The KIND Families Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

One of the unexpected gifts I’ve received since starting The KIND Families Podcast is getting to meet so many heroes of the KIND community. People who are champions for those with neurological differences or any other special needs and who serve selflessly and passionately to make life better for everyone.

Today I speak with one of those champions, Justin Garrard. Justin is the Executive Director of Adam’s Camp, a therapy based summer camp program in Colorado for children and adults with any kind of difference or disability. Adam’s Camp began nearly four decades ago by a mother who would not accept what the doctors and so-called experts told her was possible for her son with cerebral palsy. Last year Adam’s Camp touched the lives of 550 individuals and their families, and they are looking to expand further.

Justin’s passion for the special needs community stems from his personal experiences growing up with his older brother John, who is on the Autism Spectrum. This firsthand exposure to the challenges faced by families, coupled with a strong desire to effect positive change, has driven Justin to dedicate himself to serving individuals with special needs.

Justin has a passion for helping those around him realize their dreams through life-changing opportunities. He has his Bachelors and MBA from Ottawa University, where he was also an All-American distance runner.  Fun fact – he was recently inducted into the college’s Athletic Hall of Fame, but I think his real Hall of Fame performance is what he does every day for the KIND and special needs Communities.

You might want to grab some Kleenex as we jump into today’s KIND word with Justin Garrard.

Learn more about Adam’s Camp or find ways to support the organization by visiting www.adamscamp.org.

Have you picked up a copy of my book yet?  Finding KIND: Discovering Hope and Purpose While Loving Kids with Invisible Neurological Differences is available on October 22nd! Visit Finding KIND to get your hardback copy today, or, if you prefer ebooks, head over to Amazon and purchase HERE!

Want a free preview of the book before you buy? Click HERE and I will send you a pdf of the foreword, (written by my amazing son, Brady!), the introduction and the first chapter.

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Welcome to our first Thanksgiving Throwback episode!  If you are already chopping your vegetables or mashing your potatoes in anticipation of the biggest meal of the year, this throwback episode will put a little pep in your prep.

Today we are taking a trip back to our very first guest, so our newest friends can hear the wit and wisdom of one of my favorite love do-ers, and chief balloon carriers, Bob Goff. In addition to writing numerous New York Times bestsellers, Bob is a speaker, coach, podcaster, and the founder of Love Does, a human rights organization helping kids around the world find safe places to live and learn.

Bob was one of my writing coaches, along with the spectacular Kim Stuart, and he is also the inspiration for this podcast. Bob and I talk about some of the challenges KIND families face, how to be available, dealing with negativity, and more. For those of you who are veterans of The KIND Families Podcast, you will LOVE Bob’s response to the final question I ask all my guests: “Describe one random act of KINDness.” Bob’s is a doozy!

While Bob plugs preordering my book, Finding KIND, during our conversation, I want you to know that the book is out in the world NOW, and I’d love you to pick up a copy HERE. I also want to let you know that Bob has a new book coming out in December called Catching Whimsy! I’m honored to be part of his launch team, so here is a link to preorder the book: Catching Whimsy

You can find Bob at www.bobgoff.com, or on socials @bobgoff.   Also check out Love Does at www.lovedoes.org.

Have you picked up a copy of my book yet?  Finding KIND: Discovering Hope and Purpose while Loving Kids with Invisible Neurological Differences is available now! Visit www.findingkind.myshopify.com to get your hardback copy today, or, if you prefer ebooks, you find it on Amazon HERE.

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Elizabeth Thorndike and her husband Dan are the creators of Moment 2 Moment Masterpiece, a website dedicated to encouraging families whose parenting journey is a little out of the ordinary, like their own.  With five kids, including two adoptions and various medical and special needs, The Thorndikes learned early on that surviving and thriving as a family unit meant living in the moment.

Elizabeth shares her family’s inspirational story and highlights how important it is to properly support the neurotypical siblings of special needs children. Through pain, isolation, and a chaotic schedule this mama can’t fathom, Elizabeth teaches us you can always find time for a dance party.   

Check out Elizabeth’s blog at www.moment2momentmasterpiece.com, and follow her on social media:

Instagram @elizabeth.thorndike

Facebook @Moment 2 Moment

Did you hear I have a new book??   Finding KIND: Discovering Hope and Purpose While Loving Kids with Invisible Neurological Differences is available for preorder! Visit www.findingkind.myshopify.com to get your copy today!  Release is scheduled for summer, 2024.

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Visit www.kariabaker.com and www.kindfamilies.com for more content!

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I’m so excited to share my conversation with Gillis “GW” Williams, an articulate, passionate, autistic young man who runs a self-advocacy company, AutismChoseMe.  GW was diagnosed with autism at age five, and he started AutismChoseMe in high school with a mission to build widespread acceptance of neurodiversity.

GW has spoken at schools in the U.S. and Canada, has his own merchandising line, and currently has over 200,000 followers on TikTok, with a growing presence on Instagram and YouTube. GW is an inspiration for KIND Families, proving that neurological differences should be celebrated. I am certain GW’s courage and creativity will make the world a better place for anyone with a neurological difference.

Visit GW on his website, www.autismchoseme.com, or on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube by searching @autismchoseme. Check out his merchandise here:  https://etsy.com/shop/autismchoseme

Did you hear I have a new book??   Finding KIND: Discovering Hope and Purpose While Loving Kids with Invisible Neurological Differences is available for preorder! Visit www.findingkind.myshopify.com to get your copy today!  

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Visit www.kariabaker.com and www.kindfamilies.com for more content!

Subscribe HERE!

We have a special bonus summer episode for you today!

Jon Totten is the founder of Dogsmile Adventures, a non-profit in Northern Idaho that provides therapeutic sailing opportunities for everyone, including special needs individuals and veterans. To date Dogsmile has provided nearly 1,700 therapeutic sailing experiences. You can support Dogsmile by donating or purchasing a sailing excursion on their website, www.dogsmileadventures.org.

After graduating from the University of Idaho, Jon became a professional outdoor educator with North Idaho College, where he spent 12 years leading countless adventures and falling deeply in love with sailing.  After leaving the college, Jon earned his US Coast Guard Captain’s license and worked as a professional sailor, piloting boats in the San Juan Islands and throughout the Caribbean Sea. He returned to the States with a desire to provide sailing opportunities for those who could not otherwise experience the joy of sailing, and with a heart to share the healing nature of the water and wind.

In 2023, Jon and the Dogsmile team participated in the Race to Alaska, (R2AK) a 750 mile cold water sailing race. Their epic journey was profiled in the documentary "Success: A Race to Alaska Story". Click HERE to watch this inspiring story unfold.

You can also find Dogsmile on Facebook and Instagram @dogsmileadventures, or on LinkedIn at Dogsmile Adventures.

Did you hear I have a new book??   Finding KIND: Discovering Hope and Purpose While Loving Kids with Invisible Neurological Differences is available for preorder! Visit www.findingkind.myshopify.com to get your copy today!  

Connect with Kari on Instagram

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Visit www.kariabaker.com and www.kindfamilies.com for more content!

Subscribe HERE!

Today’s conversation will be a lifeline to any parent who has felt loneliness and isolation in parenting a child with any kind of differences, disabilities, mental or physical challenges. 

Jessica Patay’s second son, Ryan, was born and diagnosed with a rare, genetic disorder, called Prader-Willi syndrome in 2003. Many years later, her journey inspired her to found We Are Brave Together, a nonprofit organization that provides respite, community, and resources for mothers who are experiencing what she refers to as “altered motherhood”.  We Are Brave Together provides several caregiver retreats each year and supports in person Connection Circles across the country. To learn more or find a group near you, visit WABT HERE.

Jessica and 21 other caregiver moms recently released a beautiful anthology of personal stories titled Becoming Brave Together. It is a must read! Get your copy HERE. Jessica is also the host of the Brave Together Podcast with Jessica Patay, which is broadcast on Apple, Spotify, iTunes, Amazon and Stitcher.

Did you hear I have a new book??   Finding KIND: Discovering Hope and Purpose While Loving Kids with Invisible Neurological Differences is available for preorder! Visit www.findingkind.myshopify.com to get your copy today!  

Connect with Kari on Instagram

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@kariabaker

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@kariabaker

Visit www.kariabaker.com and www.kindfamilies.com for more content!

Subscribe HERE!

Does your child suffer from “Pig Pen Syndrome?” Are you tired of repeating the same instructions over and over with no action? Have you replaced 14 lost water bottles so far this year?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, it is possible your child struggles with Executive Function.  Executive Function deficiencies are common in the KIND community regardless of the diagnosis, and the impact is broad and significant across every aspect of life.

Debbie Tipton has a master’s degree in special education and spent the last 25 years helping kids of all ages with Executive Function at home and in school.  Currently she is an Academic Interventionalist for the Missoula County Public Schools.

As a KIND mom herself, she recognizes that kids with Executive Function problems need understanding but also strategies to overcome the very real hurdles that can impede success.  This conversation will provide clues to uncovering Executive Function challenges, as well as practical strategies to address the potential pitfalls that threaten to derail our kids from the time they wake up until they go to sleep each night.

Check out one of Debbie’s favorite resources for EF tools from Sarah Ward’s 360 Thinking Program, which can be accessed at www.efpractice.com. 

Did you hear I have a new book??   Finding KIND: Discovering Hope and Purpose While Loving Kids with Invisible Neurological Differences is available for preorder! Visit www.findingkind.myshopify.com to get your copy today!  Release is scheduled for summer, 2024.

Connect with Kari on Instagram

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Visit www.kariabaker.com and www.kindfamilies.com for more content!

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Does your child’s writing leave you wishing you had a translator?  Today the KIND Families Podcast welcomes Megan Eldridge, Founder of Scribble 2 Script in Scottsdale, Arizona.  Megan has been an Occupational Therapist in various settings for over 20 years, and founded Scribble 2 Script in 2003.  Her practice provides more than just handwriting help.  Therapists treat both the root cause and the external symptoms of neurological conditions that impair a child’s gross and fine motor function. 

Megan and Kari talk about the signs that should spur parents to seek an evaluation, the tandem treatment of internal and external factors that impact a child’s performance, and much more! Visit www.scribble2script.com to learn more, or click here for a link to schedule an exploratory call.

Did you hear I have a new book?? Finding KIND: Discovering Hope and Purpose While Loving Kids with Invisible Neurological Differences is available for preorder! Visit www.findingkind.myshopify.com to get your copy today!  

Connect with Kari on Instagram

@kariabaker

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@kariabaker

Connect with Kari on LinkedIn

@kariabaker

Visit www.kariabaker.com and www.kindfamilies.com for more content!

Subscribe HERE!

Amanda Gioia has been an executive with Mastercard for over 23 years, and she has been a KIND mom for almost as long.  Amanda’s son was diagnosed with autism at age two, and while she navigated evaluations, therapies, and IEP meetings, she found support and encouragement from her community at work. 

Her personal and professional lives intersected when her supervisor at Mastercard encouraged her to join another colleague to start the ADAPTability Business Resource Group.  Just eight years after its launch, ADAPT serves over 1,000 Mastercard employees who are neurodiverse, physically disabled, or who are caregivers or allies of those who identify as differently-abled. 

Mastercard utilizes creative hiring and managing processes to produce outcomes that are beneficial for neurodiverse employees and the organization.  You won’t want to miss my conversation with Amanda and her powerful tips on parenting and managing with KIND-ness.

Did you hear I have a new book??   Finding KIND: Discovering Hope and Purpose While Loving Kids with Invisible Neurological Differences is available for preorder! Visit www.findingkind.myshopify.com to get your copy today!  Release is scheduled for summer, 2024.

Connect with Kari on Instagram

@kariabaker

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@kariabaker

Connect with Kari on LinkedIn

@kariabaker

Visit www.kariabaker.com and www.kindfamilies.com for more content!

Subscribe HERE!

Kim Botto is a force for good in the KIND world!  Kim’s passion is creating safe, welcoming and fun environments for all kids, especially those who have experienced trauma or who are neurodiverse.  Kim was a children’s and student pastor for decades, and now is a national speaker, author, and trainer for churches and other organizations who want to build inclusive experiences for families. 

Kim is also part of a KIND family!  She has five kids, two who were adopted as adolescents, and ten grandkids, one of whom is a young boy with autism. 

If you know or love a Kid with Invisible Neurological Differences, or any other child dealing with trauma or a disability, you will want to follow Kim on Instagram for daily inspiration, @kimbotto!  Or, you can check out her website at www.kimbotto.com.

Did you hear I have a new book??   Finding KIND: Discovering Hope and Purpose While Loving Kids with Invisible Neurological Differences is available for preorder! Visit www.findingkind.myshopify.com to get your copy today!