Category: School

Episode #107 | Autism & Siblings-Kelly’s Story

Episode #107 | Autism & Siblings-Kelly’s Story

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This week on ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild our host Holly is joined by a VERY special guest, her daughter Kelly.  Kelly is 11 years old and has been raised in an “autism house” since day one.  Her older brother Caleb (13yrs) has ASD 1 and now through Holly’s recent marriage she has gained an 18 year old step-brother, Cooper, who is more significantly impacted.

On this episode we discuss what life is like as a neuro-typical kid in a home where autism is present.  As Kelly will divulge it is not all roses and sunshine, despite that, Kelly has a very optimistic view of her life and the challenges autism presents in general.  Kelly is a very kind, empathetic young woman that is a fierce advocate for her brothers.  She discusses the issues that have arisen as a result of autism, how she has dealt with those issues, as well as what she sees in the future for herself and her brothers with autism.

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Episode 102 | Bullying

Episode 102 | Bullying

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In this episode we discuss bullying, we have talked about this in the past in other episodes but felt that we had enough content to re-visit and dedicate an entire episode.  We have three moms joining our host Holly and all of them have dealt with bullying to some extent when raising their children.  Each of the parents recount the situations and share how the issues were resolved. We also discuss how the world has changed and cover how the bullying of 2021 compares to the “bully standards” of the 1990s when we were living the middle/high school experience.

UPDATE: Be sure to listen after the closing statements, we get a little update from Holly regarding Caleb’s rocket project in school

References:

Power of words: TikTok video by _iamdiosa_

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Episode 95 | Vaccination Schedules

Episode 95 | Vaccination Schedules

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Did you vaccinate your child along a traditional vaccination schedule? We chat with a few special needs moms in this episode that have varying views regarding vaccination. We discuss how they worked with their doctors to protect their children from disease in a way that was most comfortable for them and their children. We also dissect information from both sides of the vaccine debate and dip a toe into the controversial topic of Covid-19 vaccines. Listen in to hear the decisions these parents made to ensure their children meet public school vaccine regulations, stay safe from disease, and how they handle the criticism of others with differing views.

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Episode 93 | Therapy Interventions, a self advocate’s take

Episode 93 | Therapy Interventions, a self advocate’s take

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Welcome to another episode of ISAAC’s Autism in the Wild.  This week we are discussing therapy interventions.  While we have discussed many of these interventions at length in the past we have a unique viewpoint we would love to share.  Gillis Williams, aka “GW” is joining Holly again to discuss his view of the therapy interventions he received as a child. They discuss which interventions his family sought out and which were the most beneficial and enjoyable from his viewpoint.

 

Follow GW on social media at: Autism Chose Me, info@autismchoseme.com

autismchoseme.com

FB/Insta/Youtube/Twitter/TikTok @autismchoseme

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Episode 87 | Fidget Spinners-Useful or Distracting?

Episode 87 | Fidget Spinners-Useful or Distracting?

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On today’s episode of ISAAC’s Autism in the Wild we discuss fidget spinners with a panel of autism moms.  Even though we all agree certain fidgets can be very annoying we see the value in them.  We discuss the different types of fidgets, how they use them effectively, utilizing them in and out of school and more.

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Episode #73 | Parent Check-In Episode

Episode #73 | Parent Check-In Episode

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In this episode of ISAAC’s Autism in the Wild Podcast Holly has a conversation with a few of our local moms to check in during the quarantine to see how they are holding up. We began with episode with no plan, just a chance to share their successes and epic fails while parenting their special needs child during this unique time.  We discuss Covid infections, social media, self care, virtual learning and more.

Join us for some laughs, woes and tips for surviving during this next round of quarantine.

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Episode #71 | Speech & Feeding Therapy Part 1

Episode #71 | Speech & Feeding Therapy Part 1

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In this two-part episode we talk with Alecia, a speech language pathologist with Niche Therapy in Spokane WA and Camille, also a SLP with KidsCare Home Health in Colorado about speech and feeding therapy.  We discuss what they do, how they do it, and why it may be a good therapy modality for your child with autism or other special needs.  Be sure to follow up this episode with Part 2 to hear the end of our conversation!
 
About Alecia with Niche Therapy:
nichetherapyllc on instagram

About Camille with KidsCare Home Health Therapy:

Camille Farris M.S. CCC-SLP, based in Denver, Colorado

Pediatric Speech Language Pathologist with KidsCare Home Health specializing in speech, language, and feeding therapy

KidsCare has operations in Texas, Colorado, Idaho, and Oregon

 

References:

Employment Settings for SLPs. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2020, from https://www.asha.org/students/employment-settings-for-slps

Gleason, J. B., & Bernstein, N. E. (2013). The development of language. Boston,, MA: Pearson.

Grandbios, Kate & Wonkka, Amy, host Callahan, Tracey guest. “Feeding and Swallowing in Schools: Foundational Knowledge.” SLP  Nerdcast, SLP Nerdcast 20, April 2020 https://www.slpnerdcast.com/episodes/feeding-and-swallowing-in-schools
 
Scope of Practice in Speech-Language Pathology. (1970, January 01). Retrieved November 13, 2020, from https://www.asha.org/policy/sp2016-00343/
 
Shaywitz, S. E., & Shaywitz, J. (2020). Overcoming dyslexia. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.
 
Speech-Language Pathology Pathway to Certification. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2020, from https://www.asha.org/Certification/Speech-Language-Pathology-Pathway-To-Certification/

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Episode #70 | Unexpected Wins in Virtual Learning

Episode #70 | Unexpected Wins in Virtual Learning

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In this COVID-19 world we live in we are forced to accept a lot of “new-normals.” One of the challenges that affects a lot of our families is online schooling.  Online school has been tough for a lot of us, but despite the issues we are looking to discuss hidden little gems of wisdom we have learned over the past few months.  Hidden inside the uprooted schedules, changes in scenery, and endless questions presented to the parents who are now teacher aides…we have found MANY unexpected “WINNING” moments.  Listen in as Holly, of the ISAAC Foundation, discusses these bright points with a few parents of children with special needs.

 

Healthy Body Solutions

509-724-8980, Hours: 7:00am-5:30pm Monday – Friday

https://yourhealthybodysolutions.com/

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Episode #64 | Autism & Friendship

Episode #64 | Autism & Friendship

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This week we have a great panel of parents discussing the ins and outs of friendship as it relates to their kiddos with autism.  There is a common myth that children with autism generally do not crave the attention of peers and will not seek out friendship.  Although that may be true to some capacity for some of our children, it is most definitely not the case for all children with autism.  Many of our children still enjoy and seek meaningful friendship with their peers, it just may not always look the same as it does with our neurotypical children.

Listen in to hear us discuss the Friendship Algorithm which was brought to us through the TV sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.” Although this algorithm was written to be comical, it is actually a great tool to approach friendship and learning the boundaries and intent of your actions to make and maintain friends.

Finally we share stories of friendships gone well…and not so well, and how these particular parents handled these situations.

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Episode #51 | Teacher gifts

Episode #51 | Teacher gifts

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Are you a parent who religiously gives gifts to your child(ren)’s teachers each year? In this podcast, a group of parents join me to discuss how they handle Christmas, Teacher Appreciation Day, and end of the school year gift giving.  I won’t lie. This year, I felt that the only appropriate gift for these poor teachers was WINE!

I asked my guest parents:

  • How many of your child’s specialists (speech, OT, PT) do you give gifts?
  • How much do you generally gift to each teacher/specialist per year?
  • Do you gift the same amount to each person?
  • Do you gift for each specific event (Christmas, Teacher Appreciation Day, End of School)?

The best part of this episode is that two of our guest parents are also teachers so were willing to answer all of my other burning questions:

  • Am I a bad parent for gifting BOOZE?
  • Are teachers afraid to eat homemade cookies and treats from their students?
  • Do teachers compare gifts with other teachers who are also part of the special education team?
  • Do teachers roll their eyes or cringe when they receive certain types of gifts?
  • Do teachers swap gifts received with each other in the teacher lounge on the last day of school?

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