Today I’m once again chatting with my sister, Melissa. We’re giving some updates and talking about everything that’s been going on with our family lately. First we’re discussing Mel’s brain cancer journey and more importantly, finishing treatment! These past couple months have been a blur of radiation, doctors appointments and medication. It’s so great to get this first phase of treatment behind us! Mel talks about the tough parts of her journey (like losing her hair and total exhaustion) and looks forward to the future. I’m so proud of her! Later, we’re talking about Logan’s recent hospital stay and how he’s recovering from his infection. We’re also discussing ALL the kids starting school and how it looks different for each of them. Lots happening on the home front! It’s always fun to bring my sister on the pod- I hope you enjoy listening!

Connect with Melissa:

IG: @thezill

Sponsors:

Audible

audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism

Making Authentic Friendships

makingauthenticfriendships.com

Connect with Megan:

IG: @adventuresinautismpod

FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast

Email: [email protected]

Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Today I’m chatting with autism mom and DIY queen, Whitney Gainer. Whitney is bravely sharing her journey with her 3 year old son, Jed, for the first time ever. As a mother of six, Whitney definitely had her fair share of parenting experience! But as she explains in this episode, Whitney was thrown a complete curveball with her youngest. Today we are discussing all the details of their autism journey and the impact it’s had on her and her family. I first became familiar with Whitney several years ago through her very popular brand, Shanty2Chic. Whitney and her sister Ashley started with a blog and it quickly became a huge success. The sisters went on to build a major business including their own show on HGTV. But with their primary focus on building furniture, Whitney kept her private family life off the blog...until she had a change of heart and decided to open up about their story. Whitney refers to her sons journey as “their treasure” and today she is opening up and sharing for the first time. This conversation is beautiful, heartfelt and raw. I’m so honored that Whitney shared their story with me. I hope you enjoy listening!

Connect with Whitney:

FB & IG: Shanty2Chic

Sponsors:

Audible

audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism

Making Authentic Friendships

makingauthenticfriendships.com

Connect with Megan:

IG: @adventuresinautismpod

FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast

Email: [email protected]

Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Today I’m chatting with special education teacher, Ann Hall. Ann holds a very special place in my heart because she was actually Logan’s preschool teacher the year he was diagnosed with autism. We have maintained a friendship ever since and I’m thrilled to welcome her as a guest! Today we’re discussing ALL the things regarding to the 2020/2021 school year. Obviously, this year is going to be very different. Ann gives her perspective as a teacher going into this year. She’s sharing her thoughts and concerns as well as her plans to make this year the best it can be- despite the circumstances. I’m also sharing what we’re planning for this year and how we came to our decisions. I think this was a very important conversation to have because obviously it’s top of mind for so many of us. Talking with Ann was both enlightening and comforting to me. She is always a pleasure to chat with and this was no exception. I hope you enjoy listening!

Sponsors:

Audible

audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism

Making Authentic Friendships

makingauthenticfriendships.com

Connect with Megan:

IG: @adventuresinautismpod

FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast

Email: [email protected]

Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Today I’m chatting with speech and language pathologist, Kennedy Richardson. Kennedy and I talk all about her journey and how she is now working as an SLP in a high school. Kennedy originally set out to work with young children in early intervention, but after working with older kids and adults she really found her calling. I was super excited to have this conversation with Kennedy- I feel like there is so often a focus on young children, especially when it comes to speech. But progress can truly happen at any age! Kennedy shares her experience working with assistive tech and how sometimes low tech can be just as beneficial, depending on the individual. We also talk about the difference between speech delays and language disorders. Kennedy shares so much valuable info during this episode! I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation and I hope you enjoy listening!

Connect with Kennedy:

IG: @kennedyyrichardson

Sponsors:

Audible

audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism

Making Authentic Friendships

makingauthenticfriendships.com

Connect with Megan:

IG: @adventuresinautismpod

FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast

Email: [email protected]

Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Today I’m chatting with fellow autism mom and author, Dr. Lisa Peña. Lisa shares her journey with her beautiful daughter, Isla. After several years and pursuing many different doctors and treatments, Isla was diagnosed with autism. Through all the ups and downs Lisa remained her greatest advocate and biggest supporter. Their journey inspired Lisa to first start her blog (The MOCHA tribe diaries) in an effort to help connect other moms with autistic children. Lisa also wrote her book “Waiting for the Lightbulb” which is a raw and beautiful inside look at their story. Recently, Lisa has teamed up with some other amazing mothers in the autism community to start “Labeled and Loved” which is a nonprofit that is planning retreats (among other things!) for mothers who have children with special needs. After reading Lisa’s book, I couldn’t wait to have her on the show. This conversation left me so fulfilled and uplifted. Lisa is so inspiring and I hope you enjoy listening!

Connect with Lisa:

http://mochatribediaries.com/

Sponsors:

Audible

audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism

Making Authentic Friendships

makingauthenticfriendships.com

Connect with Megan:

IG: @adventuresinautismpod

FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast

Email: [email protected]

Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

In today’s episode I’m flying solo and sharing what I’ve learned after doing 100 episodes of this podcast. This show really started from my own desire to have conversations with other people who were on a similar path. I was desperately craving connection from people who “got it”. I knew that if I was seeking that connection, then it was likely that others were too. And thus Adventures in Autism was born! After 100 episodes and countless incredible conversations with my many amazing guests, I have truly learned so much. From how to be a host to letting go of fear for the future- I’m spilling it all today! I’m also answering some very thoughtful listener questions. I can’t say thank you enough to this community- I am so grateful to have you all on this ride with me! I hope you enjoy listening to this episode.

Sponsors:

Audible

audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism

Making Authentic Friendships

makingauthenticfriendships.com

Connect with Megan:

IG: @adventuresinautismpod

FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast

Email: [email protected]

Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mom, Desiree Goode. Desiree shares her journey with her adorable daughter, Ellie. Desiree explains how despite her early concerns about her daughter, doctors dismissed her and instead just labeled Ellie “strong willed”. Desiree knew there was something more at play and continued to advocate for Ellie and eventually she was diagnosed with ASD. Desiree and I also talk about how isolating it can be during the early days of a diagnosis, as well as how her daughter is doing now. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you enjoy listening!

Sponsors:

Audible

audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism

Making Authentic Friendships

makingauthenticfriendships.com

Connect with Megan:

IG: @adventuresinautismpod

FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast

Email: [email protected]

Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mom, Tiffany Klett. Tiffany and I connected several months back when she became a listener of the podcast. I’m thrilled to welcome her on the show today as a guest! Tiffany shares her unique journey with her youngest son, Parker. Tiffany also has two older sons who are neurotypical. Parker was born when his brothers were 12 and 13 years old. As Tiffany says, Parker was “the surprise of a lifetime!”. Tiffany talks all about Parker’s early years (and how he differed from his brothers) as well as more recent events, like kindergarten placement and navigating the school system. Tiffany is a delight- she is so warm and easy to talk to. We had a great conversation and I hope you enjoy listening!

Connect with Tiffany:

FB: Tiffany Klett

Sponsors:

Audible

audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism

Making Authentic Friendships

makingauthenticfriendships.com

Connect with Megan:

IG: @adventuresinautismpod

FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast

Email: [email protected]

Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Today I am once again chatting with my sister, Melissa. We’re discussing some recent updates on her journey with brain cancer and next steps for her treatment. Per usual, Mel is as candid and honest as ever! We talk about her new challenges while recovering from brain surgery and how they’re affecting her day to day life, as well as her future. We’re also talking about her therapy (specifically OT and PT) and how it’s amazing to see the similarities between her and Logan- even though they’re obviously very different situations, there’s a lot of overlap in terms of goals. Later, we’re getting back to last weeks topic of processing feelings. Melissa is obviously experiencing A TON of new emotions around all this and we’re discussing her own feelings of grief. We also get into how we’re both working on being more mindful and coming from a place of gratitude. It’s always a pleasure to bring my sister on the pod (and open with a song of course!) and this episode was no exception! I hope you enjoy listening!

Connect with Mel:

FB: Melissa Mitchell

IG: @thezill

Melissa’s Go Fund Me:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/make-it-count-for-melissa

Sponsors:

Audible

audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism

Making Authentic Friendships

makingauthenticfriendships.com

Connect with Megan:

IG: @adventuresinautismpod

FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast

Email: [email protected]

Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Today I’m flying solo and talking about some things that have been happening in our world lately. First, I’m sharing an update on our journey with medication for Logan. It feels like we’re finally on the right track and I’m explaining why that is. We are also resuming ABA therapy this week (hallelujah!) and we are so excited to get back into a routine- Logan is definitely ready! I’m also answering some listener questions that come up often. Specifically my thoughts around grief and processing feelings after a new autism diagnosis, and also why I decided to share our journey. These are both topics I feel passionate about and I’m glad I got to address them in this episode. I am no expert but I do hope this is helpful. If you’ve been struggling with grief, this might be an episode for you. I hope you enjoy listening!

Sponsors:

Audible

audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism

Making Authentic Friendships

makingauthenticfriendships.com

Connect with Megan:

IG: @adventuresinautismpod

FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast

Email: [email protected]

Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!