Family – Page 2 – Isaac's Autism in the Wild

Episode #110 | Gender Identity & the LGBTQIA+ Community

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | September 13, 2021

In this episode of ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild we talk to parents that all are raising both children on the spectrum and children that identify with the LGBTQIA+ community in some way. We have seen a large number of our kiddos with autism questioning their own identity or genders as well as several of the neuro-typical siblings exploring their identities as well. We discuss this connection and determine if we feel these are attention seeking behaviors or simply valid self exploration. We also discuss the challenges of parenting these children-the process of switching pronouns/names, and dealing with the critical views of extended family or communities that are less accepting.

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Episode #109 | Autism & Siblings -Tyler’s Story

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | August 30, 2021

This week on ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild our host Holly is joined by another VERY special guest, her son Tyler. Tyler is 17 years old and was the only child in the family to have spent time with Isaac as they were only 11 months apart in age.

Tyler is an aggressive advocate for those with autism and other special needs. He is very close to his brother Caleb and acts as a mentor to him which, as a 17 year old young man, comes with its pros and cons 🙂 We joke, but you will hear throughout this episode, what a passionate and kind young man Tyler is.

We discuss Tyler’s early memories of Isaac, how the ISAAC Foundation has impacted him throughout the years, and the struggles that he has experienced. Take a listen, we are sure you will be inspired by some of the charismatic gems of wisdom Tyler shares in-between the curse words.

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

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | August 18, 2021

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 #106 What NOT to say to a special needs parent

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | August 11, 2021

In this episode we discuss the cringe-worthy compliments we have received over the years. Sentiments like “God gives special children to special people” and “You are such a great advocate for your child” are meant to be confidence boosters, but over time can grate the nerves of a special needs parent. So listen in and hear some of the well meaning comments that have irked our parents over the years!

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Episode #104 | Housing Options for Adults

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | July 19, 2021

In this episode we are joined by Desiree Kameka Galloway of The Autism Housing Network. Holly had first learned of their work as well as the Madison House Autism Foundation a few years back while attending a conference about “Life After High School.” Holly was so impressed with Desiree’s presentation and has used their site as a reference to our families for years. The ISAAC Foundation has been receiving more and more calls from parents regarding concerns for long term living situations for their adult children in recent years so we reached out to Desiree to see if she could explain some of the housing options that exist and what the Autism Housing Network can do to help families as they determine the long term plans for their loved ones.

Contact Info:

Desiree Kameka Galloway

Director, Autism Housing Network

National Coordinator, Coalition for Community Choice

Madison House Autism Foundation

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Episode 103 | Self Advocate: Sydney

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | July 15, 2021

This week on ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild our host Holly is joined by Sydney. Sydney is a 27 year old self advocate that just relocated to Spokane from Alaska. We cover it all in this episode: from her diagnosis as a child, to her career in Alaska, and now how she is settling in to life in Spokane. Sydney is an ambitious young woman with a strong sense of self and will be a great ambassador for self advocates in Spokane, we are happy to have met with her and look forward to collaborating with her again soon!

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Episode 97 | Launching Adult Children

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | June 7, 2021

In this episode we are joined by two moms that both have young-adult children that are preparing to launch towards independence. Phara has a 23 year year old son and is currently preparing for their second-attempt at launching her son into independent living. Gerriann has an 18 year old son who is just graduating high school and will be continuing in the school system through a transition program.

We discuss with each parent the issues they are facing, the barriers to employment/living situations they are encountering, and the programs they have been utilizing to make positive progress. We also have a conversation about the needs of the parents and the importance of finding a support network and planning for the future.

If you have questions for any of our guests, please feel free to email us at hello@theisaacfoundation.org and we would be happy to get you in contact with them!

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Episode 96 | Creative Ways to Administer Meds

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | June 1, 2021

Do you have a child that just hates taking their medication? Then this is the episode for you! We are joined by Amanda Hansen, a local special needs mom and friend to the ISAAC Foundation, to discuss the creative avenues she has found to administer medication to her son Trevin. Listen in to learn some of the tricks she and Holly have learned over the years and laugh along with these mom’s as they discuss the trials that did not end so well.

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Episode 94 | Sabita Finds Her Voice: Advocacy for the nonverbal

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | May 24, 2021

This week on ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild podcast Holly is joined by an amazing mother, entrepreneur, and advocate for the nonverbal community, Dr Stephanie Vavilala. We were honored to zoom chat with Dr Stephanie about the amazing facility she is opening as well as the services she is currently offering in St. Augustine Florida through her LMH practice Therapeutic Expressions and her nonprofit organization Sabita Speaks. Listen in as we discuss important programs that have been created to fill the many gaps in special needs care across the country and the release of Dr. Stephanie’s book, Sabita Finds Her Voice which serves as a flagship for educating the youth about AAC Speech Devices and how they can better bridge the gap between the verbal and non-verbal populations.

Dr. Stephanie Vavilala, Ed.D, LMHC, BCBA, RPT-S is the CEO and founder of Therapeutic Expressions and Awetism Wonderland (an autism therapy center), as well as the author of the children’s book Sabita Finds Her Voice. She is the mother of a daughter who has autism and is non verbal, Sabita. Stephanie’s daughter inspired her to become a leader in the space of special needs. Her therapeutic style is holistic, empowering, and action-oriented. She and her daughter reside in St. Augustine, Florida.

The main link that Stephanie uses as a one-stop shop for her initiatives: https://stephanievavilala.com/

Sabita Speaks: A nonprofit which seeks to raise awareness around AAC devices for non-verbal folks: https://www.sabitaspeaks.org/

The website for her main practice (which isn’t limited to special needs) is here: https://therapeuticexpressions.com/

Purchase Sabita Finds Her Voice: https://www.amazon.com/Sabita-Finds-Voice-Stephanie-Vavilala-ebook/dp/B092Q2GFTW

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Episode #63 | Extra-Curricular Activities

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | September 15, 2020

Extra-curricular activities are often an important outlet for all children to take part in during their school year. These opportunities bring about the benefit of physical activity, social and emotional communication with peers, a sense of community and more. But are all special needs extra curricular activities created equal? And how do we find activities our kiddos are actually interested in participating in? Today we discuss with a few autism parents what activities they have tried, which were successful, and which were duds!

Contact Info for some of the programs we discussed:

Bambino Buddy-Ball | bambinobballmom1@yahoo.com | (509) 251-2588
Adaptive Skiing & Snowboarding | Spokaneparks.org | mtspokane.com/specialty-programs
Spokane Powderhounds | (509) 999-8586 Downhill skiing and snowboarding program for individuals with special needs.
Adaptive Skiing: (509)714-7654 for individuals with mobiity challenges.
Blue Waxers | Cross Country Skiing | (509) 953-6062.
iCan Shine Bike Camp | icanshine.org/ican-bike-spokane-wa/ | (509) 999-9603 Contact Casey Traver: icanshine.spokane@comcast.net
Lilac City Warriors | Lilac City Warriors’ Facebook Page, A Youth Special Olympics’ track and field team
PASS Soccer | monaca.pass@gmail.com | (509) 862-8065 PASS (Player Adaptive Soccer Skills) is an organization that provides soccer to children and adults with physical and/or cognitive challenges.
Gonzaga Exceptional Bulldogs Hockey Team | gonzagaexceptionalbulldogs@gmail.com Any child, 5 years–High School who is Differently Abled. Sponsored by Gonzaga University. Coach Mark Derby: (509) 590-9926

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