Chelsea's Vocation

Betsy Spalla is a finance professional by day, and a perpetual student of humans’ emotions. Mom of two now-adult babies, one of whom is on the spectrum, she was diagnosed with ADHD after the birth of her second child. Her journey as a mom of a neurodivergent human, in light of her own neurospiciness, has given her a keen insight into human behavior. She is adept at helping her people identify thei...

Dani Jo is a married mama of two autistic girls (well, now women). She definitely never expected to have the “Autism Mama" title but is thankful for the journey and the fierce women she has met along the way.  She “bucked the system" as her children were leaving elementary school, as her home school was not implementing their IEP s . She spent a few years advocating for choices for speci...

Jess Sciborski has been a dedicated special educator for over 20 years, working with students in grades K-12 with a wide range of disabilities, especially emotional/behavioral disabilities and autism. Currently a 1:1 Special Education teacher for an area educational agency, she is a fierce advocate for student needs, dignity for all, and celebrating neurodiversity. She believes in presuming compet...

Chris Krasovich wears many hats, as a wife, elected official, board member, butterfly raiser, rabid volunteer, stress baker, world traveler, and appointed representative on the Wisconsin Governor's Autism Council, but her favorite hat is her mom hat. Chris has two spectacular children, one of whom is neurospicy, who she laughs with and learns from every day. In this episode, Chelsea chats wit...

Sue Vock is a Christ follower, wife, and mom to three, who has worked for nonprofits her entire career. Her daughter Molly is 30 years old, and was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 17 after years of evaluations. Sue ministered at a church for over 18 years, worked at an autism nonprofit, and is currently the Director of Development & Marketing at Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha...

Pete Budde is a devoted husband to his high school sweetheart, Chelsea, and a proud father to two incredible adults, Justus and Noey. A lifelong learner, he finds joy in reading, music, and competition. With nearly 30 years of professional experience, Pete has been fortunate to work alongside exceptional teammates and colleagues, forming lasting friendships along the way. His passion for growth an...

It seemed to Chelsea that just as she was learning to adult, she had to learn to parent. And then had to learn to be the parent of children with developmental disabilities . She frames her experiences of navigating this journey to nurse Jennie Wright 's 7 Stages of Grief (2011). Chelsea explains her initially ableist feelings around autism and her own feelings of overwhelm kept her in the fir...

Chelsea's second-born, Noey, contributes so much valuable insight in this episode introducing them. A recent graduate from Columbia College Chicago, Noey Budde is still very much trying to find their place in the world, but has a great start with an illustrious background in both the humanitarian and creative fields. Noey is an educated composer creating pieces for various forms of media, pri...

Chelsea introduces her son Justus, who made her a mama, and taught her so very much about neurodivergence (different brain wiring). From the precious story about Mr. Muffin the cat, which illustrates why Justus is often called an "animal whisperer", to the neurotypes Justus rocks in addition to autism (including bipolar disorder , an intellectual disability , and obsessive compulsive dis...

Chelsea describes her family as "neurodiverse". What does that mean? Understand the neurodiversity within Chelsea's family through introductions to herself and husband Pete, and their two now grown children, Justus and Noey. Words like "neuromajority" or "neuro-normative" are differentiated from "neurodivergent" as she reveals Justus and Noey's neu...