Your Child is Normal: with Dr Jessica Hochman

Latest Episodes:

Ep 101: When is a gluten-free diet helpful? with Harry Cynamon MD, pediatric gastroenterologist Aug 28, 2023

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Episode 101 of Ask Dr Jessica welcomes Dr Harry Cynamon to talk about when a gluten-free lifestyle is recommended--so many people are preferring gluten free menu items, but is it really helpful? For example, eating "gluten-free" is the treatment for a condition called celiac disease. In this conversation, Dr Cynamon explains what celiac disease is, what the symptoms are, and how it is diagnosed & treated. We also talk about in what situations eating gluten free appears to be more "trendy" and not as clear to have health benefits.
Dr. Cynamon is a board certified pediatric gastroenterologist in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and he is currently treating patients in the city of Valencia.

Your Child is Normal is the trusted podcast for parents, pediatricians, and child health experts who want smart, nuanced conversations about raising healthy, resilient kids. Hosted by Dr. Jessica Hochman — a board-certified practicing pediatrician — the show combines evidence-based medicine, expert interviews, and real-world parenting advice to help listeners navigate everything from sleep struggles to mental health, nutrition, screen time, and more.
Follow Dr Jessica Hochman:
Instagram: @AskDrJessica and Tiktok @askdrjessica
YouTube: Ask Dr Jessica

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To test your child's microbiome and get recommendations, check out:
Tiny Health using code: DRJESSICA
The information presented in Ask Dr Jessica is for general educational purposes only. She does not diagnose medical conditions or formulate treatment plans for specific individuals. If you have a concern about your child's health, be sure to call your child's health care provider.

Ep 100: Screen addiction: how to prevent? with Dr Nicholas Kardaras Aug 21, 2023

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Episode 100!! This is a special episode---a treat and an honor to have guest Dr Nicholas Kardaras to discuss screen addiction and children.
Dr. Nicholas Kardaras is an Ivy-League educated psychologist, an internationally renowned speaker, and one of the country’s foremost addiction experts. He is the CEO and Chief Clinical Officer of Maui Recovery in Hawaii and Omega Recovery in Austin, Texas. A former Clinical Professor at Stony Brook Medicine in NY where he specialized in teaching the neurophysiology and treatment of addiction.
Dr. Kardaras is the author of the best-selling "Glow Kids" (St. Martin's Press, 2016), the seminal book on the clinical, neurological and sociological aspects of Technology Addiction (Smart Phones, Video Games, Social Media, etc.). Dr. Kardaras is also the author most recently of "”Digital Madness” where he further discuss the tech addicted world we live in and the harm it poses to our youth.

He has written for TIME Magazine, Scientific American, Psychology Today, Salon, The NY Daily News, and FOX News, and has appeared on ABC's 20/20, Good Morning America, the CBS Evening News, FOX & Friends, NPR, Good Day New York and in Esquire, New York Magazine and Vanity Fair. He was also featured on the 2019 A&E TV series “Digital Addiction” and his 2016 NY Post Op Ed “Digital Heroin” went viral with over 6 million views and shares.
Considered a leading expert on young people and digital addiction, he's clinically worked with over 2,000 teens and young adults and has been active in advocating that screen addiction be recognized as a clinical disorder akin to substance addiction. As a result of his clinical training and expertise working with tech addiction, Dr. Kardaras has developed the most comprehensive treatment protocols to treat this emerging global problem.

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Ep 99: Autism--what parents need to know! With Dr Taryn Liu, pediatric neurologist. Aug 14, 2023

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Episode 99 of Ask Dr Jessica with Dr Taryn Liu, discussing autism. Dr Liu is a dedicated pediatric neurologist who specializes neuro developmental disabilities in children, and she primarily treats children with autism. In this podcast, you will hear Dr Liu share her compassion and insights into autism spectrum disorder. She demystifies common misconceptions, and also explains the social and emotional challenges. Additionally, she highlights early signs in children, like joint attention and non-verbal communication. Her insights provide valuable information for both parents and professionals who would like a deeper understanding of autism spectrum disorder. If you would like to see Dr Liu as a physician, she currently works at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles.

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Ep 98: How to keep our eyes and vision healthy? with Dr Bryce Applebaum, OD, FCOVD Aug 07, 2023

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Dr. Bryce Appelbaum is an optometrist who is a pioneer in the field of neuro-optometry and he is passionate about helping people reach their maximum vision potential. He has found that vision is much more than 20/20 vision and often times visual issues get undetected. Today we talk about how when children are experiencing behavioral issues and frustration in school, it is important to consider visual issues as a cause. In this episode, you’ll hear Dr Applebaum also talk about the exciting treatment programs he offers to help people reach their optimum visual potential—as he explains, there are MANY visual issues that are avoidable and treatable with the proper therapy. He essentially offers PT (physical therapy) but for the eyes.

In this episode we discuss:
-why are more vision problems emerging more now than every before with children?
-what is the difference between eyesight and vision?
-recommendations for managing screen time
-how to practice "20-20-20" for visual hygiene
-doing vision therapy verses getting stronger prescription lenses as we age
-how vision problems can lead to or be misdiagnosed as ADD, ADHD, or dyslexia

To learn more about Dr Appelbaum, please check out his website:
www.appelbaumvision.com
To enroll in Dr Appelbaum's screen fit program:
https://www.screenfit.com/enroll use the code: ASKJESSICA to get 10% off ScreenFit Phase 1 at checkout.

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Ep 97: The Benefits of Free Range Kids, with Pam Lobley, author of "Why Can't We Just Play" Jul 31, 2023

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This weeks Ask Dr Jessica conversation features Pam Lobley, author of "Why Can't We Just Play". The podcast discusses her book and her experience as a writer and parent. Her book revolves around the idea of giving her children a summer without any scheduled activities to allow them more time for unstructured play and exploration, embracing a more relaxed approach to childhood.

She discusses the positive impact this decision had on her family and her own life. The conversation highlights the benefits unstructured play time has on children and the family unit.

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Ep 96: Preventing child sexual abuse: with Feather Berkower LCSW Jul 24, 2023

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On this episode of Ask Dr Jessica we talk to Feather Berkower, LCSW Feather Berkower, LCSW, is one of the nation's leading experts in children sexual assault prevention. She dedicated her career--which now spans over three decades-- to helping educate parents and educators to protect children from child sexual assault.
Using her community-based approach, she has trained over 150,000 school children, parents, and youth professionals across the United States. One of parents greatest fears is that their child would one day experience sexual abuse. Feather offers workshops to educate and empower parents to keep children safe from child sexual assault. Feather makes a difficult and highly sensitive topic less scary, and consistently impresses audiences with her knowledge, commitment, and warmth.
To find more information about the courses Feather offers:
parentingsafechildren.com/calendar
To learn more from Feather follow her on Instagram: @parentingsafechildren

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Ep 95: What to know about Inflammatory Bowel Disease? with Dr Mel Heyman, director of UCSF Pediatric IBD program Jul 17, 2023

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On this weeks episode of Ask Dr Jessica, Dr Mel Heyman a pediatric gastroenterologist joins to discuss inflammatory bowel disease or IBD—which refers to two conditions: Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. And while IBD is relatively uncommon, it does affects over 1% of the US population. And so in this episode —not only does Dr Heyman give an overview of IBD — he also explains the treatment options- of which there have been many exciting advancements.
Dr. Mel Heyman directs the UCSF Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Program and serves as training director in pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco. He is particularly interested in the care of children with IBD, including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as nutrition-related problems.
Heyman holds the Chair in Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition at UCSF. Since 2011, he has served as editor-in-chief of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. Heyman has provided medical direction for a camp for children with IBD since it began in 2001. He was awarded the prestigious UCSF Chancellor's Award for Public Service in 2014.

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Ep 94: How to understand the psychology of twins? Dr Joan Friedman Jul 10, 2023

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Episode 94 of Ask Dr Jessica with Dr Joan Friedman, twin expert, psychologist and author. Twins face unique challenges, and Dr. Friedman has made it her career to help the parents of twins. On this episode, Dr Friedman shares her views and insights about the emotional needs of twins and gives advice to families. She herself is an identical twin and the mother of five, including fraternal twin sons.
To learn more about Dr Friedman, you can follow her on instagram @ dr.joanfriedmantwinexpert, check out her website and know that she is available for telephone and online consultation and therapy sessions. She authored many books to help support twins. Her first book, Emotionally Healthy Twins, has received critical acclaim as a unique resource for understanding how twins develop and what parents can do to manage and understand twin-specific challenges. She next wrote a book for adult twins, The Same but Different: How Twins Can Live, Love and Learn to be Individuals.

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Ep 93: How can parents help children with learning differences? Dr Victoria Waller Jul 03, 2023

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This week, Dr Jessica Hochman talks to Dr Victoria Waller, author of "Yes! Your Child Can: Creating Success for Children with Learning Differences". Dr Waller has been a reading specialist and educational therapist for over 40 years and is passionate about helping children who have learning differences succeed. Her book offers parents a can-do, step-by-step approach to help parents navigate testing, considerations of starting a medication and choosing a team to help support your child. She believes that all children have natural strengths and passions, and that the key is for parents to help our children find these strengths, to help them build confidence and live their best lives. She shows us the difference made in a child's life when they have someone who believes in them.
To learn more about Dr Waller, you can follow her on Instagram @ Drvictoriawaller
Or find her online: www.drvictoriawaller.com

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Ep 92: How to talk to children about grief? Randi Wolfson, Grief Educator Jun 26, 2023

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Episode 92 of Ask Dr Jessica discusses the topic of grief. Randi Wolfson has been a grief educator and writer for 20 years, and she is passionate about helping grievers. Experiencing loss is an unfortunate reality of life— and parents are often unsure how to talk about death with their children. On today's podcast, Randi and Dr Jessica Hochman discuss grief—and Randi provides insight into how to best broach the subject with children. To learn more from Randi, please check out her Facebook and Instagram page—@GriefandGrits—where she provides grief education.
She also authored a children's book about grief called: "Eddie's Brave Journey" which is available online.

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