Family Archives - The Autism Dad Podcast

Dr. Casares on Kids, Sleep Hygiene & Melatonin (S6E18)

Join us in this enlightening episode as we sit down with Dr. Whitney Casares, a renowned pediatrician, accomplished author/spokesperson with the American Academy of Pediatrics, and mother to an autistic child. She brings to the table not only her professional expertise but also her personal experience navigating the world of autism. Dr. Casares tackles your most pressing questions about sleep hygiene, revealing practical strategies to improve your child's sleep routine. Plus, she delves into the subject of melatonin, demystifying its role, benefits, and considerations. Whether you're a parent, caregiver, or educator, this episode is packed with insights that could transform bedtime from a struggle to a breeze. Don't miss it! About Dr. Whitney Casares: Pediatrician, autism mom, and author ofThe Working Mom Blueprint: Winning at Parenting without Losing Yourself(American Academy…

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June 19, 2023

Podcast / Season 6

Dads Talking Autism (feat. Ray Bracht) S6E06

In this week's episode, my friend Ray Bracht joins me to talk about special needs parenting from a dad’s perspective. Ray is an autism dad and an autism step-dad. He opens up about what his journey as a special needs dad has been like. We talk about some of the challenges he’s currently facing, what he fears about the future, how all the stress impacts his marriage, and what his hopes are for his amazing family. We talk dad stuff and even answer some listener questions. This was a great conversation and I hope it inspires other dads to open up. Please note that in the episode, Ray states that he’s 56 years old. He is in fact 52 years old and I promised I would clarify that in the…

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March 13, 2023

Podcast / Season 6

Confessions of a Depressed Dad (feat. Rob Gorski) S5E26

I don't know who needs to hear this, but I'm a single Dad battling depression, anxiety, and burnout. If you can relate, you're not alone. In this short episode, I talk honestly about my current mental health struggles and the importance of normalizing these conversations. Host Bio: Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amazing autistic boys as well as Found and CEO of The Autism Dad, LLC. Multiple award-winning blogger, podcaster, content creator, digital marketer, social media influencer, and respected public figure for well over a decade. Connect with Rob Gorski: https://listen.theautismdad.com Mentioned in this episode: Learn More About Mightier Mightier is a clinically proven mobile gaming app that was developed at Boston Children’s Hospital. It’s already helped more than 100,000 kids, including my crew here at home.…

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August 12, 2022

Podcast / Season 6

Parenting with Purpose (feat. Mitch Leppicello, LICSW) S5E6

I'm excited to bring you another episode about empowering parents to better help their autistic children. My guest today is Mitch Leppicello. Mitch is a social worker who's spent decades working with autistic kids and their families. Mitch has used his experience to create a program called The Calm Compass. The Calm Compass is an online resource for parents of autistic children, helping them to better navigate difficult situations, as well as gain insight, and outside-of-the-box solutions for everyday challenges. I'm a huge fan of empowering parents and unfortunately, many of these things weren't available to me when I was first starting out. The Calm Compass is a fantastic resource for parents and I hope you enjoy the show. Learn more about Mitch and The Calm Compass by clicking here.…

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March 21, 2022

Podcast / Season 6

Helping Special Needs Kids Make Friends (feat. Emily Bruce from PeerKnect) S4E18

My guest today is Emily Bruce. Mother, as well as, Board Certified and Licensed Behavior Analyst (BCBA, LBA) in the State of Tennessee with an M.S., in Psychology. She’s also the CEO and Founder of Determinism, LLC, and the creator of PeerKnect. Emily has seen firsthand the struggles special needs families face when trying to find playdates and other social activities for our kids. I cannot stress how important this is for our kids. I speak with Emily about the PeerKnect app. She shares how it works, how they protect your privacy and the many usage cases for this android and iOS. Most importantly, we talk about how PeerKnect is helping special needs kids make friends and engage in social activities. Please listen, share, and check out the PeerKnect app…

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November 12, 2021

Podcast / Season 6

Why are men so hard on themselves? (Feat. Dennis Procopio) S4E13

This was a really challenging episode for me to edit for a couple of reasons and I’ll explain in a minute. My guest is Dennis Procopio, founder of Man-Up! Life Coaching, and fellow autism Dad. He’s here as a resource for men and helps them to become the best version of themselves. This episode didn’t go as planned but that’s okay. The whole point was to highlight what Dennis is doing because whether or not we like to admit it, men need help sometimes. What ended up happening is that Dennis turned the interview around on me and we sorta dug into my life. It was a rather profound experience for me on a personal level. The struggle with editing this was that I shared a bit more than I have…

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September 10, 2021

Podcast / Season 6

Parent to Parent (feat. Tammy Seguin) S3E37

his week I had the pleasure of meeting Tammy Seguin. Tammy’s a single Mom of 2 kids, her oldest being autistic. She’s on the show today to share a bit about her life and journey as an autism Mom. She’s in Canada and we talk about some of the differences between how autism is handled in Canada vs the US. We discuss how school is going and how COVID has impacted their lives. Like Tammy Seguin, we all have our struggles and we all have our own unique stories. Taking the time to learn from each other’s experiences can help us feel more connected and less alone. About Tammy Seguin: Tammy lives in Ontario, Canada. She is a stay-at-home mother with one son and one daughter. Her oldest is Cameron, who is 16,…

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November 13, 2020

Podcast / Season 6

Parent to Parent (feat. Lynn Esparo) S3E35

In this week’s Parent to Parent episode, I have the pleasure of meeting Lynn Esparo. Lynn is a single Mom to a little boy with autism. She has an amazing story and she takes us through her journey with the foster care system. Likewise, she takes us through the adoption process as well. Ours is a colorful conversation about all things autism parenting and it’s both hilarious and inspirational. We talk about the ups and downs we both experience. I don’t doubt that many of you will be able to relate. I can’t wait for you to meet Lynn and hear her amazing story. Please remember to subscribe and share. Now sit back and enjoy the ride. About Lynn Esparo: Lynn Esparo: (Lynn sent me this bio and I thought it was…

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October 30, 2020

Podcast / Season 6

Co-Parenting Through Divorce (feat. David Hill, MD, FAAP) S3E25

I’ve been wanting to take on the topic of co-parenting through divorce for a while now. It’s relevant to so many families out there, including mine. David Hill, MD, FAAP literally co-wrote the book on Co-parenting Through Separation and Divorce: Putting Your Children First for the American Academy of Pediatrics. This is such an important topic because divorce is common, but unfortunately, navigating divorce, especially with kids (in general) can be incredibly challenging for a million reasons. There are common mistakes that parents make when going through something this emotionally challenging and Dr. Hill helps us to understand those common mistakes and how to avoid them. This is such an important conversation and I encourage you to listen and share this. The message is a very positive one. David Hill, MD, FAAP,…

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July 24, 2020

Podcast / Season 6

Caring For The Caregivers (feat. Eileen Silverberg) S3E24

My guest is Eileen Silverberg. She’s a Life Coach in Emotional Management and author of “A Warrior of Light: A Guide of Inner Wisdom For Challenging Times”. We have a very important conversation about the physical and emotional challenges of being a caregiver. Eileen shares her personal journey of becoming a caregiver to her mother. The message here is very important. Please listen, share, subscribe and rate this episode. Eileen Silverberg’s Links: Website: https://eileensilverberg.com/ Get her book here All my information and relevant links are here Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought…

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July 16, 2020