Episoder
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Today’s topic of adoption is a sensitive subject for many people. We are covering adoption from a different perspective as we talk to Stacy, an adult adoptee who belongs to a community of adult adoptees who are vehemently opposed to private infant adoption. Join us to learn more!
Show Highlights:
Meet Stacy and learn her story
An overview of differing views of adoption through the years (Are new laws needed?)
Examples of laws that are drawing negative feedback from adult adoptees
The expense of private infant adoption and the ethical dilemma of a more systemic problem
The ratio of parents looking to adopt and available infants
A closer look at adoption theology and open adoption
The US system that contributes to the number of desperate pregnant women and creates the perfect storm for exploitation, pressure, and propaganda
What adopted kids need to know
The adoption industry needs a different approach.
The nuances of adoption out of foster care
For many people, adoption into a “nice” family was/is a fantasy.
Stacy’s viewpoint on what to say–and what NOT to say–to adult adoptees
Stacy’s message to adult adoptees
Resources and Links:
Connect with Stacy: TikTok
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
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Today’s episode is a follow-up to Episode 65, The Dark Underside of Family Vlogging, Part 1, which aired almost a year ago. My guest from that episode, Cam, returns to discuss her reaction to a recent big development in the world of family vlogging. Cam grew up as the child of one of the first well-known “Mommy bloggers,” and is an international advocate for the children of influencers and family vloggers. She shares her perspective on the new California law. Join us!
Show Highlights:
Understanding the basics of the Child Content Creator Act in California to protect kids’ rights (similar laws are being passed in Illinois and Minnesota)
Legal ramifications for parents who don’t follow “the 30% rule”
Children on reality TV shows do NOT fall under the new law.
Understanding the Coogan Law
Cam’s perspective on the protections of the law for children—and what she wishes the law included
“The right to forget”: what it means and why it’s not included in the law
Cam’s thoughts about a recent scary cancer diagnosis in light of her past history with vulnerability at the hands of her mom’s vlog
Growing up with NO boundaries or privacy
Laws in CA, IL, and MN to protect kids from being exploited
Resources and Links:
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
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Today’s episode covers the topics of bullying, meanness, and conflict. My guest is uniquely qualified to share her wisdom and expertise, which she did in a TEDx talk. Bullying or meanness: what’s the difference, and how do we recognize the two? Join us to learn more!
Show Highlights:
● Dr. Eileen’s background as a clinical psychologist and author
● The specific criteria in the definition of bullying
● Empowering our kids to withstand meanness without taking a victim stance: “Conflict is inevitable.”
● Bullying has become “a thought-stopping cliche.”
● Meanness and bullying in the online world
● Vulnerability in being a content creator and dealing with feedback
● A better approach with kids: “Whose opinion matters to you?”
● The truth about self-esteem and a “quiet ego”
● Connecting with something greater than ourselves
● Helping kids learn self-compassion rather than self-esteem (Dr. Eileen teaches a “reflect, but downshift” technique in her book, Kid Confidence.)
● Dr. Eileen’s formula for teaching reflection to kids
● “Whose feelings are most important?”
● Validating and normalizing kids’ feelings (by following their lead) by offering empathy and confidence
● Being your kids “biased biographer”
● Learning to “stay in the water” instead of standing on the edge of the pool ● “Testing the water” to pull back on accommodations
Resources and Links:
Connect with Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore: Website (Find books for parents and kids!) and Kids Ask Dr. Friendtastic podcast,
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website:
www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
I have an honest confession to make. I am a terrible budgeter, but I’m a world-class financial goldfish. In this episode, I’ll explain my “financial goldfish” status and budgeting for our neurodiverse brains. I’m joined by Jill Sirianni, host of the Frugal Friends Podcast. If you’re like me, and budgeting just doesn’t work for you, you’ll learn a lot from our conversation. Join us!
Show Highlights:
Characteristics of a financial goldfish
Budgets–the diet of the financial landscape (and they don’t work any more than diets do for most people)
Top reasons we fall victim to impulse buying
The myth of “Wants vs. Needs”
The downfalls of typical antiquated budgeting
Creativity in meeting needs without spending
Jill’s 90-day transaction inventory
Helpful online tools
A moral problem vs. a systemic problem
KC’s helpful hack to be more thoughtful before spending impulsively (like late-night DoorDash)
Jill’s tips for creating a pause before spending: keep a list and buy second-hand
Understanding the marketing behind sales
Making choices about your behavior today that may not align with spending habits held up as the “standard”
Understanding values-based spending
In finances, one size does NOT fit all.
Resources and Links:
Connect with Jill Sirianni and Frugal Friends: Frugal Friends Podcast and Buy What You Love Without Going Broke book by Jen Smith and Jill Sirianni (pre-order now!)
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
This episode is about liberation, revolution, and social justice. We are tackling these topics from a practical perspective with my guest, Nat. Join us!
Nat Vikitsreth is a licensed clinical social worker who works with families who want to practice social justice in their daily lives but are torn between acting in their communities and at home. She helps them bridge the gap despite being tired, overwhelmed, and stretched too thin. Holding space for their beautiful intentions and walking with them on this journey are Nat’s passions.
Show Highlights:
Nat’s background as a transgender woman from Thailand who has become a clinician and a social justice organizer
Trying to honor our values about liberation at home and in the community
Being your own ally first with agility and awareness of your available bandwidth
Learning to hold space for accountability
The root causes of our suffering: white supremacy, colonialism, capitalism, and patriarchy
Leading with compassion in action instead of punishment
What it means to be truly humble
Nat’s advice for parents
Finding the sweet spot between discomfort and boundaries
Being realistic in your family about what causes you can support and take action on with your limited capacity
Nat’s words of advice about actions beyond the “sexy actions” to take
Resources and Links:
Connect with Nat Vikitsreth: Website and Come Back to Care Podcast
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
What do you do when a loved one won’t seek the mental health treatment that they obviously need? We are looking at the very important topic of mental health from the perspective of your concern for a loved one who might be resistant to asking for help, and what you can do about it. I’m joined by Dr. Alec Pollard, a co-author of When A Loved One Won't Seek Mental Health Treatment: How to Promote Recovery and Reclaim Your Family’s Well-Being. With a long career as a clinical psychologist, he is the founding director of the St. Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute. Join us to learn more!
Show Highlights:
Dr. Pollard’s background and four decades of experience as a psychologist
Turning his focus to help those who are concerned about their loved one’s mental health
Dr. Pollard explains The Family Well-Being Approach/Consultation
Two types of accommodations that loved ones make: commission and omission
Differentiation between appropriate and inappropriate accommodations for a loved one
Recovery avoidance: a pattern of behavior that is inconsistent with the process of recovery
Creating opportunities for a loved one to get better through support, incentives, and positive rewards
Dr. Pollard’s book and its approach of finding a balance between long-term planning and crisis management
Dr. Pollard’s takeaway about his book as his proudest achievement in his career
Resources and Links:
Connect with Dr. Alec Pollard: St. Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute and When A Loved One Won't Seek Mental Health Treatment
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
If you joined us for last week’s episode, you know that we promised Part 2 of my conversation with Franchesca Ramsey. She brings an expert perspective on the various aspects of content creation, like authenticity, compassion, handling negative comments, the value of listening, and more. Franchesca Ramsey is an actor, writer, public speaker, and longtime content creator. She wrote and performed in the web series MTV Decoded, where she tackled race, pop culture, and other uncomfortable topics. Other notable accomplishments include writing for The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore and a nomination for an NAACP award for one of the best books of 2018: Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist. Franchesca shares her expertise and insights about guarding your mental health as a content creator. Join us to learn more!
Show Highlights:
The skills we lack in being human, trusting each other, and genuinely calling someone IN
The public vs. private sphere of an online presence
Listening, forgiving, and doing the right thing
Hard-earned perspectives on hot takes and being silent
What’s your WHY for content creation?
Handling critical and negative comments on social media
Being authentic in content creation means sometimes logging off.
KC’s thoughts on her WHY as a content creator
Resources and Links:
Connect with Franchesca Ramsey: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and book
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Today’s episode is a conversation I’ve been wanting to have for awhile, and I’ve found the perfect person for this topic. Franchesca Ramsey is an actor, writer, public speaker, and longtime content creator. She wrote and performed in the web series MTV Decoded, where she tackled race, pop culture, and other uncomfortable topics. Other notable accomplishments include writing for The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore and a nomination for an NAACP award for one of the best books of 2018: Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist. Franchesca shares her expertise and insights on longevity and mental health as a content creator. Join us to learn more!
Show Highlights:
Burnout is real in the content creation world.
Lessons learned about life and authenticity as a content creator, influencer, and vlogger
Are you putting your time and energy in the wrong place?
You have to censor yourself EVERY day!
Impulsive reactions on social media can have severe consequences. Give yourself space to step back.
Prioritizing joy in your content and not reacting with anger
The nature of social media
Strengthening internal boundaries by getting comfortable with being misunderstood
Thoughts on cancel culture and negative backlash
Our conversation is so good that we don’t want it to end. We will continue with Part 2 with Franchesca in next week’s episode!
Resources and Links:
Connect with Franchesca Ramsey: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and book
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Join us for today’s interesting conversation about ethics, boundaries, suffering, bullying, and being online/offline. There are many facets to these topics as they intertwine with morality, and we are diving into a discussion with Ellie Rushton,
Show Highlights:
Ellie’s background, work, and TikTok content about “cultivating bold spaces”
Ellie’s definition of bullying: “doing something harmful several times on purpose for the sake of someone’s suffering”
Thoughts on bullying and why people do it
Holding someone accountable vs. bullying—what’s the difference?
Ellie’s perspective on online comments to others’ content
Thoughts on the roots of inequality, oppression, and suffering—and the problem with categorizing “good” and “bad” people
People are afraid of embodying compassion.
What is effective in online spaces
Thoughts about boundaries, revenge, and retribution
Standing up for what you believe while holding yourself accountable
Resources and Links:
Connect with Ellie: TikTok
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
🌟 Taking a Break! 🌟
Hey everyone! I am taking a short break for August to recharge and prepare exciting new content for you. I’ll be back in September with fresh episodes and engaging conversations. Thanks for your support and patience. Stay tuned for what’s coming next!
Today, we are covering an important topic today, but maybe not in the way you expect. I’m joined by Rachel Mulholland (aka Shug CM), a therapist whom I met on TikTok because of her incredible content around sex education for children. Today’s focus is on how our lives as adults are impacted if we don’t get comprehensive sex education as children. Join us for the conversation!
Show Highlights:
How KC’s story from her teenage years illustrates the gaps that most people have in their education about sex and the fact that sex ed is NOT a one-time conversation
How “purity culture” is impacting teenagers in certain places in the US in damaging ways
How even most comprehensive sex ed doesn’t address the pleasurable side of sex–and (for females) that the pleasure doesn’t have to come from another person
How sexual predators take advantage of the lack of information in sex ed from SAFE places
Why parents have real fear about talking to their kids about sex ed
The effects of NOT educating kids that sex and pleasure don’t always go together
Rachel’s Four Pillars of Safe Sex: confirmation, communication, lubrication, and enthusiastic participation
Why parents should be aware when their kids are ready to hear and learn–and begin at the most basic level appropriate for their age
How to answer those first little-kid questions around, “Where do babies come from?”
Why curiosity is a foundational part of body talk for kids–not just around sexuality
How parents can work through their own feelings around sex ed with their children
Why Rachel’s next project is a book about body talk
Resources:
Connect with Rachel: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Website (coming soon!)
Recommended by Rachel: How Do You Make A Baby by Anna Fiske
Connect with KC: TikTok, Instagram, and Website
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
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🌟 Taking a Break! 🌟
Hey everyone! I am taking a short break for August to recharge and prepare exciting new content for you. I’ll be back in September with fresh episodes and engaging conversations. Thanks for your support and patience. Stay tuned for what’s coming next!
I’m excited to have Danita Platt on the show today. I didn’t know anyone of color in the field of care tasks until I met her. Her content resonates with me and my views around care tasks, so I hope you’ll enjoy hearing more from Danita!
Show Highlights:
Who Danita is and how she became an expert on gentle care tasks
How our society over the last two generations has moralized care tasks and tied them to the worth of a woman
Why we need to rethink our views about care tasks and “being a good woman” that go back to the founding of the US, historically speaking
How the concept of “invisible labor” has carried over from colonial days even to today
How many white people were able to live the lives they did because of the cheap, exploitable labor of Black women
How the Great Migration happened to move many Black families to northern cities from the South
How the shift happened to push Black (and white) women to work industrial jobs while men were away during the war
How the push is recurring for 1950s homemaking to be viewed as the superior role for women
What we DON’T talk about in the fulfilling life of a homemaker
How Danita chooses to honor the Black women who had to wash clothes, clean house, and cook meals under duress–with no freedom or choice of their own
What Danita would say to women who want to live more joyfully in their homes and experience more freedom and quality of life
Resources:
Connect with Danita: TikTok and Instagram
Mentioned in this episode: Sisters in Hate: American Women on the Front Lines of White Nationalism
Connect with KC: TikTok, Instagram, and Website
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
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🌟 Taking a Break! 🌟
Hey everyone! I am taking a short break for August to recharge and prepare exciting new content for you. I’ll be back in September with fresh episodes and engaging conversations. Thanks for your support and patience. Stay tuned for what’s coming next!
I’m back with one of my favorite guests who is always up for the challenge of a podcast–no matter what the topic is! I want to explore the term rejection sensitivity dysphoria and get Dr. Lesley Cook’s take on it because I have so many questions. Let’s learn more together!
Dr. Lesley Cook is a psychologist who works with those with ADHD and other kinds of neurodivergence. Born and raised in Hawaii, she now lives in Virginia and works with children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families.
Show Highlights:
● What RSD (rejection sensitivity dysphoria) is and how it is manifested
● KC’s personal experience with RSD and feelings of worthlessness
● How RSD is different from sensory sensitivity and autism
● Thoughts about the strong word dysphoria in RSD
● KC’s personal experience with RSD and being told she is “too sensitive”
● How we can grow, change, and find regulatory strategies for RSD
● Why it is difficult to communicate the facets and nuances of RSD and other interpersonal difficulties
Resources and Links:
Connect with Dr. Lesley Cook: TikTok
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
🌟 Taking a Break! 🌟
Hey everyone! I am taking a short break for August to recharge and prepare exciting new content for you. I’ll be back in September with fresh episodes and engaging conversations. Thanks for your support and patience. Stay tuned for what’s coming next!
I’m excited about today’s guest because she has had a huge influence on me. I can confidently say that finding her research on self-compassion was a turning point in my healing journey. Do you need more self-compassion? Join us to learn more!
Dr. Kristin Neff is a renowned psychologist, self-care researcher, and author. Her work has had a profound impact on the field of psychology and has helped countless people cultivate self-acceptance and resilience.
Show Highlights:
How self-compassion became Dr. Kristin’s main area of research
Understanding self-esteem vs. self-compassion
The three components of self-compassion: mindfulness, common humanity, and self-kindness
How self-esteem creates comparison and social disconnection by being conditional and unstable
How self-compassion gives the gift of authenticity
The difference between fierce self-compassion and tender self-compassion
How self-compassion helps us get past our shame
Why self-compassion doesn’t mean indulgence
Pathways and blocks to self-compassion
The connection between self-compassion and psychological functioning
How self-compassion helps when we fail and make mistakes
Why the goal of practicing self-compassion is to be simply a compassionate mess who is completely human
Why the practice of self-compassion has to start small with baby steps of warmth and support (What would you say to a friend?)
A look at Dr. Kristin’s latest book, Fierce Self-Compassion
How anger fits into self-compassion
Resources and Links:
Connect with Dr. Kristin and find many helpful resources: Website
Connect with KC: TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Our deep dive into ABA and autism continues in this episode. Today’s guest recently finished her Ph.D. in Education, focusing on disability studies and related research in the world of DEI. Dr. Robin Roscigno helps educate parents about neurodiversity to create a more inclusive world for neurodiverse individuals. She posts frequently on social media platforms about autism and autism therapies. Her studies and life experiences give her both a professional and personal relationship to this topic because of her brother’s childhood diagnosis of autism. Robin was also diagnosed with autism along with her young daughter and began navigating the therapy world as a parent who struggled to find therapies that are affirming. After leaving teaching to pursue her Ph.D., she now focuses on autism intervention and challenging the dominant paradigms.
Show Highlights:
Understanding what ABA therapy is and why there is such controversy around this topic
The dilemma for parents in the “explosive landscape” of ABA
Understanding behaviorism as a therapeutic approach
The old-school ABA therapy and its focus on eye contact
How current autism therapies are designed to make people appear “less autistic” and “fit in more” in the world
The need for wisdom and a harm-reduction approach in therapies
Choosing a school program for your child based on goals and techniques and not a binary (ABA:good or ABA: bad) approach
The foundation of neurotypical norms (like eye contact) in connection, relationships, and social referencing—-which we ALL need
Teaching social referencing in affirming ways that help develop skills
Looking for red/green flags in assessing specific goals and techniques from an advocacy perspective
Unrealistic expectations of autistic kids and their parents
Resources and Links:
Connect with Dr. Robin Roscigno: Website, TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TEDx Talk: “Your Autistic Child Can Have a Great Life. Here’s How”
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
For several recent episodes, I’ve been interviewing people with autism about their perspectives and experiences. We are discussing the DSM criteria, stereotypes about autism, and how autism affects the lives of both children and adults. An autism diagnosis can have many different nuances, and there is so much more to autism than the DSM criteria. Today’s guest, Kerry Magro, shares his experience in this episode. Join us to learn more!
Show Highlights:
Kerry’s growing up years with mostly communication and sensory-based challenges, love and support from his family, and his success as a professional certified speaker
Kerry’s various college and graduate degrees
Stereotypes about autism
Understanding autism as a true spectrum with a wide range of complexities and strengths
Kerry’s challenges with eye contact and other social norms
Understanding “autism burnout,” masking, representation, and “honoring” the disability
Kerry’s perspective on autism and relationships
“Repetitive and restricted behaviors” in adulthood
Kerry’s experience as an adult, dealing with sensory sensitivities and learning to speak up for accommodations
Kerry’s experience with autism and physical touch
Advice for parents
Resources and Links:
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
If you heard our episode from a couple of weeks ago, you know we discussed Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Today, we are looking at the controversy surrounding ABA, why many people are in favor of it, and why many people oppose it. My guest, Taylor, is a BCBA, a board-certified behavior analyst, so let’s discuss this topic and learn more from her.
Show Highlights:
An explanation of ABA and the role of a BCBA
The language of ABA: desired behaviors, undesired behaviors, behavior contrast, punishment, replacement behaviors, injurious behaviors, tantrum behaviors, etc.
Taylor’s story about going to an ABA conference
The historical harm that ABA has done to autistic children
The dehumanizing aspects of ABA
Is the goal of ABA to make an autistic child seem less autistic?
Therapies covered by health insurance for an autistic child: speech, occupational, and ABA
The side of ABa that no one talks about
ABA: helpful, traumatizing, or distressing?
Taylor’s path to becoming a BCBA
An autism diagnosis does NOT mean that you need ABA.
A look at a typical ABA session (even though each session is highly individualized to the needs of each person)
Taylor’s top three things that can be done to better serve autistic people
Resources and Links:
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
As we continue with our series on autism, I’m joined by Kathleen Walker for today’s bonus episode. We discuss the basic criteria for autism, her experience as a child with an early diagnosis, what it’s like for an autistic person to “play by the rules” of business etiquette in the workplace, and her advice for parents of autistic children. Join us to learn more from Kathleen!
Show Highlights:
The first criteria for autism: “persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction”
Kathleen’s perspective on her social communication and interactions as an early-diagnosed child
Examples of how an autistic person might “miss things” in interaction and communication
Challenges for the autistic person in a professional career vs. in personal relationships
Masking and modified behaviors to be accepted
Kathleen’s suggestion for rewriting the DSM criteria based on communication/interaction
Helping autistic kids feel comfortable and navigate the world in their own ways
Kathleen’s experience with social difficulties around conversations, nonverbal cues, and anxiety
For an autistic person, connection in relationships might not be a top priority in life.
Kathleen’s experience with “repetitive and restrictive interests, rituals, and schedules
Kathleen’s advice for parents of autistic children
Resources and Links:
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
In this episode Psychologist Lesley PsyD discusses Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, particularly in the context of autism, during Autism Awareness Month. This conversation aims to provide a neutral and factual overview of ABA, exploring its principles, applications, and the diverse perspectives surrounding it. Lesley explains ABA's focus on understanding and modifying behavior through reinforcement and environmental adjustments. They address the benefits and risks of ABA, emphasizing the importance of individualized approaches and naturalistic learning.
Show Highlights:
Overview of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy and its relevance to autism.
Clarification of ABA terminology and its practical applications.
Discussion of the emotional and controversial nature of ABA therapy.
Examination of the challenges parents face in accessing appropriate therapies for children with autism.
Importance of understanding behavior in context, including antecedents and consequences.
Exploration of the benefits and risks associated with ABA practices.
Critique of the focus on compliance and neurotypical standards in ABA.
The role of reinforcement in behavior modification and its implications for intrinsic motivation.
Discussion of the need for individualized approaches to therapy that respect children's unique experiences.
Advocacy for a compassionate and nuanced understanding of autism and behavior analysis.
Resources and Links:
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
In today’s episode, you’ll hear from three guests about their autism experience and their perspectives on common stereotypes about autism around communication, relationships, and more. This is a bonus follow-up to our most recent episode about autism with Kaelynn Partlow. Join us as we explore autism further with Syd, Atlas, and Sapphire. I’m happy to have them here to share their insights.
Show Highlights:
Meet Syd, a 22-year-old post-grad student who is self-diagnosed as autistic and ADHD:
Thoughts on relationships, unmasking, and “quality over quantity”
Being yourself in a world that isn’t always welcoming to your kind
Cultivating a special (and rare!) interest in learning and education
Meet Atlas, who was self-diagnosed at age 16:
Identifying with autistic characters on a favorite TV show
What it’s like to pick up on other people’s perceptions of your weirdness
Autistic traits that Atlas recognized from childhood about obsessive routines
Meet Sapphire, who was identified as autistic in 5th grade but not diagnosed until age 19:
Nuances around communication, conversations, and awkward silences
The common misunderstandings about what a relationship with an autistic person can be like
Using an “Excel spreadsheet in my brain” to catalog each person
Relationships and the need for “alone time” to decompress
Sapphire’s advice to parents who are hesitant to have their child tested/diagnosed
Resources and Links:
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
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Happy Autism Awareness Month! Yes–I know that was in April, but I have ADHD and am easily distracted. I’ve procrastinated for more than a year on doing some really great episodes about autism because I want to do justice to this topic. I’m starting with an amazing TikTokker, Kaelynn Partlow. I’ve followed her for quite a while, but you might know Kaelynn from Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum. Kaelynn shares about autism from her personal experience and her professional work with autistic kids. She was diagnosed at age 10 with autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD. Her background provides a unique perspective on advocacy that is worth our attention. Join us!
Show Highlights:
Specific criteria (from the DSM) for autism—and Kaelynn’s experience with each one
Persistent deficits in social communication and interaction
Restrictive or repeated behavior
Kaelynn’s experience in making and maintaining friendships while growing up and now
Masking: What it is and what it feels like
The nuances of eye contact: not enough or too much?
All autistic behaviors ARE human behaviors.
Stimming from an autistic perspective and a non-autistic perspective
Kaelynn’s special interests, routines, and self-imposed “rules”
Kaelynn’s experience with sensory issues: noises, fabrics, etc.
Kaelynn’s perspective on physical touch (Most autistic people don’t like physical touch.)
Kaelynn’s diagnosis at age 10 (after the assumption that she was genius-level intelligent.)
Autism is NOT an invisible disability!
Kaelynn’s reflection on her childhood and helpful therapies and treatments
Kaelynn’s thoughts on common ADA controversies
Kaelynn’s advice to those who might fear being “labeled” if they pursue testing for themselves or their child
What Kaelynn sees as the biggest misunderstanding about autism today
Resources and Links:
Connect with Kaelynn Partlow: TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook
**Look for Kaelynn’s book, Life on the Bridge, to be released this summer!
Connect with KC: Website, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook
Get KC’s book, How to Keep House While Drowning
We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: www.strugglecare.com/promo-codes.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices - Vis mere
