Autism Parenting – Page 9 – Isaac's Autism in the Wild

Episode #15 | CBD Debate

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | October 7, 2019

Our goal as parents is to help our special needs loved one become the best they can be. CBD has been a hot debate for many years. In this podcast we discuss why some parents have elected to give it a try. Here’s what you’ll find:

Difference between CBD and THC varieties
Why parents consider using CBD
Parent testimonials of using CBD with pharmaceuticals
‘Autism Buffet’ analogy used by Dr. Lauren Swineford
Comfort parents feel for being able to try something that might help their child

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Episode #14 | Strategies for Picky Eaters

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | September 30, 2019

This is one of my favorite podcast recordings so far. In this laugh-out-loud episode, a group of autism parents joined me to commiserate about the challenges of having a picky eater. We shared a variety of stories and strategies such as:

The ‘wonderful’ advice people have given us over the years about correcting picky eater behaviors.
Successful strategies for expanding the diets of picky eaters
What not to do when you have a picky eater
How to handle advise from those well-meaning friends and family members.
Parent guilt for accommodating strong food preferences
How picky eaters effect the dynamic with other children at home.

If you listen to the end, I shared a recent account of my last family dining debacle in at Denny’s.

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Episode #13 | Extended Family Conflict

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | September 24, 2019

Conflict is never easy, especially when it arises within your own family. In this podcast a couple of dads spent time with me talking about how conflict within their extended family arose related to:

Denial of the autism diagnosis by extended family members;
How family members dealt with food aversions and limitations of their child’s diet;
Adjustments family members had to learn in their interactions with their child with autism;
Therapies and diets that family members didn’t agree with;
Regrets in how these conflicts were handled; and
Suggestions shared for how better to navigate these conflicts within the extended family.

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Episode #9 | When Parents Limit or Shelter Their Child

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | August 27, 2019

As parents, we are our child’s strongest advocate. But what happens when our fears and expectations fall lower than what our child’s true capabilities may be? A fantastic group of parents joined me to share stories about asking too little or too much of their child with special needs as well as:

finding a balance between getting things done efficiently and capitalizing on teachable moments for independence
ways to measure and assess your child’s functional living skills
how to let go and let them try (and possibly fail)
the benefit of finding skills that make them feel valued
encouragement to just keep going
finding your season and trying again after failure
strategies to shoot higher

*we apologize for the poor audio quality of this recording.

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Episode #7 | Sharing the Autism Diagnosis

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | August 12, 2019

A fantastic group of parents joined me for this emotional podcast on sharing the autism diagnosis. This is one of my favorite episodes as we conversed on a variety of aspects of sharing the autism diagnosis. Here’s some of what you’ll hear this week:

Heartwarming stories of acceptance and understanding when parents have shared their child’s diagnosis.
Why sharing the diagnosis is easier today.
Misunderstandings and unforeseen consequences of not sharing the diagnosis.
Sharing from a dad’s perspective.
Why parents hesitate to share.
When it becomes your child’s choice whether to share this information.
Conversation around the difference between a diagnosis and a label.

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Episode #6 | Making it Fair Among Your Children

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | August 5, 2019

In this episode, a group of parents joined me to debate whether its possible to make it “fair” when raising both neuro-typical and neuro-diverse kids. Join us for:

Deeper discussion on how to treat each child equal, which may not seem fair.
What constitutes fair?
The benefits of one-on-one time with each child separately.
Fairness between the sexes (boys vs. girls).
Fairness meter among siblings.

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Episode #5 | Parent Isolation

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | July 28, 2019

The feeling of isolation is real for many parents who have a loved one touched by autism. In this episode of ISAAC’s Autism in the Wild a group of parents joined me to discuss:

Types of isolation parents feel;
Strategies, both series and funny, for reducing the feeling of isolation;
How the age of your child often affects the feeling of isolation
Social media impact, both positive and negative, on the feeling of isolation

*We apologize for the poor audio quality of this podcast. Thank you for bearing with us as we upgrade our equipment for future recording sessions.

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Episode #4 | Changing Therapists

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | July 20, 2019

A therapist is a pivotal part of a child’s development. In this episode, a group of parents join me to discuss the circumstances of when changing therapists becomes appropriate. We cover in this podcast:

Changing therapists when it is not by your choice;
When therapy creates trauma;
What happens when a therapist’s skills don’t pace with your child’s development;
Parent vs therapist personality conflicts;
Emotional attachments to a provider vs. the quality of therapy for the needs of the child.

*We apologize for the poor audio quality of this podcast. Thank you for bearing with us as we upgrade our audio recording equipment.

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Episode #3 | Pros and Cons of Pharmaceuticals

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | July 13, 2019

Parents are often faced with making very difficult decisions when it comes to the welfare of their children. Choosing to explore the world of pharmaceuticals for their child is often one of them. In this podcast I was joined by a large group of parents who shared with us:

Why they chose to try pharmaceuticals with their child affected by autism;
Side effects and negative experiences they encountered prescription medications;
Strategies for onboarding new medications;
What happens when your child is resistant to taking the medications;
Why some parents have chosen to avoid the use of prescription medications.

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