#1 New Year vibes, already knackered, down with colds again and no resolutions made! Not an episode inviting a pity party but one encouraging awareness as I share what it's like for my non speaking son and I and how I describe just how fully competent he and all non speaking autistic people are and how we need to start to presume competence and treat them both with respect and age appropriately. tit bits on what I am learning as a Spell to Communicate Practitioner.

#2 N/A

#3

• 0:00 Intro
• 1:33 New Years vibes
• 2:53 This is not a pity party
• 4:08 What I assume those who know nothing of non speaking autism think my life and my sons life is like
• 5:50 Our non speaking children ARE clever
• 7:16 Sensory impacts
• 7:40 What non speaking autistic people have said themselves (via spelling/typing)
• 8:34 Cognition and Motor
• 11:50 Diagnosis and testing
• 14:06 The least dangerous assumption must surely be full competence? Until they themselves can communicate their thoughts to us
• 14:50 Henry interrupts the recording and says a very poorly (he is unwell) "hello"
• 16:16 A brief day in the life of

#4

• This is not a pity party but an invitation to become more aware of non speaking autism
• There is nothing wrong with their brains and competency/cognition, they simply have a brain body disconnect and a sensory system that is constantly going offline making motor tasks extremely challenging eg speech!
• Diagnosis and Intelligence testing
• What I assume others think my life with a non speaking child is like
• A day in the life of

#5 Calls to Action:

Intro only - new name and webpage + newsletter sign-up

#6 Books:

The Reason I Jump by Naoki Hiagshida

Ido in Autismland by Ido Kedar (available in audible too)

Carly's Voice by Arthur Fleischmann & Carly

*Underestimated by JB Handley & son

*= reference to S2C Spelling to Communicate program and EV, my course leader!

#7 N/A

#8 TBA

SHOW NOTES:

#1 News on the new podcast name and website coming soon. Announcement about a new training course I am on and an informal, lighthearted look at sleep issues for both autistic children and adults plus their parents. The why and what helps in terms of sleep onset problems and paying attention to ourselves as parents and the physical and mental impacts of years of sleep deprivation.

#2 NO GUEST

#3 0:00 - 4:45 Intro - new podcast name and why

1:32 Spell to Communicate (S2C) practitioner in training, ooh err.

7:08 Sleep onset issues and why

9:46 Sleep aids

11:04 Melatonin medication

16:07 Parents and sleep deprivation

21:18 Remaining calm

24:34 Christmas!

#4 Summary

• new podcast name and training course
• sleep issues and why
• sleep onset and what helps
• sleep deprivation and being aware if the impacts
• remaining calm
• Christmas!

#5 Calls to Action:

pre-roll: new name and website + how to follow

mid-roll: share with friends and family, review an episode

end-roll: thank you for your continued support

#6 References:

https://i-asc.org/

[email protected] for any non or minimally or unreliably speaking autistic children or adults interested in free 45 min - 1hr weekly spell to communicate sessions in Tonbridge, Kent.

#7 Instagram: @_thethreadsoflife_

#8 Merry Christmas! I'll be back 12 Jan 2024.

#1 An informal, light hearted, parent speak, type of chat about the current parent generation and their unique struggles plus the parent child shift in terms of respect and what our children and especially autistic children are doing when they need to control and manipulate us parents. An example of setting boundaries and mentioning motor loops.

#2 N/A

#3

0:00 Intro and new podcast name, website, blogs, newsletter + maybe one iconic awareness tee, all coming soon. Also a little teaser about my new job ie S2C practitioner training!

4:00 Being in the pity pit as a parent and all parents of my particular generation aka the current 50 somethings...

12:03 Being aware that both you and the environment are being controlled and in the case of an autistic child allowing it and why.

16:09 Setting boundaries and motor loops - the dining chairs example.

22:27 Can't not won't

24:13 A "Uniquely Human" podcast episode recommendation on the many meanings of the word NO and why our children might and also may need to use it.

#4

• What's coming soon
• the 50 somethings parent 'pity pit': raising kids with tech; woke and jobless and partner-less young adults; zero grandchildren babies; ageing parents still alive and needing care.
• what the actual intention of an autistic child's need to control and manipulate a parent might be
• setting boundaries and how its different with autistic children and adults
• recommending the 'Uniquely Human' podcast episode on saying NO and all its many meanings.

#5 Calls to Action

Pre-roll: new podcast and website name plus newsletter sign-up

Mid-roll: none

End Roll: 'Uniquely Human' podcast recommendation

#6

Uniquely Human: The Podcast - Uniquely Human: The Podcast

#7 N/A

#8 A guest: Tracey Weiner on her autistic son Jack, PDA, NVR and her new venture.

#1 My guests today are autistic, nonspeaking and adhd Henry's older siblings. An informal chat about their own experiences with their brother, understanding what autism is and coming to terms with how it impacts their brother and the whole family. As usual with the siblings they become mentors for the parents, just the most unconditionally accepting and loving humans who have none of the deep concerns of the parents and do not see the autism at all.

#2 Ben (20) and Abi (18) - Henry's siblings. Henry is 12.

#3

0:00 Intro

1:41 Introducing guests...Ben and Abi, the siblings!

2:17 Discovering autism in their sibling and how they felt

3:30 The play date with Jess and her younger children

4:45 How do they feel about autism now and would they change it?

8:25 has your sibling ever embarrassed you?

13:17 The wonderful, divergent, aware, understanding younger generations

15:10 Worry for their sibling

19:30 The uniqueness of their sibling and what they love about him

23:56 Noticing the parent strain

28:05 Hopes for their siblings future

#4

• Finding out your sibling is autistic
• Wishing your sibling wasn't autistic, or not wishing it
• Is life unfair and does your sibling embarrass you?
• Worry for your sibling
• Whats great about their personality and/or autism
• The strain on the parents
• The future for your autistic sibling

#5 N/A

#6 Calls to Action

Pre=roll: changes afoot and new name coming soon.

#7 N/A

#8 Next Episode: School options for your autistic child

#1 Me, parent of autistic nonspeaking adhd Henry age 12 about the enormous amount of admin, energy and frustration it takes to ensure your childs' education, health and care are in order, their needs being met and all the form filling, waiting, appointments, research, therapy this takes, that all goes son in the background. It feels though no-one is there for ht parent to acknowledge, believe and support just how it is to get through each day, beginning to end, and the next and the next, especially when a child is dysregulated and/or unhappy. Empathy for the autistic children and what they have to deal with and parting with some tips to cope that have been learned over the years, simply by being a parent.

#2 N/A

#3 0:00 Intro.

1:20 What goes in the background as a parent of an autistic child.

4:35 What parents/caregivers want to help us get through the day to us, for us and our child.

8:16 Empathy for how incredible autistic people actually are.

9:18 Paying attention to their environment and the sensory.

10:15 Tiny tips purely from parenting: transitions, language, information processing, voice control, sleeping, eating etc.

#4

• The admin required of parents of autistic children
• who is there for us to help observe, believe & support what we go through just getting our children through their day, every single day.
• the impacts of the sensory and the environment on our autistic children and how they struggle to control their bodies.
• empathy for autistic people and how utterly incredible and resilient and caring they are.
• Tips on getting through each day from transitions, to mealtimes, to sleep, to environments, to language, to processing information.

#5 N/A

#6 Calls to Action

Pre-roll: website price drop plus accessories offer

Mid-roll: where to find the podcast; changes coming soon, new business name

End roll: blogs

#7 N/A

#8 Next Episode: Do you sometimes feel manipulated and/or controlled by your child(ren)?

#1 A relaxed and fairly brief chat to my first guests Kay and her son Isaac who is autistic. We talk about Home Education, what led to Kay's decision to home educate her son, how Isaac feels about it, busting the many myths and how to go about it, finding help and support.

#2 Guest names: Kay and her 12 year old autistic son Isaac.

#3 0:00 Intro

1:05 How I met my guests and what we are going to discuss

03:40 Apology for the volume issues!

4:11 Kay experience vs Isaac's experience

6:40 Home education not homeschooling

7:22 How to start: de-registration & letter templates; help and support.

11:26 Busting those myths

17:54 Chatting to Isaac who is autistic and 12yrs old

21:40 Quality of Life

#4

• Why Home Educate
• Before and After
• How to start and where to fond help and support
• Myth busting
• Autistic Isaac tells us about his experience of home education

#5

The general SEN Facebook group is: Supporting SEN Parents/Carers Kent

https://www.facebook.com/groups/623533877705416

The home ed Facebook group is: Hearts and Minds 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/121747604569314

#6 Calls to Action:

Where and when to find podcast epodes + website and email reference.

#7 N/A

#8 Next Episode: transitions and helping get through the day to day

#1 Parenthood, for all of us, from the moment you fall pregnant and finish classes on how to actually have a baby, has no manual, you have to just figure it out, from teething all the way through school, puberty young adults the works. Having a neurodiverse/autistic/sen/disabled child adds a whole other layer of intensity and concern. As a SEN parent it is isolating, confidence sapping and so draining just simply trying to sift through, process and follow advice and systems you are forced into versus staying focused on the child, plus then having to prove their needs in order to get the help they deserve. Parents should not underestimate what they are going through nor assume they should indeed be coping and/or their child does not warrant the support they seek simply because it is not forthcoming or they are being told no.

#2 N/A

#3 Intro 0:00

#4

#5 Peter Vermeulen as guest on 'Uniquely Human' Podcast.

6 Calls to Action:

7# N/A

#8 Next Episode: My first guests! Kay & Isaac talk on Home Education.

#1 A roughly 30 minute episode discussing being nonverbal or nonspeaking and what Apraxia is. What it means to be nonverbal, why a child still might be ale to use actual words and say speech whilst still being termed nonverbal. What being nonverbal does not mean, motor control and the literal mind. Frustrations and how we help at home day to day on our journey with our fully competent, fascinating and wonderful autistic son.

#2 N/A

#3 0:00 Intro

The nonverbal caption T-shirt. Why?

Language is changing.

Nonverbal autism does not mean 1-4.

Motor control and Apraxia.

Talk as in has use of words, vocabulary and no speech impediment although still very literal.

Frustrations and how we have learned together, what helps.

The autistic mind is a wonderful, fascinating and superior thing to be embraced and respected.

#4

• why caption T-shirts?
• nonverbal vs nonspeaking vs Apraxia
• nonverbal does not mean 1-4
• motor control and literal minds
• how we help at home
• embrace and respect

#5 N/A

#6 Calls to Action

pre-roll: price drop on website (T-shirts)

mid-roll: blogs

end roll: available to give talks

#7 N/A

#8 Next Episode is no.12 and titled "The Plight of The Parent"

#1 A lighthearted episode to lift parents in particular's spirits after a long and no doubt tiring school summer holiday. Choosing humour over distress or anxiety or embarrassment and laughing not at our child but celebrating the joy of who he is and how genuinely unique, hilarious, sometimes downright weird some of the things he does and says are. They make us love him even more so here are some personal funnies. A reminder that there absolutely is so much joy in raising an autistic child, in the purest most astonishing form and to hold onto it in times of exhaustion and concern.

#2 N/A

#3 0:00 Intro

00:55 pre-roll: reminder what this podcast is about.

01:32 be a voice, not a whisper.

03:33 celebrating autism not laughing at a child.

05:19 parents do not want pity, second to not wanting their child or them judged.

06:33 mid roll: price drop and changes coming soon.

11:00 the funnies: echolalia; how was school today?; "stop your mouth"; the cactus and scissors; food & clothes tactics; welcome and now "say goodbye"; passport control echolalia; stealing chips.

27:15 our joys: looking into my soul; touching others; blanket; intuition; cuddles; giggles; riding his bike.

#4 summary:

• who I am and what podcast is for after August break
• seeing the funny side
• celebrating the autistic mind
• parents don't want pity
• personal funny stories around communication & the literal mind
• our joys and privilege in raising an autistic son
• rest

#5 N/A

#6 Calls to action:

pre roll - who I am and why podcast

mid roll - website and changes afoot

mid roll - price drop on tees

#7 N/A

# 8 not mentioned

#1 An honest and real episode talking as a parent about the broad areas in which autistic individuals struggle in varying and often very stressing ways ie anxiety, medication, self injurious behaviours. Looking at the advice on cognition, behaviour parents have been given/told to do from the top down to the more current learning from the bottom up, that is from autistic people themselves and the knowledge the their struggles are often moor based and not having full control of their bodies.

#2 N/A

#3

0:00 Intro

1:00 looking for and understanding the why to unwanted behaviours

1:17 classroom example

9:03 parent persecution

11:14 cognition, behaviour & motor control

14:02 anxiety

18:25 medications

25:00 SIB - self injurious behaviour

35:00 comfort and support

#4

• you are not a bad parent and nor is your child a bad one either.
• looking for and understanding the why to unwanted behaviours.
• parents being squeezed between advice/instruction from the top down and the newer learning from the actually autistic voices ie the bottom up.
• anxiety and witnessing, coping, surviving, supporting & medicating.
• medicating your autistic child
• SIB - self injurious behaviour and interpreting it, reacting to it, helping your child.
• reassurance, comfort and support for parents.

#5 Calls to Action

pre-roll: none

mid-roll: email me anytime, blog, newsletter and website reference

end-roll: tag line

#6 N/A

#7 N/A

#8 Communication Funnies - the joy of the autistic mind