Thriving in the Midst of Chaos: Parenting With Special Needs Kids – Details, episodes &amp; analysis

Please subscribe to our podcast in the iTunes store, or wherever you find your podcasts, Leave us a 5-star review, to help us know what you like and what you don't like, and to make sure other like-minded people find support through this podcast.

Show Music:

Intro Outro: Intro Outro 2 by Mattias Lahoud under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Theme Song: 90s rock style by monkeyman535 under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Self Care Song: Green and Orange No Water by Duncan Alex under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Hosted by: Jessica Temple

Disclaimer: Our show is not designed to provide listeners with specific or personal legal, medical, or professional services or advice. Parents of children with health issues should always consult their health care provider for medical advice, medication, or treatment.

Read moreCollapse

Demystifying the IEP With Guest Beth Liesenfeld

Season 1 · Episode 123

Thursday, January 6, 2022 • Duration 54:45

Episode 123: Demystifying the IEP With Guest Beth Liesenfeld

In this episode, we discuss OT in the schools and understanding all the parts of the IEP, to make everything work for each child.

Links:

Website

Show Music:

Intro Outro: Intro Outro 2 by Mattias Lahoud under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Theme Song: 90s rock style by monkeyman535 under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Self Care Song: Green and Orange No Water by Duncan Alex under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Partnering With Care Professionals With Guest Craig Parks

Season 1 · Episode 122

Thursday, December 30, 2021 • Duration 47:34

Episode 122: Partnering With Care Professionals With Guest Craig Parks

In this episode, guest Craig Parks discusses the best ways to partner with care professionals.

Links:

Website

Show Music:

Intro Outro: Intro Outro 2 by Mattias Lahoud under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Divorce and Special Needs Parenting

Season 1 · Episode 121

Thursday, December 23, 2021 • Duration 17:42

Episode 121: Divorce and Special Needs Parenting

In this episode, Jessica speaks candidly about going through and coping with divorce during the pandemic, while raising children with special needs.

Show Music:

Intro Outro: Intro Outro 2 by Mattias Lahoud under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Theme Song: 90s rock style by monkeyman535 under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Self Care Song: Green and Orange No Water by Duncan Alex under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Hosted by: Jessica Temple and Lewis Temple

Betsy Stover's Experience With Medical Trauma

Season 1 · Episode 120

Thursday, December 16, 2021 • Duration 01:07:29

Episode 120: Betsy Stover's Experience With Medical Trauma

In this episode, Betsy Stover, the lovely podcast host of Why Mommy Drinks, discusses her experience with helping her child cope with medical trauma. Her youngest son, Odie, went through two open heart surgeries, one at 2 and one at 5. He coped really well at age 2. However, the doctors didn't listen to him or show him respect after this second surgery and did not explain any medical procedures to him or provide any form of pain management. Betsy discusses how she, her husband, and her son coped with living through and observing medical trauma in the day and age of COVID-19.

Links:

I Hate Potty Training

Season 1 · Episode 119

Thursday, December 9, 2021 • Duration 12:31

Episode 119: I Hate Potty Training

In this episode, Jessica discusses the trials and tribulations of potty training children. Spoiler alert: She hates it!

Show Music:

Intro Outro: Intro Outro 2 by Mattias Lahoud under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Theme Song: 90s rock style by monkeyman535 under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Self Care Song: Green and Orange No Water by Duncan Alex under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Hosted by: Jessica Temple and Lewis Temple

All Out of Money

Season 1 · Episode 118

Thursday, December 2, 2021 • Duration 27:29

Episode 118: All Out of Money

In this episode, Jessica discusses the financial toll being chronically ill and raising children with special needs can take, as well as ways to find funding for needed expenses.

Show Music:

Intro Outro: Intro Outro 2 by Mattias Lahoud under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Theme Song: 90s rock style by monkeyman535 under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Self Care Song: Green and Orange No Water by Duncan Alex under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Hosted by: Jessica Temple and Lewis Temple

Thriving Through The Holidays

Season 1 · Episode 117

Thursday, November 25, 2021 • Duration 01:11:11

Episode 117: Thriving Through The Holidays

In this episode, Dr. Koonce discusses the best ways to thrive through the holidays with children who have special needs. She also discusses helpful at-home ABA strategies. It is important to prepare for the holidays with your special needs kids for many reasons, including loss of routine, change in structure, trying to set a new routine for a short time, having other people living in or visiting in our space, more planning for things that are new, eating schedules, bathing schedules, navigating face masks, and fatigue. She recommends that you as a parent see what emotional resources you have available before trying a lot of new things during the holidays. Keep your children in contact with some daily routines during the holiday season. Figure out where your strengths are, and play up those. Think about what is actually doable for you and your family during the holiday break. Use a tag-team approach. Preplan all troubleshooting, when possible. Try to set up a village or community with other parents, in order to have a partnership or extra assistance. For family who cannot make it in person to celebrate the holidays, find creative ways to "include" them. Schedule things based on activities rather than time. Make sure to keep your needs in mind and offer yourself self-care. Don't try to make things perfect. Instead, focus on the things that mean the most to you. Involve your children in the activities as much as possible, in ways they can participate. Share experiences with them. Plan fun activities to look forward to in the future.

The best at-home ABA strategy is to create antecedent interventions. Figure out what you and your child need in the moment. Model behaviors that you want them to do. It is ok for us to make mistakes. Think about what is actually doable. Ask providers what you can do in the meantime while you are on the waiting list. Do other therapies in the meantime. Consider a one-time consult to help in the interim. ABA can also provide recommendations to your school providers for ways that the school could help support or help that child. Sometimes, you can start in clinic ABA prior to starting at-home ABA.

Dr. Koonce recommends several ways to find trainings for parents in ABA. Reach out to local universities, as practicum students may be able to offer trainings for credit. There are lots of online ABA trainings as well. There can be live online collaborations or courses. You can go through the registered behavior technician trainings.

The Impossibility of Finding Therapies

Season 1 · Episode 116

Thursday, November 18, 2021 • Duration 20:25

Episode 116: The Impossibility of Finding Therapies

In this episode, Jessica discusses how hard it can be to slog through therapies, therapists, insurance, funded programs, and the like to try, and fail, to find the proper therapies for your kids.

Show Music:

Intro Outro: Intro Outro 2 by Mattias Lahoud under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Theme Song: 90s rock style by monkeyman535 under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Self Care Song: Green and Orange No Water by Duncan Alex under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org)

Hosted by: Jessica Temple and Lewis Temple

Navigating Insurance - Again!

Episode 115

Thursday, November 11, 2021 • Duration 19:04

Episode 115: Navigating Insurance - Again!

In this episode, Jessica discusses the trials and tribulations of finding therapies that will take your insurance, as well as finding funding to finance different therapies.