Having lost her only nephew when he was only six months old, Lisa has a tender heart toward medically fragile children. Twenty-five years ago, she honored her nephew by raising funds to help other kids. Following the initial success, Lisa learned to leverage corporate sponsorships and school choice tax credits to motivate her friends and coworkers to give thousands of dollars. Here she shares her moving story along with tips and tricks you can use to raise money for your favorite charities.

HKBK Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helpingkidspodcast

Dr. John Henshaw has mobilized hundreds of college students to help kids be kids. Under his leadership, mechanical engineering students have been designing custom equipment for the Little Light House for more than a decade. MADE at TU (Make A Difference Engineering), an inclusive Tulsa University club unifies students to help kids with special needs. Join this great conversation between Dr. Henshaw and LLH Executive Director Anne McCoy to learn how you can make a difference through strategic partnerships.

HKBK Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helpingkidspodcast

Jason Burks is the owner of Retrospec Films and Climb Tulsa and is a champion for kids with special needs. Since 2015 he has made films highlighting the work of Little Light House to show the value of children with special needs. Listen and learn why Jason is so generous with his time, talent, and treasure, and why he sees such value in helping kids be kids. He also fills us in on current projects he his working on with his wife, Tayler Burks. Jason and Retrospec Films helped us get Helping Kids Be Kids started.

Retrospec Films: https://www.retrospecfilms.com

Kaylie Boomer, mother of student who attends Little Light House, passes on her favorite resources for blind or visually impaired kids. Wilder, her child, has bilateral optic nerve hypoplasia, but these tips will help you no matter your child's diagnosis. Here are links to recommended resources: CDC Early Intervention Program Referrals by State; Oklahoma ABLE Tech; American Printing House for the Blind; Braille Tales; Seedlings Book Angel Program.

After having five previous typical pregnancies, Rachel Castillo had no concerns about the sixth. So when she went alone to her first doctor's appointment, she was devastated to learn that her daughter had Spina Bifida. Rachel shares how her journey from denial and depression to hope and delight in her precious child.

Collaboration is the key to helping a child reach their goals, but it takes extra time to initiate and is not a billable service. It often falls on parents to communicate with everyone, which can be burdensome and complicated. The pandemic has improved collaboration with cloud-based platforms for sharing videos and information between agencies/providers. In this episode, Lynda and Stef role-model how they collaborate and explain how teamwork improves their results. 

In part 4 of our Feeding Solutions series, Mandy will help you recognize red flags of feeding and let you know when to seek professional help. She adjusts your eyes to see your child's progress, unlocking feelings of accomplishment in yourself and your child. For Mandy, helping kids be kids means, "When they begin to understand themselves and know why things work and don't work for their body, they are more equipped to do hard things in life. That's what we want for our kids. It's not about eating; it's about learning." Thank you to Retrospec Films for recording this episode.

Reference links:

https://www.feedingmatters.org/

https://sosapproachtofeeding.com/

https://sosapproachtofeeding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Food-Jags-Range-Diary.pdf

In this episode, Mandy Foster and Lauren Gebhard help you face the emotions connected to feeding problems. They debunk mealtime myths and help you overcome false guilt. SOS therapy talks about what parents “bring to the table.” Studies show that 98% of feeding problems are due to a mix of diagnosable organic issues. Learn to change your beliefs about food and your child’s feeding to free you to engage these issues confidently.

Today, we start part 2 of our 4 part series about problem feeding. Lauren Gebhard and Mandy Foster join us to talk about food. There can be a lot of confusion surrounding food, and there are many reasons while a child might not be eating a particular food. We hope this episode will get you tips and tricks on approaching food more comfortably for you and your child. Thank you to Retrospec Films for recording this episode.

Reference links:

https://www.feedingmatters.org/

https://sosapproachtofeeding.com/

https://sosapproachtofeeding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Food-Jags-Range-Diary.pdf

Today, we are joined by Lauren Gebhard and Mandy Foster, speech therapists, to start a new four-part series about feeding problems. In this episode, we are discussing tips and tricks to get your child on an eating schedule. We discuss what SOS is, sequential oral sensory approach to feeding, and the difference between picky eating or problem feeding. Thank you to Retrospec Films for recording this episode.

Reference links:

https://www.feedingmatters.org/

https://sosapproachtofeeding.com/

https://sosapproachtofeeding.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Food-Jags-Range-Diary.pdf