Mother's Guide Through Autism

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In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman talks about the difficulty of dealing with judgment from others and how to use self-compassion to work through it.

Brigitte knows from her own experience and hearing from other mother guides that judgment is something you deal with on a regular basis. You might feel it at the supermarket when your child is having a tantrum or from a friend or family member at a gathering or at a restaurant. She's been there and it's hard. 

It's hard enough to deal with the daily challenges of raising a child with autism but add the judgmental stares at the supermarket, stress mounts even more for mother guides.

That's why she wants to help you incorporate the practices of self-compassion so that you can soften the judgment you feel from others and feel more grounded and calm even when you're going through tough times. 

Tune in and learn how to start incorporating self-compassion into your daily life. You'll thank yourself for it.

Enjoy!

Resources/Links:

BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

BMV Life Coach Facebook Live Coaching & Q&A (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/

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

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In this week's inspiring episode, Brigitte Shimpan interviews Kristy Newstrom who offers therapeutic riding for children and adults with special needs (or functional diversity) and is a founder of Divine Equine Assisted Therapy Center and PATH certified instructor.

Kristy shares her deep passion for working with horses and children with functional diversity. She has worked professionally with children for 20+ years earning the nickname, "The Child Whisperer" and now offers Equine Assisted Therapy to improve human physical, mental, and emotional health.

She talks about why Equine Assisted Therapy is so effective with children with autism and how movement in general (in this case the horse) can help turn off a meltdown within 30 seconds.

She tears up speaking about how wonderful it is to witness the magic that unfolds when functionally diverse children start working with horses. She loves how horses meet the child where he or she is and provide acceptance and a safe place to be himself.

Kristy also passionately speaks about the importance of functional diversity, acceptance, and inclusion. She created her non-profit Divine Equine Assisted Therapy Center in Santa Cruz to provide a space to empower people through experience with horses as well as a place of acceptance and belonging for all people.

Tune in to find out more about Equine Therapy and be inspired for what's possible for your child.

Enjoy!

Resources/Links:

Divine Equine Assisted Therapy
https://divineequinetherapy.org/

PATH International
https://www.pathintl.org/

BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

BMV Life Coach Facebook Live (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/

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

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In this week's highly informative episode, Brigitte Shipman interviews Dr. Jed Baker who is a clinical psychologist and director of the Social Skills Training Project, a private organization serving individuals with autism and social communication problems.

Dr. Baker is an award-winning author of eight books including The Social Skills Picture Book, The Social Skills Picture Book for High School and Beyond, and No More Meltdowns. His work has also been featured on ABC World News, Nightline, the CBS Early Show, and the Discovery Health Channel.

Dr. Baker shares his story of how The Social Skills Picture Book came to be and why it was so effective in helping children with autism do better in different social situations and how you can create your own picture book to help your children.

Dr. Baker offers 3 steps to tackling meltdowns which include 3 categories of calming distracters and 7 categories of triggers that can cause meltdowns. These categories can provide a map for you in handling your child's meltdowns more effectively by understanding why the meltdowns are happening in the first place. 

He also discusses how to set the right mind-frame for your children about learning and making mistakes and how to make it easier for them to tackle difficult tasks by using the 80/20 rule to build confidence.

Brigitte and Dr. Baker also talk about how to handle anxiety and stress we are experiencing during this COVID19 pandemic.

Tune in to this useful episode and learn how to help your children more effectively.

Enjoy!

Resources/Links:

Dr. Jed Baker Website
https://www.jedbaker.com/

Social Skills Training Project
https://www.socialskillstrainingproject.com/

App Pictello
https://www.assistiveware.com/products/pictello

No More Meltdowns App
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/no-more-meltdowns/id407341438

SymTrend
https://www.symtrend.com/tw/nmm-public/

Autism Society of America COVID19 Resources
https://www.autism-society.org/covid-19/

BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

BMV Life Coach Facebook Live (2pm Central Wednesday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/

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

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In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman offers you 3 powerful practices you can do for self-connection and social connection so that you can start to feel lighter, inspired, and be more present for your child with autism.

When there's a lot of stress going on with the challenges and reality of being an autism mom along with what's going on with COVID19, it's easy to focus on what's not going right in our lives.

That's why Brigitte wants to offer you these 3 simple and powerful practices to help you shift your focus and start feeling better in your daily life.

These practices help Brigitte to stay present, change negative thoughts to positive thoughts, live a happier life, and have the focus, clarity, and vision of where she wants her life to go. They will help you do the same if you start using them.

Tune in, learn, and start using these practices for your life. You'll thank yourself for it.

Enjoy!

Resources/Links:

BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

BMV Life Coach Facebook Live (2pm Central Monday-Thursday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/

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

Marco Polo App
https://www.marcopolo.me

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In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman gives you tools to move through the resistance that you may be having to exercise so that you can have better moods, better focus, better attention span, and better care for your child during this uncertain time.

We all know exercise is good for us but it's so easy for us to sit on a couch, eat potato chips, and binge-watch Netflix when we're feeling stressed at a time like we're experiencing now with the pandemic.

It’s especially hard for you moms out there to find the time to move when you’re taking care of your child with autism so Brigitte offers you a couple of tools to overcome the obstacles so that you can actually start moving and gain the benefits of exercise.

Brigitte talks about the importance of finding what you love, being where you are at, and sometimes just simply showing up. 

Being a fitness instructor and life coach, Brigitte knows a thing or two about working through resistance and she wants to share her tips and tools with you.

Tune in and get excited to move for yourself and your child!

Enjoy!

Resources/Links:

BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

BMV Life Coach Facebook Live (2pm Central Monday-Thursday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/

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

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman shares 3 simple but powerful tools to help you stay calm and release anxiety during these uncertain times of Coronavirus.

Living through this time of Coronavirus pandemic is challenging for all of us but it is even more difficult and challenging for mothers raising children with autism.

Life was already pretty challenging for autism moms and now there's an added stress of homeschooling a child who doesn't quite understand what's going on.

Brigitte offers you 3 super simple but powerful tools to help you reduce stress and overwhelm, feel confident and lighter so that you can be the solid rock and show up for your child strong and fully present.

Brigitte talks about the importance of "giving yourself oxygen" first by taking care of yourself so that you can help your child the best way you can.

Tune in and learn these tools to use in your daily life so that you can start feeling better right away!

Enjoy!

Resources/Links:

BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

BMV Life Coach Facebook Live (2pm Central Monday-Thursday)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/

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

Support the show

Send us Fan Mail

In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman shares 3 tools she used to help her son Joseph on the spectrum when he was younger so that you can apply and benefit from these tools as you are adjusting to the new reality and creating a new routine for your child with autism and for your whole family.

We are all struggling right now and even more so for families living with autism. Brigitte wants to share her knowledge to make your day a little easier.

Brigitte explains how to utilize calendar for yourself and your child to establish a solid, new routine that feels safe especially for a child with autism who relies on a solid routine.

She also talks about using visual cues to make communication easier between you and your child as well as social stories to help your child understand what you're trying to have him or her accomplish in a given situation.

Tune in and make your day a little easier with these tools.

Enjoy!

Resources/Links:

BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

Facebook Live (Monday-Thursday 2pm Central)
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/

Private Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/

The New Social Story Book by Carol Gray
https://www.amazon.com/Social-Story-Revised-Expanded-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B01A9SJ22Y/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=social+stories&qid=1586489618&sr=8-3

Social Skills Picture Book for High School and Beyond by Jed Baker
https://www.amazon.com/Social-Skills-Picture-School-Beyond/dp/1932565353/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=social+stories+jed+baker&qid=1586489694&sr=8-2

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In this week's heartwarming episode, Brigitte Shipman interviews Lisa Joyce Goes who is an autism mom, editor, and writer for The Thinking Moms' Revolution and The Age of Autism.

Lisa Joyce Goes is the mom of three wildly gifted children Mads, Noah, and Liam. Noah was diagnosed with autism in 2008.

Noah was nonverbal for quite a while and didn’t potty train until he was 7. Noah also had terrible rashes all over his body as well as up to 20 diarrhea filled diapers a day. His body was on fire and was uncomfortable and a lot of his behaviors had so much to do with his metabolic, gastrointestinal, and methylation issues that needed to be addressed.

Noah, now in puberty, is doing much better and greets Lisa in the morning with "Good morning, Princess" which brings Lisa so much joy.

Lisa candidly talks about the feeling of isolation, emotional eating, and the pain and suffering that resulted from the autism diagnosis and the end of her marriage. She was angry, reactive, and heartbroken.

At one point during a neurofeedback session, Lisa was asked if she had been a soldier because her brain scan showed signs of PTSD. She answered, "No, I'm an autism mom."

Lisa and Brigitte also talk about judgment autism moms experience from other people who don't understand autism and the importance of educating others and doing advocacy work.

Lisa says that challenges are real and difficult but she considers Noah 110% a blessing.

Lisa urges other autism moms listening out there to be as compassionate with themselves as they would with their closest friend or their children.

Tune in to this heartwarming episode and be filled with hope and solidarity.

Enjoy!

Resources/Links:

BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

BMV Life Coach Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/

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

The Thinking Moms' Revolution
https://thinkingmomsrevolution.com/

Documenting Hope
https://documentinghope.com/

The Thinking Moms' Revolution Book
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CA15A7K/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

The Age of Autism
https://www.ageofautism.com/

TEAM TMR
https://teamtmr.org/

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In this powerfully inspiring episode of hope, Brigitte interviews Ilana Gerschlowitz, autism mom and Founding Director of The Star Academy which provides educational instruction to children with autism in South Africa.

In 2004, her oldest son David was diagnosed with autism at the age of 20 months and ten years later, her youngest son Aaron was also diagnosed with autism.

Ilana tells how her son David had perfect development until he was 15 months and then developed a high fever and was hospitalized for Rotavirus for 3 days. When he was discharged, David no longer made eye contact and he became unreachable. He started flapping his hands, stopped responding to his name, lined up his toys, and he vanished into his own world.

The developmental specialist who diagnosed David with autism told Ilana that he would never go to school, he would never speak, he would never toilet-train, he would be like a vegetable, he would never hold down a job, and that she should take out an insurance policy and seek psychological counseling for herself.

Devastated but refusing to believe that autism had to be a lifelong disability, Ilana immersed herself in research to find solutions.

Ilana eventually found the right doctors to partner up with and started working on diet and nutrition. Treating his gut flora, eliminating food allergies, supporting his immune system, supplementing with vitamins and minerals, identifying bacterial or fungal infections have all helped to alleviate many of the symptoms. Enrolling him in the ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) program was an absolute game-changer as well.

David now at 17 has become very much an independent, functional human being who runs his own deli making sandwiches and pizza, though he still relies on an app to communicate. David still wrestles with symptoms of autism but Ilana never gives up hope that she’ll find the ultimate cure.

Ilana tells parents, "It is never too late to start the right treatments no matter how old your child is."

When her youngest son Aaron was also diagnosed with autism, Ilana was devastated again but she put on her boxing gloves and went to fight. Aaron went through the treatment protocol as well as ABA and he is now 7 years old, completely recovered from autism, and in mainstream school. Early intervention was key for recovery for Aaron.

Ilana encourages parents to never ever give up and to remember that what seems impossible at times can really become possible and that with the right treatment, the sky is the limit.

Tune in to this episode and you will be inspired!

Enjoy!

Resources:

BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

The Star Academy
https://thestaracademy.co.za/

The Yellow Canaries
https://thestaracademy.co.za/the-yellow-canaries-of-tembisa/

Saving My Sons: A Journey with Autism
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V59PY16/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1562740488&sr=8-1

ABA Therapy
https://www.autismspeaks.org/applied-behavior-analysis-aba-0

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In this week's episode, Brigitte interviews Terri Wible, an autism mom and founder and director of Paws 4 Autism, which provides autism service dogs and related services in the Kansas City Metro area.

Terri founded Paws 4 Autism in 2010 after seeing remarkable benefits of having an autism service dog for her daughter Adriana who has what Terri calls angry autism.

The transformation Grady, their first autism service dog, brought was literally overnight. Adriana slept through the night, for the first time.

In addition, since Adriana (now 15) got Grady, she’s only had two suspensions due to her outburst and behavior. She had six before December of her kindergarten year. Having Grady has given her somewhere to focus her energy.

Terri talks about 3 major things that autism service dogs can help with: Sleep, eloping, and repetitive behavior.

Paws 4 Autism also creates job opportunities for people on the spectrum by giving them training to be dog trainers, service dog trainers, and therapy dog trainers. Terri believes 80% of those on the spectrum have what she calls the dog-whispering gene, where they can communicate with dogs non-verbally on a level that she can only dream of.

"I bring them in and teach them how to use that God-given ability and use that for a profession so that they’re not so dependent on everything and everyone," Terri shares.

Terri tells us how Adriana is on a whole different level when she is working with a dog. She’s gotten so much confidence in herself that now they're looking at her going into a special program for welding.

Terri urges other moms out there to not give up. "There is always a way."

Tune in to this inspiring episode and learn how autism service dogs can change the lives of people living with autism.

Enjoy the show!

Resource/Links:

BMV Life Coach
https://bmvlifecoach.com/

Paws4Autism
https://www.paws4autism.org/

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Paws4Autism/

Twitter
https://twitter.com/Paws4Autism

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/paws4autism/

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