Adventures in Autism

Latest Episodes:

Episode 45- Spreading positivity like confetti, with BCBA Shelby Dorsey Jul 10, 2019

Show notes

In today’s episode I’m chatting with BCBA, Shelby Dorsey. Shelby and I connected on social media and I was instantly drawn to her positivity and passion for what she does. Little did I know, Shelby had an amazing journey that got her to where she is today. Her story is incredible! As a young, single mom Shelby proved to herself and others that anything is possible with hard work and a little good faith. I think anyone, no matter what their circumstance can benefit from her message. We also talk about ABA therapy and how we’d like to change the narrative regarding the often bad rap it gets! Shelby is truly an inspiration and I am thrilled to welcome her as guest! I hope you enjoy listening!

Episode 44- Autism Grown Up, with autism sibling & professional, Tara Jul 03, 2019

Show notes

In today’s episode I’m chatting with autism sibling and professional, Tara. Tara has two adult brothers on the spectrum, Tanner and Tyler. She shares how growing up with them really shaped her into who she is today and led her to her profession in education and autism research. Tara and I talk a lot about how it can be difficult for autism family’s to access services and resources- especially for adults on spectrum. Because of that, Tara decided to take action through her career. Not only for her brothers, but for many other teens/adults with ASD. I loved hearing about Tara’s close relationships with her brothers and their whole family. Autism siblings are truly incredible people and Tara is no exception! We had such a great conversation and I hope you enjoy listening!

Episode 43- The OG of Autism Dads, with my guest Tim Jun 26, 2019

Show notes

Today I’m chatting with autism dad, Tim, all about his journey with his son, Rafa. Tim and I connected on Instagram through his account @autismdads. Tim started the account as a way to connect with and educate the autism community (himself included!) from a dads perspective. Tim saw that parenting in general (and especially parenting a child with autism) is very focused on mothers- he wanted to show that the dads have a part in all this too! Tim and I talk about not only his son, but also the very valuable information he’s learned since starting the account. He also shares very openly about his mental health journey and struggles with anxiety. Tim is truly such an awesome advocate for his son and we had a great conversation. Enjoy listening!

Episode 42- Life Updates: potty training, Logan’s IEP meeting and our summer plans! Jun 19, 2019

Show notes

In today’s episode I’m flying solo and checking in with some updates of what’s been going on with Logan and our family. First, I’m discussing Logan’s whole potty training journey. I’m giving details about Logan’s “intensive potty training program” he completed at his ABA center back in March- I’m thrilled to say it worked! Then I’m talking about how we wrapped up the school year and Logan’s IEP meeting. I used tips given by past guests of the podcast and they were so helpful! I’m also sharing some very exciting news for next year: Logan is getting a communication device this coming fall! Lastly, I’m sharing our plans for summer break. Summertime gives me anxiety and I wanted to do my best to ensure that Logan had a productive and enjoyable summer. So I did everything I could to facilitate that. I’m talking more about his summer camp/therapy schedule and how we’re also making time for FUN! It’s been a while since I’ve caught up with you guys for a solo show, I hope you enjoy listening!

Episode 41- There’s no such thing as knowing too much, with autism mom Whitney Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

Today I’m chatting with autism mom, Whitney Sarnowski. Whitney shares her story with her son Kyson, who was just very recently diagnosed with ASD. Whitney is a former special education teacher and is currently studying for her boards to become a BCBA. Whitney talks about her entire journey from autism professional to autism mom. She also shares a lot of insight on getting your child diagnosed at an early age- which is key because we know early intervention is so important! Whitney also started her own website/blog ‘The Spectrum Compass’ as a way to educate and offer support to other autism families. Whitney is so sweet and sincere, I loved connecting with her and I hope you enjoy listening!

Episode 40- Sans the Sugarcoat (but still sweet!) with Malinda Cook Jun 05, 2019

Show notes

In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mom and podcaster, Malinda Cook. Malinda shares her journey with her daughter Paige, who is now 17 and beginning to plan for transitioning out of high school. Malinda gives a lot of important insight into this process and what it’s been like preparing for the next chapter in Paige’s life. It was because of this transition that Malinda and her husband decided to start their own podcast ‘Sans the Sugarcoat’ to share their journey as Paige begins adulthood as an individual on the spectrum, and how they’re supporting her through it all. Malinda is such a delight and I learned so much from our conversation! I hope you enjoy listening!

Episode 39- It’s Going to Be AUlright! With autism mom and author, Holly Teegarden May 29, 2019

Show notes

In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mom and author, Holly Teegarden. Holly shares her journey with her daughter and how hard work and determination lead to lots of progress. Holly’s daughter is in middle school now so we discussed the new challenges they’re facing now that she’s entering the teenage years. Holly also recently co-authored the book “It’s Going to Be AUlright” with other autism moms sharing their stories and experiences with their children on the spectrum. Holly is a lot of fun and we had a great conversation, enjoy listening!

Episode 38- Growing up and never giving up, with my guest Kelly Davis May 22, 2019

Show notes

In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mom Kelly Davis. Kelly shares her journey with her adult son, Steven, who is 28 years old. Steven was diagnosed with ASD at age 2 and has proved many doctors and professionals wrong with everything he has accomplished! Kelly shares their early struggles and challenges they faced with Steven- she drops many pearls of wisdom along the way! I loved hearing Kelly’s perspective as a mom with an adult child on the spectrum. Kelly’s story and positive attitude are so inspiring. I love chatting with her and I hope you enjoy listening!

Episode 37- Florida’s first openly autistic lawyer (and total dynamo!) Haley Moss May 15, 2019

Show notes

In today’s episode I’m chatting with Haley Moss, Florida’s first openly autistic lawyer. Haley is also an author, an artist, and amazing activist in the autism community. Haley is truly remarkable and I learned SO MUCH from our conversation. Haley talks about growing up as an individual on the spectrum and the challenges that she faced. She shares how her passion for advocating led her to pursue law as a career because she saw it as a way to make real changes. Haley and I also chat about the disparity of females on the spectrum being diagnosed, and how often times symptoms get overlooked or misunderstood in girls. Haley speaks a lot about neurodiversity and I even learned something very surprising about myself! Our conversation was so insightful and I am honestly just blown away by Haley. We had so much fun chatting and I hope you enjoy listening!

Episode 36- Foraging a path through all the hurdles, with my guest Sara Lex May 08, 2019

Show notes

In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mama, Sara Lex. Sara shares her journey with her son Owen, and how early concerns led her to seek a diagnosis for him at just 16 months old. Sara went on to get a second and third opinion which confirmed that Owen had ASD. From there they faced some difficulty with getting services and therapy set up for Owen. Sara and her husband were determined to get Owen in ABA therapy but insurance issues made that a real challenge! Sara and I talked about the insanely high cost of therapy and the hurdles a lot of families face when it comes to getting insurance to cover these very needed services. I really enjoyed talking to Sara and I hope you enjoy listening!

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