In today’s episode I’m chatting with school psychologist, Kathryn Cooley. Kathryn currently works as a consultant for several schools, primarily doing diagnostic assessments and specializing in autism. Kathryn talks about what first drew her to the field and how she found a passion working with individuals on the spectrum. She also shared a lot of really useful information for what exactly goes into the assessment, and how a school based diagnosis differs from a medical one. Kathryn also shared some really great tips for navigating the school system in general and more specifically how parents can best prepare for an IEP meeting. It was so interesting to hear the journey of Kathryn’s career and the variety of settings she’s worked in, all pertaining to autism. We had a great conversation and I hope you enjoy listening!

In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism sibling, Juliana Fetherman. Juliana shares her family’s journey with her brother, Michael, and also talks about developing her app ‘Making Authentic Friendships’, which is designed as a way to facilitate friendships for people with special needs. Juliana is such an incredible sister and she talks all about the lessons she’s learned from having a brother with ASD. She explains how the idea of the app was inspired because of Michael and his desire to make friends. It was such a pleasure to connect with Juliana and I’m so thrilled to welcome her a guest! I hope you enjoy listening!

In today’s episode I’m chatting with special education teacher, Stephanie DeLussey, AKA Mrs. D from Mrs. D’s corner! Stephanie is a wealth of knowledge on all things regarding special education, from lesson planning to IEP meetings- she is truly an expert in her field. Stephanie and I chat all about how teaching was her calling from a young age, and how she got into special education specifically. Stephanie shares so many amazing tips and helpful pieces of information, for parents and teachers! We also discuss her personal journey with anxiety, something she has been very honest and open about, which is really refreshing. Stephanie explains how her anxiety was affecting her as a teacher and how it lead to make tough but important decisions regarding her career. I loved chatting with Stephanie and I was SO appreciative to her perspective as a special needs teacher. Enjoy listening!

In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism mom and author, Kathryn Jenkins. Kathryn shares her journey with her son Logen, and how he inspired her to write her book, The Inclusion Alphabet. The book is a beautiful story of what it means to be inclusive, with a different word representing each letter of the alphabet. Kathryn also talks about her sons sibling relationship and how incredible those bonds are. We also touched on common issues associated with ASD that both our sons deal with, like disordered sleep and the need for oral sensory input! Kathryn is a true delight and I loved chatting with her- I hope you enjoy listening!

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Anesa, who is a BCBA and creator of “8 the plate”. Anesa and I get in depth about all things ABA therapy! We discuss why it is so effective and also shed some light on the misconceptions surrounding ABA. She shares what led her to work in this field and how it truly became her passion. Through that passion, she saw there was a real need for help when it came to over coming food struggles for many individuals on the spectrum. Anesa took that need and created 8 the plate- which uses ABA principles as a means of encouraging more variety into mealtime. Anesa was an absolute delight and I loved hearing her expert take on ABA therapy- something I feel very strongly about! Enjoy listening!

I wanted to put together this special bonus episode as way to honor World Autism Awareness Day 2019. Today I’m talking about what autism awareness means to me personally and why it is SO important. I also discuss my favorite ways to advocate for autism (hint: this podcast!) and what I wish people knew about autism. I posed these same topics in my Instagram stories last week and I’m sharing all the awesome feedback I got as well. Autism awareness is the first stop on road to acceptance and inclusion! Thank you so much for all your support and I hope you enjoy this bonus episode!

On today’s episode I’m chatting with speech and language pathologist and autism mom, Deidra Darst. Deidra shares her journey with her son Colin, and talks about how his diagnosis lead her to not only start a blog, but also write two books! We also discuss her work as an SLP and how that affected her when it came to her own son. As if she’s not busy enough, Deidra also does amazing advocacy work in her home state of West Virginia as director of The Mountaineer Autism Project. Deidra is an absolute delight and I loved talking with her! Enjoy listening!

On today’s episode I’m chatting with Eileen “Mama Fry” Shaklee, of the blog ‘Autism with a side of fries’. Eileen was really at the forefront of blogging- especially when it comes to autism! I personally have followed her for years and it was such a treat to chat with her! We talk all about her journey with her son, who she lovingly refers to as “Kiddo”. Eileen shares how their story started and how things have changed for them over the years now that Kiddo is 14. Eileen is not only a wealth of knowledge but she is also a hoot! I loved talking with her and I am so honored to welcome her as a guest. Enjoy listening!

On today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mama Brittney, who you might know as The Unapologetic Autistic. Brittney is not only a mother to two little ones with ASD but she herself is also on the spectrum. I connected with Brittney through her Instagram account and I was immediately drawn to her honesty and sense of humor. She brings both to today’s episode as she shares her journey and very unique perspective! I’m so thrilled to welcome her as a guest and I hope you enjoy listening!

Today’s episode includes a lot of firsts! My guest Kristin was the first listener to ever reach out to me after I started the podcast. She’s also my first guest with a daughter on the spectrum and she details her journey with her little girl, Mikayla. Kristin also lives in Sydney, Australia making her my first international guest! Kristin and I chat all about her daughter and how it initially took her some time to come to terms with Mikayla’s delays and other “red flags”, and later her diagnosis of ASD. Kristin shares very openly about how overwhelming the whole process can be. I had a great time time talking with Kristin (especially because of her Australian accent!) and I hope you enjoy listening!