Embracing Autism

Dr. Wegner is the Neurodivergent author of the Brody The Lion Children’s Book Series. She holds a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education, a PhD in Clinical Psychology and has worked with special needs kids for over 30 years. Join us as we discuss autism red flags, beating the waitlist, autism acceptance, the pros and cons of ABA and much more! Listeners can also take advantage of the...

Tune in as we get personal and share our family's struggles with the public education system, thoughts on how the current system often fails the special needs community, and how we plan to tackle it. This episode is sponsored by The Exceptional Learning Institute (E.L.I.), learn more about their customized academic programs for autistic children at exceptionalinstitute.org.

Join us as we talk about interoception and how the mind-body signals get disrupted in autistics. We chat about how this disconnect can result in bathroom accidents, fecal smearing, as well as poor awareness of sickness, hunger, thirst, emotional states, and beyond. This episode is sponsored by Kawaii Slime Company. Get 15% off your order while also supporting our channel by using the code AutismWi...

Why is apologizing so difficult for autistics? Today we talk about the challenges autistic children (and adults) face when asked to say "I'm Sorry", how inappropriately labeling your child as "proud" may do more harm than good, and what alternatives you can use for a successful apology. For a comforting sensory experience, check out Galaxy Lamps while also supporting our programs by using our spec...

Today Lia goes solo as Matt recovers from Covid-19 and chats about Our Year in Review for 2022 and goals for 2023! Check out the Sensory Theraplay Box while also supporting our programs by using our special link: https://shrsl.com/3tqle

Join us as we discuss how the Embracing Autism Podcast is evolving in the new year.

Join us as we chat about how to provide your child with an autism-friendly holiday and lessons we've learned from past Christmases.

Today we sit down with Thomas A. McKean. Thomas is an autistic adult and co-creator of Autism Awareness month and the current autism puzzle piece awareness ribbon. We discuss the official meaning behind the puzzle piece ribbon, thoughts on autism self-diagnosis, and challenges the autism community (including parents) currently face.

Self-Diagnosis is often debated in the autism community. Today we speak with Nate Hallquist a budding neurodivergent advocate. Nate has gone through a journey of self-discovery, recently learning that he is both ADHD and Autistic. As part of this process, he is learning about the barriers to receiving an Autism diagnosis. Join us today to learn more about his experience of self-discovery thus far...

Our goal has always been to provide parents of autistic children with value, whether that be support, information, a few minutes of comic relief, or a familiar comforting voice. As caregivers, our needs can change over time, so we are committed to evolving the podcast to meet those needs. We have received a lot of feedback from our listeners, and we hear you loud and clear! Changes are coming.

In this episode of Embracing Autism IRL, we sit down with Adelle Starin, Owner of Baby’s on Broadway – a Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Center providing parents of autistic children with pediatric ambulatory devices, the Wonderfold Wagons. Join us as Adelle answers all our questions on how to apply for a medically necessary wagon through your insurance provider as well as alternative options if y...

Many autistic children become attached to so-called “childish interests” that remain in adulthood and are often stigmatized for them. We explore these interests and share why it’s okay to embrace one’s inner child.

Today we touch on the surprising relationship between sleep and autism and discuss why your child may be struggling to fall or stay asleep at night and how to help them get some rest.

Today we discuss the unique challenges autistic individuals face within the workforce and education system.  We share insights as to what your child may experience as well as what they can do to make this transition easier.

We peer behind the mask and explore what it means to disguise one’s authentic self and discuss how masking can negatively impact your autistic child.

Today we tackle the topic of autistic communication, how challenges in this area can cause miscommunications or misperceptions, and what you as a parent can do to ease the frustration for your child. 

What exactly is a sensory diet and how can it help prevent sensory overload? Tune in as we share how to meet your child’s sensory needs through this stress-reducing technique. [Use bonus promo code AutismWish15 for 15% off of sensory merch at Lakikid.com ]

What exactly is stimming? What does it feel like to stim? And how does stimming impact my autistic child? Join us as we define stimming and share insights on its benefits and disadvantages from an autistic perspective.

Do you ever wonder how your autistic child may sense the world? Today, we discuss what it feels like to experience sensory overload and how the sensory system differs for our children from an autistic perspective.

Autism is often associated with literal or black-and-white thinking. Today we discuss examples of this kind of thinking from an autistic perspective and how to communicate more effectively with your literal thinking child.

Do you see a lot of yourself in your autistic child? Today we detail where to go if you suspect you or your spouse may be autistic and what to expect in the diagnostic process.

Tune in for a sneak peek of Season 6 as we share what you can expect from next season's theme.

We share audio from our third episode of the Embracing Autism IRL video series where we sit down with Andrew Komarow, Autistic Certified Financial Planner (CFP), and founder of Planning Across the Spectrum. In this episode, we chat about the importance of Financial independence for individuals with disabilities and how to address the controversy in the autism community.

Join us as we wrap up season 5 and discuss our family’s most recent and shocking autism development.

Tune into the conversation as we talk about the very real guilt many parents feel when we first receive our child’s autism diagnosis.