The holidays are only a few weeks away so gift buying is in full swing. Today we are joined by a few special needs parents that are discussing gift giving. Which toys are a hit with their kiddos, which are a miss, and how to make the holidays special on a budget.
References:
Famous Joe’s Vendor Emporium, 9126 E Sprague Ave, Spokane Valley, WA 99206
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
On today’s episode we discuss the ISAAC Foundation Station Visit program. We are joined by Lt. Matt Cowles of the Spokane Police Department, and Lt. John Goodman of the Spokane Fire Department. Joined by Holly of the The ISAAC Foundation, this group helped to create the Station Visit program that generally takes place every other month at both a Spokane, and Spokane Valley fire station (big thanks to the Spokane AMR first responders for their contributions as well!).
We discuss why the program was invented, the curriculum that is covered, and we share some fun anecdotes from past visits. If you have a loved one impacted with autism or other special needs this program is pivotal in creating safe perceptions of emergency personnel in case the day comes where they need to interact.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
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:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
This week we are talking with Roni, our Sibling Spotlight Facilitator at the ISAAC Foundation. Sibling Spotlight is a specially designed program for kids of all ages who all have one thing in common. They each have a sibling touched by autism or other special needs. The goal of the program is to provide a healthy support system and coping skills through fun and engaging activities that ultimately help them navigate this complicated journey. This is a monthly program, offered exclusively by the ISAAC Foundation, where young people come together in a fun and safe environment to interact with peers, mentors and program facilitators.
We are discussing the importance of sibling support and how to determine if your neuro-typical children are struggling with living in an autism household.
To view details about our Sibling Spotlight program or to register your child for the 2020-2021 session visit the ISAAC Foundation’s site here: https://theisaacfoundation.configio.com/page/siblingspotlight
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
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:
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:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
This week we discussed where parents would like to see more community inclusion and, in an ideal world, what would that look like.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
This week’s podcast may not be what you expected. Just because our loved ones are affected by an autism spectrum disorder, doesn’t mean that they aren’t capable of being naughty like every other kid. This week, a group of autism parents join me to share their laugh-out-loud stories we hope will improve your mood.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
The loss of adult relationships after an autism or other diagnosis is really not that uncommon. Since friendships are often forged based on common interests, hobbies, and kids, these connections can become fractured when our paths take a different turn after a diagnosis. In this podcast we talk about situations where friendships have ended and where new friendships have been formed. We also talk about defense mechanisms that might be in place to protect our hearts from hurt and rejection.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More
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:
If you listen to the end, I shared a recent account of my last family dining debacle in at Denny’s.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | More