The Special Needs Mom Podcast

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) In this episode, I explore the deep connection between loneliness and grief as a special needs mom. Loneliness can feel like stepping into an unfamiliar world, while the rest of your community continues on like nothing has changed. We discuss how relationships shift in these moments and why feeling abandoned is such a co...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) This week, I thought I’d be back with a full episode, but instead, here’s a quick check-in and a preview of what's to come. I share a bit about our recent school emergency and the challenging space of not knowing what’s next. If you’ve ever had to live in that uncertainty, you’ll relate. I also talk about the import...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) During a peloton ride recently, my instructor Robin Arzon, said something that has stuck with me. "Find your people, and climb your mountains together." I instantly thought of all of you. As special needs moms, we face tough challenges, but we’re stronger when we support each other. This is what I talk about on...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) This week, to take care of myself, I’m hitting pause on a full episode. In its place I have something special for you: I’m sharing my contribution to the anthology Becoming Brave Together: Heroic, Extraordinary Caregiving Stories from Mothers Hidden in Plain Sight . My piece, titled Anger. Rage. Fear. Surrender. Repeat....

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) This is an un-episode episode, a break from our regularly scheduled programming. Here are some previous episodes for your binging pleasure: Trauma, Shame & Loss of Identity https://www.buzzsprout.com/1190612/14473465 Understanding Trauma as a Gateway to Healing Pt 1. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1190612/14507073 Trauma...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) In this episode, I’m sharing a rough day I had when something totally unexpected threw me off. I won’t go into details (to respect my son’s privacy), but I was left feeling embarrassed and powerless. Ever been there? This led me to the idea of self-care in advance —basically, planning ahead for those stressful moments we...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) In this episode, I sit down with Andie Torres, a fellow special needs mom, author, and "maker of pretty things" for this podcast. Andie shares her journey as a special needs mom, how she is learning to let go of the need to control everything, and the importance of having compassion for those inside and outside...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) Why do we find ourselves on the fringe? Why do we find ourselves alone even though we so deeply want to belong? In this episode we look at why we feel isolated inside the diagnoses communities of our kids. I share my personal experience with my family at Oncology & Kids Camp (OAK) this last weekend and why this was o...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) In this candid episode, I sit around a virtual table and catch up with a group of incredible moms from our community. They share their personal stories, discuss the challenges they faced this summer, and offer each other (and you) support and encouragement. This episode is all about being known, seen, and supported in th...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) In this episode we delve into the transition from the chaos of summer to the stability of fall. I candidly share my own struggles during the summer, particularly around unmet needs for my disabled son, Levi, and offer hope and practical advice for making this seasonal shift smoother for special needs families like mine....

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) In this episode, we are exploring the transformative tool of AI, specifically ChatGPT, and how it can be a game changer for caregivers and special needs moms. From streamlining tasks, to assisting with paperwork and medical bills, to enhancing email communication, discover how this tech can be your new best friend.  We h...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) In honor of our Summer Sabbath Challenge, we are taking time to invest in rest. To give us more space and time we are rebroadcasting previous episodes for June & July. This is the last episode in the series and it is a companion episode to Reclaiming Your Life: The Journey from Helpless to Empowered, last week's...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) In honor of our Summer Sabbath Challenge, we are taking time to invest in rest. To give us more space and time we are rebroadcasting previous episodes for June & July. Stick around! I am bringing back some really well received episodes that I know you'll enjoy! This is a rebroadcast of Episode 103 that aired Sep...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) In honor of our Summer Sabbath Challenge, we are taking time to invest in rest. To give us more space and time we are rebroadcasting previous episodes for June & July. Stick around! I am bringing back some really well received episodes that I know you'll enjoy! This is a rebroadcast of Episode 24 that aired Febr...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) In honor of our Summer Sabbath Challenge, we are taking time to invest in rest. To give us more space and time we are rebroadcasting previous episodes for June & July. Stick around! I am bringing back some really well received episodes that I know you'll enjoy! This is a rebroadcast of Episode 78 that aired Marc...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) In honor of our Summer Sabbath Challenge, we are taking time to invest in rest. To give us more space and time we are rebroadcasting previous episodes for June & July. Stick around! I am bringing back some really well received episodes that I know you'll enjoy! This is a rebroadcast of Episode 131 that aired Feb...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) In honor of our Summer Sabbath Challenge, we are taking time to invest in rest. To give us more space and time we are rebroadcasting previous episodes for June & July. Stick around! I am bringing back some really well received episodes that I know you'll enjoy! This is a rebroadcast of Episode 164 that aired in...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) It's the launch of our summer sabbath series! Kara discusses how summer will look different on the pod over the summer months and invites you to join her in her season of rest. The episode ends with some "extra credit" for you to get you through change of pace that having our kiddos out of school creates....

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) Fellow brain cancer mama and podcast host, Wendy Taylor, sat down with me this week to talk about the call that changed everything, what it's like to prepare our teenage boys for adulthood and how the educational system can work to more seamlessly support our special needs kids in learning and life.  Wendy is a cert...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) This episode is an oldie, but a goodie. We explore how hard it is to remove our identity from the actions and behaviors of our children, how it isn't a reflection of our parenting and how we can give away our power to the opinions of others. I invite you to look within yourself and ask some uncomfortable questions t...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) Here we are, we've reached 200 episodes! What an exciting milestone! Let's celebrate by getting deep and taking questions from you, my beloved community and friends. The questions range from deeply personal to practical and logistical. Even my kids weigh in. Thank you to everyone who messaged or commented with...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) Get it? Just a little mom humor with my Lego Movie reference. I couldn't help myself. 🙂  In this short episode I share my thoughts around a concept that keeps coming up, both in my life and the life of my coaching clients. We talk about what's it's like to have an experience with your child and to feel se...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) This conversation is a necessary and stimulating (pun intended) exchange between Cindy and myself. This podcast was created to serve and focus on you, the special needs mom, and this episode does exactly that. It implores you to connect to yourself and to what you need and to the sensations of your body. Cindy Scharkey i...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) This week's episode is my ode to you, special needs mama.  I share from my heart about our role as Mother, in all its complexity and beauty. My hope is that you feel validated, seen and honored. Happy Mother's Day! Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/th...

Send us a text (Note: we are not able to respond but LOVE to hear from you!!) As you may or may not know, this episode is extra close to my heart, as my son has a disability with cancer at its center and Parvathy also has a similar experience.  After both her children were diagnosed with multiple rare/ultra rare and nano rare diseases (some of which predispose them to cancer), Parvathy Krishnan de...