Adventures in Autism

Latest Episodes:

Episode 115- Sister chats: updates on Mel, Logan & listener questions! Nov 18, 2020

Show notes

Today I’m chatting with my sometimes cohost, my sister Melissa! We’re giving some updates and talking about how Mel is doing in her cancer journey. She’s just finished her second month of maintenance chemo and so far, so good. She’s elaborating on that and sharing her feelings now that she’s 6 months out from her brain surgery. Also, I’m giving some updates on Logan and how he’s been doing lately. We’ve had some recent changes to his schedule and meds- these were not planned changes (I’m explaining more in the episode of how this came about) but they have actually turned out to be really good for him. Later, we’re answering some listener questions which is always fun! We talk about everything from our relationship to what TV shows we’re into right now. I love bringing Mel on the pod from time to time as a way for our family & friends to check in- but it’s turned into more than that because this community has been SO supportive of her and our family. I’m so grateful for all of you! Per usual, we had a great time chatting (and joking around as we always do!) and I hope you enjoy listening! Connect with Melissa: Instagram: @thezill Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Episode 114: Catching up with Whitney (@thebehaviorcompass) & answering listener questions! Nov 11, 2020

Show notes

Today I’m catching up with past guest, Whitney of @thebehaviorcompass. Whitney shared the early years of her journey with her son Kyson back on episode 41 of AIA. Today, we’re picking up where we left off and answering some awesome listener questions! Since we recorded that episode, a lot has changed for Whitney. She talks very openly about experiencing feelings of grief and burnout after Kyson was diagnosed with ASD. We discuss all of that and how self care has played a huge role in getting Whitney back to a place of positivity and made her feel more grounded. We also talk about Kyson’s progress, their journey to finding the right BCBA and lots of other fun updates with their family. Whitney is such a sweetheart and her honesty is so refreshing. It was an honor to get her back on the podcast! We had such a great conversation and I hope you enjoy listening! Connect with Whitney: Instagram: @thebehaviorcompass Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Episode 113: Getting past denial to find the beauty. With autism mom, Jenna Handlen Nov 04, 2020

Show notes

Today I’m chatting with autism mom, Jenna Handlen, all about her beautiful daughter, Annabelle. Jenna talks about how Annabelle’s speech delay as a toddler raised red flags for her pediatrician. Although Jenna moved forward with early intervention, she felt her doctor was being overly concerned and that Annabelle was “fine”. Jenna was very open about her feelings of denial at that time. She shares how it took time and a mindset shift to come to terms with the fact that Annabelle had autism. We also talk about how challenging the IEP process was for her, and how it’s thankfully improved now. Jenna explains how she went from being in denial as a parent, to truly finding the beauty in their situation. I think so many of us can relate to those same feelings. I had such a great conversation with Jenna and I hope you enjoy listening! Connect with Jenna: Instagram: jenna.handlen Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Episode 112: Getting REAL about self care: making my own health a priority & sharing listener tips Oct 28, 2020

Show notes

In today’s episode I’m flying solo and talking about a very important topic: self care. I feel like we all hear the term “self care” A LOT these days, and it really does have a different meaning to us all. Today I’m sharing how I’ve been working on improving my own self care, and how I recently discovered a new meaning to the term. I am getting VERY personal (consider this your warning!) and talking about a couple different health issues that I’ve been dealing with lately. I share how this has forced me to re-examine my approach to self care. I’m also talking about making self care a priority in my everyday life, and what works for me. Later, I’m also sharing listener tips on how you guys practice your own self care. There are some really good ones! I wanted to do this episode because I feel like as parents (and especially as special needs parents) we are constantly putting ourselves on the back burner. I personally have done this for years and I know many of you can relate. Hopefully this episode will make you want to turn over a new leaf! Enjoy listening! Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Episode 111: Celebrating Down syndrome awareness month with mom, Lauren Molloy Oct 21, 2020

Show notes

Today’s episode is a little different. October is Down syndrome awareness month and I really wanted to celebrate that by sharing a story of Down syndrome here on the podcast. Today I’m chatting with Lauren Molloy, all about her journey with her adorable daughter, Autumn. When Lauren was 10 weeks pregnant, she learned she was having a baby girl. She also learned that her baby had Down syndrome. Lauren talks all about processing that diagnosis throughout her pregnancy and how she prepared for her baby by finding resources and connecting with the Down syndrome community. Autumn was also born with a heart defect that required surgery and Lauren details their journey with her surgery and recovery. Autumn just recently celebrated her first birthday so it felt like a very appropriate time for Lauren to share their story! I am thrilled to have Lauren on the show today and it’s amazing how much I can relate to their journey despite our children having a very different diagnosis. Special needs really connect us. We had a great time chatting and I hope you enjoy listening! Connect with Lauren: Facebook: Lauren Molloy Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Episode 110: Advocating for his son, right from the start. With autism dad & podcaster, Fred Marvel Oct 14, 2020

Show notes

Today I’m chatting with autism dad and podcaster, Fred Marvel, all about his journey with his son Aleks. Their story starts out very differently from any I’ve ever heard before. When Aleks was just an infant, he suffered brain trauma caused by shaken baby syndrome. Fred shares how this happened after Aleks was being babysat by someone they thought was a trusted friend. Dealing with this unthinkable situation as new parents really forced Fred and his wife to become strong advocates for Aleks from the beginning. Amazingly, Aleks was able to make a full recovery by age three. After overcoming such incredible odds, Aleks started displaying some atypical behaviors. After being evaluated they were told he had some “autistic symptoms” but was diagnosed with ADHD and SPD. Because Fred is such a great advocate, they were able to get him all the services he needed. As time went on, Fred began to wonder if Aleks was actually on the spectrum. Just last year, they began seeking a diagnosis. Fred explains how getting the diagnosis was made even more difficult due to the pandemic. Fred and his family have had such a unique journey right from the start. I really enjoyed talking to Fred and I’m so glad he decided to start his own podcast, The Spectrum Dad! We had a great conversation and I hope you enjoy listening! Connect with Fred: IG: @thespectrumdad Podcast: The Spectrum Dad Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Episode 109: Chatting with returning guest, Kelly (@growingupsteven) & listener questions! Oct 07, 2020

Show notes

Today I’m chatting with past guest, Kelly of @growingupsteven. Kelly was on the pod way back on episode 38 and I’m thrilled to bring her back on today. Kelly and I catch up on everything that’s been going on with her, Steven and their family. Kelly is also answering listener questions and as usual, her answers are so truthful and thought provoking! One of the things I appreciate most about Kelly is her honesty. She is so willing to go there and give the raw truth on many difficult to discuss issues. Her wisdom as a seasoned mother (Steven is now 30) is so valuable. I had so much fun chatting with Kelly (again!) and I hope you enjoy listening! Connect with Kelly: IG: @growingupsteven Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Episode 108- Catching up! School, AAC & med updates. Plus Adventures in Autism is TWO! Sep 30, 2020

Show notes

Today I’m flying solo and catching you guys up on what’s been going on with us! To start I’m sharing how Logan’s first few weeks of school are going. Although Logan is able to go in person, this year (so far) has still been very different due to covid- I’m talking all about that! I’m also giving some updates on Logan’s aac and our journey with medication. It’s been a year now that Logan has had his talker and he has truly made so much progress! As far as medication, that has also been several months of many ups and downs. We’re finally starting to see some majorly positive changes which I’m excited to share! Lastly, I’m reflecting back on the two year anniversary of Adventures in Autism and sharing some of my big takeaways. It’s always great to sit down record these solo episodes- I hope you enjoy listening! Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Episode 107- Becoming her cousin’s caregiver & learning to love more, with Lindsay Schuster Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

Today I’m chatting with my guest Lindsay Schuster. Lindsay and I connected in an autism Facebook group where she had posted about recently becoming a caregiver to her 53 year old cousin, John, who is on the spectrum. After John’s mother (Lindsay’s aunt) passed away, Lindsay and her family were trying to decide the best course of action for John. They were planning on an assisted living facility, but Lindsay felt a calling for John to move in with her family and become his main caregiver. While they had grown up together, living with John and autism in general, opened a whole new world for Lindsay. Today we’re discussing everything that has come along with their journey. All the challenges and the triumphs. From how her family is adjusting (Lindsay is a mom of three), to the many ways John is impacting their lives. In her own words, John is “teaching me to love more.” This episode was so heartwarming! I’m truly blown away by Lindsay and I loved our conversation. I hope you enjoy listening! Connect with Lindsay: Facebook: Lindsay Schuster Instagram: @schustergirl Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

Episode 106- Know your child’s rights. With Special Education Attorney (& father) Lloyd Donders Sep 16, 2020

Show notes

Today I’m chatting with autism dad and special education attorney, Lloyd Donders. Lloyd became interested in special education law when he was navigating the school system for his own son, who is on the spectrum. Even though Lloyd was a lawyer himself, he still had a hard time getting his son all the services he needed within their school district. Once he learned everything he needed to in order to help his own son, he set out to help other families as well in this very often challenging area. Lloyd and I discuss everything from FAPE (free appropriate public education) to inclusion, to simply knowing your child’s rights and how to get the best education possible for them. I learned SO MUCH from our conversation and I’m so glad Lloyd came on the podcast to share this very valuable information! I hope you enjoy listening! Connect with Lloyd: Facebook: Law Offices of Lloyd Donders, Esq. Website: www.specialedlegalinfo.com Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review!

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