Advertise on podcast: Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

Today's episode is about Building a Life You Love... or what we typically call Transitional Planning when talking about teenagers! The timing of this episode is perfect because I have a new Boost Packet coming out soon called Transitional Planning: Testing, IEPs, and Transcripts! One of the things that I think is most important when it comes to Building a Life You Love is self-knowledge!! Self-knowledge keeps us from making a lot of unnecessary mistakes. But how do we magically gain this self-knowledge? One of the resources I like to use is assessment tools, including tests such as: Intelligence, Achievement, Personality, Executive Functioning, etc. Sometimes assessments like these can be cost prohibitive, and that is why I offer them through my membership to make self-knowledge more accessible! Join me as I share how marching to the beat of your own drum can end up being the best thing you ever do!  Check out the Show Notes for links to Amy's Transitional Planning Boost Packet and Special Needs Membership! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-83 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

Today we are talking all about Neurodivergent Homeschooling!! Given that kids with disabilities in the United States are bullied 2-3 TIMES MORE than neurotypical kids, I'm not shocked that so many neurodivergent parents choose to homeschool their own neurodivergent children! And honestly, given those numbers... no one has ANY place to tell you that you shouldn't homeschool your neurodivergent child. That's on all of the people who choose to either bully or turn a blind eye to bullying in schools! Obviously, I feel strongly about the bullying that happens in our schools, but that isn't what this episode is about. It's about Neurodivergent Homeschooling: why we make the choices we do, what it can look like, and how to make it EASIER!!! And if you only homeschooled during COVID and thought it was miserable, I've got good news -- our homeschool doesn't look anything like that!! It's more like having a forever summer break! Join me as I share some of the resources I have created to help parents just like you homeschool their neurodivergent kids with confidence... even when you don't have executive functioning skills!  Check out the Show Notes for links to Amy's Membership and to other resources mentioned in this podcast! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-82 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

How to Keep House While Drowning is a book by KC Davis that I am currently reading with the young adults in my membership!  We already had a book club for parents and a book club for kids, but our kids that are becoming young adults felt a little left out. And I couldn't think of a better book to start with because "adulting" can be really hard when you are a young neurodivergent adult! Actually it can still be hard if you consider yourself an old neurodivergent adult! But it is much harder before we gain much self-knowledge and learn to drop the guilt and baggage from the careless comments of others such as "You are so lazy!"  Join me as I share some hacks I've used to help me figure out how to keep house while drowning!  Check out the Show Notes for links to Amy's Membership and to other resources mentioned in this podcast! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-81 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

Today's episode is all about Advocacy: The Road Less Traveled! There is nothing that will protect you more in life than learning self-advocacy skills.  Unfortunately, we often sabotage children in developing self-advocacy by insisting on compliance training because compliance is the anti-thesis of self-advocacy! It is often taking the road less traveled that makes all the difference in outcomes for ourselves and our children! And we should not be afraid step out from conventional wisdom. Join me today as I share some of the things I have learned about Advocacy: The Road Less Traveled! Check out the Show Notes for a link to Amy's Resources! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-80 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

Today's episode is all about Dyslexia & Hyperlexia!  You may have heard of dyslexia, but you might be wondering exactly what hyperlexia is.  In the context we are talking about them today, they are both opposing strengths and weaknesses in working memory.  As I have watched my children grow up, I have gotten to observe up close what hyperlexia and dyslexia look like, as I have one of each. But does this really impact us as neurodivergent adults? Turns out, it has a HUGE impact on us in adulthood, even if we have already finished our formal education! How we learn affects what careers we are attracted to, how we spend our recreational hours, and how we solve problems in life! Are we stuck with our weaknesses in working memory? Yes and no. It is unlikely you will develop a strength in a weak area, but you can always improve! Join me today and learn more about Dyslexia & Hyperlexia... and about some inexpensive resources for strengthening your weaknesses in working memory! Check out the Show Notes for a link to Amy's Resources! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-79 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

Today's episode is all about Executive Functioning!  Executive functioning skills are tools we use every day to get things done, but for a lot of neurodivergent people, some of these skills are lacking. Personally, out of 12 executive functioning skills, I have about 3 that work really well (and that's on a good day). The rest have varied levels of deficiency. Given that I am now in my 40s, I seriously doubt that I will be gaining any new strengths in executive functioning, but that doesn't mean I'm doomed to failure! The key is to focus on the strengths you do have and how you can make the most of them, allowing you to approach life with confidence! Join me today and learn more about the various executive functioning skills and how you can make the strengths you have work for you! Check out the Show Notes for a link to Amy's Resources! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-78 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

Today's episode is Neurodivergent Parenthood, which seems appropriate after our previous episode, Neurodiverent Love & Marriage. Doesn't the saying go, "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage?" One of the best things about being a neurodivergent parent is that often neurodivergent parents create neurodivergent kids, and that means you get to create an entire community where it is normal to be neurodivergent!! That is something I would have loved to have as a child, and I am certain that I am not alone in that desire! Having a community where you feel like you belong is so important for healthy development and it is something many autistics miss out on! Parenting neurodivergent kids is often a lot easier for neurodivergent parents (despite having our own challenges) because we can relate to our child's experiences a little more easily at times, or at least have a frame of reference! Personally, I have loved having the opportunity to be a parent! It's not all sunshine and rainbows, but I do find that neurodivergent parents do often tend to approach the parent-child relationship as a partnership and even a friendship! Join us today and hear more about Neurodivergent Parenthood! Check out the Show Notes for a links to Amy's Resources! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-77 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

Welcome back to Season 5 of Special Needs Kids Are People Too, and our first episode: Neurodivergent Love and Marriage! In this season we are going to be talking about Neurodivergent Adulthood! Parents often ask me about Neurodivergent Adulthood, whether it is because they want to know why kind of life they are preparing their child for or because they are only just now grappling with their own neurodivergence! I decided the best place to start was with what I consider to be the most impactful decision I have made and that was to get married! Love and marriage takes a lot of hard work from both partners, which is why it doesn't always work out because both partners must be 100% all in! However, when we can find a partner who "gets us," shares our values, and brings different strengths to the partnership than we do, it can enable us to be far more than we could be by ourselves! I find this to be particularly true for neurodivergent partners. We tend to have an odd assortment of extreme strengths and weaknesses, and having a partner with different strengths and weaknesses that inspires us to continue to grow, can be a huge benefit! Join us today and hear more about Neurodivergent Love and Marriage! Check out the Show Notes for a links to Amy's Resources! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-76 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

One of the biggest problems plaguing parents of children with some sort of special need is: affording the care your child needs. There are seemingly endless supports your child needs when development takes a detour for whatever reason. And affording medical equipment, special foods, therapies, adaptive equipment, sensory inputs, tailored social opportunities, etc can get overwhelming FAST! Ordinarily our first thought is, "What costs can I cut?" But, Michael Pereira says that is not going to work because there are only so many expenses you can cut. He says what we need to do is find ways to increase our income. Now you might think, "That seems impossible. I am already working hard and exhausted." But Michael likes to point out that when you care for a child with a disability, you not only have added responsibilities, but you also GAIN skills that can be used to help with affording the care your child needs!! Join us today and hear more about some of the resources you might already have available to you! Check out the Show Notes for a link to Michael Pereira's Blog, The Autism Voyage! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-75 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

In today's episode, I am joined by Raj Khedun, as we talk about how important it is to just breathe! All of us have lived through some tough times over the last 5 years. Even if everything else went perfectly in your life, you still lived through a worldwide pandemic. Stressors can cause not only anxiety but also Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. You can also experience medically induced PTSD from difficult experiences with getting medical care for yourself or someone close to you. When you find yourself experiencing symptoms of PTSD, it can be overwhelming to even do basic life activities like eating and sleeping even. That's why what Raj has to share with us about his breathing technique is so important because it only takes 1 minute! Join us today to learn a breathing technique that is so simple and yet so powerful! Check out the Show Notes for link a link to Raj Khedun's business, Keep Fit Kingdom! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-74 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

In today's episode, I am joined by Dr. Gwendolynn Diaz, as we talk about the importance of embracing the set of cards life deals you. Everyone comes into this life with a set of cards. Sometimes we look at that set of cards and assume that we have been dealt a bad hand.  But, the set of cards you come into the world with is not something to turn away from. It is something embrace because those cards are a part of you, and you are a beautiful part of this world! Dr. Gwendolynn Diaz is a doctor of Ayurvedic medicine and works with clients worldwide online! I have personally worked with Dr. Diaz and find the Ayurvedic approach to health to be uplifting!  As someone who spends a lot of time seeing doctors about all the things that are wrong with my body, I find Ayurveda's emphasis on bringing balance back to the body to be a needed reprieve! Join us today to hear about a different way of looking at healthcare! Check out the Show Notes for link a link to Dr. Gwendolynn Diaz's website, Origins Health, and maybe make an appointment to start embracing the cards life has dealt you! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-73 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

In today's episode, I am joined by Dr. Erin Attaway, and we are talking all about the chemistry of your life: your blood! Dr. Erin Attaway is a doctor of Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and so she has a different way of looking at our traditional blood test results! I, personally, find her approach to be anxiety reducing and empowering! Join us today to hear about a different way of looking at your labs! Check out the Show Notes for link a link to Dr. Erin Attaway's website, Five Points Health, and maybe make an appointment to have her explain the chemistry of your life! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-72 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

Today's show is all about PANDAS: The Fight Against Chronic Inflammation! Check out the show to find out what PANDAS is and more broadly what PANS is! My guest, Ethan Pompeo, not only shares his story of living with PANDAS and reaching a place of acceptance and proactive positivity, but he also shares with us his 3 step plan to living with chronic inflammation well: Stop, Start, and Smile! The things that Ethan has found to help him live with his chronic inflammation will be helpful not just to PANDAS sufferers but to those with an number of chronic inflammatory conditions including Long COVID! Check out the Show Notes for links to Ethan's company, Green Valley Nutrition! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-71 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

Autism, Vaccines, and Diets are words that have caused much controversy over the years.  Everyone has an opinion, and people often feel threatened when people have different opinions from them.  I hope that this episode will be a breath of fresh air that allows us to consider some possibilities that might not always be considered. But mostly, I hope this episode encourages you to see each child as an individual and to let that guide you! Check out the Show Notes for links to more resources mentioned in the episode! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-70 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome: when your body is a Mercedes living in a Ford pick-up world. Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is a common comorbidity for both Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and Dysautonomia. It is often described as "being allergic to the universe." But perhaps it is best described as a Mercedes living in a Ford pick-up world. People with MCAS have bodies that need a lot of extra TLC! Avoidance of triggers is one of the most important things in supporting someone with MCAS, but it goes beyond that, it means performing regular maintenance checks on your body assuring that you maintain homeostasis  Check out the Show Notes for links to more resources about Mast Cell Activation Syndrome! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-69 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting – Seeing the Possibilities through a Neurodivergent Lens because Special Needs Kids Are People Too!