Advertise on podcast: The Telepathy Tapes: Now What?

In this episode of Now What?, Betsy and Libby sit down with Dr. Zach Bush for a conversation about one of the ideas at the heart of their experiences as parents: what if our children are perceiving the world in ways we have forgotten how to perceive ourselves? The conversation begins with nature. Betsy reflects on how her son Joe is drawn to the earth, water, and the natural world, while she often finds herself caught up in the worries of everyday life. From there, Zach explores his belief that life is fundamentally built through relationship and that many of us have become disconnected from that sense of interconnection. They talk about autism, sensory experience, food, the microbiome, and why Zach believes some nonspeaking autistic people may be deeply attuned to environmental signals that others have learned to filter out. They also discuss parenting, the exhaustion of trying to control outcomes, and what can happen when caregivers begin to follow their child's lead rather than constantly trying to make their child fit into the world around them. For parents who have spent years asking What do I do?, Zach offers a different question: What happens if we become quiet enough to notice what our children are already showing us? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nutrition can feel overwhelming for any family. Add sensory differences, limited diets, food sensitivities, gut issues, and a nervous system that may already be working overtime, and figuring out what to put on the plate can become one more enormous task for caregivers. In this episode of Now What?, Betsy and Libby sit down with nutritionist Kelly Dorfman to strip the conversation back to the basics. Rather than prescribing a single “autism diet,” Kelly explains how protein, plants, blood sugar, food quality, and nutrient deficiencies can affect how comfortable someone feels in their body, and why nutrition may be especially worth examining when a nonspeaker is struggling with regulation. They also explore picky eating and ARFID, why introducing new foods can be particularly difficult for people with sensory and motor challenges, the limitations of food-sensitivity testing, and what families should know before experimenting with supplements or restrictive diets. Most importantly, Kelly offers overwhelmed caregivers a manageable place to begin: reduce artificial dyes and highly processed foods, rethink sugary drinks, and build a better breakfast. Visit Kelly's website at www.kellydorfman.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Telepathy Tapes: Now What?, Betsy Hicks-Russ and Libby Ingram sit down with occupational therapist and Sunrise Therapies founder Erin Clarelli to take a deeper look at whole-body apraxia, and what parents and practitioners can actually do to support a body that doesn’t always follow the mind’s intentions. Erin breaks down motor loops, sensory differences, co-regulation, and the importance of presuming competence from the inside out. She also shares practical ways families can build intentional movement into everyday life, from unloading the dishwasher to getting dressed, playing games, and participating more fully in the world. Along the way, Betsy and Libby reflect on their own experiences, including the mistakes, breakthroughs, and mindset shifts that come with learning to see behavior through a sensory-motor lens. Supporting intentional movement isn’t about demanding compliance or getting every movement “right.” It’s about understanding the person beneath the movement, building trust, and creating opportunities for greater agency and independence. For more information on Erin Clarelli you can visit: www.instagram.com/sunrise.therapies www.sunrisetherapiesinc.com www.facebook.com/sunrise.therapies.inc/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Betsy and Libby turn the microphone around on Ky Dickens, creator of The Telepathy Tapes. Ky shares the deeply personal story behind the series from years of rejection and the moment she feared the project might never reach the world, to its unexpected rise as a global phenomenon. She reflects on the non-speakers and families who shaped the work, the criticism that followed its success, and why advocacy must remain at the heart of everything that comes next. It’s a candid conversation about perseverance, allyship, the responsibility of telling someone else’s story, and the mission that made walking away impossible. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Betsy and Libby sit down with somatic trauma practitioner Lisa Fairman to explore how stress, grief, and chronic caregiving shape the body, and why nervous system regulation matters for the entire family. Together they discuss co-regulation, trauma responses, boundaries, grief, nutrition, and practical ways caregivers can move from survival mode toward greater steadiness and connection. The conversation also ventures into telepathy, as Lisa shares insights she received from several non-speakers about the body's wisdom, the importance of community, and what they hope caregivers understand most. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, or simply looking for new ways to care for yourself while caring for someone else, this episode offers compassionate guidance and practical tools to help you find your way back to yourself. To learn more about Lisa visit www.lisafairman.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens to our relationships after someone we love dies? Can connection continue even when physical presence is gone? In one of the most heartfelt conversations of the series, Betsy and Libby sit down with child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Eric Fier to explore grief through a profoundly different lens. Drawing from the loss of his own daughter, Dr. Fier shares how his understanding of love, consciousness, and the human soul transformed after her diagnosis and eventual passing. Together, they discuss what it means to move beyond the physical, how non-speaking individuals have expanded his understanding of connection, and why relationships may not end when a body does. From soul-to-soul communication and the illusion of linear time to the healing found in nature and stillness, this episode offers a compassionate perspective for anyone navigating loss. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For many non-speakers, vision challenges are hiding in plain sight. In this episode, Betsy and Libby sit down with neurodevelopmental optometrist Dr. Susan Daniel to explore the profound connection between vision, apraxia, communication, and regulation. Dr. Daniel explains why many non-speakers struggle with eye teaming, fixation, and visual processing—and how these challenges can affect everything from spelling and motor control to anxiety and independence. She shares how tools like prism lenses and vision therapy can unlock new pathways for communication and help individuals feel more comfortable in their bodies. If you’ve ever wondered why your child closes one eye, toe walks, struggles to point accurately, or becomes overwhelmed in busy environments, this conversation may reveal a missing piece of the puzzle. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Telepathy Tapes: Now What?, Betsy Hicks and Libby Ingram sit down with occupational therapist and autism researcher Dr. Dana Johnson to explore the concept of whole-body apraxia and why so many assumptions about autism may be based on motor challenges rather than intellectual limitations. Together they discuss the difference between speech apraxia and whole-body apraxia, why traditional assessments often miss the mark, the role of co-regulation, sensory processing, interoception, emotional regulation, and why behaviors are so often misunderstood. Dr. Johnson also explains how motor coaching can help individuals access what they already know and why understanding the body is essential to truly presuming competence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this deeply moving conversation, Betsy Hicks Russ and Libby Ingram sit down with intuitive communicator and autism researcher Suzy Miller to explore the profound shift in consciousness many families are beginning to witness through their nonspeaking children. Together they discuss the tension between seeing autism as a tragedy versus recognizing the gifts these children may carry including telepathy, deep energetic sensitivity, and an innate connection to oneness. Suzy shares her perspective on coherence, collective consciousness, “The Hill,” grief, regulation, and why many nonspeaking individuals seem resistant to the conditioned world of separation humanity has built. The conversation also dives into the importance of spelling as validated communication, the ethics of telepathic connection, and the ways these children may be inviting us into a more compassionate, interconnected way of being. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There is a quiet paradox many parents of high-support-needs children carry: How can someone be the greatest light in your life and the greatest source of heartbreak? In this profound conversation, bestselling author and spiritual teacher Martha Beck joins Betsy Hicks Russ and Libby Ingram to explore the sacred, painful, transformative reality of raising children who challenge everything we thought we knew about consciousness, suffering, purpose, and love. Martha shares the story of her son Adam’s diagnosis with Down syndrome while she was studying at Harvard University, and the psychic experiences that changed her materialist worldview and sent her searching for a deeper understanding of reality. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Now What?, Betsy Hicks Russ and Libby Ingram sit down with engineer and independent researcher Becca Cramer to explore one of the most debated and rapidly evolving topics in the autism world: spelling as a form of communication. As more non-speakers begin expressing themselves through letter boards and typing, a growing number of families, educators, and professionals are rethinking long-held beliefs about intelligence, language, and autonomy. And yet, despite thousands of individuals demonstrating clear, complex communication, these methods remain widely dismissed by major institutions and are often excluded from classrooms and covered care. So what’s holding things back? Together, they unpack the science and the skepticism. From the role of apraxia and the limits of traditional speech-based models, to the controversy around influence, message passing, and what it really means for something to be considered “evidence-based.” Becca brings a grounded, analytical perspective to the conversation by bridging research, lived experience, and the questions the scientific community still needs to answer. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Discover the layered experience of growing up alongside a sibling with complex needs. In this episode, Betsy Hicks-Russ and Libby Ingram are joined by their children, Jessie and Thomas, for an honest and deeply personal conversation. Together, they explore communication and their evolving understanding of connection—from spelling to telepathy. Through the sibling lens, this episode offers a powerful perspective on what it means to grow up, adapt, and awaken within a family shaped by autism. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Betsy and Libby sit down with Natalia Meehan and Maria Welch to map the major spelling pathways supporting non-speakers today. They explore and explain core concept underneath it all: apraxia (the brain–body disconnect). They break down why spelling is a motor-based communication method, why you can’t just “buy a letterboard,” and why communication partners hold and reset the board. The conversation also goes into presuming competence, what non-speakers report about being underestimated, and the emerging language around telepathy (non-local communication), including how Natalia and Maria are building a new curriculum and training called The Bridge that acknowledges what many families are already experiencing. The Bridge Spelling Method by Maria Welch and Natalia Meehan https://bridgetothriving.org/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After the release of The Telepathy Tapes, many listeners were left with the same lingering question: now what? In this first episode, hosts Betsy Hicks and Libby Ingram begin answering that question through a deeply personal and practical conversation. Joined by a mother of a non-speaking child who is just starting out on her journey, they explore what it actually looks like to support, understand, and connect day to day. From navigating sensory needs and emotional regulation to exploring spelling as communication and trusting parental intuition, this episode offers grounded guidance for families just beginning this journey. Along the way, Betsy and Libby reflect on their own experiences raising non-speaking children, sharing honest insights about grief, growth, and the profound connection that exists beyond words. Spelling Methods https://lovejohnpaul.org/resources/spelling-methods/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.