Can you believe it?! We are officially in 2024. Today we got together to discuss our vision for the upcoming year, personal, professional, and podcast! 2023 was quite the year for the 4 of us; many lessons learned. We are taking those lessons into this year and want to share with you what that means for us! From growing in our advocacy, to growing through a divorce, to learning to SLOW DOWN.. we talk about it all with YOU! Join us on the pod and IG, and let us know what your vision for 2024 is!

Another year has come and gone… 2023 has had many ups and downs for each of us personally. We touch on the highs and lows, as well as talk about our favorite podcast memories over the last 12 months.  Most importantly of all, we are so grateful to have YOU here with us this year. We hope this podcast continues to be an avenue to feel connected, maybe learn a thing or two, and laugh at our ridiculous banter and lame jokes. What can we say…we’re in our Mom Era. Merry Christmas! Love, ...

It can feel like keeping our kids safe is a moving target. Just when we think we have it figured out, something new pops up that we have to problem-solve. If you’re anything like us, it’s one of your biggest worries. Today, Jay and Shannon discuss all of the safety precautions they have taken in and around their home to keep Gracie safe and help limit the stress that we feel on a daily basis.  Take some notes. What works for us may not work for everyone, but you’re bound to hear something...

In today's episode, we bring you another incredible community member. We had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with June Bunn or as I've been calling her, “Mama June”! June shares all about her journey in raising Adrienne, her daughter who is on the autism spectrum. With a diagnosis that was given or more “fought for” in the year 2008 a time where there truly was no support medically or educationally through a public school district. With the barriers overcome and a mom who would not...

From meeting her husband on the Fiddler on the Roof national tour to starting their family together and having two amazing boys, Colleen discusses her journey through Autism and Down Syndrome diagnoses. We talk about the feeling of being blindsided by multiple health issues with her sons Eli and Luke.  Colleen walks us through their journey and discusses all that she’s learning, including the seemingly difficult skill of learning to be okay with asking for help.  You can find Colleen on...

This episode is about suicide and suicide prevention. We feel strongly this is a topic we all need to be aware of and educated about, particularly as it relates to parenting neurodivergent children. If you or someone you love needs to seek help, the US Suicide Hotline for calling and texting is 988, available 24/7. A quick Google Search will bring up any other country’s hotline as well as multiple language preferences and options. AnneMoss Rogers is a mental health and suicide education...

All of us girls on the pod follow Mama Fry! This was such a great conversation about the ins and outs of raising an adult son with autism. We talked a little about her journey with her son as he grew up, but really focused on what the transition to adulthood looks like. What does it look like when our kiddos turn 18? If you’re concerned about what adulthood looks like, conservatorship, etc., tune in this week and listen to this convo! It’s a serious topic, but it comes along with a good deal...

Lots of great questions from our listeners this week. These are some of our favorite episodes to record, we love hearing from and talking about the subjects that are most important to you. This week, we touched on a wide variety of topics: Puberty and Hygiene Medical-grade strollers and equipment Chiropractic care Aggression Friendships with Typical Families Potty Training Supporting Friends Emotionally   As always, you can reach out to us anytime if you have any grab-bag questions...

In this episode, we continue with part two of Monica’s story. This episode details a little more of what the future planning for Michael looks like along with Monica and what she is moving into career-wise.

Today's episode starts us with part one of this two-part series. We sat down to chat with the lovely Monica Meyers, a community member, advocate, and trailblazer to this community in the state of Washington. Monica shares her experience not only with her son's diagnosis that came in a time of no internet but also the courageous amount of advocacy she's done for not only her son but the autistic community as a whole. You can find Monica on her website HERE!  

We holiday OUR way. Join us for a discussion on the many ways the holidays can look, but mostly feel, and how we have navigated that. There is a build-up of hyperintense emotions and activities around these times, no matter the holiday or culture; nuances that don’t become apparent until you are faced with the realities of having an autistic or neurodivergent child. We talk about the different sets of expectations and the comparison trap!  This episode is brought to you by Fun and Function,...

We are halfway through school this semester and wanted to do a little check-in. We discuss each of our kids’ progress and the challenges that we are facing this year in school. Overall, we are all doing pretty well, but that doesn’t negate the fact that we still worry. It’s a lot and we know you get it too. We mentioned a book and documentary that has come out recently and is available in the US and internationally, go check it out. The Reason I Jump  

Today Tash & Shannon sit down with Eileen Youngberg, an Assistant Program Manager from Trillium Employment Services. Trillium is a non-profit organization based in Washington State. We dive deep into not only the work Eileen does but also the importance of why we need to be advocating and pushing for our kids as they are leaving the transition programs from high school to finding a place in the workforce, however that may look for them. Also, we discuss why it's important as a society to...

Come join us! Today we are talking about our community and defining the very pillar of why we exist as a podcast and community. Peer-to-Peer support can be defined as a person who belongs to the same group or shares the same lived experience. In contrast to mentorship where help is provided by an expert, in peer-to-peer support ALL peers are equally qualified. 3 Key Principles of Peer Support: respect, shared responsibility, and mutual agreement on what is helpful.  Much evidence support...

In this next installment with Bre Gastaldi, Inclusive Education Consultant & Educator, we learn about the actionable steps that need to be taken at large as well as day-to-day. The goal is to make huge systemic shifts in education and it takes all of us adopting a core set of beliefs and values.

Today we learn and discuss how people and institutions hold their own definition of what real inclusion means. We brought on Bre Gestaldi, an Inclusion Education Consultant & Educator, to break down the “What” + “Why” of what inclusive education REALLY is. Facts + links provided in the episode: Research reasons - No studies conducted since the late 1970s have shown an academic advantage for students with intellectual and other developmental disabilities educated in separate settings...

Making connections with others can be very daunting, especially for special needs families. Where do you even start? We are so pleased to share our chat with Sarah Watkins, from AUsome Sauce, a non-profit organization based in Southern California, who saw a problem in her area and decided to do something about it. Sarah shares about her own family, what AUsome Sauce is all about, and ways that you can find or create a similar community where you live. Do it for your kids and do it for...

Today, we’re talking tics, involuntary movements, stimming, and other repetitive behaviors. What are they and how do we experience them in our own households, it’s quite the ride.  Tics and other stimming behaviors are very common among autistic individuals. Sometimes they are very self-soothing and can really help someone feel grounded and regulated. We fully support this for our kids and others. Other times, it can be very disruptive and unsafe, or the person can get stuck in a loop,...

This episode is all about us ladies and some random facts! We love to have these episodes to not only share some personal stuff about us crazy girls but to also bring some fun lighthearted laughter to your week once in a while!

It is thought that experiencing joy and experiencing grief are two mutually exclusive emotions or houses of emotions.  In this episode, through an authentic conversation, we debunk that isn’t the case and prove the two can coexist and WHY it's important to embrace joy with grief.  

This episode is ALL about our recent trip to visit Tash in Washington! We reflect on the trip and how meeting on Instagram has changed our lives so much. Come chat with us!

Some great questions from our listeners today, focusing on speech therapy and communication. We deep dive into our kids’ speech and language development over the years and also discuss some of our favorite therapies. Not every therapy is available or appropriate for every child, so do your research and see what’s best for your family. Want to learn more about one of our favorite speech therapists? Go check out Katja from @bohospeechie and listen to our interview with here HERE Have a great...

Join us today as we discuss how our perception of trust and distrust in medical professionals has shaped our behavior as both a parent and advocate for our exceptional children.   

You don’t want to miss this one! Such an amazing chat today with Jim Elliot and Tinamarie Hernandez of Diveheart. Diveheart is a non-profit organization that specializes in adaptive scuba diving to any child, adult, or veteran with a disability, in hopes of providing physical and psychological therapeutic value to that person.  In their words, “Diveheart works with individuals who have a variety of disabilities, including physical and developmental disabilities, vision and hearing...

Today we talk with Dr. Alisa Elliot, who is the owner and creator of Chrysalis Spectrum in Houston, Texas. Her company provides in-home care for a variety of people in need, including those with disabilities. Today we’re chatting about why it’s important to have respite and in-home care. We also discuss what to look for in a provider, what to expect, and what to do if it doesn’t work out. Dr. Elliot has over 25 years of experience in direct one-on-one care with individuals and is a special...