Talking About Kids – Details, episodes & analysis

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Like my previous guest, Ulric Shannon, my guest this episode, Edgar Palacios, believes that students are more successful when they see themselves reflected in their teachers, and, like Ulric, Edgar is a graduate of the Surge Institute. Today, Edgar is the CEO of the Latinx Education Collaborative (LEC), an organization he founded to support Latinx students by supporting Latinx educators. Edgar and I discuss his work and his commitment to creating optimal learning environments for all students. More information about Edgar and the LEC is talkingaboutkids.com.

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Ulric Shannon believes that students who do not see themselves reflected in their teachers and in the educational leadership develop harmful beliefs about authority, power, and value. Indeed, statistics show that the faculty in many school districts do not share the demographics or the backgrounds of the student bodies they serve. Ulric set out to change this. In this episode, Ulric and I discuss what he did, whether it is working, and how you can get involved. More information about Ulric and Surge is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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When it comes to understanding the terrible adversities that some kids face, like sibling sexual abuse, it is important to separate the facts from the hyperbole and the anecdotes that get used to generate fear or to gain attention. Trusted and proven sources of information are critical, and there is no more trusted source for this topic than the Sibling Aggression and Abuse Research and Advocacy Initiative (SAARA) at the Crimes against Children Research Center, a center that has been studying family violence and related topics since 1975. My guest today to share information and resources about sibling sexual abuse is Tanya Whitworth, a Research Scientist at SAARA and a generous guest and advocate. More information about Tanya and links to resources are at talkingaboutkids.com.

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Adolescence is a time of experimenting, and that experimenting sometimes involves trying illicit drugs. Unfortunately, dealers are adding fentanyl to illicit drugs, like cocaine and methamphetamine, to make them cheaper and more potent, but fentanyl also makes them more deadly. Every day in the U.S., over 150 people die from overdoses related to fentanyl. To explain what fentanyl is and what you, as people who care about kids, can to do prevent overdoses from happening, I reached out to my friend Haley Coles. Haley is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Sonoran Prevention Works and a pioneer in harm reduction. More information about Haley, Sonoran Prevention Works, and harm reduction is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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News about increases in adolescent suicide can seem overwhelming, so in this second mini summer vacation episode of Talking About Kids, I want to share a newly published paper on the care of kids with suicide-related symptoms that I think it suggests something constructive that we, as people who care about kids, can do to help reverse the trend. Links to some of the research I cite are talkingaboutkids.com. Full-length Talking About Kids episodes return in mid-August with an important examination of fentanyl.

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Back-to-school sales are underway, so in this a mini summer episode of Talking About Kids I decided to address the “back” in “back-to-school.” That is to say, I examine lower back pain in students, its prevalence, its causes, and how to prevent it. Links to some of the resources I cite are at talkingaboutkids.com. Full-length Talking About Kids episodes return in mid-August with an important examination of fentanyl.

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This episode was recorded in front of a live audience on July 19th, 2023, at the Adloscent Health Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. My guests are Veenod Chulani, Section Chief of Adolescent Medicine at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and Beheir Thompson, Adolescent Health Program Coordinator for Affirm. Along with their colleagues, Vinny and Beheir are working to bring professionals together to advance health equity for youth. Their insights on what adolescent-centered care entails, why it is important, and what steps you can take to become more effective when working with youth are addressed. More information about Vinny, Beheir, and the Arizona Alliance for Adolescent Health is talkingaboutkids.com.

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My guest for this episode is Stephanie Young Moss. Dr. Stephanie, as she is known professionally, approached me with a unique thesis:  pharmacists can help reduce healthcare disparities among families. Her education and decades of experience as a pharmacist and an activist convinced me, and I am eager for you to hear her insights as well as the advice that she, and every pharmacist, has for parents. More information about Dr. Stephanie is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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All kids are unique, but some do better in typical classroom settings than others. The process of recognizing that a kid has special academic needs can be frustrating and stressful for parents, educators, professionals, and the student. Unfortunately, recognition is often just the beginning. The meetings and myriad terms, initials, and acronyms that follow a diagnosis can be confusing and intimidating. In this episode, I am going to address one of the more common ones:  the IEP, or the Individualized Education Program. To help explain the IEP, I have enlisted the help of Kimberly Robinson. Kim came highly recommended to me because of her over 20 years of experience working as a Speech Language Pathologist and her expertise formulating and monitoring IEPs. More information about Kim is talkingaboutkids.com.

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For this final episode honoring Pride Month, I attended four NYC Pride events and interviewed speakers, dignitaries, and leaders. I asked them all one question:  What words of advice or encouragement do you have for kids who are not feeling valued and supported as they realize their orientation, identity, and identity expression? 

In this episode you will hear:

-Gabrielle Souza, Executive Director of The Okra Project, a mutual aid collective that supports Black Trans, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people;

-Sage Dolan-Sandrino, queer trans activist, journalist, and the inaugural Monica Roberts Fellow at the National Black Justice Coalition;

-Melissa D’Andrea, Executive Director of PFLAG NYC, a family-based organization committed to celebrating LGBTQ+ young people and creating a better future for all;

-NYC Pride March Grand Marshal Yasmin Benoit, award-winning British asexual activist, creator of the popular #ThisIsWhatAsexualLooksLike movement, and co-founder International Asexuality Day;

-NYC Pride March Grand Marshal Hope Giselle, organizer, trans activist, and best-selling author of Becoming Hope: Removing the Disguise;

-NYC Pride March Grand Marshal Randy Wicker, legendary, trailblazing LGBTQ+ activist; 

-NYC Pride March Grand Marshal AC Dumlao, Chief of Staff at Athlete Ally, a nonprofit working to educate and activate athletic communities to eliminate homophobia and transphobia in sports, and creator of the popular Facebook page “Call Me They”; and

-Sandra Pérez, Executive Director for NYC Pride.

I recommend sharing the powerful advice and encouragement they offered with the kids in your life.

More information about these activists, including links to their organizations, is at talkingaboutkids.com.