Mother's Guide Through Autism

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In this week's episode, Brigitte talks about having and cultivating self-compassion to be more forgiving, loving, compassionate, understanding, and kinder as a human being to ourselves and to others.

Brigitte explains what self-compassion means to her and what it might look like, and talks about the 3 areas she is focusing on to cultivate self-compassion:

- Paying attention to self-talk
- Being kinder to herself when she falls short
- Nurture mind, body, and spirit in the form of self-care

She also talks about rest and "adult recess" as forms of self-care.

She is starting a year of self-compassion and inviting you to join her on this journey.

She ends with one question to ask yourself to reflect on where you are as you begin this journey to self-love and self-compassion.

Enjoy this episode!

Resources/Links:

Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism

Brigitte's Website:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

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In this week's episode, Brigitte shares what her son Joseph wrote on World Autism Awareness Day to bring more awareness and understanding to autism. 

Brigitte says that awareness is the beginning of understanding that brings us all the ability to move forward with love and grace and that this applies in all the areas of our life that we are navigating to live authentically. 

She shares that her awareness has grown deeper from the words of her son. His words inspire her to live with the intention of being kinder, notice the beauty in each person, and be the highest version of herself.

She hopes that his words will inspire you and that you take your own awareness with you and that you put it out into the world.

Enjoy this episode!

Resources/Links:

Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism

Brigitte's Website:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

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Send us Fan Mail

In this week's episode, Brigitte talks about the fear of the future for our children that often shows up strong for mothers of children with autism.

Brigitte is no stranger to fearful thoughts that weighed her down like a bag of rocks for decades. Her fearful thoughts ranged from "What if my son never talks?" to "He will never find love," to "What would happen to my son when I’m gone?" and many more.

To alleviate the fear of "What would happen to my son when I’m gone?" Brigitte had told herself, "I have to make sure I don’t die until I know my boys will be okay."

Fear was taking up so much of her energy that she didn't have much energy left.

The truth is, she knew she had no control over what their future was going to be but she still carried the heavyweight of fear for decades.

Later, as Joseph got older, she was able to see that he could be independent one day and the regrets came over her. What if I could’ve seen that possibility back when he was 3? What if I could’ve seen into the future and just realize that he was going to be okay? 

She now knows that she could've been more present if she wasn't so occupied by her fear and wishes that she had a way to shift her fear the way she is able to now.

She shares her practice of calming her fear and urges you to take up this daily practice to shift your own fear of the future for your child.

Enjoy this episode!

Resources/Links:

Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism

Brigitte's Website:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

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In this week's insightful episode, Brigitte interviews Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht about her experience of being diagnosed with autism at 48 and her perspective of living with autism.

Dr. Natalie is a late-diagnosed, registered psychotherapist practicing for over twenty-five years to help individuals with autism reach their potential.

She is also a founder and blogger at Embrace ASD which offers evidence-based articles on a variety of autism topics including the latest autism research, and resources to help individuals with autism.

She shares her experience of being diagnosed with autism at age 48 in 2017 and how her first reaction was joy because it gave her the much-needed understanding of who she was. 

She tells how prior to being diagnosed, she felt a lot of shame and felt like she was always wrong and apologizing for who she was. It was difficult for her to maintain friendships and being in groups and she felt broken before the diagnosis. “I didn’t see myself as different. I saw myself as wrong,” Dr. Natalie says.

Once she understood that she had autism, everything started to change and things other people found peculiar in the past made sense to her.

She shares the beautiful and profound manifesto (which you can find on her website Embrace ASD) she wrote a few days after her diagnosis, in which she says she can choose to see herself as having superpowers and she chooses to embrace ASD.

She also offers new insight into the empathic capacity of autistic people and talks about the double empathy problem to help us bridge the gap in communication between neurotypical individuals and autistic individuals.

In addition, she explains 3 reasons symptoms are different in girls and women.

Finally, she gives advice on how to best support our loved ones with autism and encourages us to always approach with curiosity.

Enjoy this episode!

Resources/Links:

Embrace ASD
https://embraceasd.com/

Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism

Brigitte's Website:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In this fourth and final installment of the 4-part series Self Compassion, Brigitte and Dr. Michelle Trias discuss the importance of sleep and how we can establish a solid sleep routine for our wellbeing. 

Dr. Michelle explains that during sleep, your brain stores new information and get rid of toxic waste, your body repairs cells, restores energy, and releases molecules like hormones and proteins, and you get a boost in your immune system so you get sick less often and have more energy throughout the day. 

Dr. Michelles also says that sleep is a vital player in your ability to regulate hormones that control appetite and metabolism as well as to lower your stress and improve your mood, and to help you focus and think more creatively. 

Brigitte and Dr. Michelle talk about the importance of getting into a good sleep routine, which can set you up for a great night’s sleep, which can set you up for a great morning, and therefore set you up for a great day.

They offer some Do's and Don'ts before bedtime and tips on how to go back to sleep should you wake up in the middle of the night. 

Enjoy this episode!

Dr. Michelle Trias is a graduate from the University of Central Florida and completed her Doctorate in traditional naturopathy from the New Eden School of Natural Health and Herbal studies. Whether it's digestive discomfort, skin conditions, cholesterol, or fatigue, natural foods and herbs are the way back to better health. Dr. Michelle is on a mission to help you heal your gut and help you take control of your health and wellness.

Resources and Links:

Dr. Michelle Website
https://mynaturowellness.com/

Dr. Michell Email
[email protected]

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mynaturowellness/

Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism

Brigitte's Website:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In this third installment of the 4-part series Self Compassion, Brigitte and Dr. Michelle Trias discuss how our use of social media is causing many of us to have anxiety and depression and what we need to do to counter that. 

Research shows that frequent social media users have been shown to have worse mental health than low or no social media users. Social media users that have negative interactions have higher levels of depression and people who use 3 more social media sites are more likely to have anxiety. 

Dr. Michelles says that the negative interactions that we have on social media are having detrimental effects on our mental health and we are also often using social media to measure our self-worth, which can lead to anxiety and depression. 

She also says that internal self-loathing begins to happen when you are exposed to hateful comments by others on social media. 

They offer some simple social media strategies to counter the negative effects and lower anxiety and how to boost your self-worth. 

"Remember that the opinion that matters the most is the opinion you have for yourself," Dr. Michelle says. 

Enjoy this episode!

Dr. Michelle Trias is a graduate from the University of Central Florida and completed her Doctorate in traditional naturopathy from the New Eden School of Natural Health and Herbal studies. Whether it's digestive discomfort, skin conditions, cholesterol, or fatigue, natural foods and herbs are the way back to better health. Dr. Michelle is on a mission to help you heal your gut and help you take control of your health and wellness.

Dr. Michelle's Face Mask Recipe:

1 teaspoon of honey
1 teaspoon of coconut oil
1/4 ripe avocado
2 drops of lavender oil

Resources and Links:

Dr. Michelle Website
https://mynaturowellness.com/

Dr. Michell Email
[email protected]

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mynaturowellness/

Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism

Brigitte's Website:
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In this second installment of the 4-part series Self Compassion, Brigitte Shipman and Dr. Michelle Trias discuss how healing the emotional aspects of ourselves is key to healing whatever condition we may have, and how loving ourselves is an important component of that process. 

Dr. Michelle explains that in order to achieve optimal health and wellbeing, we have to look at the whole person including past history, traumas, relationships, and heartbreaks to get to the "why" of illnesses. 

She tells us that the number one killer for women is heart disease, which she believes is intricately linked to emotions in many cases. 

She shares a story where she started crying when she kept hearing "You are enough" from an instructor in a yoga class. She says that many of us consciously or unconsciously carry the belief that we are not good enough moms, we are not doing enough, or in some way "not enough" and that we need to incorporate daily practices to love ourselves. 

They talk about the importance of positive self-talk which can release the happiness hormone in the body and remembering that "we are not our thoughts" when negative self-talk pops up in our head. 

Enjoy this episode!

Dr. Michelle Trias is a graduate from the University of Central Florida and completed her Doctorate in traditional naturopathy from the New Eden School of Natural Health and Herbal studies. Whether it's digestive discomfort, skin conditions, cholesterol, or fatigue, natural foods and herbs are the way back to better health. Dr. Michelle is on a mission to help you heal your gut and help you take control of your health and wellness.

Resources/Links:

Dr. Michelle Website
https://mynaturowellness.com/

Dr. Michell Email
[email protected]

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mynaturowellness/

Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism

Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In this first installment of the 4-part series Self Compassion, Brigitte and Dr. Michelle Trias discuss how chronic stress can contribute to numerous illnesses and the importance of adopting practices to reduce stress in our daily lives as mothers.

Dr. Michelle explains what happens physiologically when we are experiencing stress and the possible consequences that can result from chronic stress including hair loss, hypertension, poor digestion, adrenal fatigue.

"Stress can literally kill you because it starts to wear down on your body," Dr. Michelle says.

She shares 3 simple practices that she uses to reduce stress in her own life and offers them to you to start incorporating into your life. These practices will help to calm and relax the mind, handle pressure and unmet expectations, and recover when we fall into the "pool."

Enjoy this episode!

Dr. Michelle Trias is a graduate from the University of Central Florida and completed her Doctorate in traditional naturopathy from the New Eden School of Natural Health and Herbal studies. Whether it's digestive discomfort, skin conditions, cholesterol, or fatigue, natural foods and herbs are the way back to better health. Dr. Michelle is on a mission to help you heal your gut and help you take control of your health and wellness.

Resources/Links:

Dr. Michelle Website
https://mynaturowellness.com/

Dr. Michell Email
[email protected]

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mynaturowellness/

Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism

Brigitte Website
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In this week's episode, Brigitte interviews Dr. Sarah Lane, a Developmental Optometrist who specializes in working with children who struggle with the development of their visual skills and visual processing abilities.

Dr. Lane offers Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation to children and adults in her community and is a creator of Meaningful Moves which are a collection of exercises designed for parents and caregivers to easily use with babies to help optimize the development of sensory and motor skills.

She tells how Developmental Optometry found her when she started developing vision problems in 2nd grade. She struggled with reading and learning but she somehow made it through doing things differently from her classmates and sister and always making the high honor roll. 

When she got to optometry school, she had frequent headaches that resulted from switching from looking at a board far away to looking at her notes. She was diagnosed with a vision problem—problem with focusing and two-eye coordination—and was recommended to do vision therapy, which she had never heard of. She changed her career path to help others who had vision problems that could be helped with vision therapy. 

Along the way, she became a student of yoga and movement and as her vision improved with vision therapy, yoga, and movement, she started to ponder the question of how does the organization and movement of the body impact the visual system.

She brings a lot of learning to her optometry session with her clients including MNRI, Feldenkrais Method, Pilate, and Yoga as she believes in the importance of having a holistic approach and putting a lot of different pieces together that over time allow us to create the shift we desire. 

She shares a success story of a boy in 7th grade who struggled to do what teachers wanted him to do exactly in the way they wanted. When he came to see her, she discovered that he was seeing double pretty much all the time and that double vision was related to the stress within his body. She brought in different modalities and body movement to balance the nervous system and now moving into high school, he is no longer seeing double and able to articulate what’s happening because of the tools he gained.

Dr. Lane's goal is to teach a person how their visual system works and to teach them tools to continuously maintain organization within the visual system. She helps them to have an experience that gets them more connected with how their eyes and visual system works.

She also talks about Meaningfull Moves, a program of exercises that parents can do with their children that set the foundation for sensory, motor, and visual development that include 5 areas of movement--Hand, Feet, Side to Side, Up and Down, and Upside Down. 

Finally, she gives us this advice, “Take a deep breath and pay attention to your child and pay attention to yourself. Take one step at a time to make sure that each movement or each step gets you to a better place mind, body, and spirit.”

Enjoy this episode!

Resources/Links:

Meaningful Moves
https://www.movewithyourbaby.com/

Focus Center for Vision and Learning
https://www.focusvisioncenter.com/

Meaningful Moves Book
https://amzn.to/3pa5lUZ

Feldenkrais
https://feldenkrais.com/

MNRI
https://masgutovamethod.com/

Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism

BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In this week's insightful episode, Brigitte interviews Sarah Wayland, Parent Coach, Certified Relationship Development Intervention (RDI®) Consultant, and Special Needs Care Navigator who helps parents learn how to confidently and effectively help their children with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, and other brain-based differences at home, at school, and in the community. 

Sarah is a mom of two young adult sons who are on the spectrum and shares her journey of raising kids with autism. 

She tells how different their diagnoses came and how differently they expressed themselves when they encountered difficulties; the older son would shut down whereas the younger son would let her know in a very conspicuous manner.

She also tells a story of how she could not sit with her son for 10 minutes without doing anything because her grief was so great in the first few years of her autism journey. She got cognitive behavioral therapy with a counselor to manage her own anxiety so she didn’t bring her own “stuff” to her interactions with her son. Once she got through, she was able to sit with him for however long she wanted to.

She now feels that she was giving him the wrong message that he wasn’t perfect and that she had to fix him, and wishes that she had enjoyed every moment she had with him and loved him for exactly who he was in those early interactions.

Sarah also shares how RDI or Relationship Development Intervention has hugely helped her to confidently and effectively help her children develop the skills they need to navigate the world. It has helped her so much that she became an RDI consultant herself.

She talks about the four core challenges of autism--co-regulation, joint attention, self-regulation, executive functioning skills--and how to use the RDI curriculum to improve these areas of functioning.

RDI helps to establish a Guiding Relationship between parents and children, which means that parents are there to be their guide and to help their children navigate life so that they can be the best version of themselves.

In RDI, parents take the guiding role in the day to day life with their kids at home to teach them the skills they need in the areas of core challenges. She gives us the example of helping her son develop joint attention by using their playtime with Pokemon toys.

One of the strategies in RDI that she found useful was to slow down. She realized that she needed to give her son time to process things and give him the chance to think through things for himself before she jumped in to help him.

Sarah likes to give parents she works with the education piece but also the strategies to help them help their children develop a sense of self-competence and self-efficacy.

In addition, she talks about the importance of allowing our kids to go at the right pace for them as opposed to going at a pace society says they need to go, as she recalls her son having anxiety in college until he was able to go at the right pace for him.

Finally, she tells you to trust yourself and listen to your child because you know better than any experts and your intuition will guide you.

Enjoy this episode!

Resources/Links:

Sarah's website
https://guidingexceptionalparents.com/

Parenting Autism and ADHD Summits and online classes
https://thebehaviorrevolution.com/

RDI Practitioners
https://www.rdiconnect.com/

BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

Mother's Guide Through Autism Private Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism

Support the show