Helping Kids Thrive

Guest: Jenna Green, M.A., Ed.S., N.C.S.P.

The National Association for School Psychologists estimates that about 25% of learning was lost over the 2019/2020 school year. The amount of learning lost over this last school year is still to be seen.

During this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole invites Jenna Green, a school psychologist skilled in evaluating learning challenges in children, on the podcast to talk about the concerns of pandemic learning loss. She gives insight into what a school psychologist does, when you should refer your child for an evaluation, what we are seeing in terms of learning loss, and strategies/resources that parents can utilize to help their child and advocate for what they need.

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Guest: Jackie Wight, M.A., LPC, Director of Mental Health

As we gear up for another school year we recognize that there are a lot of things going on in the minds of kids and parents as we look to start the school year following last school year where kids were learning remotely, being quarantined and missing school, and there was just in general a lot of uncertainty.

In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, listen in as Nicole chats with Jackie Wight, Licensed Professional Counselor, about how parents can support their child's mental wellbeing as they make the transition back to in person learning this fall.

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Guest: Andee Szwabowski, M.H.S. CCC-SLP, Clinical Product Expert

In the last year, most families have had some some experience with remote learning or teletherapy services, but with so many schools and clinics being thrust into providing services this way with no preparation, experiences with this service delivery model have varied.

In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined by Andee Szwabowski, a speech language pathologist, seasoned teletherapist, and Clinical Product Expert, to provide more insight into therapy services delivered via teletherapy. They talk about ways to increase effectiveness, pros and cons for families, and how to know if this would be a good model of therapy for your family.

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Guests: Lauren + Megan from The Matrescence

Moms need lots of support, but often once a baby comes, the focus shifts and mom's needs are pushed to the wayside. Mental health difficulties are common within all stages of motherhood and there needs to be more conversation about it.

During this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined by Lauren and Megan, co-founders of an online community called The Matrescence. The Matrescence aims at starting conversations around maternal mental health and being a source of support for moms at all stages of their parenting journey. During this interview, we discuss some of the challenges that mothers face, the importance of finding a community and speaking up if you are struggling, and some quick tips to help you feel supported as a mom.

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Guest: Brittany Orr, M.S. CCC-SLP

Your kids are home for summer break - now what? How do you as a parent make sure that they don't lose all of the progress that they gained with communication during the last school year?

In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, DCT speech language pathologist, Brittany Orr, joins Nicole to discuss ways that parents can help encourage speech and language development while their kids are home for the summer. They chat through practical ideas for taking trips or staying home so that every family can support their kids' communication growth.

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Guests: Carla Small, Co-Founder + CEO of EarlyBird, and Eileen Catizone, Literacy Specialist

Did you know that 70% of children reading below average in first grade will continue to have below average reading skills by 8th grade? The good news is - intervention can help! Research shows us that 56-92% of children (even those most at risk for reading failure) will successfully learn to read, with early intervention.

During today's episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined by Carla Small, CEO and co-founder of EarlyBird, and Eileen Catizone, literacy specialist, for a discussion around Dyslexia identification. You will learn how dyslexia is identified and diagnosed in children, what good intervention practices are, and how you can help your child improve their literacy skills at home.

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Guest: Michaela Landry, MSW, LCSW

Have you ever looked at your child during a meltdown and wondered "what on earth is going on in this kid's brain?" You're not alone.

In today's episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined by Michaela Landry, a licensed clinical social worker, to discuss what is happening inside a child's brain when they're experiencing stress and how we as parents can help.

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Guest: Lauren Lowery, special needs mom + life coach

In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined by Lauren Lowery, a special needs mom and life coach, to discuss the overwhelm that can often be associated with special needs parenting. Lauren gives insights into her parenting experiences and practical tips for some of the realities of special needs parenting, such as scheduling ALL the appointments, keeping up with supplies, and processing through emotions.

To connect more with Lauren follow her on instagram @lauren_nia_lowery or visit her website www.lowerylifecoaching.com.

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Guest: Dr. Jayna Niblock, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, BCP, BCTS

In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined once again by Dr. Jayna Niblock - this time to talk about sensory processing.

Many people have heard of a sensory diet, but during this conversation, Jayna makes the argument for a sensory lifestyle instead. We also discuss the 8 sensory systems (surprise! There are more than 5!!), how a child and parent's sensory systems might be in conflict, what to do about stemming, and resources for helping your child process and cope with all of the sensory input they are receiving (or not receiving!).

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Guest: Sarah O'Callaghan, RDN, LD

Healthy eating can be overwhelming. Add kids, and it's a real challenge. In this episode, Nicole sits down with Registered Dietician, Sarah O'Callaghan, to talk about how families can promote healthy eating in their homes. She breaks down real life tips for simplifying healthy eating, shares researched backed statistics and strategies, and discusses tips for those picky eaters.

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