Living the Sky Life - Our Autism Journey

Linda Pollack Orleans is a consultant, writer and speaker who holds a Masters Degree in Social Work from University of Southern California. Linda worked professionally as a school social worker and currently does consultations with schools and community organizations, assisting in programs designed to help her daughter and others with special needs bond with their mainstream peers.  Linda's articl...

Nicole Hendrick Donovan is an author, reflective storyteller, spiritual seeker and teacher. Nicole is a former Montessori educator who has worked with a variety of students with various needs. After her son's autism diagnosis, she became an ABA therapist and worked directly with children and families in the autism community. In July of 2020, Nicole published A Life Suspended: A Mother and Son's St...

As I look back on 2020, I'd like to think I learned some valuable lessons about myself.  On this solo episode, I share what those key takeaways were and my plans for 2021.  I'd love to hear what positives you took from 2020 (c'mon, there has to be at least one if you dig deep enough to find it!) so drop me a comment on my IG or FB page or send me an email!   ***************************************...

I truly am a joyful person who loves the Christmas holiday... but autism sure can put a damper on the festivities!  In this solo episode, I tackle the topic of how to navigate Christmas decorating and gift opening with a special needs child.   I would love to hear suggestions and solutions of how you handle the holidays - maintain the joy and don't over stress! Connect with me on my IG or FB page...

Amy Allnutt is mom to three kids; Elizabeth (23), Emma (21) and her non-verbal autistic son Jack (18) and has been married to her husband Bob for 25 years.  The Allnutts' world exploded when their son Jack attended an RPM camp in Austin TX in 2012 where he learned to type to communicate. Since then, Amy and her family have advocated for the voices of those who type to communicate and have shared t...

Kate Swenson is a mother, wife, writer, and caregiver advocate. She and her husband Jamie live in Minnesota with their 3 boys. Currently she is working on her memoir, Forever Boy, and building Coop's Troops, a safe space for parents of children of special needs on Facebook. To join visit  https://www.facebook.com/ becomesupporter/ 772295979579532/ . To follow her family's journey, visit  http://ww...

Amy McCoy's debut children's novel, Little Big Sister, shares the sibling perspective of growing up with a brother who has special needs. Amy's children, Matthew (16) and Kathryn (14) are the inspiration for her books and her work. Amy visits elementary schools, libraries, bookstores and other community groups offering interactive presentations highlighting disability awareness. Amy is a former el...

Mary Susan McConnell is a native Tennessean who has been having a helluva good time since her arrival at Baptist Hospital in the late Spring of '84. She is the host of the popular Mama Bear Podcast- a space she created for fellow women raising kids with special needs. She is married to singer/songwriter Sean McConnell and is the mother to their 9 year old Ghanaian beauty, The Magical Abiella. As a...

Julie Hornok has over fifteen years of autism industry experience as a parent, non-profit founder, behavioral program facilitator, global interviewer, speaker and award-winning author of the book  United in Autism: Finding Strength Inside the Spectrum . Her daughter, Lizzie, was diagnosed with autism at the age of two and as her daughter made good progress, Julie poured her freed-up energy into pr...

Jess Ronne is an author, speaker, podcast host, documentary producer & caregiver advocate.  She is founder and executive director of The Lucas Project—a non-profit dedicated to providing recognition, resources, and respite for special needs families. She and her husband Ryan live in Tennessee with their 8 children, including their son Lucas who has profound special needs. Her story of beauty from...

Hailing from a small town southeast of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,  Catherine Hughes is the daughter of two English professors and mother to Christian who is on the autism spectrum. She is a passionate advocate, innovative storyteller, and community strategist.  Catherine is an international best-selling author and/or editor of multiple books including It's Going to be AUlright : Testimonies from Au...

Christina Abernethy is a dedicated wife, mother of three, and passionate advocate for people impacted by disabilities. She has coordinated events to fund research, supports and service dogs for families. She has served on local committees, coached an adaptive cheerleading team, and won awards for successful fundraising endeavors including those for "Team Bubba," honoring her son with autism. She i...

Dr. Lisa Peña is a proud coach's wife, a clinical pharmacist, passionate public speaker and a busy mom of three including a daughter with a unique subset of autism called, pathological demand avoidance (PDA). Dr. Peña is a co-founder of the nonprofit Labeled and Loved and director of the nonprofit's annual weekend retreat for mother's with special needs children. She is a Today Show Parenting team...

Wow!!  What a jam packed first season of Living the Sky Life!  I want to extend my sincere thanks to all of the many incredible guests who took the time to chat with me and I'm equally as grateful to ALL of the thousands of listeners each week!  Your feedback and encouragement has made hosting this podcast so much fun and rewarding... so, THANK YOU!  I sure hope Season 2 is even more memorable - k...

My 15-year-old, neurotypical daughter, Kendall joins me for a very candid conversation.  We touch on her feelings about growing up with a severely autistic brother, her struggles with anxiety & depression and the need for sibling support groups among many other topics. ***************************************** To purchase my book " Welcome to My Life – A Personal Parenting Journey Through Autism"...

Spelling to Communicate (S2C) is a technique that helps children with ASD express their thoughts and feelings through use of spelling!  Students point to letters on a board to spell words and eventually create sentences.  I'm thrilled to have my son's S2C practitioner Kelley Howe as my guest today to discuss the program in more detail and also the significant role that motor functioning plays when...

This is an episode you NEED to listen to!  While taping this episode, I learned so many important lessons and tips for assisting first responders in any type of an emergency... things that are crucially important to ensure the safety of our special needs children! My guest, Ashlee Parker, is from a small town outside of Springfield, Missouri. She's married to her husband Kyle and they have a 9-wee...

Nancy Campbell has been married to her husband Matt for 21 years and together they have 3 beautiful children, Avery (18), Isaac (12) and Emma (11).  Nancy currently works as the principal of the Prosser Career Education Center, located in New Albany, Indiana.  Nancy holds degrees in Family & Computer Sciences Education as well as Child Development/Family Life.  Her oldest son, Avery was "officiall...

Caryn  Culver is a life long Tennessean and currently resides in Knoxville. She received her bachelors degree from the University of Tennessee and received her doctorate degree in pharmacy from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She has been a practicing pharmacist since graduating in 2002. Caryn 's middle child, Peyton, was diagnosed with autism in 2010 at the age of two. Since th...

Shirley Sansom resides in Huntington, WV and is a wife (of 21 years), mother and fierce advocate of all children - particularly those with special needs.  Shirley's love of children led her to owning a daycare for many years, becoming a foster mother and ultimately adoption - when her beautiful son, Jacob who is on the autism spectrum, was placed into her life.  Now 28 years old, Jacob made Shirle...

Robin LaHue is the owner/founder of Sweet Miracles Bakery in Louisville, Ky. She is a stay at home mom who lost her job due to COVID-19. For years, she wanted a way to be able to help families with autistic children as she has a close family connection to the disorder. So, after years of prayer, she felt it was her mission to use her talents with baking and decorating to help those families in nee...

Christina Stearns is an autism mom from Upstate New York.  Her son Alec is 15 years old and on the autism spectrum.  She is a founding member of the Autism & Mental Health Initiative of Central New York (CNY), and board member of a new non-profit organization, Sanchia A. Callender, Inc. (visit  www.sanchia.org ).  Recently, Christina was featured along with two other autism parents in a mini docum...

In this part 2 episode with Kelly (@growingupSteven), we discuss the various challenges that face parents when their son/daughter ages out of traditional services & opportunities.  At the age of 18, there are steps that need to be taken on your child's behalf - such as filing for Social Security benefits and perhaps seeking legal counsel to prepare either a Power of Attorney or Guardianship.  *Ste...

Amie Schindler leads a full life and appreciates each role she's been blessed with - wife of 22 years to Ed, mom of three teenagers (Bryce, Brayden & Kendall), entrepreneur of her business, Touchstone Crystal for 15 years & autism advocate for Brayden.  Amie keeps her family at the forefront of her life and always focuses on living for today!  She is also the PTO President, assists with the local...

In 2012, Jerry Turning began writing about his experiences as an autism dad and established the successful blog: Bacon and Juiceboxes: Our Life With Autism. He earned a following of over 35,000 supporters who share his family's challenges and triumphs. Jerry has also served 25 years as a municipal police officer and now holds the rank of Captain. He served most of his police career as a decorated...