Episodes
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In this episode of The Complicated Kids Podcast, I sit down with Caroline Turner, a social worker passionate about supporting children with autism, to talk about Quirky Buds.
Turner's project, Quirky Buds, is a platform that she created to help neurodiverse individuals find friends based on shared interests. Turner explains the inspiration behind Quirky Buds and the need for creating community connections tailored for individuals who often have unique and specific interests (think: elevators or Minecraft).
Find out more about Caroline by visiting www.quirkybuds.com.
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Are you confused about why your kiddo was doing fine at the beginning of the year, but now seems to be melting down more often? In this solo episode, I'll break down why that might be happening and give you some practical strategies for what to do to help your complicated kid through this challenge.
To find out more about Christi, visit her website at www.palisadespeds.com.
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Missing episodes?
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Sarice Holley stopped by to chat about how to get kids to make healthier food choices. Hint: it involves adults providing fruits and veggies instead of snack bags and treats. And, it also involves allowing children to be the boss of their own meals through simple strategies.
To learn more about Sarice, visit her website at www.sariceholley.com.
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Are you confused about why your kiddo was doing fine at the beginning of the year, but now seems to be melting down more often? In this solo episode, I'll break down why that might be happening and give you some practical strategies for what to do to help your complicated kid through this challenge.
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Breath Taking: a Memoir of Family, Dreams and Broken Genes by Jessica Fein is the moving story about a mother navigating her daughter's rare, life-threatening illness. Jessica came to share perspectives and lessons learned on the Complicated Kids Podcast. Her story highlights the strength required to face adversity as well as how she advocated and navigated all the twists and turns along the way. Join us for his powerful conversation.
Find out more about Jessica and her journey by visiting her website, www.jessicafeinstories.com.
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This week I am joined by Author, Parent Coach, and mother of an autistic child, Susanna Peace Lovell to talk about her experience raising a child with special needs.
Susanna gets vulnerable with us to share some of the lessons she learned through her experiences with her daughter and how she came to learn that she and her daughter were both on their own journeys in life, and that they were both whole and complete individuals who did not need to be “fixed.” Her work instead was to advocate for her child to be seen for who she is, in all her glory.
To find out more about Susanna, how to work with her and where to find her book, visit www.susannapeacelovell.com.
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Although many kids go through a picky eating phase, some kids will experience extremely picky eating. Picky eating is expected; extremely picky eating is not. Jennifer Friedman, RDN helps me unpack the terminology and provides us with strategies for picky eaters that parents can use while they search for the right feeding therapist, dietician, or occupational therapist to diagnose and treat their kiddo.
Find out more about Jennifer at www.feedingpickyeaters.com.
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Marian Flaxmann, Holistic Health Coach, chef, and Biomedical Science Policy Wonk joined me on the Complicated Kids podcast to talk about food allergies, food as medicine and her journey to health.
Fussy, colicky, rash-y, and uncomfortable are the words Marian uses to describe her first child as a newborn. She cried all the time; she needed to be held all the time. The doctors said this was ‘fine’; Marian didn’t buy it. She googled something like, “Can babies be allergic to breastmilk” and decided to go on a temporary elimination diet.
Within 24 hours, her baby’s crying, gas, rash, and discomfort went away. And so began Marian’s journey to heal her child’s gut and microbiome. By adding foods back into her diet slowly, Marian was able to figure out the foods that her daughter was and wasn’t allergic to. Marian brought this curiosity and her health knowledge to her other two daughters, who were also complicated kids. You won’t want to miss this informative and lively conversation.
For healthy recipes, Marian’s podcast, and 1:1 health coaching, visit www.marianflaxman.com.
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Why would a child want to crash into everything and everybody, but NOT tolerate when someone lightly brushes past them? Because: Sensory Processing. Join me and Occupational Therapist, Pia Seltmann, to unpack all things Sensory and how OT helps with motor, attention and regulation abilities. Find out more about Pia and her practice at https://www.tareducationinmotion.com.
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Information Asymmetry abounds in the world of special education. Luckily, Seth Besse is on the scene! At Undivided, he is helping level the playing field for parents of complicated kids in California and (soon) beyond. Navigating Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), waivers and other government programs, as well as the healthcare system can be totally overwhelming, which is why the team at Undivided is there to help parents. Join us to learn how they're doing that.
Find out more about Seth and how Undivided is helping families by visiting www.undivided.io.
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Emily and I went TO TOWN talking about tech in schools. Have a listen to this spirited conversation about how tech gets used in schools (for good and for ill); the implications on child development of introducing tech into learning so early; as well as some things parents can do to mediate the effects of technology use at school.
To find out more about Emily and her work, go to www.thescreentimeconsultant.com.
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Founder of the Free Range Kids movement, Lenore Skenazy, joined me on the podcast today to talk about the importance of fostering independence in kids. She doesn't want much: just a social and cultural shift in the way we think about kids' safety (they're safer now than they've been since the 1970's); adult discomfort (anxiety rates are skyrocketing); and supervision more generally.
Lenore reminds us that "When parents step back, kids step up". Join us for a conversation about what that means - even for complicated kids.
To find out more about Lenore and her work, go to www.LetGrow.org.
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When we're thinking about early speech and language delays, parents, pediatricians and other well-meaning people often take a "wait and see" approach. "He'll grow out of it"; "My daughter didn't talk till she was 3"; "You were a Late Talker and you're fine" are some of the things parents hear from other folks.
Jen Branchini and I will dive into why this is actually terrible advice and what to do instead. Join us for this lively discussion!
To learn more about Jen and her practice, visit districtspeech.com.
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We promise! Your child is not a monster. Leslie Cohen Rubury, LCSW and host of the "Is My Child a Monster?" Podcast, joined me today to talk about her approach to helping parents with their challenging kiddos. As the parent of a controlling anxious child, Leslie learned early on what parenting strategies were and were not working. As a therapist trained in DBT, she brings her non judgemental curiosity to all the work she does with families. Join us for this spirited discussion and how Leslie knows your child is not a monster.
To find out more about Leslie, visit her website at www.lesliecohenrubury.com.
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There are so many nuggets (including chicken nuggets!) in this podcast, you won't want to miss it.
Amy Burkholder came on the podcast today to talk about picky eating and some of the factors that might be at play when kids are picky eaters. In particular, pay attention to the part where Amy reminds us that the dietary needs of toddlers - pound per pound -- are LESS than those of infants. That one struck me for sure!
Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review if you really like this episode!
To find out more about Amy, visit her website at seedtosaplingnutrition.com.
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When Jessica's son was diagnosed with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), she spent some time grieving and asking "why me". And then she went into action to help other mom caregivers not feel alone through their own experience of parenting a child with disabilities. The result was her organization, We Are Brave Together, and her book, "Becoming Brave Together: heroic, extraordinary caregiving stories from mothers hidden in plain sight", released May 2024. Join Jessica and me for this insightful discussion about resilience, strength and the beautiful stories contained in this gorgeous book.
Find We Are Brave Together on Amazon. To find out more about Jessica and We Are Brave Together, visit her website at www.wearebravetogether.com. -
Amanda Diekman, author of the book Low Demand Parenting, joined me today for some "yellow bubble" time. Our conversation ran the gamut from autistic burnout, the problems with masking, and how our children are not empty vessels to be filled to how to think differently about the relationship with ourselves and our children while also dropping demands. This was a powerful conversation that you won't want to miss!
To find out more about Amanda and her work, find her on FB and IG @lowdemandamanda and at www.amandadiekman.com.
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Join me and Emily Cherkin for a spirited discussion about Tech-Intentional Screen Use. We'll cover what it means to be tech-intentional, how the battles that parents have with tech and their kids isn't a fair fight, some of the research around kids and screens, and how parents can manage screen use at home using Emily's judgement-free tech-intentional approach. You won't want to miss this one!
Find out more about Emily by visiting her website at www.thescreentimeconsultant.com or pick up her book at https://www.amazon.com/Screentime-Solution-Judgment-Free-Becoming-Tech-Intentional/dp/B0CB9JS5KB. To view the research mentioned in the podcast, go to https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2815514?guestAccessKey=a[…]ferral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=030424.
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Angela O'Brien and I sat down to discuss the ways in which her complicated kids have changed her life. From a challenging toddlerhood with her first child, to her second child's unexpected Down Syndrome diagnosis, Angela helps put it all into perspective, having survived and thrived, along with her children.
We talk about the moment she realized that she needed to really start listening to what her children were telling her - verbally and nonverbally - and question her own assumptions about what her children's paths would be. We also talk about how she's leveraging what she's learned, along with her natural gift for organization, to help special needs families find more time and space for joy in their lives through her Especially Organized podcast and her professional organizing business, Your Space Reclaimed.
Find out more at www.yourspacereclaimed.net.
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Complicated Kids can sometimes struggle with constipation -- even if they're pooping every day! Join me and Dr. Kiley Gibbs, pelvic floor physical therapist, as we investigate some of the reasons kids become constipated and how to help them.
Visit www.kcgpediatricpt.com to find out more about Kiley and her practice.
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