The Autism Dad

My guest today is Corrie Duryee. Corrie is an autism mom, an amazing human being, and a filmmaker. Corrie is here to talk about her latest film, Language Arts, as well as women and representation in film. The topic of equality is really important and we're going to talk about some of the many obstacles that women face in the film industry. Corrie is an absolute pleasure to speak with and you can't help but smile when listening to her. About Corrie: "Corrie has had a long and prosperous career in the arts. It was her relationship with Madeleine L'Engle that led the former playwright and stage director into the world of film. L'Engle (well-known writer of works such as A Wrinkle in Time and the Austin Family series), Cornelia's Godmother and mentor, invited her to adapt several of her novels and plays for the screen." About Language Arts: "When a student proposes a project involving autistic youth and senior dementia patients, high school English teacher Charles Marlow must confront the indelible mark that autism has made on his life. Based on the novel by Stephanie Kallos." https://youtu.be/UkSikr0fD8U Kairos Productions You can stream Language Arts today at the links below: iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/language-arts/id1583683173 Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B09FC7KSTK/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/languagearts VUDU https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/details/Language-Arts/1877210 Microsoft/Xbox https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/language-arts/8d6kgwxn9101?ct=movie&activetab=pivot%3aoverviewtab Spectrum https://ondemand.spectrum.net/movies/18041277/language-arts/ All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code "theautismdad50" to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This was a really challenging episode for me to edit for a couple of reasons and I’ll explain in a minute. My guest is Dennis Procopio, founder of Man-Up! Life Coaching, and fellow autism Dad. He’s here as a resource for men and helps them to become the best version of themselves. This episode didn’t go as planned but that’s okay. The whole point was to highlight what Dennis is doing because whether or not we like to admit it, men need help sometimes. What ended up happening is that Dennis turned the interview around on me and we sorta dug into my life. It was a rather profound experience for me on a personal level. The struggle with editing this was that I shared a bit more than I have before, at least publically. It made me feel incredibly vulnerable, which is okay, but I wasn’t sure what I was comfortable leaving in. As embarrassing as some of these things were to admit, I left everything in because I feel like I shouldn’t be ashamed and Dennis really helped me to reframe some of these things. My hope is that someone out there benefits from this. Bottom line is that guys have feelings too. Our feelings matter and we need to become more comfortable talking about them. There’s no shame in being human guys. About Dennis Procopio: https://manuplifecoaching.com/ All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad Additional resources: -Exploring healthy meals? Use the Sunbasket Promo Code -Why food choices matter when it comes to autism -The science is in! Healthy food can make you happy Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad My guest today is Whitney Casares, MD, MPH, FAAP, pediatrician, special needs Mom, and author of The Working Mom Blueprint: Winning at Parenting without Losing Yourself (American Academy of Pediatrics; May 11, 2021). We’re having a very important discussion about finding a balance between work, kids, relationships, home, and yourself. We’re also going to talk about burnout and the importance of self-care. Stick around because this is a really important episode. Buy her book: The Working Mom Blueprint: Winning at Parenting without Losing Yourself (American Academy of Pediatrics; May 11, 2021). Check out her website: https://modernmommydoc.com/ Sponsors The presenting sponsor of this episode of The Autism Dad Podcast is Afluencer. Afluencer was created to help influencers and merchants find each other. If you’re someone who’s looking to monetize your social media presence, look no further. Afluencer can help connect you with merchants looking for people, just like you to partner with. This is a great way to bring in extra money and grow your brand. If you’re a merchant or business, looking to connect with a-list influencers to help you grow your business, Afluencer is where you belong. If you’re interested in learning more, visit afluencer.com for more information. That’s a-f-l-u-e-n-c-e-r.com. Link in the show notes. This episode is brought to you by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I get so many questions about Mightier and today I’m talking to Angela Gotz, a Mom to 2 autistic kiddos, who’s been using Mightier for a couple of years. I talk about her life and experience as an autism parent and how Mightier has impacted their lives. Then I speak with Jessie Ragnio, the Associate Clinical Director at MIghiter. We talk about the science behind Mightier and why it works so well. This is a great resource for anyone interested in trying Mightier out in their home. About Mightier: Mightier is a video game platform based on the science of biofeedback. It’s tested and proven by Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s Hospital to help kids learn to emotionally self-regulate. In other words, kids learn to recognize and manage their emotions while playing really fun video games. Currently, Mightier is giving away a FREE android tablet with each subscription. You can read my full review of Mightier here You can purchase Mightier for yourself by clicking here All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad Additional resources: –Looking for natural methods? Explore the calming effect of turquoise –5 simple ways to lift your spirits naturally –Healing crystals 101 SponsorsThis episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This was a really challenging episode for me to edit for a couple of reasons and I’ll explain in a minute. My guest is Dennis Procopio, founder of Man-Up! Life Coaching, and fellow autism Dad. He’s here as a resource for men and helps them to become the best version of themselves. This episode didn’t go as planned but that’s okay. The whole point was to highlight what Dennis is doing because whether or not we like to admit it, men need help sometimes. What ended up happening is that Dennis turned the interview around on me and we sorta dug into my life. It was a rather profound experience for me on a personal level. The struggle with editing this was that I shared a bit more than I have before, at least publically. It made me feel incredibly vulnerable, which is okay, but I wasn’t sure what I was comfortable leaving in. As embarrassing as some of these things were to admit, I left everything in because I feel like I shouldn’t be ashamed and Dennis really helped me to reframe some of these things. My hope is that someone out there benefits from this. Bottom line is that guys have feelings too. Our feelings matter and we need to become more comfortable talking about them. There’s no shame in being human guys. About Dennis Procopio: https://manuplifecoaching.com/ All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad Additional resources: -Exploring healthy meals? Use the Sunbasket Promo Code -Why food choices matter when it comes to autism -The science is in! Healthy food can make you happy Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Alan Winnikoff. Alan is not only an autism Dad but also the author of the new book called “Not Sleeping”. Learn about Alan’s journey while parenting 2 autistic kids, as well as the inspiration behind his book. “Not Sleeping” is a fictional story about a married couple raising an autistic daughter. About the book: It is said that over 70% of special needs marriages fail. This is the story of one. Not Sleeping depicts a suburban New York couple, Josh and Claudia Sherman, separated though not yet divorced. As they struggle to navigate their way through the painful process of uncoupling, they also must continue to co-manage the difficult demands of their nine-year old autistic daughter. It was Josh who decided to leave the marriage. But, in an unanticipated turn of events, Claudia is the one who quickly finds a new relationship. As the story moves forward, Josh’s Plan B, as he calls it, begins to take shape. It is centered around a possible new job and his own nascent romance. But Plan B also necessitates him to moving to California and leaving his familiar life, and specifically his children, behind. Josh is drawn toward this powerful chance at reinvention but with no guarantees and at what cost? https://www.amazon.com/s?k=alan+winnikoff+not+sleeping&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57571256-not-sleeping https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/not-sleeping-alan-winnikoff/1139006069 All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad Additional resources: Low on sleep? Create the ultimate sleep environment possible The importance of taking time for yourself Sleep is more important now than ever Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode, I speak with Caleb Frankel, COO, and co-founder of the financial technology and gifting platform called EarlyBird. EarlyBird has made saving for your child’s financial future, accessible to everyone. Special needs families are often forgotten when it comes to things like financial planning because we can have unique needs that go unaddressed or the cost of admission is unattainable. EarlyBird has fixed that and now anyone can build a nest egg for their child with only a few dollars a month. It’s incredibly affordable at only $12/year/child. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends can all contribute to this account for free and even record video memories to mark special milestones. This is such a cool thing and I’ll be getting started on this for my kids very soon. I highly recommend listening to Caleb Frankel and downloading the free app and check into EarlyBird. It’s totally free to start. Download the EarlyBird app to your android or iOS device by clicking here. All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad Additional resources: If you need professional advice on financing a new home, visit The Home Loan Expert Check out additional parenting resources here. Sponsors Brought to you by EarlyBird. Download the EarlyBird app to your android or iOS device by clicking here. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. HERO, by Hero Health, is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’ve been wanting to do this episode FOREVER and it finally happened. My guest today is Dr. Emilee Valler. She’s a pediatric psychologist with the Cleveland Clinic’s Children’s Center for Autism. Dr. Valler is here to talk about what autism is and what it’s not. We talk about what parents should look for when to be concerned, where to go for help, the diagnostic process, what to expect, early intervention, as well as beneficial therapies, services, and supports that can help you and your child, be successful. This is such an important conversation and so many parents find themselves in a situation where their child has received a diagnosis and they’re scared, confused, alone, and unsure of what to do. This episode can help. Even veteran autism parents can benefit from being reminded of what other families are going through. This is also important because it helps people in general gain a better understanding of what autism is and what our families might be experiencing. Hopefully, something you learn today can make a difference in your life or the life of someone you care about. So please pay attention and share it with anyone who might benefit. Guest Info: You can find the Cleveland Clinic by visiting my.clevelandclinic.org You can find the Center for Autism by clicking here You can find Dr. Emilee Valler by clicking here All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad Sponsors Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. HERO by Hero Health is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’ve been wanting to do this episode for a while. Dr. Richard Webby is on the show today to discuss all things COVID and vaccine-related. Dr. Webby is a Member of the Department of Infectious diseases at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals. This is an incredibly important conversation about the current state of the US in regards to COVID, the new variants, and the vaccine rollout. Dr. Webby educates us on the different COVID vaccines, why they’re so important, and he even addresses many of the concerns that people have in regards to receiving the COVID vaccine and what is safe to do after being vaccinated. It’s so important to educate yourself so that you can make informed decisions about your health and safety, as well as the health and safety of your family. Dr. Webby and be found here. All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Harma Hartouni. Harma just happens to be an absolutely amazing human being with one of the most inspiring stories, I’ve ever heard. He just released his new book called Getting Back Up: A Story of Resilience, Self-Acceptance and Success. He’s here to talk about his amazing life from growing up in Iran during the war, learning to walk again after surviving a devastating car accident, finally moving back to the States, learning to accept himself, coming out, meeting his partner, creating a real estate business that has generated billions of dollars. building their beautiful family through surrogacy, and the launch of his new book. Harma and I talk about the different paths people take to fatherhood and how he’s using his experience to help people all across the globe. Lastly, he offers advice on how to be loving, accepting and supportive parents if you suspect your child is gay or have a child who has already come out. This is so important folks. You can find Harma: https://www.harmahartouni.com/ Check out his new book on Amazon. All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad Sponsors Datability Datability is a web app that tracks special education student progress and Individualized Education Plans (IEP) data. The software helps educators and school administrators keep track of each student’s goals, behaviors, and academic performance. The best part is that the results can be shared with the parents and for a transparent look into the progress of their child. Datability makes tracking and reporting students’ data a breeze allowing teachers to focus on what matters most: educating students. Find out more: https://iepdata.com/ Use code “theautismdad20” to save 20% Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Dr. Jeff Selman. He’s VP of Clinical Services over at First Children Services. He’s here to talk about how COVID is creating additional delays in kids getting evaluated for autism. This is a huge problem because we know that early intervention is absolutely vital for kids with autism and delays interfere with that. We talk about what is happening and the impact it’s having on kids. We also discuss remote learning and some challenges that we’re not talking about as we prepare to return to in person learning. There’s lots to learn here and I’d love to get your feedback. Leave a comment on the blog post or hit me up on Twitter. About Dr. Jeff Selman: Dr. Jeff Selman is a New York and South Carolina licensed psychologist. He is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the doctoral level (BCBA-D) and holds current and previous certifications as a school psychologist in New York, New Jersey, and South Carolina. Contact Information: https://www.firstchildrenservices.com [email protected] (888) 966-0745 All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Eric Rittenhouse. He’s the father of 2 amazing autistic kids and he’s here to talk about his journey as a special needs parent. Eric has a fantastic outlook on life and an inspiring approach to parenting. I hope you find this conversation about the ups, downs, challenges, and victories of being an autism parent meaningful. It’s so important to share our stories because we’re all connected and we can learn a great deal from each other. Maybe Eric will inspire others Dads to share their stories as well. All my information and relevant links are here Please support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is Meegan Winters. She has a background in special education and is the founder of Able Eyes. Able Eyes is a state of the art platform that provides virtual tours for children and adults with disabilities for the purposes of accessibility. Meegan is here to talk about Able Eyes and how it’s helping the community. This is so cool and it’s completely free to use. Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad About Meegan Winters: Meegan Winters is the CEO/Co-Founder of Able Eyes. Her experience as a special education teacher teaching students with Autism paired with her real-life experiences having a best friend that was a wheelchair user (now an angel) sparked the idea behind what is now a nationwide business helping people of all abilities. About Able Eyes: Able Eyes provides virtual tours of the inside of public spaces such as parks, museums, hotels, restaurants, and retail businesses for the purpose of accessibility. Virtual tours allow customers of all abilities an opportunity to explore beforehand to decrease anxiety, but more importantly, is a tool used by persons with disabilities to explore accessibility beforehand making new experiences more comfortable and easily navigated. Meegan Winters Social links: facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbleEyesForDisabilities LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meegan-winters-5206bb31/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ableeyesfordisabilities/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ableeyes SponsorsMimo: This episode is brought to you by Mimo. MiMo is a new toy company that features 9 plush characters that each have their own personality. Each character comes as a set including an oversized toy and a smaller sized version that makes for a great travel companion. Each character has a strength, but also a challenge, just like me, just like you, and just like all of our kids! These characters are helping kids feel loved and accepted for exactly who they are and that’s such a positive message. Visit them: mimotoys.com All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back!!!! My guest today is Sacha Muller and he’s an autism Dad. Sacha is here to talk to me about his parenting journey and what being a special needs Dad has been like for him thus far. While I didn’t know Sacha prior to this interview, I’ve learned that he’s an awesome Dad and I’m so grateful that he was willing to talk so openly about how he feels. I hope this inspires other Moms and Dads to open up and share their stories. Sponsors NoNetz is a Mother and son clothing company, with a particular focus on sensory-friendly and inclusive clothing. Check them out at NoNetz.com Zenaviv is a family-owned, social enterprise, started by the father of a 19-year-old boy diagnosed with classic autism. Zenaviv helps support autistic artists by representing and marketing their work. It’s an amazing cause and 66% of profits go right back to the artist. Check out their new line of high-end jigsaw puzzles. Learn More at zenaviv.com/puzzles All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad If you would like to be a guest on the show or sponsor an episode, please click the link below and send me a message. I’d love to talk to you. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This was an unplanned bonus episode that I did in one take. That’s always impressive. I wanted to share an end-of-the-year roundup and talk about some of the things my family has been dealing with in 2020. I also open up about my divorce and share how I’m choosing to handle that. I think it’s a really important message and I hope you all can learn something from my experience. All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad SponsorsThis episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this final episode of season 3, I meet Nikki Saunders. I go into these episodes not knowing anything about these parents. I know that Nikki is an autism Mom and lives in the UK. I encourage you to join me once more on this amazing journey to learn about her life and her family. I’ve included her bio below as by the time you listen to this, I’ve already met her and you may want to reach out and connect with her. About Nikki Saunders Nikki was born in Suffolk; she has two children and has worked in Special Education. Nikki’s son was diagnosed with autism and she found a lack of inclusion on the bookshelves. After scribbling social stories for mainstream situations, Nikki used her creative eye and went on to publish, “My Awesome Autism” for her son. It was such a success, that she wanted to share this with other children and their families worldwide and normalize these conversations everywhere as Nikki receives many heart-warming comments and messages in receipt of her books via her social media sites. “I’ve been crafting stories for as long as I can remember, but in 2019 I decided to take the plunge and create a book for my son. I searched the bookshelves in 2013 and I never found the book we needed, a book to celebrate autism, something bright, positive, and empowering! I noticed a huge gap for many other different abilities too! Children needed to see different books, explore, ask questions, or relate to them. Since then, she’s gone on to write more books for children with Special Educational Needs and resources for transitional situations. She now has six books on her portfolio, and her notebooks for ideas, social stories, and situations are bulging! During lockdown, she released the PDF’s for the ‘I’m Going To School’ Transition Workbook. It was published in Feb 2020 for pre-schoolers going to school and those on the spectrum in need of visual supports, with hints and tips inside but little did she know how many families, and schools it would help. She has also been asked by a team of Educational Psychologists to collaborate in creating ‘Welcome Back Eddie After Lockdown’ to support children in their return during the pandemic and she recently won the Theo Paphitis SBS Award and was contacted by a video producer from Yahoo UK. The magic continues and her Series is available via Amazon. Book 7 out Next month. Nikki Saunders Contact Information: The Eddie Series Book 1 Paperback Edition The Eddie Series Book 1 Kindle Edition The Eddie Series Book 2 Paperback Edition The Eddie Series Book 2 Kindle Edition Social media handles @Nrsaundersbooks Website www.nrsaunders.com. LinkedIn: Nikki Saunders All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm super stoked about this 2nd to the last episode of the season because I snagged an autism dad. I talk to tons of autism moms and that's awesome because I learn so much from them. I don't hear from or speak with many autism dads, and that's always bothered me. Dads seem to talk about their experiences less for some reason and I wish I knew why. I'm super excited to have an autism dad on the show today. His name is Ray Bracht and I met him for the first time a few weeks ago when this interview was recorded. He has such an awesome story, and I'm so grateful that I had the chance to connect with him. I can't wait for you to meet him and hear about his autism parenting journey. About Ray Bracht: Type A introvert, IT professional, DIY’r, hobby farmer owner/operator, NAVY veteran, husband and father, gun-owning, flag flying, the guy who gets shit done, country living liberal (Ray's words not mine). Ray's son has ASD and is 24 years old now. He still lives at home, attends an adult day work program (impacted by COVID of course), and has mood swings, etc. He’s in the middle of the spectrum so to speak. Technology has been a big part of his son’s life. Ray also has a step-son who has Asperger’s and just moved into his own apartment. Ray works in IT, and owns and operates a hobby farm in semi-rural Minnesota. All my information and relevant links are here Support this podcast: venmo.com/theautismdad Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code "theautismdad50" to save $50. CONTACT ME Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this second to the last episode of the season, I had the pleasure of meeting Bernadette Woldt. Bernadette is a single Mom of twin girls, one being autistic and the other not. She lives in Wisconsin, where at the time of recording, COVID was and still is out of control. We talk about parenting stuff, how her daughter was diagnosed, how school is going, and some interesting things about having twins. This was a great conversation and I’m really excited for you folks to meet her. Please listen and share with anyone that could benefit. All my information and relevant links are here Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

his week I had the pleasure of meeting Tammy Seguin. Tammy’s a single Mom of 2 kids, her oldest being autistic. She’s on the show today to share a bit about her life and journey as an autism Mom. She’s in Canada and we talk about some of the differences between how autism is handled in Canada vs the US. We discuss how school is going and how COVID has impacted their lives. Like Tammy Seguin, we all have our struggles and we all have our own unique stories. Taking the time to learn from each other’s experiences can help us feel more connected and less alone. About Tammy Seguin: Tammy lives in Ontario, Canada. She is a stay-at-home mother with one son and one daughter. Her oldest is Cameron, who is 16, and on the spectrum with strong anxiety and OCD. Her youngest is Sarah, who is 11, and she has CAPS and has shown some traits of being on the spectrum but no diagnosis. Tammy was past president of the Upper Canada chapter for Autism Ontario for 3 year years and is involved with Special Olympics and other causes as time permits. Find her blog at www.tammyandhercrazyhouse.com, has a youtube channel (Tammy and Crazy House) among other social media presences. Tammy also has a small home business that can be found at www.calmyourmonster.ca which focused on sensory products built around scented playdough. Please listen and share with anyone that could benefit. All my information and relevant links are here Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. CONTACT ME Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode, my friend Amy Nielsen is back on the show. Amy is an autism Mom and was on a few months back. We were talking about her journey as an autism parent. We discussed how COVID was impacting their lives at the time. We also talked about what she and her husband were going to do for the upcoming school year. Since that episode, her youngest tested positive for COVID. Her husband tested positive for COVID as well. She’s back to share their story, raise awareness, and talk about her family’s experience with COVID. Can you imagine trying to isolate a very young autistic child? We also talk about some other issues impacting the autism community. This is a very important episode and I ask that you please listen and share. About Amy: Amy is a former educator with seventeen years of experience. Her educational background includes teaching second grade, elementary media specialist, middle school television production teacher, and middle school media specialist. After her fourth child was diagnosed with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder, she left her full-time teaching career so she would have the flexibility to meet the demands of this special parenting role. Amy runs the Big Abilities Blog and Podcast. I am also a freelance writer for Playground Magazine , contributing author at The Mighty. author of the book It Takes a Village: Get Your Hands Dirty and Build Yours From the Ground Up and Parent Advocate and Early Intervention Specialist at Collaborative Corner for Exceptional Children. About Me: Please remember that self-care is more important than ever. It’s not easy but we have to do our best to look after ourselves, especially during these turbulent and uncertain times. Please listen and share with anyone that could benefit. All my information and relevant links are here Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Parent to Parent episode, I have the pleasure of meeting Lynn Esparo. Lynn is a single Mom to a little boy with autism. She has an amazing story and she takes us through her journey with the foster care system. Likewise, she takes us through the adoption process as well. Ours is a colorful conversation about all things autism parenting and it’s both hilarious and inspirational. We talk about the ups and downs we both experience. I don’t doubt that many of you will be able to relate. I can’t wait for you to meet Lynn and hear her amazing story. Please remember to subscribe and share. Now sit back and enjoy the ride. About Lynn Esparo:Lynn Esparo: (Lynn sent me this bio and I thought it was hilarious so I copy and pasted it verbatim.) I am a single mom, who works full time as the publicity coordinator for The CW Network. A foster and now adoptive mother, my five-year-old son was diagnosed with level 3 Autism at the age of three (though I knew way before that). Currently a stay at home-working mother/kindergarten teacher/speech therapist/occupational therapist/entertainer/chef/researcher/DJ/nurse/etc… Lover of Major League Baseball, puppy cuddles, and complete silence. Currently in a long-term relationship with sarcasm. Social Media for Lynn Esparo Twitter @Lynnsy2 Instagram LynnEsparo Podcast on Instagram WhatDoesntKillYou.podcast Listen to What Doesn’t Kill You About Me:All my information and relevant links are here SponsorsMightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this weeks episode, I interview Sasha Shtern, CEO of Goally. Goally is really cool tech that I’ve been testing with my oldest. Goally helps kids with autism and ADHD manage their own routines or schedules independently. This is huge for many families and I’m excited to bring it to your attention. I’ve had this in my house for a few months and I’m super impressed with it. Sasha is here to talk about how Goally works. We also talk about how it’s helping so many kids to gain independence. Learn more about Goally: goally.co They’ve provided my listeners with a coupon code. Use the code “theautismdad” at check out for free shipping. About Sasha Shtern:Sasha Shtern is CEO of Denver-based Goally. Goally helps parents implement the most effective protocols at home without complicated jargon or training. Sasha is a lifelong tech lover and entrepreneur. About Me:All my information and relevant links are here SponsorsThis episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m so excited about this week’s episode because I just launched The Parent to Parent Series. Aside from briefly vetting my guests, I go into these interviews blind. The idea is to meet another special needs parent for the first time. Get to know them. Have a raw, unfiltered conversation. Learn about their life and family. Share experiences and insights with the overall goal of reminding everyone listening just how beautiful and unique every special needs family is. You will likely hear some colorful language and that’s okay. You will also find things that you can relate to and that can serve as a reminder that you aren’t alone. We can all learn from each other and the more connections we can make, the more connected to this amazing community we will find ourselves. My guest is Wendy Valente. About Wendy: Wendy’s had a lifelong love of Interior Design, went to college, and started a career in the design industry. Fast forward, she’s a wife and mother of 3 girls. Her oldest is Autistic and has ADHD. Her youngest are twins. After realizing the traditional way of working was not working for her and her family, she started her own business. This has allowed her to work around the school calendar, and be there for her family. After her oldest was diagnosed with Autism, she started to dive deep into ways to help her and understand her. This led her to Designing Interiors for Autism. www.livewelldesigns.net https://www.facebook.com/groups/designinginteriorsforautism/ About Me: All my information and relevant links are here. Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at http://theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode, my guest is Varleisha Gibbs and we are going to talk about sensory processing disorder. Varleisha is a Mother, wife, and author. Varleisha D. Gibbs PhD, OTD, OTR/L is the Vice President of Practice Engagement and Capacity Building At the American Occupational Therapy Association. In other words, she knows her stuff and is the perfect person to help us better understand what sensory processing disorder is and how we can help our loved ones living with it. We’re going to answer frequently asked questions and help dispel the misinformation and clear up any confusion. About Varleisha Gibbs Varleisha D. Gibbs PhD, OTD, OTR/L Vice President, Practice Engagement and Capacity Building American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. Back to School Guide: https://www.aota.org/Practice/Health-Wellness/COVID19/back-to-school.aspx AOTA: Occupational Therapy for Children and Youth: https://www.aota.org/About-Occupational-Therapy/Patients-Clients/ChildrenAndYouth.aspx Twitter Website: http://drvgibbs.com/ Check out Varleisha Gibbs books: Raising Kids With Sensory Processing Disorders: A Week-by-Week Guide to Helping Your Out-of-Sync Child With Sensory and Self-Regulation Issues Raising Kids with Sensory Processing Disorders: A Week-by-Week Guide to Solving Everyday Sensory Issues Self-Regulation and Mindfulness: Over 82 Exercises & Worksheets for Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD, & Autism Spectrum Disorder About Me: All my information and relevant links are here Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m so excited to bring you this episode. My guests today are Cara Cooper and Jessica Rush. They’re both Broadway Moms and they’re here to talk about motherhood, parenting, their podcast (MAMAS Talkin’ LOUD), balancing career and family, as well as how their lives have been impacted by COVID-19. Cara is a special needs mom and we talk about that journey as well. Cara and Jessica are absolutely hilarious and I encourage you all to check out their podcast, MAMAS Talkin’ LOUD. It’s a trip. This is a fantastic conversation and I’m thrilled to bring it to you all. About Cara Cooper: Cara Cooper is an actress most recently on Broadway in the critically acclaimed musical The Prom. Prior to that, she was the longest-running Mary Delgado in the Broadway company of Jersey Boys. During her run in JB, she had not one, but two babies. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, Graham Bowen, and the aforementioned babies, Elin and Finn (who are no longer babies). Before kids, her Broadway career included the original companies of Elf, The Wedding Singer, All Shook Up, Urban Cowboy, replacing in Legally Blonde, and waking up for a matinee at 10 am… She has appeared on Showtime’s “City on a Hill” and in the films Adult Beginners and The Great Gilly Hopkins (both of which she shot while pumping in the trailer). As the mother of a child with special needs (her daughter is autistic), she is keenly aware of the specific challenges of raising children of different ‘abilities’ and fights for this community of warrior parents to feel seen and supported. She is the co-founder of Broadway Baby Mamas and keeps her sanity with equal parts exercise, wine, and tortilla chips. About Jessica Rush: Jessica Rush is a mom, wife, and award-winning actress currently seen as Rhonda in the original Broadway company of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. She most recently completed a successful run in Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen, where she stood by for both Cynthia Murphy and Heidi Hansen. Last season she originated the role of Joyce Bogart in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. Jessica had the honor of closing the Broadway run of Jersey Boys as the longest-running Lorraine, and prior to that, appeared in Guys and Dolls and was the stand-by for Laura Benanti in Gypsy with Patti LuPone. Television credits include appearances on “Billions”, “White Collar” and the award-winning web series “Then We Got Help”. She was the recipient of the Joseph Jefferson Award for her portrayal of Louise in Gypsy at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and is co-founder of the Broadway Baby Mamas. Ms. Rush enjoys a charcuterie board, rosé, pumpkin spice, and all things basic while raising her voice in the fight for awareness and equality. She is married to actor Eric Anderson, and mom to their daughter, Elliot. About MAMAS Talkin’ LOUD: Website: https://broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/podcast/mamas-talkin-loud/ Instagram @mamastalkinloud Twitter: @mamastalkinpod Link to the season finale episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rachel-tucker-on-both-sides-of-the-pond/id1483884105?i=1000486769299 The Podcast Is Available on Apple/iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart, TuneIn, Deezer, Player.FM, Pocket Cast, Podcast Addict and everywhere else you listen to podcasts. https://broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/ About Me: All my information and relevant links are here Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest today is a legendary supermodel and celebrity fitness trainer Oscar Smith. He’s devoted his life to fitness and has successfully trained clients with every type of fitness goal. Oscar Smith owns and operates his own fitness studio called O-Diesel Studios, located in Tribeca. Many gyms to be closed and even if they’re open, people aren’t comfortable going because of COVID. Oscar shares things we can do from home to work on our fitness, including things we can do with our kids. He even shares how we can start a home gym for under $100. Life is so stressful right now and taking care of ourselves is incredibly important. Just because you can’t hit the gym, doesn’t mean you can workout. Oscar is very down-to-earth, super easy to talk to, inspirational and encouraging. He focuses on building people up and I’m so grateful for his time. Please listen, share and remember, self-care matters. About Oscar In addition to running his own Manhattan-based facility, O-Diesel Studio, he’s a former NYPD Detective, rescue diver, author, and too many other things to list here. The bottom line, Oscar is an amazing human being, who’s accomplished a mind-blowing number of things and he’s not done yet. Natural Strength O-Diesel Studios Twitter Instagram Facebook About Me:All my information and relevant links are here SponsorsThis episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this weeks episode, I have a parent to parent conversation with Amy Nielsen. She’s an autism mom, author, educator, blogger, podcaster, and early intervention specialist. We talk about her amazing family, life as an autism parent, and how COVID has made things more challenging. We also talk about how she and her husband are navigating the new school year. It’s a great conversation and one you can definitely relate to. About Amy Nielsen: Amy is a former educator with seventeen years of experience. Her educational background includes teaching second grade, elementary media specialist, middle school television production teacher, and middle school media specialist. After her fourth child was diagnosed with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder, she left her full-time teaching career so she would have the flexibility to meet the demands of this special parenting role. Amy runs the Big Abilities Blog and Podcast. I am also a freelance writer for Playground Magazine , contributing author at The Mighty. author of the book It Takes a Village: Get Your Hands Dirty and Build Yours From the Ground Up and Parent Advocate and Early Intervention Specialist at Collaborative Corner for Exceptional Children. About Me: Please remember that self-care is more important than ever. It’s not easy but we have to do our best to look after ourselves, especially during these turbulent and uncertain times. Please listen and share with anyone that could benefit. All my information and relevant links are here Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode, my friend Annette Hines stops by talk to about homeschooling vs online learning. We discuss the differences between homeschooling, distance learning, and remote learning. We even talk about unschooling as well. As parents, we need to know that we have rights when it comes to our children’s education. Our children have rights as well. With COVID interfering with the reopening of schools this Fall, we need to know our homeschooling vs online learning options. Annette helps us to understand our rights as parents. Moreover, she explains the differences between homeschooling vs online learning options. Annette M. Hines is the founding partner of Special Needs Law Group of Massachusetts, PC. She has been practicing in the areas of Special Needs, Elder Law, and Estate Planning for over twenty years. Her clients include individuals and families of children with special needs, the elderly, and others in the community. She received her BA for the University of Vermont, her MBA from Suffolk University, and her JD from Howard University School of Law. Annette brings personal experience with special needs to her practice, as the mother of two daughters, one of whom passed away from Mitochondrial disease in November 2013. This deep personal understanding of special needs fuels her passion for quality special needs planning and drives her dedication to the practice. In April 2019 she published Butterflies and Second Chances, a beautiful memoir about her life raising her disabled daughter, which was an Amazon best seller. Recognized as a Distinguished Citizen by ARC Massachusetts and cited for public service by both the Massachusetts State Senate and House of Representatives, Annette works tirelessly on behalf of people with disabilities. She was designated a 2016 Top Women of Law from Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, and has been designated a Massachusetts Super Lawyer every year since 2014. Annette’s Links: Special Needs Law Parenting Impossible: The Special Needs Survival Podcast Butterflies and Second Chances: A Mom’s Memoir of Love and Loss Twitter Please remember that self-care is more important than ever. It’s not easy but we have to do our best to look after ourselves. Please listen and share with anyone that could benefit. All my information and relevant links are here Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s get honest here for a minute. We all want our kids to return to school. No one is saying that’s a bad idea. It’s important that our kids get back into the classroom. The issue is whether or not it can be done safely and the answer in most cases is a resounding no. We are handing our teachers a basket of impossible. As of 8/14/2020, a few schools have begun to open in the United States, and already, there are well over 2,100 students/teachers in quarantine due to COVID19 across several states. This is insane. We are putting our kid’s lives, the lives of teachers, school staff, bus drivers, and frankly, everyone else at risk. For what? My guest this week is Carew Papritz. Carew is an accomplished author, a literacy advocate, and an educational thought leader who comes from a family of educators. Carew is here to discuss the major concerns surrounding reopening schools during the worst national health crisis in over a century. He’s advocating for testing of all students before beginning the school year and ongoing testing to keep everyone safe. Teachers have been handed a basket of impossibles. Carew is suggesting we demand the impossible in return, in order to protect our kids, teachers, staff and everyone else who is at risk. This is an essential conversation to have right now because no one knows what to do, parents are confused and scared. I ask the question, what do people consider an acceptable loss of life so schools can reopen? I know that sounds dramatic but I’m serious. How many kids, teachers, and staff will have to die before we realize the insanity of what is happening? I hope you enjoy this weeks episode, A Basket of Impossibles. About Carew Papritz Carew Papritz is an educational thought-leader, literacy advocate, and author of the multi-award-winning book, The Legacy Letters. Through his YouTube videos, including the I Love to Read series and his First-Ever Book Signings, and events such as creating National Thank You Letter Day and the World’s Largest Handwritten Thank You Letter, Papritz spreads the love of reading, learning, and civility to people of all ages. You can find Carew here: www.protectourkidsnow.net www.thelegacyletters.com https://www.facebook.com/carewpapritzofficialpage http://bit.ly/CarewTube https://www.instagram.com/carewpapritz https://www.twitter.com/carewpapritz Please remember that self-care is more important than ever. It’s not easy but we have to do our best to look after ourselves, especially during these turbulent and uncertain times. Please listen and share with anyone that could benefit. All my information and relevant links are here Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode, I speak with Alycia Halladay again. The previous episode can be found here. Alycia is the Chief Science Officer at the Autism Science Foundation. We recently had a discussion about how COVID19 impacts the Autism Community. We talk about family stress, school-related safety concerns, and even touch a bit on the upcoming COVID19 vaccine because the anti-vaxxers are already moving to discourage people from taking a COVID19 vaccine when it’s ready. About Alycia: Alycia Halladay is the Chief Science Officer at the Autism Science Foundation. She oversees the science programs and portfolio of ASF. She previously served as Senior Director of Environmental and Clinical Sciences at Autism Speaks. She holds a PhD in psychology from Rutgers University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in pharmacology and toxicology at Rutgers University. Website: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/ ASF Vaccine Rescources: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-is-autism/autism-and-vaccines/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AHalladayASF Support The Autism Science Foundation Please remember that self-care is more important than ever. It’s not easy but we have to do our best to look after ourselves, especially during these turbulent and uncertain times. Please listen and share with anyone that could benefit. All my information and relevant links are here Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’ve been wanting to take on the topic of co-parenting through divorce for a while now. It’s relevant to so many families out there, including mine. David Hill, MD, FAAP literally co-wrote the book on Co-parenting Through Separation and Divorce: Putting Your Children First for the American Academy of Pediatrics. This is such an important topic because divorce is common, but unfortunately, navigating divorce, especially with kids (in general) can be incredibly challenging for a million reasons. There are common mistakes that parents make when going through something this emotionally challenging and Dr. Hill helps us to understand those common mistakes and how to avoid them. This is such an important conversation and I encourage you to listen and share this. The message is a very positive one. David Hill, MD, FAAP, is a hospitalist pediatrician at Goldsboro Pediatrics, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council Management Committee, and Associate Editor of Pediatric Care Online Patient Education for the AAP. He writes and lectures nationally and internationally on pediatric topics, including media use, fatherhood, and family separation. Grab his book Co-parenting Through Separation and Divorce: Putting Your Children First Check out his website: https://doctordavidhill.com/ Facebook: @DadtoDad Twitter: @DadsBook https://www.instagram.com/davidlhillmd/ https://medium.com/@davidlhillmd https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlhillmd/ All my information and relevant links are here Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to The Autism Dad podcast. Every Friday I bring you a new episode with an amazing guest and we take on topics that are relevant to your life. You will hear conversations about various parenting topics, mental health, autism, ADHD, technology, current events, and yes, sometimes even politics. It’s important to me that I approach these topics in a no-nonsense way and I don’t hide my views and opinions. I’m not afraid to take on sensitive topics here on The Autism Dad podcast. Therefore, I talk about things, even when they are uncomfortable to talk about. I hope that everyone takes away something positive from each episode. I’ve been writing daily for over a decade and have found that podcasting is a great new way to reach my audience. You can listen on every major podcasting platform. Just download your favorite app and search for “The Autism Dad Podcast”. Don’t forget to smash that subscribe button so you get notified when new episodes drop. Also, please remember to rate my podcast because that really helps me grow. I’m also always looking for guests and sponsors. If you’d like to be a guest or sponsor an episode, send me a message at theautismdad.com/contact. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest is Eileen Silverberg. She’s a Life Coach in Emotional Management and author of “A Warrior of Light: A Guide of Inner Wisdom For Challenging Times”. We have a very important conversation about the physical and emotional challenges of being a caregiver. Eileen shares her personal journey of becoming a caregiver to her mother. The message here is very important. Please listen, share, subscribe and rate this episode. Eileen Silverberg’s Links: Website: https://eileensilverberg.com/ Get her book here All my information and relevant links are here Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I speak with Matthew Boulay about education in the advent of COVID19, as well as the importance of summer learning. We talk about his new book “When Schools are Closed: A Guide for parents to discover the extraordinary power of summer learning in the era of COVID19”. It’s a great conversation and I recommend you check out his book. Link below.About Matthew Boulay: Founder and Former CEO of the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) Author of “When Schools Are Closed” A guide for parents to discover the extraordinary power of summer learning in the era of COVID19.. You can get his book on Amazon You can find me: theautismdad.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/theautismdad Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy Kelly is the mother of Danny, Annie, and Ryan. Her daughter Annie is diagnosed with moderate to severe autism, verbal apraxia, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and general anxiety disorder. Amy Kelly is the National Director of Family Engagement for Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health. Devereux is one of the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit providers of behavioral healthcare. She also serves as a family representative on several special-needs boards in the community, locally and nationally. Amy also participates with other patients and families in efforts supported by the American Board of Pediatrics Foundation. The goal is to address children with special needs and the importance of quality care. Amy and I have a conversation about the many challenges facing our special needs kids as they transition to remote learning. She shares her personal experience with her daughter and we talk about ways to help navigate this new journey. More information about Amy Kelly: More on Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: About Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Who We Help Devereux’s Autism Services COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness Resource Center Amy Kelly’s Resources and Tips: COVID-19: Helping families with special needs during a public health crisis Special Needs & Coronavirus: 4 Ways to Help Kids & Adults With Special Needs Adapt to Wearing Face Masks During the COVID-19 Pandemic COVID-19: Tips for Working From Home (And Finding Relief) With Your Children Out of School Creative alternatives for continued learning for children with special needs General Awareness Piece: Talking to individuals with autism about COVID-19 Telehealth and Autism: Using Telehealth to Create a Virtual Community for Adults with Autism Sponsors This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is also brought to you by Hero Health. HERO is a smart automatic pill dispenser that dramatically improves medication management and compliance. Learn more at theautismdad.com/hero and use code “theautismdad50” to save $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re a parent who’s trying to discuss COVID19 with your children, this show is definitely for you. Kristin Canavera is a child psychologist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and she’s on the pod today to discuss the St. Jude COVID19 resource kits for kids, tweens, adolescents, and parents. These are free downloadable resource kits and can be found at the link below. We discuss talking to kids about COVID19 in a way that’s developmentally appropriate. Please take a listen and pass this along because COVID19 is here and it isn’t going away anytime soon. I know that’s scary but it’s very important to deal with the facts and St. Jude is here to help us talk with our kids about COVID19. You can find Kristin: https://www.stjude.org/directory/c/kristin-canavera.html St. Jude COVID19 Resource Kits: https://together.stjude.org/en-us/care-support/talking-about-coronavirus-covid-19.html St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats, and cures childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. St. Jude is ranked the No. 1 pediatric cancer hospital by U.S. News & World Report. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands of more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, and food — because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html?sc_icid=header-btn-donate-now Support This Podcast You can find me: theautismdad.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/theautismdad IMPORTANT COVID19 INFORMATION I wanted to provide you with a list of reliable sources for information regarding COVID19. Facts, science medicine and accurate, truthful information matter now more than ever. These are some of the people and medical facilities that I trust and rely on for information about this pandemic. Please give them a follow. Dr. Tara C. Smith Professor, infectious disease epidemiologist Twitter: twitter.com/aetiology Website: aracsmith.com Cleveland Clinic Twitter: twitter.com/clevelandclinic Website: clevelandclinic.org Mayo Clinic Twitter:twitter.com/mayoclinic Website: mayoclinic.org CDC Twitter: twitter.com/cdcgov Website: cdc.gov This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is brought to you by AngelSense. Wandering is a huge problem in the Autism community and it’s reached epidemic levels. AngelSense is working to save the lives of Autistic kids who wander, by empowering parents with GPS tracking tools that help them to immediately intervene should an episode of elopement occur. Visit angelsense.com for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have never experienced anything like COVID-19 in our lifetime and people are scared, myself included. Many of us are dealing with high levels of acute stress, irritability, and sleep disruption. My guest today is Laurie Nadel, Ph.D. Dr. Laurie is a very well-known author, psychotherapist, disaster stress expert and is considered a thought leader in the emerging field of acute stress and PTSD. Dr. Laurie has been a guest on Oprah, CNN, Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell and George Noory, and numerous TV and radio shows in the U.S. and Europe. She has been interviewed about her work with PTSD populations in such major news media as the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Newsday, Reuters News Service, and other publications around the world. Dr. Laurie, is uniquely qualified to help us find the calm amid the crisis; she helped first responders after 9/11 and teens who lost fathers in the Twin Towers, as well as teachers and students in the aftermath of the Parkland school shooting. Her book, The Five Gifts, is like an emergency ‘Go-Kit’ for the mind that minimizes and prevents long-term damage from traumatic events. Dr. Laurie and I talk about how COVID19 is impacting people emotionally and what we can do to help ourselves and each other get through this. Dr. Laurie in my view is a hero. As a former fire/medic, I’m so thankful for the work she has done and continues to do for our heroic first responders. You can find Laurie Nadel, Ph.D: https://www.laurienadel.com/ In the media: http://www.laurienadel.com/inmedia.html Get her book, The Five Gifts: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Gifts-Discovering-Strength-Disaster/dp/0757320449 Check out our Support This Podcast You can find me: theautismdad.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/theautismdad IMPORTANT COVID19 INFORMATION I wanted to provide you with a list of reliable sources for information regarding COVID19. Facts, science medicine, and accurate, truthful information matter now more than ever. These are some of the people and medical facilities that I trust and rely on for information about this pandemic. Please give them a follow. Dr. Tara C. Smith Professor, infectious disease epidemiologist Twitter: twitter.com/aetiology Website: aracsmith.com Cleveland Clinic Twitter: twitter.com/clevelandclinic Website: clevelandclinic.org Mayo Clinic Twitter:twitter.com/mayoclinic Website: mayoclinic.org CDC Twitter: twitter.com/cdcgov Website: cdc.gov This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is brought to you by AngelSense. Wandering is a huge problem in the Autism community and it’s reached epidemic levels. AngelSense is working to save the lives of Autistic kids who wander, by empowering parents with GPS tracking tools that help them to immediately intervene should an episode of elopement occur. Visit angelsense.com for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode is all about helping our kids survive the COVID19 lockdown. Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D, joins me to discuss ways we can help our kids better maintain, both emotionally and physically in a situation in which their entire world has been turned upside down. Mary Jane has worked in the Autism and ABA field for over 35 years and she has some amazing advice for parents, including myself. Be sure to check this episode out and share it with the people in your life. About Dr. Mary Jane Weiss: Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LABA specializes in the science of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and its application to human problems, especially autism. She serves as the executive director of programs in ABA and autism, and as director of the Ph.D. program in ABA. She is especially passionate about the philosophical and scientific foundations of ABA, ethical decision-making in the context of professional practice, and collaboration across disciplines. Find Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D here Support This Podcast You can find me: theautismdad.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/theautismdad IMPORTANT COVID19 INFORMATION I wanted to provide you with a list of reliable sources for information regarding COVID19. Facts, science medicine and accurate, truthful information matter now more than ever. These are some of the people and medical facilities that I trust and rely on for information about this pandemic. Please give them a follow. Dr. Tara C. Smith Professor, infectious disease epidemiologist Twitter: twitter.com/aetiology Website: aracsmith.com Cleveland Clinic Twitter: twitter.com/clevelandclinic Website: clevelandclinic.org Mayo Clinic Twitter:twitter.com/mayoclinic Website: mayoclinic.org CDC Twitter: twitter.com/cdcgov Website: cdc.gov This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30 day trial. This episode is brought to you by AngelSense. Wandering is a huge problem in the Autism community and it’s reached epidemic levels. AngelSense is working to save the lives of Autistic kids who wander, by empowering parents with GPS tracking tools that helps them to immediately intervene should an episode of elopement occur. Visit angelsense.com for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, I have a conversation with Dr. Jason Kahn, PhD. Jason, as he prefers to be called, is a developmental psychologist and co-creator of Mightier. Mightier is a program I’ve talked about quite a bit because it uses video games to help kids learn to emotionally self-regulate. That means fewer emotional outbursts or meltdowns, and a reduction of parental stress. Jason talks about how Mightier is empowering kids and parents to better manage life on COVID19 lockdown. Lockdown is disruptive for everyone but it’s especially distressing for kids, which is one reason we see an uptick in meltdowns or outbursts right now. Mightier is absolutely amazing and works for pretty much anyone. We talk about the science behind is and why it works so well. If your child is struggling with meltdowns or emotional outbursts, PLEASE listen and check out Mightier. I’ve been using it with my youngest for a year and a half and it’s amazing. You can read my full review of Mightier here. You can purchase Mightier by clicking here. About Dr. Jason Kahn: Dr. Kahn is a developmental psychologist and researcher from Boston Children’s Hospital, an instructor at Harvard, co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Mightier. Find Mightier at mightier.com My comprehensive review of MIghtier can be found at theautismdad.com/mightier Support This Podcast You can find me: theautismdad.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/theautismdad While I may receive credit for purchases of Mightier made through my link, I firmly believe in this program and its ability to improve the quality of life of our loved ones struggling with emotional regulation. I use this with my own kids, and have found great success. IMPORTANT COVID19 INFORMATION I wanted to provide you with a list of reliable sources for information regarding COVID19. Facts, science medicine and accurate, truthful information matter now more than ever. These are some of the people and medical facilities that I trust and rely on for information about this pandemic. Please give them a follow. Dr. Tara C. Smith Professor, infectious disease epidemiologist Twitter: twitter.com/aetiology Website: aracsmith.com Cleveland Clinic Twitter: twitter.com/clevelandclinic Website: clevelandclinic.org Mayo Clinic Twitter:twitter.com/mayoclinic Website: mayoclinic.org CDC Twitter: twitter.com/cdcgov Website: cdc.gov This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30 day trial. This episode is brought to you by AngelSense. Wandering is a huge problem in the Autism community and it’s reached epidemic levels. AngelSense is working to save the lives of Autistic kids who wander, by empowering parents with GPS tracking tools that helps them to immediately intervene should an episode of elopement occur. Visit angelsense.com for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode, (recorded on 4/8/2020) I talk with my friend Hazel McAdam. Hazel and I decided to have a conversation about everything from ADHD, Anxiety, and COVID19 to politics and how the outside world views the Trump administration’s handling of the COVID19 pandemic. I don’t typically, delve into politics but it’s interesting to hear firsthand what the people in other countries think of the insanity going on here in the US right now. Emmett joins at one point and speaks with Hazel about how he’s doing. Please keep in mind that this was recorded on April 8th. Things have progressed very quickly in regards to COVID19, so the numbers and some information may be out of date at the time you’re listening. You can find Hazel: Twitter: https://twitter.com/H_Mc92 IMPORTANT INFORMATION I wanted to provide you with a list of reliable sources for information regarding COVID19. Facts, science medicine, and accurate, truthful information matter now more than ever. These are some of the people and medical facilities that I trust and rely on for information about this pandemic. Please give them a follow. Dr. Tara C. Smith Professor, infectious disease epidemiologist Twitter: twitter.com/aetiology Website: aracsmith.com Cleveland Clinic Twitter: twitter.com/clevelandclinic Website: clevelandclinic.org Mayo Clinic Twitter:twitter.com/mayoclinic Website: mayoclinic.org CDC Twitter: twitter.com/cdcgov Website: cdc.gov Support This Podcast You can find me: theautismdad.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/theautismdad This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30-day trial. This episode is brought to you by AngelSense. Wandering is a huge problem in the Autism community and it’s reached epidemic levels. AngelSense is working to save the lives of Autistic kids who wander, by empowering parents with GPS tracking tools that helps them to immediately intervene should an episode of elopement occur. Visit angelsense.com for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a very special episode. I speak parent to parent with Melissa Winchell about the struggles our families are facing on COVID19 lockdown. Melissa’s family was featured on ABC News recently, along with mine and few others. ABC News were exploring the impact COVID19 lockdown is having on special needs families like ours. I speak with Melissa about the challenges she’s facing as a special needs parent, while on lockdown. We both talk very openly about our fears, concerns and the many struggles our kids are currently facing, as we get used to our new normal. This is a very emotional episode and it provides amazing insight into special needs parenting under these lockdown conditions. We discuss some very difficult things that special needs parents are worrying about as a result of the current crisis. About Melissa Winchell: Melissa Winchell, Ed.D., is a disabled parent of kids with disabilities, including a 10-year-old daughter with Down syndrome, ASD, medical complexity, and multiple behavior diagnoses. She is a lifelong public educator and a current assistant professor of secondary education at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, MA. She is president of Inclusion Matters, Inc., a non-profit advocating for and educating disabled families. You can find Melissa: Twitter: twitter.com/melissawinchell Follow Inclusion Matters on facebook.com/WBSEPAC IMPORTANT INFORMATION I wanted to provide you with a list of reliable sources for information regarding COVID19. Facts, science medicine and accurate, truthful information matter now more than ever. These are some of the people and medical facilities that I trust and rely on for information about this pandemic. Please give them a follow. Dr. Tara C. Smith Professor, infectious disease epidemiologist Twitter: twitter.com/aetiology Website: aracsmith.com Cleveland Clinic Twitter: twitter.com/clevelandclinic Website: clevelandclinic.org Mayo Clinic Twitter:twitter.com/mayoclinic Website: mayoclinic.org CDC Twitter: twitter.com/cdcgov Website: cdc.gov Support This Podcast You can find me: theautismdad.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/theautismdad This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30 day trial. This episode is brought to you by AngelSense. Wandering is a huge problem in the Autism community and it’s reached epidemic levels. AngelSense is working to save the lives of Autistic kids who wander, by empowering parents with GPS tracking tools that helps them to immediately intervene should an episode of elopement occur. Visit angelsense.com for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this weeks episode, I speak with Alycia Halladay. Alycia is the Chief Science Officer at the Autism Science Foundation. We recently had a discussion about many things Autism related. We talked about the new Autism statistics released by the CDC and what they mean. We talked about how COVID19 is impacting Autism families and ways we can help. We also discussed the current bane of my existence, at home schoolwork while on COVID19 lockdown. I know that’s a major struggle for many special needs families right now. At the end the show, my youngest, Emmett, decided he wanted to take over and speak with Alycia for a few minutes. He had fun and it was a cool experience for him. About Alycia: Alycia Halladay is the Chief Science Officer at the Autism Science Foundation. She oversees the science programs and portfolio of ASF. She previously served as Senior Director of Environmental and Clinical Sciences at Autism Speaks. She holds a PhD in psychology from Rutgers University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in pharmacology and toxicology at Rutgers University Website: https://autismsciencefoundation.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AHalladayASF Support The Autism Science Foundation Please remember that self-care is more important than ever. It’s not easy but we have to do our best to look after ourselves, especially during these turbulent and uncertain times. Please listen and share with anyone that could benefit. IMPORTANT INFORMATION I wanted to provide you with a list of reliable sources for information regarding COVID19. Facts, science medicine and accurate, truthful information matter now more than ever. These are some of the people and medical facilities that I trust and rely on for information about this pandemic. Please give them a follow. Dr. Tara C. Smith Professor, infectious disease epidemiologist Twitter: twitter.com/aetiology Website: aracsmith.com Cleveland Clinic Twitter: twitter.com/clevelandclinic Website: clevelandclinic.org Mayo Clinic Twitter:twitter.com/mayoclinic Website: mayoclinic.org CDC Twitter: twitter.com/cdcgov Website: cdc.gov Support This Podcast You can find me: theautismdad.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/theautismdad This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30 day trial. This episode is brought to you by AngelSense. Wandering is a huge problem in the Autism community and it’s reached epidemic levels. AngelSense is working to save the lives of Autistic kids who wander, by empowering parents with GPS tracking tools that helps them to immediately intervene should an episode of elopement occur. Visit angelsense.com for more information.. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this shorter episode, I discuss a major milestone we’ve reached, 30 days on total lockdown. I share how I’m managing a seriously delicate medication situation with my oldest. I talk about how we’re doing and the struggles I’m facing as a single Dad during the worst pandemic in a century. Please remember that self-care is more important than ever. It’s not easy but we have to do our best to look after ourselves, especially during these turbulent and uncertain times. Support This Podcast You can find me: theautismdad.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/theautismdad This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30 day trial. This episode is brought to you by AngelSense. Wandering is a huge problem in the Autism community and it’s reached epidemic levels. AngelSense is working to save the lives of Autistic kids who wander, by empowering parents with GPS tracking tools that helps them to immediately intervene should an episode of elopement occur. Visit angelsense.com for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I talk with Aaron Shute from Brain Power. We discuss how they are using highly specialized software and Google Glass to improve the lives of Autistic kids and adults. Brain Power uses augmented reality to help Autistic individuals better interact with the world. The technology is absolutely amazing but please understand that this is very expensive and will not be for everyone. Aaron explains that they normally work directly with schools but since schools are shut down, they are trying to make available to parents for the first time. They recognize that it’s expensive (because Google Glass is VERY expensive) and in order to make this as accessible as possible to parents, they are offering a 40% discount. My goal with this episode is to make you aware of things that are out there and this is something that making is making a huge difference in classrooms across the country. If you are interested, you can use the code “theautismdad” at checkout and you’ll save 40%. Again, I’m not out of touch and I know this will not be for everyone but I want to provide information that can help parents and schools address some of the unique challenges faced by kids on the Autism Spectrum. Find Brain Power: Website: http://www.brain-Power.com/families Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrainPowerASD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrainPowerASD/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainpowerllc/ Brain Power’s Mission “Our mission is to help you empower the brains of people with invisible neural challenges. Empowered Brain helps teachers to empower their students (young children up to transitioning adults) with augmented reality experiences that teach them social-emotional skills in a social setting. The heads-up system engages and motivates students in a gamified way, and automatically generates data on their progress for IEP reports.” About Aaron Shute Aaron has worked in the autism field since he was a teenager. Most recently, he spent eight years developing, implementing and supporting augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) solutions for autism. Additionally, he has served as a camp counselor, behavioral aide, case manager, and gymnastics coach for autism. IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING COVID19 I wanted to provide you with a list of reliable sources for information regarding COVID19. Facts, science medicine and accurate, truthful information matter now more than ever. These are some of the people and medical facilities that I trust and rely on for information about this pandemic. Please give them a follow. Dr. Tara C. Smith Professor, infectious disease epidemiologist Twitter: twitter.com/aetiology Website: aracsmith.com Cleveland Clinic Twitter: twitter.com/clevelandclinic Website: clevelandclinic.org Mayo Clinic Twitter:twitter.com/mayoclinic Website: mayoclinic.org CDC Twitter: twitter.com/cdcgov Website: cdc.gov Support This Podcast You can find me: Website: theautismdad.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/theautismdad This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30 day trial. This episode is brought to you by AngelSense. Wandering is a huge problem in the Autism community and it’s reached epidemic levels. AngelSense is working to save the lives of Autistic kids who wander, by empowering parents with GPS tracking tools that helps them to immediately intervene should an episode of elopement occur. Visit angelsense.com for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I open up about how I’m managing my depression while I’m on total lockdown with my 3 Autistic kids. Those of us who live with mental health issues may find ourselves struggling more because of all that’s going on around us. I hope that my experience can help someone else. Please remember that self-care is more important than ever. It’s not easy but we have to do our best to look after ourselves, especially during these turbulent and uncertain times. Please listen and share it with anyone that could benefit. IMPORTANT INFORMATION I wanted to provide you with a list of reliable sources for information regarding COVID19. Facts, science medicine and accurate, truthful information matter now more than ever. These are some of the people and medical facilities that I trust and rely on for information about this pandemic. Please give them a follow. Dr. Tara C. Smith Professor, infectious disease epidemiologist Twitter: twitter.com/aetiology Website: aracsmith.com Cleveland Clinic Twitter: twitter.com/clevelandclinic Website: clevelandclinic.org Mayo Clinic Twitter:twitter.com/mayoclinic Website: mayoclinic.org CDC Twitter: twitter.com/cdcgov Website: cdc.gov Support This Podcast You can find me: theautismdad.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/theautismdad This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and find out more information, including how to get a free 30 day trial. This episode is brought to you by AngelSense. Wandering is a huge problem in the Autism community and it’s reached epidemic levels. AngelSense is working to save the lives of Autistic kids who wander, by empowering parents with GPS tracking tools that helps them to immediately intervene should an episode of elopement occur. Visit angelsense.com for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I update you on a major decision I had to make in order to keep my immunocompromised son safe during the COVID19 pandemic. Very few things are simple with it comes to Special Needs parenting and I share the thought process that goes into making potentially life altering decisions for my kids. I also talk about a few other things that are on my mind and I curse a bit. ;-) I also want to apologize to my mother for the language in this episode. I'm feeling terribly overwhelmed and I needed to vent a bit. Sorry Mom. I wanted to provide you with a list of reliable sources for information regarding COVID19. Facts, science medicine and accurate, truthful information matter now more than ever. These are some of the people and medical facilities that I trust and rely on for information about this pandemic. Please give them a follow. Dr. Tara C. Smith Professor, infectious disease epidemiologist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this weeks (albeit late) episode, I talk about life on lockdown and what it's like to manage this COVID19 health crisis as a single Dad to 3 Autistic kids. Gavin, (my oldest) is immunocompromised and I have to walk a very, very fine line in order to keep him safe. It's not easy by any stretch of the imagination but we're muddling through. Later in the episode, Emmett, my 11 year old, joins me to discuss how this whole lockdown is impacting him. He does an amazing job of expressing his thought on our current situation. He was very fidgety, and that fidgeting was picked up by the microphone. I cleaned it up as best I could and I'm excited for you to hear Emmett's point of view on this. :-) I wanted to provide you with a list of reliable sources for information regarding COVID19. Facts, science medicine and accurate, truthful information matter now more than ever. These are some of the people and medical facilities that I trust and rely on for information about this pandemic. Please give them a follow. Dr. Tara C. Smith Professor, infectious disease epidemiologist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's an update on how my Autism and Special Needs family is managing on lockdown during the COVID19 pandemic. I wanted to provide you with a list of reliable sources for information regarding COVID19. Facts, science medicine and accurate, truthful information matter now more than ever. These are a few of the people and places I trust. These are some of the people and medical facilities that I trust and rely on for information about this pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I've been getting a lot of questions in regards to how I'm managing my household as the COVID19 pandemic worsens. I thought it would be better to do it this way and hopefully this helps someone. I'm NOT an expert and I hate giving advice but what I'm going to do is share a little bit about how I managing to keep us safe, sane and moving forward during these scary times. As you know, my oldest has CVID or Common Variable Immunodeficiency. This means his immune system is severely compromised and that puts him at a much higher risk, should he get sick. I have to exercise extreme caution right now, without freaking my kids out. It's a very difficult balance but I have no choice but to maintain it as best I can. Please stay safe. Be kind to each other. Wash your hands. Be prepared. Take this seriously. Don't panic. I wanted to provide you with a list of reliable sources for information regarding COVID19. Facts, science medicine and accurate, truthful information matter now more than ever. These are a few of the people and places I trust. These are some of the people and medical facilities that I trust and rely on for information about this pandemic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode, I speak with Lukas Lange, the CEO and co-founder of Probably Genetic. Probably Genetic is working very hard to make genetic testing more accessible to families who need it. Families like mine. Lukas and I discuss what genetic testing is, the role genetics plays in our lives and why it's so important to genetically test kids diagnosed with Autism. We also discuss the many hurdles to obtaining genetic testing in our current healthcare system, including cost and wait times, as well as why it's a major problem for many families. Lukas also shares what Probably Genetic is doing to cut through all of this and make this invaluable testing accessible to families at a significantly reduced cost and in a fraction of the time. I've been consulting with Probably Genetic for over a year and helping them to better understand the unique needs of Autism families and how they can better meet those needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Mentioned in this episode: BrainyAct BrainyAct® provides tech-enabled, patent-pending therapy programs delivered via gamification for neurological disorders such as Autism, Asperger’s, Dyslexia, and ADHD. BrainyAct activates the underdeveloped areas of the brain through exercises that strategically target a child’s balance, gravity, gross/fine motor, rhythm and timing, visual motor perception, and memory. Putting hope in motion means putting your family first in everything we do and using movement to affect real change. Shifting hope to a reality. 91% of families report global brain improvements after four months. Our company was built on the premise to create real, measurable, and visible change that shows you how your child is improving through data. BrainyAct is for homes and schools. Visit Kinuu.com. Use promo code THEAUTISMDAD and save $500. This is a limited time offer. Visit BrainyAct Happy Ladders Happy Ladders is Parent-Led Early Autism Therapy that empowers you, the parent, to teach your toddler essential developmental skills through play. Studies have shown that the parent-led model is highly effective while eliminating frustration over long wait lists, or the worry about losing precious developmental time. All without the disruption of people coming into your home Happy Ladders includes activities that target 150+ essential developmental skills every toddler needs as well as assessments in 4 different developmental areas. There’s also an exclusive community of parents just like you, and professional coaching to ensure success for both you and your toddler. To learn more, get a free trial, and take advantage of an exclusive, limited-time offer for my listeners, visit happyladders.com. Use the code "theautismdad" at checkout to save 50% off the monthly membership. Plus get a free one-on-one session as well as access to the Tantrums and Meltdowns mini-course. This is a limited-time offer so act now. Visit Happy Ladders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices