The Coffee Klatch Special Needs Radio

Latest Episodes:

When A Child's Mental Illness Affects A Family - Dr Hyken Jun 01, 2013

Show notes

Family Recovery and the “Mother Bear” As a parent, you want to fix the things that break. If the car breaks, you fix it. If the dishwasher breaks, you fix it. If a leg is broken, you fix it. But when a family member experiences emotional or mental distress, how do you “fix” that? And is it fixable?. When a serious mental health problem occurs, parents need to have the tools to know how to respond in a productive way. Parents need to learn to accept that they may not be able to “fix” the problem, but with the right tools parents can become good supporters and assistants to the family member who’s healing, and to themselves. Join Dr. Russell Hyken and his guest Lisbeth Riis Cooper as they discuss how a child's mental health issue impacts the family system and what parents can do to support their child when issues occur. Lisbeth found her inner Mother Bear when her family faced mental health challenges. After struggling for many years to find compassionate and effective support for her daughter, she decided to create a community where her daughter and many others could heal and recover.

Gary Greenberg Book of Woe - Bright Not Broken May 30, 2013

Show notes

Any individual, parent, or professional who has ever dealt with the confusing process of obtaining a mental health diagnosis, autism, ADHD, Bi-Polar and others will want to hear this discussion! Gary Greenberg a noted author and critic of American psychiatry The Book of Woe. "Like Too Big to Fail's look at Wall Street, The Book of Woe is an inside view of an institution on the brink of disaster-the American Psychiatric Association, which recently completed the fifth edition of the DSM, a book that guides the allocation of billions of taxpayer dollars for research and treatment." "Greenberg's account of the history behind the DSM, and his behind-the-scenes reporting of the deeply flawed process by which the DSM-5 has been revised, is both riveting and disturbing."

IN HOME Doctor Visits for Special Needs Kids- Ask Stefanie May 20, 2013

Show notes

Join host Stefanie Weiss in tonights interview: How IN HOME Doctor Visits Can Make An Anxious/Special Needs Child More Comfortable Families whose children have special needs face many everyday basic challenges. Going to the pediatrician for a check up can be a difficult task for a family with a child who has anxiety, OCD, ADHD, autism, bipolar disorder, and other related conditions. For children, being in the comfort of their own home can make a check up or sick visit much less stressful for the child AND their parents! Dr. Kulich is Board Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, has been elected a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Home Care Physicians. Dr Kulich is the current president of the American Academy of Concierge Pediatricians.

Columbia Psychiatry Series - OCD in Children and Teens May 13, 2013

Show notes

Dr. Moira Rynn Deputy Director of Research Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University What is the new understanding of OCD in children/teens? Can a medication

Temple Grandin - The Autistic Brain May 12, 2013

Show notes

BRIGHT NOT BROKEN - DIANE KENNEDY REBECCA BANK Dr Temple Grandin discusses brain scans, sensory issues, parenting tips, different thinking styles in autistics and much more

School Struggles - Dyslexia - The Parents Perspective May 08, 2013

Show notes

Dyslexia: The Parent's Perspective Helping your child with dyslexia can be a daunting and, often, frustrating process. This episode of School Struggles will be devoted to understanding some of the typical challenges faced by parents in their efforts to help their children. The guests on the show will be all parents of dyslexic children. We will be meeting with Wendy Ramos and Rachel Catalano of the grassroots parent group Wishes of Literacy from Staten Island, NY, along with Andy Kavulich of Decoding NJ

Dr Allen Frances - Saving Normal May 06, 2013

Show notes

Saving Normal: An Insider's Revolt against Out-of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis, DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the Medicalization of Ordinary Life Is it possible that soon most of us will all have a diagnosable mental illness? Will our differences, which make us so unique and wonderful, only be looked in the negative, as a disorder, with the mindset of needing to be fixed when in fact, we are not truly broken Referred to as "The most famous and honored psychiatrist in America" Dr. Allen Frances makes his 3rd appearance, he is a clinician, educator, researcher, and leading authority on psychiatric diagnosis. He chaired the DSM-IV Task Force, was a member of the Task Force that

The Dr Russell Hyken Show - Fending Off Eating Disorders May 01, 2013

Show notes

"Fending off Eating Disorders in your children (boys & girls)" Our host Dr Russsell Hyken, family therapist, adolescent educational diagnostician Educatinal Therapeutic specialist. Today's discussion will focus on underlying issues, prevention, and signs of eatingdisorders/body image issues. Ms. Pace will also discus how to create an emotionally safe family environment to initiate discussion about health and nutrition. Ellen Sheffield Pace is a Psychotherapist in private practice in Richmond Heights. Missouri. Ellen specializes in the treatment of eating disorders and works with individuals and their families affected by this illness. Ellen's commitments in the St. Louis community include serving on the board of The Scholarship Foundation and on the Development Board of Forsyth School. Ellen is the past President of the Alumni Board at John Burroughs School. She has a BA in Art History from Middlebury College and a Masters in Social Work from Washington University

Neurodiversity in the Classroom: Strength-Based Strategies t Apr 29, 2013

Show notes

A new concept on human diversity has emerged over the past 10 years that promises to revolutionize the way educators provide services to students with special needs: neurodiversity. Just as we celebrate diversity in nature and cultures, so too do we need to honor the diversity of brains among our students who learn, think, and behave differently. In Neurodiversity in the Classroom, best-selling guest Dr. Thomas Armstrong argues that we should embrace the strengths of such neurodiverse students to help them and their neurotypical peers thrive in school and beyond. His innovative book focuses on five categories of special needs: learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, intellectual disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders. We will discuss: * The positive attributes associated with that category, * Acclaimed neurodiverse adults who have excelled in their chosen fields, * Computer programs and applications that allow students with special needs to overcome obstacles and achieve success, * Rich networks of human resources both inside and outside of school that educators can draw upon to support the social and emotional lives of neurodiverse students, * Innovative learning strategies that are tailored to each student's unique strengths, * Future career paths for which a student s particular gifts might be a good fit, * Modifications in the school environment that allow for seamless inclusion of neurodiverse students in the regular classroom, and * Timely information about how to integrate the strategies and assessments for each category with the Common Core State Standards.

Ask Stefanie - Mainstream or Special Placement Apr 22, 2013

Show notes

Stefanie is a Mental Health Consultant specializing in OCD, Anxiety, ADHD, PANDAS, and other related mental health disorders. She meets with the parents of children who have these disorders so that they can speak openly and honestly about their child. Based on an in- depth consultation and intake process, they collaborate on selecting a team of doctors that will be most appropriate for the child. Should we mainstream our "grey area" child think about Special Needs School? A tough decision many parents face. Deciding where your "grey area" child would be happiest at school can be a very tough decision. The academic, social, and emotional pieces are all important pieces of the puzzle that parents need to consider when making this decision. Ask Stefanie interviews Chantal Afalo a Special Needs & Educational Advisor, and Linda Gardener The Admissions Director for The Aaron School, a private special education school K-12, to determine what parents need to conside