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

Dads Talking Autism (feat. Ray Bracht) S6E06

Ray Bracht opens up about being an autism dad

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March 13, 2023

Podcast

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. Kids play on a tablet or a phone while wearing a heart rate monitor. And Mightier incorporates breathing exercises and other calming techniques as part of the game. Kids get to see when it’s time to cool down and learn how to do it themselves. And parents get to track their progress. Visit mightier.com and use the promo code "theautismdad22" at checkout to save 10%. Visit Mightier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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August 12, 2022

Podcast

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. Find me at theautismdad.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Tracto Tracto is a free app that is all about empowering parents to better understand and meet the unique needs of their kids with autism, ADHD or anxiety. Tracto does this by easily allowing for the collaborative tracking of behaviors over time. Parents can invite teachers or anyone else they want to help document behavioral changes. Not everyone sees the same things because every environment is different. Being able to document behaviors in realtime, prevents having to pull from memory, later on, making it more accurate, and reliable information. Tracking things like sleep patterns, medication-related behavioral changes, behaviors in the classroom, or anything else that parents of these amazing kiddos need to keep an eye on, can be challenging. Simply put, Tracto makes it easy. All tracking and collaboration functions to this app are completely free. They also offer affordable online courses, taught by leading experts if you’re interested in learning some new parenting skills yourself. They’re short videos that will teach you new parenting approaches and help you gain more insight into your child. Visit tracto.app and use the code “theautismdad” at checkout and save 30% off your online course order. Visit Tracto BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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March 21, 2022

Podcast

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 by clicking the link below from your mobile device. Download the FREE app:Click here from your mobile device to download the app for free and get more information. Sponsorship/Show Ideas/Communications:If you have a show idea, want to be a guest, or would like to sponsor an episode, contact me here, I’d love to hear from you. As always, you can find my award-winning blog at theautismdad.com. All my social links are at the top of the page. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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November 12, 2021

Podcast

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 before, at least publically. It made me feel incredibly vulnerable, which is okay, but I wasn’t sure what I was comfortable leaving in. As embarrassing as some of these things were to admit, I left everything in because I feel like I shouldn’t be ashamed and Dennis really helped me to reframe some of these things. My hope is that someone out there benefits from this. Bottom line is that guys have feelings too. Our feelings matter and we need to become more comfortable talking about them. There’s no shame in being human guys. About Dennis Procopio: https://manuplifecoaching.com/ All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad Additional resources: -Exploring healthy meals? Use the Sunbasket Promo Code -Why food choices matter when it comes to autism -The science is in! Healthy food can make you happy 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. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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September 10, 2021

Podcast

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, and on the spectrum with strong anxiety and OCD. Her youngest is Sarah, who is 11, and she has CAPS and has shown some traits of being on the spectrum but no diagnosis. Tammy was past president of the Upper Canada chapter for Autism Ontario for 3 year years and is involved with Special Olympics and other causes as time permits. Find her blog at www.tammyandhercrazyhouse.com, has a youtube channel (Tammy and Crazy House) among other social media presences. Tammy also has a small home business that can be found at www.calmyourmonster.ca which focused on sensory products built around scented playdough. Please listen and share with anyone that could benefit. 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 to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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November 13, 2020

Podcast

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

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, is a hospitalist pediatrician at Goldsboro Pediatrics, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council Management Committee, and Associate Editor of Pediatric Care Online Patient Education for the AAP. He writes and lectures nationally and internationally on pediatric topics, including media use, fatherhood, and family separation. Grab his book Co-parenting Through Separation and Divorce: Putting Your Children First Check out his website: https://doctordavidhill.com/ Facebook: @DadtoDad Twitter: @DadsBook https://www.instagram.com/davidlhillmd/ https://medium.com/@davidlhillmd https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlhillmd/ 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 to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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July 24, 2020

Podcast

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 to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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July 16, 2020