Mother's Guide Through Autism

Send us Fan Mail If you are navigating an autism diagnosis with your child, you already know how heavy and isolating the journey can feel. But there is a side to this story we don't hear often enough: the father’s perspective. In this episode, host Brigitte Shipman sits down with Harry Psaros—an autism father, advocate, board member for the Autism Caring Center, and best-selling author of “Fr...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of A Mother's Guide Through Autism, host Brigitte Shipman sits down with Maureen Brice and Dr. Nicole Dolan to explore a deeply profound side of caregiving: the parent’s own nervous system, trauma history, and energetic frequency. When your neurodivergent child has a meltdown, does your own anxiety or anger immediately skyrocket? You are not alone. Maureen Bri...

Send us Fan Mail This episode was originally released on Your Trauma Talks and is being shared here with permission so our audience can hear this meaningful conversation.  In this interview, host Rahul K. Maharaj speaks with Brigitte Shipman and Joseph Shipman about faith, advocacy, acceptance, autism, and neurodiversity from both the mother’s and autistic adult’s perspective.  The conversation ex...

Send us Fan Mail When a child is emotionally dysregulated, it’s easy for parents to feel unsure, exhausted, or like they’re constantly reacting instead of responding. In this episode of Mother’s Guide Through Autism, host Brigitte Shipman sits down with Sara Lewis Hartley, a healthcare leader with over 20 years of experience and the author of the Purposefully Me children’s book series, to explore...

Send us Fan Mail In this compilation episode, we explore how nervous system regulation plays a foundational role in children’s focus, emotional balance, and ability to engage—especially for kids with sensory processing differences and autism. Drawing from two past conversations on the podcast, this episode highlights how overactive or underactive sensory systems can impact learning, behavior, and...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mother’s Guide Through Autism, Brigitte welcomes back Carrie Cariello—mother, writer, and one of the co-authors of the bestselling book Autism Out Loud, written alongside Kate Swenson and Adrian Wood. Together, these three mothers share their lived experiences of raising children with very different autism profiles. In this conversation, Carrie opens up about th...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mother’s Guide Through Autism, Brigitte Shipman sits down with Dr. Theresa Lyons, Yale-trained scientist and founder of Navigating AWEtism, to bring clarity, hope, and grounded science to the conversation. Dr. Lyons explains what new research is revealing about the evolving definition of autism, how some children lose their autism diagnosis over time, and how pa...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you step away from “fixing” and begin meeting your autistic child exactly where they are? In this heartfelt episode of Mother’s Guide Through Autism, Brigitte talks with Jennifer Briggs, a mom who created a home-based Son-Rise program—called Sarah-Rise—for her daughter who has a rare genetic anomaly and autism. Jennifer opens up about the stressful early years, t...

Send us Fan Mail When your child is in full meltdown mode, what do you do? If you’ve ever felt like you’re trying to hold it together while everything around you is falling apart—you’re not alone. In this powerful episode, Brigitte talks with Lisa Candera, solo mom to a teen with severe autism and OCD, full-time attorney, and certified life coach for autism moms. Lisa shares the hard-earned tools...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve ever felt like you’re holding it all together on the outside…while your insides are screaming—this episode is for you. Brigitte sits down with Kimberly Guche, a pediatric speech-language pathologist, mindset coach, and mom of four, to talk about something we rarely say out loud: parenting an autistic or highly sensitive child can feel overwhelming. The pressure. The unpr...

Send us Fan Mail In this heartfelt episode of Mother’s Guide Through Autism, host Brigitte Shipman sits down with Kathleen Somers, a mother and author, to explore the complex emotional landscape of raising a child with an invisible disability. Kathleen reflects on her 24-year journey parenting a son with high-functioning autism—from initial denial to acceptance.  With honesty and humility, she sha...

Send us Fan Mail Can what your child eats really affect their behavior? In this episode of the Mother’s Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte speaks with Sonya Bell—a registered nurse, autism mom, and integrative nutrition health coach—about the powerful connection between food and behavior in neurodivergent children. After both her son and daughter were diagnosed with developmental differences,...

Send us Fan Mail In this heartfelt episode of the Mother’s Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte Shipman and Maureen Brice are joined by special guest Kim Heinl to reflect on the powerful experience of the Recharge and Restore Retreat for Autism Moms—a weekend of deep connection, rest, and healing. Kim shares her transformative journey of rediscovering self-care, how it changed her perspective as...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really take to support a child on the autism spectrum—especially one who thinks visually or struggles with communication? In this powerful episode of the Mother’s Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte sits down with Dr. Temple Grandin—renowned scientist, inventor, author, and autism advocate. Dr. Grandin shares personal stories from her childhood, including what help...

Send us Fan Mail In this heartfelt episode of Mother's Guide through Autism Podcast, Brigitte sits down with award-winning journalist, autism mom, and author Peggy Henkel Wolf to discuss the intricacies of responsible and responsive parenting for children on the autism spectrum.  For nearly two decades, Peggy has been exploring themes in autism parenting and self-determination on her blog. Th...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism, Brigitte speaks with Coach Lee Hopkins, a social connections coach and late-diagnosed autistic adult.  As the founder of Patterns of Possibility, he supports individuals and organizations in creating connection through authenticity, boundaries, and conscious conversation. Lee shares his personal journey and insights into helpi...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Mother's Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte talks to Nancy Gilette, a certified RDI consultant and behavior coach with over 20 years of experience in supporting autistic children and their families. Nancy shares her unique approach to shifting from crisis and compliance to connection and co-regulation. They discuss: - the importance of parental regu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Mother's Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte talks with Lynn Greenberg, a passionate advocate for neurodivergent children and the author of a children's book about dyslexia.  Lynn talks about her personal journey with her son Jonathan's dyslexia diagnosis, navigating the educational system, and creating a supportive roadmap to success.  In...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte interviews Ethan Pompeo, who shares his incredible journey of battling an autoimmune disease called PANDAS.  Today, his company, Green Valley Nutrition, provides CBD products to help people battling various ailments, including autism-related symptoms. In this episode, he talks about: - his struggles with neuro...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mother's Guide Through Autism podcast, Brigitte talks to Clain Udy, co-founder and president of Autism Elevated.  Clain shares his journey of raising a high-functioning autistic son and emphasizes the importance of focusing on strengths rather than weaknesses.  In this episode, he discusses: - his transformation in understanding autism, shifting the focus f...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Mother's Guide through Autism podcast, Brigitte and Maureen Brice discuss the critical importance of self-compassion for autism moms. They talk about their personal experiences and the pervasive issue of mothers prioritizing everyone else over themselves. They urge moms to live a lighter life by focusing on daily practices of self-care and self-love. Br...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Mother's Guide through Autism podcast, host Brigitte Shipman welcomes back Maureen Brice for a deep conversation about the stress and challenges autism moms face.  Drawing comparisons to the high stress levels experienced by combat soldiers, they explore the emotional toll of raising a child on the autism spectrum. Brigitte and Maureen discuss their persona...

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Hokehe Eko is a Board Certified Pediatrician specializing in Integrative Medicine for children with ADHD/Autism on a mission to empower families with neuro-divergent children. In this episode, she shares: - how a change in diet had dramatic effects on her daughter and her patients - why addressing the underlying issues is crucial in helping your autistic child - 4 Pillars of H...

Send us Fan Mail Maggie McGarvie is a speech-language pathologist who embraces neurodiversity and brings sixteen years of professional experience to her work. Maggie has served in various environments, from early intervention to supporting adolescents transitioning out of the education system. Her heartfelt passion lies in helping families strengthen their connections with their children. In this...

Send us Fan Mail Brigitte invites Maureen Brice back to the Mother's Guide Through Autism Podcast for a new segment called Chill and Chat with Maureen & Brigitte to make a big announcement! If you are a mom raising a child with autism, you don't want to miss this announcement. Tune in! Brigitte is an autism parent coach, author, speaker, and the host and creator of the Mother's...