The Autism and Sensory Parenting Podcast

Welcome to another great episode where I get the pleasure of interviewing a guest that started on her journey with so many different emotions and has been successful at figuring out what she can do to make tomorrow better. You are about to hear how she has reframed what success looks like for her family, let go of expectations, and she is now helping others do the same through her Autism Summit. I was given the pleasure and honor of meeting our guest while being interviewed for the Empowering Autism Summit that is October 27-29th. Definitely make sure to click on the link in the show notes to grab a seat to that 3 day amazing experience by clicking here! It is full of fantastic information from 10, yes 10 different speakers, that share their personal journeys and expertise in the area of Autism and helping families thrive and be empowered. Enjoy the show and also, just a reminder to make sure to follow me on Instagram at Integrate Family and check out my website www.integratefamily.com for some free trainings and handouts to help your child and family. Connect with Stephanie at: Event Page: https://beyond-special.com/empoweringautismsummit-oct2021/ Web: https://beyond-special.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondspeciall/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/beyondspecial

Keeping everything organized and being proactive can make a huge difference. It can be the difference between just surviving and feeling like everything is out of control versus feeling like you are accomplishing your goals. Sometimes just taking the time to plan can feel overwhelming, but it can be possible! That is why I invited Amanda, creator of a special needs planner, to the podcast. I just know that she is going to give you encouragement and inspiration. She will also give you tips and tools for how to plan for success and tell you more about The Glory Days planner. Check out the show notes here:

So often, parents of Autistic children end up dealing with chronic stress and it is so important to learn how to get out of the stress cycle. That is why I was super excited to bring you our guest today. Michelle is a certified mindset and mindfulness coach. During her journey, she started to learn about self-care practices and realized how she had been neglecting her self-care. She learned how to become intentional about making sure that she was taking care of herself to create long-term solutions. There are truly nuggets in this interview for everyone and you are not going to want to miss it! Check out the rest of the show notes here:

It dawned on me recently that I was trained to think in a different way as an Occupational Therapist.....that this way of thinking is what helps a child gain confidence, motivation, and skills. Not only do I use it as an Occupational Therapist, but I use it as a parent ALL....THE.....TIME! This is huge people!! I am super passionate about this because it makes a huge difference for a child! Listen in to learn how you can help your child have better behaviors, have a better connection with you, and more confidence and skills that will help them throughout their lifetime!! Make sure to follow me on Instagram @integratefamily or on Facebook.

Recently, I had someone tell me that their child was just diagnosed with Autism. They just felt like, ok..., now what? I started to think about it and realized this was something really important to think about and talk about. How are you supposed to know what to do when your child is diagnosed with Autism? Especially when you are feeling a bagillion emotions. So I stopped and put some thought into this....This is what I came up with. Make sure to get My FREE Simple 3 Step Process to Improve Your Child's Development Get the rest of the show notes by clicking here. https://www.integratefamily.com/2021/03/your-child-has-autism-now-what/

Our perspective on how we see our situation and how we see our children makes a huge difference in the actions that we take. Kayla’s perspective will totally light that fire for you to see your child through new eyes. The way that she talks about the importance of celebrating all the amazing things about your child is just what so many other parents need to hear. The book that she wrote is an amazing book to celebrate the amazing things about your child, so make sure to check it out! Get the links and the rest of the show notes here: https://www.integratefamily.com/2021/03/learning-how-to-celebrate-our-childrens-autism-characteristics/

This episode was originally an interview that I did with Natalia Rodriquez in her Facebook group and today I’m going to bring it to you! I love the easy conversational style of this interview and we talk about how to make it work when you are a busy parent and having a child that has more needs than many of their peers. We have such a great conversation about taking care of yourself, different seasons of our life, and giving ourselves grace! I even talk about how to make it possible to work on things our child needs to work on in a very doable way, the importance of play, and sensory processing. And that's just the beginning!! Don't forget to check out episode 2 to hear the interview that I did with Natalia on this podcast!!

The importance of outdoor play is so so very important! Listen in to hear all of the benefits of outdoor play. When it comes to our children with Autism and sensory difficulties, I honestly think that getting them outside is even more important! Meet Angela Angela J. Hanscom is a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook—an award-winning developmental and nature-based program that has gained international popularity. She is also the author of Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children. Hanscom has also been a frequent contributor to The Washington Post and was the recent recipient of the SBA Small Business of the Year award in 2019. Check out all the show notes (click here)

Have you ever doubted that you know how to help your child? Have you ever been told that your child needs hours and hours of intervention time with someone else? Have you ever been exhausted from driving your child to appointments? Well, today I am speaking from my heart. I want you to know that you don't need to doubt that you are capable because you are! I want you to know that you know more than you think and you are capable of learning so much more. I am here to help you get rid of the guilt and exhaustion. I am here to hopefully inspire you and empower you to be kind to yourself and embrace this journey with your child!!

Today I get to interview Cindy Rinna. She is an amazing mother of 2 autistic children and 1 child with ADHD/dyslexia. She is also a writer, podcaster, and outside of the box homeschooler. Listen in to hear her journey in realizing she needed to find a system that fit her children instead of trying to get her children to fit into "the system". Click here for all the show notes and recommendations.

Ever wonder what feeling hungry and being rigid and inflexible have in common? How about meltdowns and having empathy for other people? Well, today we are going to talk about those connections. Specifically, what interoception is, how it can affect our children, and what we can do to help improve their interoceptive system. Check out all of the show notes and link here.

Sensory diets are a term that has started to get used a lot with kids that have sensory processing difficulties, including those with Autism. A lot of Occupational Therapists help set up sensory diets for families, but actually being a parent myself helped me to realize what I could do to still support my child in a way that was totally doable. Listen in to learn what a sensory diet is, what they are used for, and what we have done instead. Check out the show notes here: https://www.integratefamily.com/2021/01/sensory-diets-why-i-dont-use-one-what-i-do-instead/

Having stress as a parent is a very real thing. As a parent, we have so many more responsibilities, but as a parent of a child that has more needs than other children, the amount on a parent’s shoulders are compounded. Everything can take more time. The amount of mental problem solving and having to think more about everything can be exhausting and really overwhelming. We definitely all need stress management strategies and activities to make everything that we need to do possible! Listen in as Shannon shares some strategies on just how to do that! Check out the rest of the show notes here.

Is your child still working on learning how to do life skills like dressing, making their bed, or cooking meals (just to name a few)? We all need tools in our toolbox to help our children gain these skills! This is a simple strategy that can be used in a lot of ways! Check out all of the show notes here!

Parenting a child that is Autistic or has sensory needs can be hard! What is a parent supposed to do when their child experiences the world in a way that is different from yours? It's time to find out! Listen in to hear the whole interview with Dr. Laura Froyen. Check out the rest of the show notes here.

I say these are the top 10 strategies to help your Autistic child sleep; however, in actuality, there are way way more than 10 strategies in this episode! In this episode, I will talk about why sleep is so important, why your child might be struggling with sleep, and strategies to support your child and their sleep (and in turn, your sleep!) Check out all of the show notes here!

In today’s interview I had the opportunity to talk with a mother about her journey with her Autistic son and his schooling. Honestly, I love talking with other moms, because I know how much we can learn from each other! I really wanted to interview a mom that had placed her kids in the public school system and then later chose to homeschool, because I wanted for parents to know that there are options. Check out the rest of the show notes here.

What is bilateral coordination & why is it important? Learn from an Occupational Therapist how you can help your child's coordination! Get Your Free Audio Training (My Simple 3 Step Process to Improve Your Child's Development) Click here for the rest of the show notes.

Welcome to another episode of the Autism and Sensory Parenting Podcast. This is some information that you really need to know as a parent if you have a child that is really sensitive to sensory information. Today you will be hearing an interview with an Occupational Therapist. We will be discussing lots of great information about sensory sensitivities and what to do if your child is sensitive to certain types of sensory input. We will even delve into the question is it sensory or is it behavior and how it is different. Our guest today is Laura. Laura is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist from California who specializes in sensory integration. With a daughter of her own who has sensory sensitivities, Laura loves connecting with other parents of sensory sensitive children to provide support and insight. She loves talking about the impact of sensory processing on learning and behavior and how they can support their child with their sensory needs. Check out additional show notes by clicking here.

So many of us are doing school with our Autistic Child a little different this year. Maybe our child is struggling with the changes at school. Perhaps, you are trying to manage a hybrid type of situation. Or, maybe you have taken the pludge with homeschool. Today, I am going to share our story with school and the many positive changes that have happened for my son in such a crazy stressful year! Learn strategies and hear recommendations on how to help your Autistic Child complete school in a way that works for your family! Check out the show notes at: https://www.integratefamily.com/2020/11/clever-ways-to-do-school-with-your-autistic-child/