Full Spectrum Parent: Christian Autism Support | Special Needs Parenting | Faith & Autism Resources

As Christian parents, we believe church should be an essential part of our children's lives.

Yet the more kids we had--the more challenging church became.

From the toddler who can't sit still to the teenager on the spectrum, church can be an overwhelming place.

In Episode 14, we speak candidly of our own struggles with our children in the church setting and how we overcame some of these obstacles.

If we were to set up a confessional for parents, and you could slip behind the curtain and share your “sins”, the one admission we would hear most often is this: “I can’t stop yelling at my kids.”

My husband and I are pastors, yet we lose our cool with our children too.

The chaos of life with little ones feels as if you are a boiling pot of water—the minute you turn up the heat—you find yourself spewing water everywhere and then feeling guilty about it after the fact.

In Episode 13, we share honestly about our own battles with anger and how we have managed our tempers in the midst of raising special needs kids.

The day our daughter was diagnosed with autism we entered into a foreign land called Special Education.

In this strange new world, they spoke an entirely different language—spouting jargon and acronyms left and right.

My husband and I felt completely lost.

In Episode 12, we offer 10 tips for tackling your child’s Individualized Education Plan, defining terms, and walking parents through what it’s like to sit in a special education meeting.

And if you would like to learn more about the Parent with Purpose Online Conference and register for the early bird rate of only $29 click here:http://fullspectrum.perfectlyimperfect.org/

Considering medication for our children is a hot topic. Some families are dead set against the idea, while others swear by them. With so many options, it can be difficult to navigate what is best for our children. 

On top of all this, as Christian parents, we are confronted with the stigmas regarding medicine that exists in some circles. 

If our children are on medication, does that mean we aren't trusting God?

Are faith and medicine opposed to one another?

In Episode 11, we share the journey our family has made in regards to medication and how we landed on those decisions.

Raising special needs kids should qualify as an extreme sport.

But raising typical children in the midst of these challenges takes parenting to a whole new level.

In Episode 10, we reveal an exclusive interview with a very special guest: our eldest son
Jeremiah.

Jeremiah describes the challenges he has faced as a typical teen growing up with two siblings who struggle with severe autism.

We challenged our listeners to ask us anything and the questions came rolling in. 

In Episode 9, we tackle tough parenting questions ranging from how we hire babysitters to how we address the topic of sexuality with our children. 

This is an episode you don’t want to miss! 

Every child learns differently. 

Every child has different needs.

Throw in a pandemic, masks, and social distancing—and learning gets complicated. 

How can we as parents make wise decisions in regards to our kid’s education?

What does God require of us?

In Episode 8, we offer three guiding principles to navigate decisions regarding school, while sharing our blunders along the way. 

Sleep. 

We know we need it but can never seem to get enough. 

As parents, sleep can feel elusive. 

The moment a tiny human enters our world—everything changes—including our sleep schedule.

In Episode 7, we encourage parents that we aren’t victims to our children’s erratic sleep patterns. 

Our kids CAN learn the skill of sound sleeping, no matter what challenges our families face.

Expectations are a tricky thing. 

God calls us to believe for great things but how do we navigate life when it doesn’t seem to measure up to our expectations? 

Most of us grow up dreaming of a spouse, a modern home designed by Joanna Gaines, a white picket fence, and 2.5 kids.

Yet sometimes life serves up a different course than we envisioned—special needs, divorce, illness, miscarriage, loneliness. 

In Episode 6, we discuss how to tackle the internal and external expectations we face in life, especially around the holidays. 

There has never been a time in history where our mental health has been more taxed.

Sickness. 
Isolation.
A world-wide pandemic. 
And throw in the responsibility of raising good humans to boot. 

I never thought much about my mental health until I experienced my first panic attack. 

In this episode, we share our story and the steps we took toward pursuing peace and prioritizing our own mental health in the midst of parenting.