Helping Kids Thrive

Guest: Kristin Davis, M.S. CCC-SLP Do you struggle to help your child learn to read? Are you confused by rules your child is learning at school and knowing what reading level you should be choosing for your child?  During this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined by speech language pathologist, Kristin Davis, to discuss a parent's role in helping their child learn to read. They discuss...

Guest: Jenna Green, M.A., Ed. S., N.C.S.P. The National Association for School Psychologists estimates that about 25% of learning was lost over the 2019/2020 school year. The amount of learning lost over this last school year is still to be seen. During this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole invites Jenna Green, a school psychologist skilled in evaluating learning challenges in children, on t...

Guest: Jackie Wight, M.A., LPC, Director of Mental Health As we gear up for another school year we recognize that there are a lot of things going on in the minds of kids and parents as we look to start the school year following last school year where kids were learning remotely, being quarantined and missing school, and there was just in general a lot of uncertainty. In this episode of Helping Kid...

Guest: Andee Szwabowski, M.H.S. CCC-SLP, Clinical Product Expert In the last year, most families have had some some experience with remote learning or teletherapy services, but with so many schools and clinics being thrust into providing services this way with no preparation, experiences with this service delivery model have varied.  In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined by Ande...

Guests: Lauren + Megan from The Matrescence Moms need lots of support, but often once a baby comes, the focus shifts and mom's needs are pushed to the wayside. Mental health difficulties are common within all stages of motherhood and there needs to be more conversation about it. During this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined by Lauren and Megan, co-founders of an online community cal...

Guest: Brittany Orr, M.S. CCC-SLP Your kids are home for summer break - now what? How do you as a parent make sure that they don't lose all of the progress that they gained with communication during the last school year? In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, DCT speech language pathologist, Brittany Orr, joins Nicole to discuss ways that parents can help encourage speech and language development...

Guests: Carla Small, Co-Founder + CEO of EarlyBird, and Eileen Catizone, Literacy Specialist Did you know that 70% of children reading below average in first grade will continue to have below average reading skills by 8th grade? The good news is - intervention can help! Research shows us that 56-92% of children (even those most at risk for reading failure) will successfully learn to read, with ear...

Guest: Michaela Landry, MSW, LCSW  Have you ever looked at your child during a meltdown and wondered "what on earth is going on in this kid's brain?" You're not alone. In today's episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined by Michaela Landry, a licensed clinical social worker, to discuss what is happening inside a child's brain when they're experiencing stress and how we as parents can help....

Guest: Lauren Lowery, special needs mom + life coach In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined by Lauren Lowery, a special needs mom and life coach, to discuss the overwhelm that can often be associated with special needs parenting. Lauren gives insights into her parenting experiences and practical tips for some of the realities of special needs parenting, such as scheduling ALL the...

Guest: Dr. Jayna Niblock, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, BCP, BCTS In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined once again by Dr. Jayna Niblock - this time to talk about sensory processing. Many people have heard of a sensory diet, but during this conversation, Jayna makes the argument for a sensory lifestyle instead. We also discuss the 8 sensory systems (surprise! There are more than 5!!), how a c...

Guest: Sarah O'Callaghan, RDN, LD Healthy eating can be overwhelming. Add kids, and it's a real challenge. In this episode, Nicole sits down with Registered Dietician, Sarah O'Callaghan, to talk about how families can promote healthy eating in their homes. She breaks down real life tips for simplifying healthy eating, shares researched backed statistics and strategies, and discusses tips for those...

Guest: Brya Hanan, M.A., LMFT We all have days as parents where we just don't feel good enough - and what we do on those days makes a huge difference. In this episode, Nicole is joined by Brya Hanan, a mom and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Together they share Brya's top 5 tips to moving forward on those days when you don't feel like enough: Use Affirmations and Have a Growth Mindset Cele...

Guest: Veronica Smitley, SLP & CF Fighter Have you ever had a recommendation from a doctor that you felt uncomfortable with? Has your child needed something at school that you didn't know how to ask for? In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Veronica Smitley, Speech Language Pathologist and CF Fighter, shares her story of self advocacy as she has navigated her life with a diagnosis of cystic fib...

Guest: Carey Llufrio, M.Ed, BCBA Tantrums are a normal part of development, so all parents will experience them at some point in their parenting journey, but knowing what to do and how to help your child through this stage is key. In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole is joined once again by Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Carrie Llufrio, to provide information for parents specifically...

Guest: Elizabeth C. Hamblet, College Learning Disabilities Specialist Do you have a child who is graduating soon and will need accommodations in college? In this episode, Nicole speaks with author and speaker, Elizabeth Hamblet, a college learning disabilities specialist with 20+ years of experience about the transition from high school to college for young adults with disabilities. She breaks dow...

Guest: Lidiette Hamilton, M.A. CCC-SLP In US households, over 350 languages are spoken and about 10% of students in US schools are considered English Language Learners. The languages these families choose to expose their children to impact their education, their future, their identity, and their connection with their families. Many of these families have concerns about what their child's language...

Guest: Melanie Almada, M.S., LMFT In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole sits down with Marriage and Family Counselor, Melanie Almada, to discuss how parents can harness the power of mindfulness practices in their families. Benefits of mindfulness include: Reduced chronic and acute stress Decreased risk of anxiety and depression Improved concentration and focus Increased productivity and f...

Guest: Andrea King, M.A. CCC-SLP April is Autism Awareness Month. Join Nicole as she chats with Speech Language Pathologist, Andrea King, about autism. In this episode, they discuss: Developmental markers for autism How to get an evaluation for your child Ways the community can come around a child with autism Teletherapy intervention to improve outcomes for children with autism Resources mentioned...

Guests: Dr. Elizabeth Washington and Dr. Karen Watts Schools around the world jumped online with no warning last spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic and - as one of our guests today, Dr. Karen Watts, puts it - attempted to build the plane while flying. So, now that our education system and traditions have really been stretched as a result of the pandemic and we have had to think outside the bo...

Guests: Dr. Karen Watts, Director of Special Services, and Dr. Elizabeth Washington, Director of Special Services So, you have concerns about your child and their educational development, but you don't know where to start. Do you make a referral or is that the school's job? Who determines what services your child gets? How does the evaluation process work? What's a parent's role in all of this? In...

Guest: Amy Schnacker, OTR/L Did you know 3-5% of children have been diagnosed with a feeding disorder? In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, occupational therapist, Amy Schnacker explains the difference between a picky eater and a problem feeder. She and host, Nicole, explore when a parent should seek help for concerns with their child's feeding and Amy gives expert tips on things parents can do...

Guest: Christine Loeb, M.S. CCC-SLP Have you ever wondered what counts as a baby's first word? Did you know that there are things you can do to encourage your baby's language development even before they start talking? During this episode, Nicole and Christine (both SLPs and mommas of toddlers) discuss infant/toddler language development. Christine shares practical tips for encouraging language de...

Guest: Jayna Niblock, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, BCP, BCTS In this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole and occupational therapist, Dr. Jayna Niblock, discuss ways that parents can help their children get good sleep. During the episode, Jayna shares about the importance of sleep, warning signs that parents can watch for to determine if their child is not sleeping well, and practical tips for creating a sl...

Guest: Rachael Hayes, M.A. CCC-SLP During this episode of Helping Kids Thrive, Nicole talks with speech language pathologist, Rachael Hayes about the importance of social skills development for children. She gives insight into language therapy focusing on social skills and practical tips and activities for parents to do with their kids to increase social skills development.  Learn more about Huddl...

Guests: Veronica Farrior + Megan Moran This episode of Helping Kids Thrive features two speech language pathologists, Veronica Farrior and Megan Moran. Veronica and Megan were recently interviewed on the "Let's Talk About Representation" podcast and join us today to explore ways to help raise children who are inclusive of others. During this episode, Veronica and Megan chat with host, Nicole, abou...