Episódios
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Welcome to another episode of Helping Kids Thrive. Today’s strategy for ensuring our kids flourish centers around the idea of helping them stay organized. We’re joined today by a special guest, Emily Waples who is a pediatric occupational therapist. Join the conversation as we talk about why organization is important for our kids, how we can help our kids build the skills required to be successful in staying organized, the importance of including them in the process of establishing schedules and checklists, and Emily gives insight into ages and their corresponding organizational skills. Tune in to hear more from Emily on helping your kids stay organized. Thanks for listening!
Key Points From This Episode:
An introduction to our topic and special guest.
Why organization is important for our kids.
The skills required to be successful at being organized.
How we can help our kids build their organizational skills.
Tips and recommendations for getting organized for school.
Incentives to adhere to organizational checklists and schedules.
Including children in the process of establishing schedules and lits.
Emily talks about different ages and corresponding organizational skills.
Using technology to help with organization.
Closing tips and tricks for getting your kids organized!
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Not all children learn language in the same way. Neurotypical children usually learn through analytic language processing (also known as bottom-up processing), while children with autism who are verbal, are more likely to use gestalt language processing (often referred to as top-down processing). With gestalt language processing, children learn language in chunks or phrases, with single words only appearing at later stages as they learn to break down and recombine these gestalts (or language chunks) to create new, spontaneous utterances. Joining us today to break down the ins and outs of gestalt language processing and how adults can learn to adapt to a child’s unique style of learning, is Jesse Ferrell, a Certified Speech Language Pathologist (CCC-SLP) who has worked with all kinds of students, including those with autism. In our conversation Jesse expands on gestalts, where children pick them up, and how you can learn to recognize them. She also unpacks the concept of echolalia and how it relates to gestalt language processing, before examining how our understanding of echolalia has shifted in recent years and how we can better support children when we embrace their language processing style. Communication between children and their parents isn’t always easy, but sometimes the most important thing is simply showing your child that you want to connect with them. To hear all of Jesse’s knowledgeable insights on communication, language, and connection, be sure to tune in today!
Key Points From This Episode:
An overview of gestalt language processing, also known as top-down processing.
The prevalence of gestalt language processing in children with autism.
Analytic language processing and the development you can expect in neurotypical children.
How gestalt language processors differ from typical analytic language processors.
An explanation of gestalts, also known as language chunks.
Examples of how children use gestalts and learning how to recognize it.
How to better understand what your child is trying to communicate when they use gestalts.
The concept of echolalia and how it relates to gestalt language processing.
An overview of the two main types of echolalia: immediate and delayed echolalia.
The shift in how echolalia is being viewed, from non-functional to functional.
Recognizing the style that a child is using to learn language.
Adapting to a child’s style of language learning.
Signs that can help a parent recognize whether their child is a gestalt processor.
How stress can make your child revert to earlier gestalts.
What parents can do to support their child’s language development.
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Being rejected is never easy, and it can be especially soul-crushing for children. How do you, as
a parent, ensure that you are there for kids in their time of need, without adding fuel to the fire?
To help us get to the bottom of this question, we are joined by an esteemed school psychologist, Dr. Bianca Vasquez. After sharing her deep love for being involved in the education sphere, our guest explains why being excluded hits kids the hardest, how parents can be more empathetic, how to manage your own feelings and emotions, and why your child’s age and temperament are important factors to consider. Then, we get a quick lesson on intelligent failure before exploring other ways that you can constructively help and support your kids. We also closely examine how to build resiliency and foster your child’s self-worth, how to avoid common parental mistakes when coaching your child through rejection, and why exclusion and failure can actually be the learning tools that your child needs for their own personal growth, plus so much more!
Key Points From This Episode:• What parents can do when their child has been excluded from something
• Introducing Philadelphian school psychologist, Dr. Bianca Vasquez.
• Why being left out is so difficult for kids, and how parents can be more empathetic.
• How our own feelings as parents influence our reactions.
• Why your child’s temperament matters in how you respond to them (and how age fits in).
• The impact that the type of event may have on your child’s exclusion.
• A quick lesson on “intelligent failure.”
• Other ways to support and help our kids when they are feeling down about being left out.
• How to build resiliency and foster self-worth in your children.
• Common mistakes that parents make in their reactions and how to avoid them.
• How failure can help your kids learn new things about themselves. -
For many kids, getting home after school can be a stressful period. There is so much to process from the school day and if the after-school transition isn’t properly managed, a child may feel too overwhelmed for anything other than a meltdown. So today, we’re taking a look at some helpful tips for easing after-school transitions. We are joined by Occupational Therapist, Evangeline Abraham, who explains how she got involved in this work and why today’s topic sits particularly close to her heart. Then, Van goes deeper into why after-school transitions are a prominent problem, the factors that make a child susceptible to after-school burnouts, the undeniable value of setting a routine, and why she is a big advocate of trial and error. We also discuss why age and grade are important details to consider, as well as the role that transportation plays in balancing or unsettling your child after school.
Key Points From This Episode:
Today we will be sharing some tips and tricks for a successful transition home after school.
Introducing Occupational Therapist, Van Abraham, and how she got involved in this work.
Why the transition home from school is difficult for many kids.
Factors that may influence a child’s susceptibility to be unsettled at home after school.
What parents can do to ease that school-home transition for their kids.
How to approach homework and playtime.
Why Van is a huge supporter of trial and error.
What to look out for if your kids are older (in high school).
The role that transportation plays in after-school transitions.
Huddle Up
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Guest: Kelly McGuinness, LCSW, CEIS
Most of us parent using behavior management techniques that we learned during childhood or have read about in a parenting book (okay, instagram, let's be real ;)) but have you ever stopped to think about if those strategies are actually working or not?
Returning to the podcast is licensed clinical social worker, Kelly McGuinness, to challenge our ways of managing childhood behavior. During this episode, she discusses with Nicole about how "traditional" behavior management might not be the best options and ways that we can look at behavior differently with the children we interact with, wether that's in our homes or in a classroom. Her graceful way of approaching this conversation challenges listeners to challenge their mindsets around behavior and seek out what will really work for their family.
Episode Highlights:
Behavior defined Behavior as communication Seeking out the root of behaviors Traditional methods and why they might not be working Importance of connection and skill building Considerations when parenting siblings Attention seeking behaviors + solutions Facilitating positive relationships in your familywww.huddleupcare.com
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Guest: Melanie Almada, LMFT
In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole, along with licensed marriage and family therapist Melanie Almada, discusses how parents can support their child's sense of identity and self-discovery. The conversation emphasizes the importance of open communication, modeling positive behavior, and being supportive of a child's interests and choices. They also tackle challenging topics like addressing differing viewpoints on matters such as religion, culture, and gender identity, suggesting family therapy as a constructive approach. The episode is a comprehensive guide for parents striving to foster their child's confidence and mental well-being. 00:00 Introduction to Huddle Up and Podcast Overview 00:36 Meet the Hosts: Nicole and Melanie 00:57 Understanding Identity in Children 04:56 Influences on a Child's Identity 08:26 Supporting Your Child's Interests and Choices 11:17 Navigating Parental Challenges and Fears 22:48 Adapting Support as Children Grow 26:13 Handling Controversial Topics and Seeking Support 30:07 Conclusion and Final Thoughtswww.huddleupcare.com
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Guest: Dr. Dawn Aerts, AuD
Approximately 5% of children struggle with processing auditory input but are never given a formal diagnosis or intervention options that can help. This is because when hearing concerns are expressed, a child is sent to an audiologist for a hearing test. If that test indicates normal hearing, they are sent back to the pediatrician - even though that child still struggles to understand or process auditory input, despite their normal hearing.
In this episode, Nicole is joined by pediatric audiologist, Dr. Dawn Aerts. Dr. Aerts noticed the pattern of children with normal hearing who still struggled with auditory processing and wanted to create a space to help bridge the gap for these families to help them find interventions to help, including her main focus, remote microphone technology. She is a leader in research concerning auditory processing in children with normal hearing and has recently founded her company, Helpful Hearing, to guide families through the process of using remote microphone technology to help with these challenges.
Episode Highlights:
What is auditory processing? How is auditory processing disorder diagnosed? What are things we can do to help? -
Guest: Stephanie Fisher, MHC, LPC
In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, presented by Huddle Up (formerly Dot Com Therapy), host Nicole, a speech language pathologist and mother of four, speaks with Stephanie Fisher, a licensed professional counselor, EMT, volunteer firefighter, and therapeutic ranch owner. They dive into the profound mental health benefits of nature and animal-assisted therapy. Stephanie shares insights from her therapeutic ranch experience, emphasizing how spending time outdoors can improve focus, reduce stress, and enhance mood. They discuss practical ways for families and educators to incorporate nature into daily routines, highlighting the importance of vitamin D, serotonin, and melatonin. The episode also explores creative, inclusive methods for experiencing nature, from urban ecotherapy and outdoor exercise to bringing nature indoors with plants and aquariums. 00:00 Introduction to Huddle Up and Podcast Overview 00:47 Meet Stephanie Fisher: Licensed Professional Counselor 01:35 The Therapeutic Ranch: Animal-Assisted Therapy 03:21 Benefits of Nature for Mental Health 05:23 The Role of Vitamin D and Sunlight 10:06 Incorporating Nature into Daily Life 18:03 Practical Tips for Parents and Teachers 21:39 Bringing Nature Indoors 24:36 Conclusion: The Profound Impact of Nature -
Guest: Morgan Johnson, MS, LCSW
Ever notice a connection between your physical space and your mood? You're definitely on to something. In fact, research indicates that our physical enviroment can have an impact on our anxiety, stress, mood, and overall mental wellbeing. Even more, this connection affects our kids too!
In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, host, Nicole Pounds, chats with licensed clinical social worker, Morgan Johnson, MS, LCSW about the connection between our mental health and our physical environments. She shares insight into what the research indicates about the connection between our homes, workplaces, and schools and our mental health and she gives practical suggestions for how we can work to create a space that is healthy, motivating, and life giving.
Episode Highlights:
How our environment affects our mental health Effects of clutter on our wellbeing The importance of sleep and setting up a sleep friendly environment Applying these principals across environments (home, school, work) The importance of allowing our children to own their own spaceWant to learn more about how our environment affects our mental health and the importance of stable housing, healthy home enviroments, our communities, and spending time outdoors? Check out our Mental Health Month Resources.
Connect with Huddle Up.
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Guest: Samantha Russell, OTR/L, Pediatric Occupational Therapist
Autism affects 1 in 36 children, and about 25-30% of those children are nonspeaking. In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, host and speech language pathologist, Nicole Pounds, M.S. CCC-SLP, is joined by pediatric occupational therapist, Samantha Russell, OTR/L, to discuss ways that parents and schools can support children who have nonverbal autism. Together they share insights from their professional therapy work with children who have nonverbal autism on various considerations with sensory processing, language development, social interaction, stimming, and overall support and inclusion in the classroom and home settings.
Episode Highlights:
Discussion around the nuance associated with how we talk about Autism Overview of Autism diagnosis as outlined in the DSM-5 Insight into social interactions for a child who is nonverbal Gestalt Language Processing and echolalia Need for holistic care Support for nonverbal autistic children at home Services and therapies available Support for nonverbal autistic children at school Ways parents can advocate for their children in the school settingDotCom Therapy partners with school districts and employers to provide holistic care for children through direct therapy services and asynchronous learning activities accessible via their online learning platform. Click here to learn more about Huddle Up.
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Guest: Gena Mann, special needs parent of 4
During this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined by Gena Mann, one of the original co-founders of Wolf+Friends and special needs parent of 4. Together they discuss the nuances of parenting multiple children including children with autism or medical and sensory needs. They discuss practical solutions to balancing all of the varying needs in their home and ways that they work intentionally to support the sibling experience of their neurotypical children.
Episode Highlights:
How being a sibling to a disabled child looks different than a typical sibling experience Tips for helping your child understand the needs of their siblings Ways to support and connect with neurotypical siblings The need for outside support for neurotypical siblingssResources:
Huddle Up Connect with Gena Connect with Nicole -
Guest: Kristina Parro, M.S. CCC-SLP
During this episode, Nicole chats with Kristina Parro, M.S. CCC-SLP, a mom and pediatric speech language pathologist, about speech delay in young children. Kristina gives an overview of typical communication development and talks through important milestones parents should watch for in order to make sure that theri child’s communication is developing as it should. As she points out in this episode, 50% of late talkers do not catch up on their own, so just waiting to see if they catch up is not always sufficient. But the good news is that we can help! Kristina talks through ways that parents can help their child develop their speech and language skills and gives recommendations for how to pursue more specialized help if needed.
Episode Highlights:
Typical communication development milestones When should a parent be concerned and what should they do if they are TIPS for parents to improve speech and language development at home077Resources:
Huddle Up -
Guest: Matt Maxion, M.S. CCC-SLP
During this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined by speech language pathologist, Matt Maxion, M.S. CCC-SLP to discuss how to support children who stutter. As a person who stutters, Matt offers personal insight into the internal experience of stuttering and gives practical suggestions for the best ways to offer support at home and in the classroom.
Episode Highlights:
What is stuttering and what causes it? What does it feel like to stutter? How does stuttering impact a person's life? How can a parent support a child who stutters? How can a teacher or therapist support a child who stutters?Get in touch with Huddle Up.
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Guest: Nicole Pounds, M.S. CCC-SLP
Join Nicole for the very first solo episode of Helping Kids Thrive as she shares her experience advocating for her child to receive a medical procedure that he needed despite the team not initially being on board. She first learned about the connection between sleep and ADHD as a result of a previous episode of Helping Kids Thrive, which prompted her to do more research and begin to advocate for a sleep study for her child, resulting in a diagnosis of sleep apnea and a need for more follow up evaluations.
Episode Highlights:
Background into Nicole's family Signs & Symptoms they noticed with their son Helping Kids Thrive episode that prompted this need for advocating Advocating for a sleep study & the results Why Nicole believes parents are the best advocates for their children -
Guest: Amanda Unrau, MA, CCC-SLP, Speech Language Pathologist
‘Tis the season to be messy!
With the holiday season right around the corner, the kitchen once again becomes the busiest area of our homes. How about considering training little chefs to help you out with all the food preparations? Although cooking might actually be the messiest way of bonding with the kids, it can also be quite fun. It just requires extra patience on the side of the parents.
In this episode, Nicole is joined by fellow Speech Language Pathologist, Amanda Unrau to talk about how to utilize cooking as a tool for our child’s development. Amanda shares the benefits of involving your child in cooking, what parents should keep in mind during the process, and the skills that cooking can help develop such as motor and verbal skills.
Learn how to make cooking Fun and Educational, all at the same time!
Episode Highlights:
Benefits of involving your children in Cooking Techniques on how Parents can make cooking Child Friendly Skills naturally targeted with cooking: Verbal, Motor, and Social Skills Tips for Parents Connecting with the Family through Food Variety of activities related to cooking: grocery shopping, listing ingredients, etc.Connect with Huddle Up.
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Guests: Samantha Russell, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist & Olivia Holubeck, MA CCC-SLP, Speech Language Pathologist
Looking for some last minute gifts this holiday season?
This week on the podcast, Nicole is joined by occupational therapist, Samantha Russell, OTR/L, and speech language pathologist, Olivia Holubeck, MA CCC-SLP to talk about some of their favorite toys for promoting your child's development. Samantha and Olivia share their top 3 favorites to use during sessions and give insight into how to best use these toys to promote communication skills, sensory exploration, and fine motor development.
Connect with Huddle Up.
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Guest: Stephanie Fisher, MHC, LPC, Licensed Professional Counselor
Raising children with special needs can be overwhelming and isolating. Parents often feel guilty about the extra support that their family requires so sometimes they try to carry the burden all on their own, believing no one will understand them or no one else is capable. In today’s episode, licensed professional counselor, Stephanie Fisher, walk us through the types of support system we will need, the importance of a support network, and practical tips to help us identify who we can keep in our inner networks.
As we strive to provide support to our children in their growth, may we realize that we ourselves need to be supported. Nobody deserves to feel isolated. Listen with us and together, we will learn to grow our own support networks.
Episode Highlights:
Different types of support system that every parent needs Barriers faced by parents in acquiring the support system they need Ways to overcome barriers to growing your support system The importance of having a support system Additional resources to add to your support system in addition to friends and family Stephanie shares her experience in building a support group for her sonConnect with Huddle Up.
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Guest: Katie Emde, Autism Parent + Disability Advocate
Entering a new and unfamiliar world can be challenging. When you’re just beginning, it can get lonely and confusing. As a parent of a child with special needs, you need to find the right support group and team to navigate through this uncharted waters.
In this episode, Nicole is joined by Autism Parent, Disability Advocate, and IEP Coach, Katie Emde, as she shares her journey of searching and establishing the right community for her children and their needs. Katie narrates her beginnings of finding the right people to connect with as she journeys through the world of Autism with her son Avery.
In this episode, Katie shares her encounter with the “bleach therapy”, the world of autism from a parent’s point of view, tips on how to verify information, and building a team of people that has you and your child’s best interest at heart.
Helping kids thrive begins with helping parents find the right and credible guides!
Episode Highlights:
Searching for a community Expanding knowledge on autism Bleach Therapy; a Medical Risk The Advocacy: how it started and its main goal of helping families with the same situation, to avoid misinformation Building a right and strong community for you and your childrenConnect with Katie:
Facebook: AJourneyForAvery Instagram: @katieemdeConnect with Huddle Up.
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Guest: Steven Nava, NCSP, Nationally Certified School Psychologist
October is ADHD awareness month. ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. According to the CDC, in 2016, 6.1 million children in the US had been diagnosed with ADHD which averages out to be about 9.4% and boys are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls.
In this episode, we are joined by Steven Nava, a school psychologist, as we talk about living with ADHD. We will dive deep into what ADHD looks like, how it is diagnosed, some methods of treatment, and some new research that links ADHD to sleep disorders.
Take the opportunity to listen to learn more about how you as a parent can support your child with ADHD.
Episode Highlights:
What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Signs and Symptoms of ADHD The process of how a child is diagnosed with ADHD Attention Deficit Disorder(ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) Treatments and medications for ADHD Sleep disorders in patients with ADHD Steven’s advice for parents of ADHD childrenResources Mentioned During This Episode:
Journal of Nature and Science of Sleep: Sleep disorders in patients with ADHD, impact and management challenges Episode 16: Setting Up a Sleep Routine for Your Child Episode 58: Orofacial Myology - What is it and how can it help my child?Connect with Huddle Up.
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Guest: Denise Minyard, MS, CCC-SLP, Speech Language Pathologist
There are approximately 15,000,000 premature births globally every year. With this statistic, an infant’s stay at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is not uncommon.
Having experience working in NICUs, Denise Minyard, a pediatric speech language pathologist, reveals the unseen world of preemies. From therapies, developmental delays, transitions from hospital to home, and the aftercare support parents must have for themselves and their babies - this conversation is sure to open your eyes on how a NICU stay affects development later in life.
So stay tuned, and get ready to walk with us as we take this journey into understanding the struggles and the long term effects of NICU stays on families, and most importantly, how to be their support system.
Episode Highlights:
Denise shares some experiences working in the NICU How NICU stay affects parents and child Struggles and therapies premature babies face in the NICU Differences between premature and full term births Aftercare precautions after getting out of NICU Importance of a support group and where to find themConnect with Huddle Up.
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