you in handling your child's meltdowns more effectively by understanding why the meltdowns are happening in the first place.
He also discusses how to set the right mind-frame for your children about learning and making mistakes and how to make it easier for them to tackle difficult tasks by using the 80/20 rule to build confidence.
Brigitte and Dr. Baker also talk about how to handle anxiety and stress we are experiencing during this COVID19 pandemic.
Tune in to this useful episode and learn how to help your children more effectively.
Enjoy!
Resources/Links:
Dr. Jed Baker Website
https://www.jedbaker.com/
Social Skills Training Project
https://www.socialskillstrainingproject.com/
App Pictello
https://www.assistiveware.com/products/pictello
No More Meltdowns App
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/no-more-meltdowns/id407341438
SymTrend
https://www.symtrend.com/tw/nmm-public/
Autism Society of America COVID19 Resources
https://www.autism-society.org/covid-19/
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman offers you 3 powerful practices you can do for self-connection and social connection so that you can start to feel lighter, inspired, and be more present for your child with autism.
When there's a lot of stress going on with the challenges and reality of being an autism mom along with what's going on with COVID19, it's easy to focus on what's not going right in our lives.
That's why Brigitte wants to offer you these 3 simple and powerful practices to help you shift your focus and start feeling better in your daily life.
These practices help Brigitte to stay present, change negative thoughts to positive thoughts, live a happier life, and have the focus, clarity, and vision of where she wants her life to go. They will help you do the same if you start using them.
Tune in, learn, and start using these practices for your life. You'll thank yourself for it.
Enjoy!
Resources/Links:
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live (2pm Central Monday-Thursday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
Marco Polo App
https://www.marcopolo.me
In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman gives you tools to move through the resistance that you may be having to exercise so that you can have better moods, better focus, better attention span, and better care for your child during this uncertain time.
We all know exercise is good for us but it's so easy for us to sit on a couch, eat potato chips, and binge-watch Netflix when we're feeling stressed at a time like we're experiencing now with the pandemic.
It’s especially hard for you moms out there to find the time to move when you’re taking care of your child with autism so Brigitte offers you a couple of tools to overcome the obstacles so that you can actually start moving and gain the benefits of exercise.
Brigitte talks about the importance of finding what you love, being where you are at, and sometimes just simply showing up.
Being a fitness instructor and life coach, Brigitte knows a thing or two about working through resistance and she wants to share her tips and tools with you.
Tune in and get excited to move for yourself and your child!
Enjoy!
Resources/Links:
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live (2pm Central Monday-Thursday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman shares 3 simple but powerful tools to help you stay calm and release anxiety during these uncertain times of Coronavirus.
Living through this time of Coronavirus pandemic is challenging for all of us but it is even more difficult and challenging for mothers raising children with autism.
Life was already pretty challenging for autism moms and now there's an added stress of homeschooling a child who doesn't quite understand what's going on.
Brigitte offers you 3 super simple but powerful tools to help you reduce stress and overwhelm, feel confident and lighter so that you can be the solid rock and show up for your child strong and fully present.
Brigitte talks about the importance of "giving yourself oxygen" first by taking care of yourself so that you can help your child the best way you can.
Tune in and learn these tools to use in your daily life so that you can start feeling better right away!
Enjoy!
Resources/Links:
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Live (2pm Central Monday-Thursday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman shares 3 tools she used to help her son Joseph on the spectrum when he was younger so that you can apply and benefit from these tools as you are adjusting to the new reality and creating a new routine for your child with autism and for your whole family.
We are all struggling right now and even more so for families living with autism. Brigitte wants to share her knowledge to make your day a little easier.
Brigitte explains how to utilize calendar for yourself and your child to establish a solid, new routine that feels safe especially for a child with autism who relies on a solid routine.
She also talks about using visual cues to make communication easier between you and your child as well as social stories to help your child understand what you're trying to have him or her accomplish in a given situation.
Tune in and make your day a little easier with these tools.
Enjoy!
Resources/Links:
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
Facebook Live (Monday-Thursday 2pm Central)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Private Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
The New Social Story Book by Carol Gray
https://www.amazon.com/Social-Story-Revised-Expanded-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B01A9SJ22Y/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=social+stories&qid=1586489618&sr=8-3
Social Skills Picture Book for High School and Beyond by Jed Baker
https://www.amazon.com/Social-Skills-Picture-School-Beyond/dp/1932565353/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=social+stories+jed+baker&qid=1586489694&sr=8-2
In this week's heartwarming episode, Brigitte Shipman interviews Lisa Joyce Goes who is an autism mom, editor, and writer for The Thinking Moms' Revolution and The Age of Autism.
Lisa Joyce Goes is the mom of three wildly gifted children Mads, Noah, and Liam. Noah was diagnosed with autism in 2008.
Noah was nonverbal for quite a while and didn’t potty train until he was 7. Noah also had terrible rashes all over his body as well as up to 20 diarrhea filled diapers a day. His body was on fire and was uncomfortable and a lot of his behaviors had so much to do with his metabolic, gastrointestinal, and methylation issues that needed to be addressed.
Noah, now in puberty, is doing much better and greets Lisa in the morning with "Good morning, Princess" which brings Lisa so much joy.
Lisa candidly talks about the feeling of isolation, emotional eating, and the pain and suffering that resulted from the autism diagnosis and the end of her marriage. She was angry, reactive, and heartbroken.
At one point during a neurofeedback session, Lisa was asked if she had been a soldier because her brain scan showed signs of PTSD. She answered, "No, I'm an autism mom."
Lisa and Brigitte also talk about judgment autism moms experience from other people who don't understand autism and the importance of educating others and doing advocacy work.
Lisa says that challenges are real and difficult but she considers Noah 110% a blessing.
Lisa urges other autism moms listening out there to be as compassionate with themselves as they would with their closest friend or their children.
Tune in to this heartwarming episode and be filled with hope and solidarity.
Enjoy!
Resources/Links:
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
BMV Life Coach Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/
Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/
The Thinking Moms' Revolution
https://thinkingmomsrevolution.com/
Documenting Hope
https://documentinghope.com/
The Thinking Moms' Revolution Book
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CA15A7K/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
The Age of Autism
https://www.ageofautism.com/
TEAM TMR
https://teamtmr.org/
In this powerfully inspiring episode of hope, Brigitte interviews Ilana Gerschlowitz, autism mom and Founding Director of The Star Academy which provides educational instruction to children with autism in South Africa.
In 2004, her oldest son David was diagnosed with autism at the age of 20 months and ten years later, her youngest son Aaron was also diagnosed with autism.
Ilana tells how her son David had perfect development until he was 15 months and then developed a high fever and was hospitalized for Rotavirus for 3 days. When he was discharged, David no longer made eye contact and he became unreachable. He started flapping his hands, stopped responding to his name, lined up his toys, and he vanished into his own world.
The developmental specialist who diagnosed David with autism told Ilana that he would never go to school, he would never speak, he would never toilet-train, he would be like a vegetable, he would never hold down a job, and that she should take out an insurance policy and seek psychological counseling for herself.
Devastated but refusing to believe that autism had to be a lifelong disability, Ilana immersed herself in research to find solutions.
Ilana eventually found the right doctors to partner up with and started working on diet and nutrition. Treating his gut flora, eliminating food allergies, supporting his immune system, supplementing with vitamins and minerals, identifying bacterial or fungal infections have all helped to alleviate many of the symptoms. Enrolling him in the ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) program was an absolute game-changer as well.
David now at 17 has become very much an independent, functional human being who runs his own deli making sandwiches and pizza, though he still relies on an app to communicate. David still wrestles with symptoms of autism but Ilana never gives up hope that she’ll find the ultimate cure.
Ilana tells parents, "It is never too late to start the right treatments no matter how old your child is."
When her youngest son Aaron was also diagnosed with autism, Ilana was devastated again but she put on her boxing gloves and went to fight. Aaron went through the treatment protocol as well as ABA and he is now 7 years old, completely recovered from autism, and in mainstream school. Early intervention was key for recovery for Aaron.
Ilana encourages parents to never ever give up and to remember that what seems impossible at times can really become possible and that with the right treatment, the sky is the limit.
Tune in to this episode and you will be inspired!
Enjoy!
Resources:
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
The Star Academy
https://thestaracademy.co.za/
The Yellow Canaries
https://thestaracademy.co.za/the-yellow-canaries-of-tembisa/
Saving My Sons: A Journey with Autism
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V59PY16/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1562740488&sr=8-1
ABA Therapy
https://www.autismspeaks.org/applied-behavior-analysis-aba-0
In this week's episode, Brigitte interviews Terri Wible, an autism mom and founder and director of Paws 4 Autism, which provides autism service dogs and related services in the Kansas City Metro area.
Terri founded Paws 4 Autism in 2010 after seeing remarkable benefits of having an autism service dog for her daughter Adriana who has what Terri calls angry autism.
The transformation Grady, their first autism service dog, brought was literally overnight. Adriana slept through the night, for the first time.
In addition, since Adriana (now 15) got Grady, she’s only had two suspensions due to her outburst and behavior. She had six before December of her kindergarten year. Having Grady has given her somewhere to focus her energy.
Terri talks about 3 major things that autism service dogs can help with: Sleep, eloping, and repetitive behavior.
Paws 4 Autism also creates job opportunities for people on the spectrum by giving them training to be dog trainers, service dog trainers, and therapy dog trainers. Terri believes 80% of those on the spectrum have what she calls the dog-whispering gene, where they can communicate with dogs non-verbally on a level that she can only dream of.
"I bring them in and teach them how to use that God-given ability and use that for a profession so that they’re not so dependent on everything and everyone," Terri shares.
Terri tells us how Adriana is on a whole different level when she is working with a dog. She’s gotten so much confidence in herself that now they're looking at her going into a special program for welding.
Terri urges other moms out there to not give up. "There is always a way."
Tune in to this inspiring episode and learn how autism service dogs can change the lives of people living with autism.
Enjoy the show!
Resource/Links:BMV Life Coachhttps://bmvlifecoach.com/
Paws4Autism
https://www.paws4autism.org/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Paws4Autism/
Twitter
https://twitter.com/Paws4Autism
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/paws4autism/
In this episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism, Brigitte Shipman interviews Marcela Guimoye, an autism mom and founder and executive director of EndlessBrain.
EndlessBrain is a not-for-profit organization that serves the special needs children and offers them musical learning opportunities to promote essential skills, self-esteem, and inclusion.
Marcela created EndlessBrain a few years ago after successfully implementing therapies that included musical learning, ABA, and mindfulness to her daughter Camila who was nonverbal until age 6.
Camila was diagnosed with autism at age 2.5 and had intense behavior problems including self-injury and was told by her pediatrician that she may never be able to hold a job or be independent.
After much research around the country for possible treatment for Camila, Marcela began implementing a home-based therapy program utilizing various modalities.
Within a year, Camila went from hitting her head on the floor, scratching and biting herself about 30 times per hour to saying “I want juice” for the first time.
After seeing the improvements Camila made through music, Marcela wanted to provide an opportunity for musical learning to other children with autism, and she founded EndlessBrain which offers free summer music camp and after school programs in Naples, Florida.
Marcela talks about the importance of giving our children with autism an outlet for expression such as music, dance, and art. She also encourages parents to incorporate mindfulness into their children's learning and their daily life.
Marcela works as an independent healthcare consultant and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Administration and a Master’s Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis.
Marcela is a life-long musician and she is currently working on completing her debut album.
Tune in to this inspiring episode and find out how musical learning can benefit your child with autism.
Enjoy!
Resources:
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
EndlessBrain
http://endlessbrain.org/
Keller’s Personalized System of Instruction:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1820/ca372ea4ede5d74316765ce3aa288b11c5ea.pdf
Information on ABA:
https://www.autismspeaks.org/applied-behavior-analysis-aba-0
In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman continues the conversation on stress management with her son Joseph Shipman. Joseph shares his perspective on how he experienced stress growing up with autism and as an adult living with autism.
Brigitte shares her memory of how easily Joseph got overly stimulated and cried constantly as a child. She recalls creating a cassette recording of the white noise that the vacuum cleaner produced to soothe and calm Joseph when he was crying.
As a child on the spectrum, the world was full of external stimuli that were extremely stress-inducing and fear-provoking. Joseph shares how deviating from routines was often a big trigger for him to experience stress and fear.
They discussed the importance of keeping solid routines but also of introducing the child on the spectrum new experiences so they can "file" them away in their brain to refer back to in the future.
Joseph also shares how mindfulness practices have helped him manage stress as an adult and suggests introducing them to autistic children and their moms to manage their stress.
Enjoy the show!
Resources:
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism, Brigitte Shipman offers her top three stress management tools. She takes you through these tools and teaches you how to apply them into your daily life. You will learn how to feel lighter even on your most stressful days.
Brigitte shares how she used to think that self-care was a waste of time and she simply did not have the time for it. Her priority was to take care of everything else and everyone else first. She went on fine for a while but then this way of being eventually caught up with her.
She thought she was being a good mom because she was putting her children first. She thought she was being a good wife because she was putting her husband first. She put her job first, her family first, everything before herself.
Stress was mounting with a rocky marriage, shaky finances, work, and raising a child with autism.
Brigitte didn’t manage stress well at all. In fact, she didn’t manage it and she paid for it with her health. Her thyroid stopped functioning and she ended up in the hospital with a diabetic coma. And on another occasion, she broke out in hives from head to toes.
Brigitte had many signs along the way that things needed to change but she did not make those changes. Her body kept talking to her but it was when it was finally screaming at the top of its lungs that she started making some changes.
Brigitte urges mother guides to not wait till their health breaks down but to start taking care of themselves now.
She tells mother guides that they can be outstanding mother guides, warriors, advocates without the expense of their health and without the expense of not taking care of themselves.
Brigitte shares 3 simple tools you can start using today to start taking better care of yourself so you can be your best for your child and yourself.
Tune in now to find out how these simple tools can help you today.
Resources:
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
In this week’s week’s episode, Dr. Laurell Matthews, ND and Brigitte Shipman discuss the naturopathic approach to helping our kids with autism.
Dr. Laurell herself was diagnosed with autism a few years ago as an adult and it gave her a greater understanding of herself and helped her to make sense of some the things she had struggled with.
She talks about how genetics, environment, gut health, hidden infections, and many different factors may be contributing to the disorder.
Dr. Laurell shares her personal experience as someone on the autism spectrum as well as her experience of working with children and adults on the spectrum and how simple changes made a huge difference in helping them be more functional.
Dr. Laurell offers mother guides suggestions for key supplements that kids on the spectrum should take. She also explains why Magnesium and B6 taken together are so important for many on the spectrum.
Dr. Laurell Matthews, ND received her Bachelors in Science in Biochemistry from the University of Kansas and her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Seattle.
Now, she serves as a product designer for Liddell Laboratories and Energique, Inc., which manufactures homeopathic remedies, herbal products, and dietary supplements.
She also offers individualized consultations with a focus on healthy lifestyle, women’s health, and detoxification. Always a lover of science and natural medicine, she blogs at drlaurell.com as The Natural Nerd where she explains natural health concepts in terms that anyone can easily understand.
Dr. Laurell recognizes that every person is unique and needs their own individualized plan to fit their needs and be practical for their life.
Enjoy this episode!
Resources:
BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
Dr. Laurell's website
https://drlaurell.com/
Autism Research Institute
autism.org
Autism Speaks
https://www.autismspeaks.org/
Energique
https://www.energiquepro.com/
Supplements:N-acetyl-cysteine
Magnesium and B6
In this powerfully moving episode, Tulika Prasad shares her journey of raising her 10-year old son Vedant who is severely speech delayed and non-verbal, and how his autism has made her a better human being and appreciate many more things in life.
Tulika is a blogger at Braindroplets.com and a contributing writer for the Autism Parenting Magazine. She is a passionate advocate for individuals with different abilities in general and autism in particular.
Tulika shares her beautiful journey of moving from “fixing” to accepting and appreciating her son Vedant just as he is.
A few years after his diagnosis, Tulika realized, he did not need fixing but she did and the world around him did, as the world is anxious around people who are different and that we have to be more inclusive and appreciate difference rather than being scared of it.
Tulika’s son’s autism has totally changed her. What she now wants from her life is so different from what she wanted a few years back. Little things she had not noticed earlier—like her son enjoying the wind on his face—gives her joy right now.
“It’s like miracles happening right in front of our eyes,” Tulika explains.
Every once in a while, frustration would creep into Tulika and she feels very defeated but one look at her son and how happy and content he seems—that smile, that laughter, that playfulness, and that extraordinary courage to get up each day and navigate the world, the fight of the sensory overloads—that challenges her to fight for him every day and stand up for him, advocate for him, and do what she does every day no matter what for him and many more like him.
Tulika shares her powerful insight and lessons form her life, including “Top 8 Mistakes She Made as a Mom of a Child with Autism.”
Tulika tells all the autism mothers out there, “Enjoy your child. Also, be kind to yourself. You’re doing more than enough so be kind to yourself. Love your child and love yourself.”
Tune in to this beautiful episode and be powerfully moved!
Enjoy!
Resources/Links:
BMV Life Coach: https://bmvlifecoach.com/
Braindroplets: http://www.braindroplets.com/
Autism Speaks Advocacy Ambassador Program:
https://www.autismspeaks.org/volunteer-advocacy-ambassador-program
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/braindroplets/
The Mighty: https://themighty.com/u/tulika_prasad/
In this episode of Mother’s Guide Through Autism, Brigitte Shipman and Joseph Shipman discuss together the 5 Things that Joseph was glad that his mother did raising him with autism.
They reflect their journey through these 5 points that Joseph felt helped him the most throughout his childhood. They offer insight for mothers raising children with autism as well as for those on the spectrum.
Joseph talks about how encouraging peculiar interests and obsessions of an autistic child can be used as a tool to learn new skills and how curiosity should be encouraged and pursued to expand the child's mind instead of looking at it as a symptom or a negative aspect of autism.
Joseph encourages mothers to not protect their children with autism from every discomfort (unless in the case of sensory issues) and to include them in social functions as much as they can.
Joseph also discusses the importance of giving a child an opportunity to have some kind of autonomy and choice even if they're on the spectrum where they need more assistance.
In his own experience, it was always encouraged for him to not default to ask somebody else to help when he couldn’t figure it out. He had to sit there and figure it out, though of course, his shoulder was looked over a lot. It was in the effort to make him more independent in the future.
Joseph is also glad that his mom did not blindly take the word of medical professionals. He was given a fighting chance to be included in the regular classroom even when he was assessed as mentally deficient by an IQ test. Brigitte fought for him to be included.
Joseph gives this message to all mother guides and caregivers out there: Living a happy and fulfilling life is always possible wherever you are on the spectrum. And it doesn’t have to look or behave or sound a certain way.
Enjoy this episode!
More information: https://www.bmvlifecoach.com/
In this episode of Mother’s Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte Shipman discusses with her son Joseph the 5 things he wished she would have known raising him with autism. It is a discussion with a mother and her son reflecting the life lessons that they both have learned together.
Life can be pretty confusing and complicated as it is for neurotypical kids growing up but it can be even more confusing and complicated when you are a kid on the spectrum. Joseph shares his experience of growing up with autism and talks about topics such as independence, bullying, conflict resolution, and developing intuition.
For more information, you can go to:
https://www.bmvlifecoach.com/
Enjoy the show!
In this episode of Mother’s Guide Through Autism Podcast, Brigitte Shipman discusses the 5 things she is glad that she knew raising her son Joseph with autism.
Brigitte discusses each of the 5 life lessons that she applied in her own experience of raising Joseph. She explains how she followed her inner mother's voice to help guide her in every situation she encountered.
Brigitte shares the story of following her intuition and saying no when she was advised to drug her son in order to enroll him in regular kindergarten. She gently and firmly persisted in her intuition and was able to enroll Joseph and get the support of the teachers in the end.
Brigitte also recounts the story of walking Joseph through his fear of getting on the plane by staying calm, reassuring him, and reminding him of times that he got through his fears. Even when she was doubtful and unsure, she guided Joseph (and herself) by being grounded in courage and love.
Tune in and see how you can use Brigitte's 5 lessons in your own life.
To download the free guide, go to:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/free-guide/
For more resources and to connect with Brigitte, go to:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/
Enjoy the show!
In this week's powerfully inspiring episode, Brigitte Shipman interviews Stella Spanakos who is a co-founder of Spectrum Designs and The Nicholas Center.
Stella tells her story of how she started a t-shirt business that employs people with autism because she didn’t see a lot of employment opportunities for adults with autism like her son and she was concerned about her son's future.
Stella started Spectrum Designs in the barn of her backyard on Long Island, NY shortly after the tragic death of her husband Paul. After the success of Spectrum Designs, she created Spectrum Bakes and Spectrum Suds to provide more employment opportunities for adults with autism.
Stella's goal is that she should never have to see a parent come in her office, begging with tears in their eyes, for an opportunity for their child to volunteer or to be employed there. She wants to do everything in her power to keep growing businesses and coming up with ideas so that she can offer vocational training and employment opportunities to young adults with disabilities, on the autism spectrum in particular.
Stella is a firm believer in seeing the glass half full. She shares how she keeps going as a warrior mama even when things seem extremely difficult and challenging because she knows she's already halfway to her goal.
Stella encourages all the warrior mamas out there struggling. Her passion, compassion, tenacity, and love will inspire all of us to believe in the impossible.
Tune in to this episode and be inspired by her powerful story!
Enjoy!
Resources/Links:
App “Speak It”: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/speak-it/amcnjejmdfilapnnfgnhnidhkififadk?hl=en
Welcome to Holland: https://www.pdx.edu/students-with-children/sites/www.pdx.edu.students-with-children/files/Welcome%20to%20Holland.pdf
This Business of Autism: https://thisbusinessofautism.com/
Spectrum Designs: https://www.spectrumdesigns.org/
Spectrum Bakes: https://www.spectrumbakes.org/
Spectrum Suds: https://www.spectrumsuds.org/
The Nicholas Center: http://www.nicholascenterusa.org/
BMV Life Coach: https://www.bmvlifecoach.com/
From her 27-year experience of raising her son with autism, Brigitte Shipman brings you the 5 most important lessons she learned in her journey. She's had her share of freaking out, being stressed out, and not knowing what to do, and by sharing her wisdom, she hopes to alleviate any fear and undue stress mothers out there might be experiencing right now.
She shares how she's spent most of her life making life harder than it needs to be. She's a pro at freaking out. When her son Joseph was 3, she was spinning frantically trying to find a way to save him so that he would be able to live a happy life without her one day. “How was I going to save him NOW?!”
But she's acquired tools to live in peace and letting go of what she thinks life should look like rather than what life is.
She also talks about how she thought she had to be fighting for her son 24/7, didn’t take a breath, didn’t enjoy most things, and didn’t sleep very good for years. She now realizes that she had a belief that If she wasn’t living like that, if she didn’t feel like that, then she wasn’t doing enough for her son. It was a belief that just wasn't true.
Now, she advocates self-care without guilt for mothers out there. She emphasizes how important it is to find the time to care for yourself. When we are stressed, our kids are stressed. Find the time for yourself. That's her message.
Tune in to this episode and learn from the 5 heartfelt lessons she shares.
Go to https://www.bmvlifecoach.com/ for more resources and information.
Enjoy the show!
Pain is universal and we all have to deal with it whether you're on the spectrum or not. Talking about pain is not an easy thing to do but we can make the most profound and deep connection with others when we open ourselves up to talk about it.
Brigitte and her son Joseph talk about the pain Joseph experienced growing up with autism. Joseph talks about some of the difficulties of reading social cues and the resulting rejections he experienced, and how confusing it was to socially interact with others.
Joseph also talks about how he dealt with grief when he lost his father and how meditation and Buddhist principles helped him to deal with the pain of life and stay tranquil when the going gets tough.
More information and resources on https://bmvlifecoach.com/
We love to hear from you so please leave a comment and let us know how you're enjoying this podcast. Also, please remember to leave a review so more people can find this podcast.
Enjoy the show!
In this episode of Mother’s Guide Through Autism podcast I discuss the process of moving through the pain of getting an autism disgnosis of my son.
It was devastating news to receive as a mother. I went through shock, numbness, grief, and I thought the pain I felt in my heart was going to kill me. But I moved through it and allowed it to pull me into becoming a mother warrior. Advocacy for my son began.
Pain can be a tool to use when we are in the darkness of learning that our child has been diagnosed with a life long disability. Learn the tools that I have discovered through being a life coach, teacher, a mother guide.
Go to bmvlifecoach.com for more information.
Enjoy the show!
In this episode of Mother’s Guide Through Autism, Brigitte Shipman and her son Joseph Shipman have a discussion about what Block Therapy and Fost Forward Therapy were like for him. Joseph shares what he remembers of his experience.
Joseph also shares how deviation from a routine in his childhood felt like a computer crashing and how crucial it was to hear his mom say she was proud of him.
Brigitte and Joseph talk about the importance of transition time and how patience is key in raising a child with autism.
Resources:
BMV Life Coach Website: bmvlifecoach.com
AIT- Auditory Processing Therapy-https://www.aithelps.com
https://www.aitinstiture.org
Fast Forward: Fast Forward Home website-http://www.fastforwordhome.com/
Scientific Learning website-http://www.scilearn.com
Wilbarger Therapeutic Pressure Brush- http://www.sutismcommunitystore.com/wishlist/
Block Therapy: To remind when we did this therapy with Joseph it was experimental. The only resource we had at that time was a Neurologist who did brain injury research. There is no exact method that we did that I could find a website for this therapy. This is recent research to take a look at today: Neuroptimize-Reward, Strengthen, Rebuild- neuroptimizeco.com
Brigitte shares her inspiring story of how she followed her own intuition in deciding to work with a neurologist with a not-so-stellar reputation in her small town.
Though considered unconventional (and inconclusive to this day), Block Therapy with this neurologist was worth a shot to try since it wasn’t going to hurt her son Joseph. It ended up helping Joseph with understanding of directions, processing of the language, and so much more. Brigitte shares what she monitored and recorded in her journal.
Brigitte also shares the story of how she pleaded with the Fast Forward Therapy founders to expand the program so mothers in the rural areas can use this program with their children. 6 Months later, they offered the software program people could use at home. Brigitte started administering Fast Forward Therapy at home with the new software and it greatly improved Joseph’s speech, focus, and social interaction with others.
Resources:
BMV Life Coach Website: https://bmvlifecoach.com
AIT- Auditory Processing Therapy - https://www.aithelps.com
https://www.aitinstiture.org
Fast Forward: Fast Forward Home website - http://www.fastforwordhome.com/
Scientific Learning website - http://www.scilearn.com
Wilbarger Therapeutic Pressure Brush- http://www.sutismcommunitystore.com/wishlist/
Block Therapy: To remind when we did this therapy with Joseph it was experimental. The only resource we had at that time was a Neurologist who did brain injury research. There is no exact method that we did that I could find a website for this therapy. This is recent research to take a look at today: Neuroptimize-Reward, Strengthen, Rebuild- neuroptimizeco.com
This episode will take you through one of the early therapies that Brigitte found on her journey of becoming Joseph’s expert advocate. Although there are therapies being offered that are found to be inconclusive, they may just work. Brigitte tells her story of what she documented and how Auditory Integration Training began waking her son Joseph up.
Links/Resources:
Book: Learning To Dance In The Rain: Melanie Bennett
AIT (Auditory Processing Therapy) - https://www.aithelps.com
https://www.aitinstiture.org
Fast Forward: Fast Forward Home website - http://www.fastforwordhome.com/
Scientific Learning website - http://www.scilearn.com
Wilbarger Therapeutic Pressure Brush - https://www.autismcommunitystore.com/wilbarger-therapeutic-pressure-brush
Block Therapy: To remind when we did this therapy with Joseph it was experimental. The only resource we had at that time was a Neurologist who did brain injury research. There is no exact method that we did that I could find a website for this therapy. This is recent research to take a look at today: Neuroptimize - Reward, Strengthen, Rebuild - neuroptimizeco.com
BMV Life Coach https://www.bmvlifecoach.com/
Brigitte and Joseph discuss Joseph’s personal experience of what took place during and after Auditory Integration Training Therapy. They also discuss how they have personally seen how early intervention can change a child’s life. Brigitte gives her own inspiration of why it is never too late to begin.
This episode will enlighten mothers who are suffering as they are becoming their child’s expert advocate. Brigitte interviews her son Joseph about what his experience has been living with autism for the past 27 years of his life. He gives his own perspective of what he was actually living vs. what his mother was feeling during different periods of his life.
This mother and son have teamed up to offer you two sides to the story. One being of a mother who is advocating to improve her son’s dim future prognosis of life; the other being the person who is living it.
This episode is for any mother who is searching for hope and inspiration in raising her child with autism. Brigitte offers you a story of how she and her autistic son Joseph teamed up to help other mothers of children in the autistic spectrum become the expert advocates for their children. This is an inspiring introduction of how Mother’s Guide Through Autism came to be. Brigitte tells her background story, and how her son Joseph described what role she played in his 27 years of living with autism.