I Wish More Dads Spoke Up Like This (feat. Ray Bracht) S3E39

I'm super stoked about this 2nd to the last episode of the season because I snagged an autism dad. I talk to tons of autism moms and that's awesome because I learn so much from them. I don't hear from or speak with many autism dads, and that's always bothered me. Dads seem to talk about their experiences less for some reason and I wish I knew why. I'm super excited to have an autism dad on the show today. His name is Ray Bracht and I met him for the first time a few weeks ago when this interview was recorded. He has such an awesome story, and I'm so grateful that I had the chance to connect with him. I can't wait for you to meet him and…

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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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Parent to Parent (feat. Amy Nielsen) S3E36

In this week’s episode, my friend Amy Nielsen is back on the show. Amy is an autism Mom and was on a few months back. We were talking about her journey as an autism parent. We discussed how COVID was impacting their lives at the time. We also talked about what she and her husband were going to do for the upcoming school year. Since that episode, her youngest tested positive for COVID. Her husband tested positive for COVID as well. She’s back to share their story, raise awareness, and talk about her family’s experience with COVID. Can you imagine trying to isolate a very young autistic child? We also talk about some other issues impacting the autism community. This is a very important episode and I ask that you please listen and share. About Amy: Amy is a former educator with seventeen years of experience. Her educational background includes teaching second grade, elementary media specialist, middle school television production teacher, and middle school media specialist. After her fourth child was diagnosed with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder, she left her full-time teaching career so she would have the flexibility to meet the demands of this special parenting role. Amy runs the Big Abilities Blog and Podcast. I am also a freelance writer for Playground Magazine , contributing author at The Mighty. author of the book It Takes a Village: Get Your Hands Dirty and Build Yours From the Ground Up  and Parent Advocate and Early Intervention Specialist at Collaborative Corner for Exceptional Children. About Me: Please remember that self-care is more important than ever. It’s not easy but we have to do our best to look after ourselves, especially during these turbulent and uncertain times. 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.  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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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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Goally is tech that helps kids manage their routine (feat. Sasha Shtern) S3E34

In this weeks episode, I interview Sasha Shtern, CEO of Goally. Goally is really cool tech that I’ve been testing with my oldest. Goally helps kids with autism and ADHD manage their own routines or schedules independently. This is huge for many families and I’m excited to bring it to your attention. I’ve had this in my house for a few months and I’m super impressed with it. Sasha is here to talk about how Goally works. We also talk about how it’s helping so many kids to gain independence. Learn more about Goally: goally.co They’ve provided my listeners with a coupon code. Use the code “theautismdad” at check out for free shipping. About Sasha Shtern:Sasha Shtern is CEO of Denver-based Goally. Goally helps parents implement the most effective protocols at home without complicated jargon or training. Sasha is a lifelong tech lover and entrepreneur. About Me:All my information and relevant links are here SponsorsThis 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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Parent to Parent (feat. Wendy Valente) S3E33

I’m so excited about this week’s episode because I just launched The Parent to Parent Series. Aside from briefly vetting my guests, I go into these interviews blind. The idea is to meet another special needs parent for the first time. Get to know them. Have a raw, unfiltered conversation. Learn about their life and family. Share experiences and insights with the overall goal of reminding everyone listening just how beautiful and unique every special needs family is. You will likely hear some colorful language and that’s okay. You will also find things that you can relate to and that can serve as a reminder that you aren’t alone. We can all learn from each other and the more connections we can make, the more connected to this amazing community we will find ourselves. My guest is Wendy Valente. About Wendy: Wendy’s had a lifelong love of Interior Design, went to college, and started a career in the design industry. Fast forward, she’s a wife and mother of 3 girls. Her oldest is Autistic and has ADHD. Her youngest are twins. After realizing the traditional way of working was not working for her and her family, she started her own business. This has allowed her to work around the school calendar, and be there for her family. After her oldest was diagnosed with Autism, she started to dive deep into ways to help her and understand her. This led her to Designing Interiors for Autism. www.livewelldesigns.net  https://www.facebook.com/groups/designinginteriorsforautism/ About Me: 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 http://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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MAMAS Talkin’ LOUD (feat. Cara Cooper and Jessica Rush) S3E31

I’m so excited to bring you this episode. My guests today are Cara Cooper and Jessica Rush. They’re both Broadway Moms and they’re here to talk about motherhood, parenting, their podcast (MAMAS Talkin’ LOUD), balancing career and family, as well as how their lives have been impacted by COVID-19. Cara is a special needs mom and we talk about that journey as well. Cara and Jessica are absolutely hilarious and I encourage you all to check out their podcast, MAMAS Talkin’ LOUD. It’s a trip.  This is a fantastic conversation and I’m thrilled to bring it to you all. About Cara Cooper: Cara Cooper is an actress most recently on Broadway in the critically acclaimed musical The Prom. Prior to that, she was the longest-running Mary Delgado in the Broadway company of Jersey…

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Parent to Parent (feat. Amy Nielsen) S3E29

In this weeks episode, I have a parent to parent conversation with Amy Nielsen. She’s an autism mom, author, educator, blogger, podcaster, and early intervention specialist. We talk about her amazing family, life as an autism parent, and how COVID has made things more challenging. We also talk about how she and her husband are navigating the new school year. It’s a great conversation and one you can definitely relate to. About Amy Nielsen: Amy is a former educator with seventeen years of experience. Her educational background includes teaching second grade, elementary media specialist, middle school television production teacher, and middle school media specialist. After her fourth child was diagnosed with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder, she left her full-time teaching career so she would have the flexibility to meet the demands of this special parenting role. Amy runs the Big Abilities Blog and Podcast. I am also a freelance writer for Playground Magazine , contributing author at The Mighty. author of the book It Takes a Village: Get Your Hands Dirty and Build Yours From the Ground Up  and Parent Advocate and Early Intervention Specialist at Collaborative Corner for Exceptional Children. About Me: Please remember that self-care is more important than ever. It’s not easy but we have to do our best to look after ourselves, especially during these turbulent and uncertain times. 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.  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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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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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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