In this episode, we speak with pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Ho, MD, FAAP, about concierge medicine. Dr. Ho is the Medical Director of Texas Children's Pediatrics Concierge Medicine Program – a program he recently helped bring to Texas Children’s. Throughout the episode, Dr. Ho discusses what concierge medicine is and how the delivery model differs from the traditional medical model. He also discusses who may benefit from concierge medicine and why he chose this delivery model. 

Dr. Ho has a bachelor's degree from Brown University in neuroscience, attended McGovern Medical School and completed his residency training at Texas Children’s Hospital. He joined Texas Children’s Pediatrics PMG after graduation. After decades of practicing medicine, Dr. Ho began the Concierge Medicine program in 2024 at Texas Children’s. In addition to speaking English, he also speaks Cantonese Chinese and Spanish. Dr. Ho is passionate about giving children and families the highest standard of care and is passionate about direct communication with patients and a comprehensive approach to health that encompasses not just physical well-being, but emotional and developmental needs as well.

Links: 

Texas Children's Concierge

The Parish School

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In this episode we speak with mental health professional Josie Gardner about ways to navigate tricky conversations with loved ones regarding our child and their needs, diagnosis, challenges and strengths. Josie discusses the positives, and possible negatives, of directly naming and speaking about a diagnosis your child might have. She also gives tips and scripts to help you navigate those conversations while acknowledging they can be emotionally challenging for everyone. Josie’s tips will hopefully help parents feel empowered and secure in handling these tricky conversations. 

Josie Gardner is a Social Emotional Support Specialist at The Parish School in Houston, Texas. She is a licensed social worker, who earned her master’s degree in social work (MSW) from The University of Houston. Prior to being at The Parish School, Josie has experience working in childcare and afterschool care programs. She believes in extending patience and support to children as they learn and explore the world around them and is passionate about supporting families. 

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In this episode Dr. Natalie Montfort, PhD discusses eloping. She shares what it means for a child to elope or wander and where and when it can happen. She also answers questions about which children are most at risk of eloping and ways families and caregivers can prepare themselves. Throughout this conversation Dr. Montfort provides research-based information for families aimed at empowering, not worrying. 

Dr. Natalie Montfort, PhD, works at Montfort Psychology Associates in Houston, Texas. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University, completed her doctoral internship at the UTHealth Science Center and completed her post-doctoral fellowship at The Stewart Center. Dr. Montfort has worked with children and adults with ASD since 2002. She has experience in a variety of training including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (with children, adolescents, and adults), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Relationship Development Intervention, Social Thinking and education/educational assessment. Her areas of interest include assessment of children, adolescents and adults; cognitive and behavioral differences in children with neurodevelopmental disorders; treatment of adoption-related issues; treatment of childhood trauma; and animal-assisted therapy. 

Links:

Montfort Psychology Associates

Be REDy Booklet

The Parish School

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In parenting, it’s often said that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. In other words, children are often a lot like their parents! This can be a great thing and also cause some frustration. In this episode we speak with licensed professional counselor, Courtney Suddath, about ways parents can support their children when they find themselves having the same struggles. 

Courtney Suddath recently opened a private practice, Sycamore Family Counseling in Cypress, Texas. Previously she was the Clinical Director at Cy-Hope Counseling. In addition to her counseling services, Courtney provides supervision for Licensed Professional Counselor Associates. She has a Master’s degree in Psychology from Houston Baptist University. She has been working with children, teens, adults and families for over 20 years. Courtney worked in the classroom at The Parish School in the 90’s and later returned as the Director of Admissions and Family Services for several years. Courtney has experience in working with children who have special needs and their families. Her focus is to guide individuals and families to change patterns, discover positive and productive communication techniques, and strengthen relationships to increase success at home, at school, and in their community. Courtney’s ultimate goal in counseling is to give children and families hope and tools to work towards healing what has been negatively affected by the circumstances of life.

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Today’s episode is from our podcast vault, previously released in our first season! We sit down with speech-language pathologist and Childhood Apraxia of Speech expert, Nancy Kaufman. Nancy is the owner and director of the Kaufman Children’s Center in Michigan where she has established the Kaufman Speech to Language protocol, a treatment approach to help children with Childhood Apraxia of Speech become effective verbal communicators. She is a national and international speaker and has over 40 years of experience. The Parish School and Carruth Center have partnered with Nancy to complete research, training, and host her yearly to provide an educational talk for families and staff for over 10 years. 

During the episode, Nancy explains what makes Childhood Apraxia of Speech a unique speech disorder, discusses her treatment approach and provides steps parents can take toward a diagnosis and treatment. We look forward to having Nancy speak with our community through a virtual talk this January!

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It’s December and for many that means the start of a very busy holiday season. From travel, to major changes in schedules, to unfamiliar holiday traditions, this can be a difficult season for children to navigate. However, there are a few simple strategies parents can use to take some stress out of the holidays for the whole family. 

This previously aired episode is from our first podcast season. Our hosts Meredith and Stephanie discuss a number of tried and tested tips to help parents prepare for the challenges the holiday season may bring. While these tips are aimed for children who have language and social challenges, they are still excellent for trying with all children.

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In this episode, we speak with legendary Speech-Language Pathologist, Dr. Carol Westby, about the importance of play and personal narratives in early learning for later language and academic success. During the episode, Carol discusses how she began researching play, and shares her years of experience supporting students in public schools. She also details the ways play development supports later academic skills and how personal narratives support language development, academics and social-emotional skills.

Dr. Carol Westby, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL, an award-winning consultant for Bilingual Multicultural Services and fellow of the American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She has published and presented nationally and internationally on a wide variety of topics and is the developer of the renowned Westby Symbolic Play Scale, a research-based scale used to assess children’s social and play skills. Carol was also The Parish School's "2024 Giving Voice to Children" Luncheon keynote speaker and was longtime friend of The Parish School founder Robbin Parish. 

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In this episode, guest Dr. Matt Fugate discusses twice exceptional, or 2E, students. 2E students have been identified as Gifted and Talented along with another diagnosis such as a learning or neurological difference or communication disorder. We were surprised by Matt’s definition of what it means to be twice exceptional, which gave us a new perspective in viewing these students. He also discusses signs a student may qualify as 2E, the benefits of the distinction, and how to support twice exceptional students in the classroom. 

Dr. Matt Fugate is Provost of Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education. He received his doctorate in Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies from Purdue University. Previously, Matt worked as an elementary teacher, Gifted Coordinator and Magnet School Coordinator in HISD. His research interests include twice exceptional students and students from underserved populations. He has presented on a variety of topics including the social-emotional needs of twice exceptional students, culturally responsive pedagogy and creativity. Matt is currently President for the Texas Association for Gifted and Talented and was named one of the 22 People to Watch in the neurodiversity movement by 2e Media.

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Parents and children all have the same dream – to spend their summer days having fun without the stress and pressure of the school year. However, many parents also worry that too much fun could cause a loss of progress or skills gained during the year, or as some call it, the dreaded “summer slide.” Luckily, there are many ways to have fun while still preparing for the school year ahead. In this episode Meredith and Stephanie discuss various activities families can do to practice  academic, fine motor, and executive functioning skills to keep kids sharp and ready for school. Activities include joining your local library summer reading program, cooking or baking, starting a travel journal, visiting local museums, and even letting your child get bored! This list will help families mix learning with fun throughout the summer.

Helpful Links:

Parish Blog on Preventing Summer Slide

Houston Public Library Summer Reading Program

HPL Flip Kits (interactive book kits)

Harris County Public Library Summer Reading Program

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In this episode we speak with dyslexia specialist, Marilyn Zecher, MA, CALT, about using her expertise and experience as a Certified Academic Language Therapist to teach mathematics. During the episode, Marilyn explains what it means to teach using a “multisensory approach”, discusses the intersection of language and mathematics and talks about why it is so important to use real world, hands-on learning experiences. She also gives parents and teachers specific multisensory activities they implement today to make math more concrete and fun.

Marilyn Zecher, MA, CALT, has been in the field of dyslexia education since 1976. She has a masters in education from University of Maryland, is Orton-Gillingham trained, and is the first Orton-Gillingham Fellow in Mathematics. She specializes in teaching educators how to use a multisensory approach in their math classes from the primary years through highschool. She speaks at national conferences  and her online graduate level multisensory math courses have a world wide reach. 

Links:

Marilyn's Website

 Webinars and Professional Development

The Parish School

The Original Mexican Café

Gateway Academy Houston

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