The Parenting Epilepsy and Special Needs Podcast with Erica Hauser

When our daughter underwent a hemispherectomy at just four years old, we had no idea how many small tools and adaptive products would make such a big difference during and after her recovery. While we were still in the hospital, another epilepsy mom—whose daughter had also undergone a hemispherectomy—visited us with a gift bag full of items we didn’t even know existed. Looking back, those thoughtf...

Being a caregiver for a medically complex child is one of the most demanding roles a parent can take on — and some weeks are harder than others. In this episode, I'm sharing a particularly tough week in our journey caring for our daughter, who has epilepsy and a complex medical history, and the powerful lessons I took away from it. In this episode, I cover: What happened when our daughter expe...

Can you believe we’re already halfway through the year? As moms, especially moms caring for children with epilepsy, special needs, or complex medical conditions, we spend so much time focused on everyone else that we rarely pause to reflect on ourselves. The days are busy, the schedules are full, and before we know it, months have passed. In this episode, I’m sharing a simple exercise inspired by...

When your child is diagnosed with epilepsy, infantile spasms, or other complex medical needs, it’s natural to go into problem-solving mode. We search for treatments, therapies, specialists, and solutions because we want to ease their suffering and help them to not only survive but to also thrive. But what happens when that mindset begins to spill over into every aspect of our child’s life? In this...

There are certain photos that instantly transport us back to a specific moment in our lives. Recently, I came across a photo of myself holding my four-month-old daughter, Katie, just two days after our first epilepsy-related hospital stay. While everyone around me was excited for Christmas, I remember sitting in that school gym filled with fear, uncertainty, and questions that seemed impossible to...

In this episode, I open up about our family's next step in managing our daughter's epilepsy — an inpatient stay at our local children's hospital to fully commit to the ketogenic diet. After more than a decade of navigating epilepsy together, including multiple surgeries, countless medications, a VNS device implant, and an earlier attempt at a modified keto diet, we are once again stepp...

Summer break can bring excitement, but for parents of children with epilepsy and special needs, it can also bring stress, planning and a lot of questions. In this episode, I’m sharing practical ideas, personal experiences and helpful resources that have worked for our family when it comes to keeping your child active, engaged, social and supported throughout the summer months. From ESY and adaptiv...

In today’s episode, we’re talking about something that often gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list for caregivers and special needs moms… friendship and connection. As summer approaches, I’ve been reflecting on the importance of socializing — both for our children with epilepsy and special needs and for ourselves as caregivers. In this episode, I’m focusing on the importance of maintainin...

Mother’s Day can bring a mix of emotions—especially for moms raising children with special needs and epilepsy. In this episode, I’m taking a moment to speak directly to YOU—the moms who show up every single day with strength, love, and unwavering dedication. From managing appointments and advocating fiercely, to navigating sleepless nights and emotional highs and lows… this journey is not easy. Bu...

When children notice differences, they often stare. It’s natural curiosity — but what happens next can become a powerful teaching moment. In today’s episode, I’m sharing my perspective as a mom parenting a daughter with a visible disability and special needs, and offering an invitation to rethink what happens when children stare. Instead of seeing these moments as awkward or something to avoid, wh...

The transition to kindergarten can feel overwhelming for any parent—but when your child has epilepsy, special needs, and a complex medical history, it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders as you are preparing for them to kick off their elementary school phase. In this episode, I’m sharing our personal journey navigating the transition from preschool to kindergarten just 1 year a...

In today’s episode, I’m sharing a conversation that I will never forget… one that I’m still incredibly grateful for nearly a decade later. Before my daughter started preschool, I had no idea what to expect. Like many parents, my understanding of school was based on my experience with my older children. But one honest, thoughtful conversation with a friend—someone who had walked this path before me...

How do you mentally prepare for your child’s brain surgery? If you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and unsure how to handle what’s ahead—you are not alone. In this deeply personal episode, I share what helped me navigate one of the most emotional and challenging seasons of my life as we prepared for our daughter’s hemispherectomy surgery. While nothing can fully prepare you for a life-changing pr...

In today’s episode, I’m opening up about something that can feel incredibly hard—but is absolutely essential… taking a break from caregiving. I recently took a short break away—from work, home, and caregiving—and it reminded me just how important it is to step away, even briefly. Whether it’s a few hours or a few days, creating space for yourself can leave you feeling refreshed, grounded, and more...

March 26th is Purple Day, also known as Epilepsy Awareness Day—a day where many people wear purple, share posts, and show support. But behind that color… there are real families, real stories, and a reality that most people don’t fully see. In this episode, I’m opening up about what epilepsy truly looks like—not just from the outside, but from inside our everyday life as a family navigating seizur...

In this very personal episode, I reflect on a moment that always brings a wave of emotion — the anniversary of when my daughter and I came home from inpatient rehab after her hemispherectomy brain surgery.  Every March, photo memories pop up on my phone from the weeks following her surgery and the five weeks we spent in inpatient rehabilitation. It’s a powerful reminder of just how far she — and o...

When brain surgery becomes part of the conversation for your child’s epilepsy, the weight of that decision can feel overwhelming. In this episode, I’m sharing our family’s personal experience with seeking multiple second opinions before moving forward with our daughter’s hemispherectomy surgery. This is a deeply emotional topic, and I wanted to create this episode because so many parents are askin...

As I was thinking about what to talk about today, I kept coming back to something so many of us quietly carry — the natural fear and anxiety that shows up when we’re about to make a change for our child. If you’re parenting a child with special needs and epilepsy, you know this rhythm. There are seasons of steady and calm… and then there are seasons where, in order to move forward — toward seizure...

The struggle is real!! If you have attempted to take your child with special needs and epilepsy for a “typical” dental cleaning, you know how challenging and stressful it can be. I was on a mission to find a provider who understood how to calmly, efficiently and quickly examine and clean my daughter’s teeth. I will be honest I wasn’t sure if this type of dental experience was out there, but I had...

In this episode I discuss redefining love when you’re raising a child with epilepsy & special needs. I touch on how love for our children can look different than how we thought it might look. The invisible love that no one sees, but that most definitely deserves recognition. Love for ourselves and also how the love in our relationships with our spouse can look different, but can still survive...

It doesn’t have to be perfect or hours long—it just matters that you do it. In this episode, I share a realistic approach to exercise for busy moms, especially those caring for children with epilepsy and special needs. From short workouts at home to walking,  strength training, Pilates, and YouTube classes, I talk about how 10–30 minutes of movement can make a powerful difference in your physical...

It can be overwhelming when your child is scheduled for a multi-day inpatient EEG hospital stay, what do you pack, what will they need and what will you need for YOU? Over the years Erica and her daughter have had many inpatient 5 day or more EEG stays and we learned what personal items were important to have with us to make the stay more comfortable.  Need a little extra help packing? In today’s...

If you are a mom of a child with epilepsy and special needs, you may be able to relate to the constant sleep disruptions that occur each night. In this episode Erica will share the solutions that her and her husband tried over the past years and what product FINALLY worked to help their daughter sleep through the night in her own bed!  Erica also mentions the sleep monitoring system that she uses...

If you are a mom of a child with epilepsy and special needs, chances are the hardest conversations you have aren’t out loud—they’re the ones happening quietly inside your own mind. In this episode, we’re talking about self-talk: the internal thoughts that shape how we see ourselves, how we parent, and how we survive the hard days. This isn’t about positive thinking or fixing your mindset. It’s abo...

There’s a quiet fear many parents carry after years of care giving for a child with complex epilepsy or special needs—the fear that somewhere along the way, they lost themselves. In this episode, we’re talking about the identity shift that happens when life changes you in ways you never expected. Not in a dramatic, overnight way—but in the slow, subtle ways that leave you wondering, “Who am I now?...