Welcome to the Special Needs Kids are People Too! Podcast with Amy Bodkin, EdS. Amy is an Autistic adult who also happens to be a School Psychologist turned Special Needs Consultant and Public Speaker! Amy is an Advocate for seeing every child as a person, not a diagnosis because a special needs kid is just like any other child, just more so! You can find out more about Amy’s advocacy work at AmyBodkin.com.
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In this episode I am excited to share with you all that I wrote a book! It is called Special Needs Kids Are People Too! Seeing the Possibilities Through a Neurodiverse Lens. In the week since its official release on Amazon, my book has been #1 New Releases in both Parenting Hyperactive Children and Teaching Students with Developmental and Intellect…
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In this episode we talk all about Interoception with Whitney Whitten of Sensational Moms! Whitney is an Occupational Therapist turned Coach who likes to encourage moms to address their own sensory needs, and it all begins with Interoception! What is Interoception and how can it impact your home? Join us today and find out! Show Notes: https://amybo…
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In this episode we talk about Kids and Electronics: Yes or No? This is probably one of the biggest topics in parenting circles today whether you homeschool or not, whether your kids have a disability or not. And it is not an easy topic to navigate because it is one that most parents haven't experienced, at least not in the same way that their kids …
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S3E59: Q&A All About Special Needs Homeschooling
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This is the last episode of our Q&A series -- Q&A: All About Special Needs Homeschooling! We will have a few more episodes before we break for the season, but this will be the last in our Q&A series. To date, I have never done an episode just on homeschooling! So today I get the opportunity to share with you all about my journey as a homeschooler a…
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S3E58: The Challenges of Being a Neurodivergent Woman
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What are the challenges of being a neurodivergent woman? We are taking a break from our Q&A series this week to address this question! Michelle Markman of ND Coach, Inc is my guest this week, and she works to empower high-masking, high-achieving women, particularly those who have been late-diagnosed or self-diagnosed autistic (or otherwise neurodiv…
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S3E57: Q&A ACT/SAT Testing Accommodations
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Our next Q&A is all about ACT/SAT Testing Accommodations, a topic of great concern to those with high schoolers. Today we will be answering important questions like: Which test should my student take? How do I apply for accommodations? What kinds of accommodations could I possibly apply for? Is there anyone who can help with this process? You can e…
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Our next Q&A is all about Misophonia, a condition where a person experiences a decreased tolerance for certain sounds. To help us understand more about Misophonia, I have asked Doctor of Audiology Rae Stout to join me! Dr. Stout is an Autistic Audiologist that has taken a particular interest in using low gain hearing aids to help children not only …
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Today is all about Primitive Reflexes! And I invited Sarah Collins of Homeschool OT to help us out as we dive into this topic! Sarah is not just a talented OT. She is also a homeschool mom with lived experience with retained primitive reflexes! What are primitive reflexes? Primitive reflexes are things that our bodies naturally do as babies but tha…
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S3E54: Q&A This Is Why We Homeschool - Part 2
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This Is Why We Homeschool - Part 2! Last week's episode addressed some questions that could all be answered with the sentence: "This is why we homeschool!" This week I want to expound on that idea by explaining the inverse of why we homeschool! When people ask why we homeschool, what they sometimes really want to know is, "Why don't you go to schoo…
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S3E53: Q&A This Is Why We Homeschool - Part 1
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This is why we homeschool! We are continuing our Q&A series this week, and all of the questions for today’s episode can all be answered with the sentence: "This is why we homeschool!" There are so many things that can make life more difficult for those of us with needs that fall outside the average. Sensory processing differences can be especially …
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We are continuing our Q&A series this week. All of the questions for today’s episode will focus on how to effectively shoulder the responsibility of advocating for others. There is no doubt that advocating for others does place a burden on the advocate, no matter how much we love and care about the person we are advocating for. This burden is doubl…
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We are continuing our Q&A series this week. All of the questions for today’s episode will focus on inspiring confidence in our children. Parents wrote in asking about their struggles with helping their children to not only understand themselves but also accept themselves. Can we help our children become more confident in themselves? If so, how? Joi…
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We are beginning 2024 with a series of podcast episodes on questions asked by members of my Facebook group! All of the questions for today's episode, the first episode of the new year, focus on how we can find balance. Parents wrote in asking how they could find balance in helping their children but also enjoying their children. They asked how to f…
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For the last episode of 2023, I felt like it was important to remind all the moms out there that you are people too! 2023 has been a hard year for many people I know (myself included), and sometimes this time of year can bring some extra stress. Sometimes we, as moms, need a reminder that as people we also have needs that are worthy of being cared …
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I recorded this episode back in the spring before I got sick, and so Amanda's book, Low-Demand Parenting, has already been out for several months. The conversation we had was quite fascinating! As it turns out, Amanda Diekman is also an Autistic adult who thinks in patterns! I have found that when an Autistic adult who thinks in patterns writes a b…
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S3E47: Talking with My Children about Antisemitism and Hate
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One of the hardest things to support a child through is the hateful acts of others, especially as many children feel powerless to stand up against it. I cannot tell you the number of times I have heard a child say, “No one cares what I think. I’m just a kid.” This has been a tough year for my own children. One of the ways I can support them is by g…
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S3E46: The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate
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Join me for a wonderful talk with the author of The Christmas Menorahs, Dr. Janice Cohn, a psychotherapist in New Jersey and New York who specializes in healing trauma. The Christmas Menorahs tells a very important story about how ordinary citizens fought back against antisemitism in Billings, Montana. Anytime anyone is dehumanized, it puts us all …
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Did you know that children with disabilities were also targeted during the Holocaust? And as such it can make learning about the Holocaust a very different experience for kids with disabilities. This topic is even more relevant today in light of recent events. What are the things we need to consider when educating our children, in general, and spec…
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S3E44: Health & Neurodiversity (A Personal Update)
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I am so glad to be back doing podcasts again! I have been through a very difficult 7 months with my health, and we are still not through it yet, but I am feeling better! So welcome back! Join me and my thoughts on health, neurodiversity, Autism, trauma, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and Cancer. I hope you enjoy the update and some of the thoughts that ha…
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Did you know that I will be speaking at the Educate & Rejuvenate Online Conference? It's an educational conference for parents and educators alike! My Workshop is titled "Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia… Oh my!" Click here to register for the conference.. you don't want to miss it! On the podcast today I am speaking with Kelsey Sorenson, the …
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My family recently had the pleasure of attending Pensacon, a Comicon located in Pensacola, Florida! We love getting to attend Comicons because they are a space where we can be accepted exactly as we are! And we also get to meet a lot of other great people with whom we can “nerd out” about our favorite fandoms! I think part of the reason the kids I …
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S2E41: Storytelling with Reshelving Alexandria
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In which I interview Ambre Sautter from Reshelving Alexandria, and she shares her ideas about why stories can be so meaningful to those of us that are Neurodivergent! Shownotes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-41 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Consulting …
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S2E40: Communicating through Storytelling
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Gestalt Language Processing is a hot topic right now in Speech Therapy circles, but for the rest of us, what exactly is it? Join me as we use the classic Star Trek story of Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra to understand yet another way we can work to form connections with our children! Shownotes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-40 For more info ab…
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S2E39: Storytelling with Living Book Press
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Meet Anthony from Living Book Press, a small family publishing company that republishes books that are out of print! Join us as we discuss how “some of the stories that we tell are not the ones that we tell actively... that we put in a book... that we put on a screen… that we put in a video game. They are the stories that we live!” Shownotes: https…
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Join me and some of the students in my Special Needs Membership as we talk with Adrienne Kress about the importance of opening ourselves up to the risk of storytelling.. and how she participates in storytelling through writing and acting. Adrienne Kress is the author of the Bendy and the Ink Machine books and others. Shownotes: https://amybodkin.co…
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S2E37: Storytelling with Laura Faye Smith
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Join me and some of the students in my Special Needs Membership as we talk with Laura Faye Smith about the importance of storytelling and how she participates in storytelling through acting. Laura Faye Smith is the voice of Rosalina in the Super Mario Brothers fandom and Noelle in the video game Genshin Impact. Shownotes: https://amybodkin.com/podc…
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When I consult with families, I work within their values system. That means I work with Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, Mormon, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jewish, Muslim, Pagan, etc. And I make it my business to be knowledgeable about resources for a wide variety of religions! One of the things I often talk about with families during a consult is…
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In which I get to info dump about my love of Mythology and we begin a new series on storytelling! Be sure to check out the Show Notes for links to all of the books and videos I mentioned in this episode. While it is a rather lengthy list, it is nothing compared to my personal Mythology collection!! Shownotes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-3…
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Join me as I share with you all about my absolute favorite educational philosopher, Charlotte Mason, and why I think she should be your favorite too! Understanding why we choose to educate the way we do is extremely important because it helps guides us in making educational decisions that advance our goals. Shownotes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-…
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In this episode, I am joined by Amanda Owens of Illuminate Communicate about what she does as a Speech Therapist consulting with Homeschool families! Amanda provides support for families online, but she also provides speech therapy for residents of Indiana. She is currently working on becoming a speech therapy provider for the states of Texas and F…
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Today I talked with Sarah Collins, owner of Homeschool OT, about how she supports families! Sarah does truly fantastic work consulting with families about how we can support our children in all the things they wish to do! I have actually consulted with Sarah myself, so I know she does good work putting resources into hands of parents to empower the…
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S2E31: Teaching Music to Different Learners
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In today's episode we are talking about music education! Why do we learn music? How do we support children developing a positive relationship with music when they have different processing strengths and weaknesses? What are some resources that are available for exploring music further in your home? All this and more in this episode! Make sure to su…
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In this episode I interviewed Cynthia Herron, an Autistic Blogger and owner of Inside Our Normal! Cynthia works to support families who may have had experiences similar to her own family! And she does so from a refreshingly realistic perspective! Cynthia has recently create a booklet ALL about Sensory Processing Disorder, and she did a GREAT job of…
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Today I talked with Julie Angstadt, Owner of Hummingbird ABA Therapy, about how, as a Neurodivergent person, she created Hummingbird ABA Therapy Center to support children in the development of self-advocacy skills and partner with kids to help them learn things that are of interest to them! Shownotes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-29 For m…
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In this episode, I talked with Kalli Clement, Owner of Perfect Blend Coffee Company, about how she provides opportunities for young adults with disabilities to not only get job training, but to also work, collect a paycheck, and find other opportunities in the community! Shownotes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-28 For more info about Amy Bo…
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S2E27: Finding Therapists that Honor Personhood
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In this episode, I talked with Melissa Goolsby, Owner of Across the Board Therapy Center, about how to find therapists that will honor the personhood of your child and family! Shownotes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-27 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy Bodkin Co…
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S2E26: Creating Supportive Local Groups
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In this episode, I talked with Kendra Booth, President of Emerald Coast Exceptional Families, about how they created a nonprofit organization to support families with exceptional needs. Shownotes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-26 For more info about Amy Bodkin, a Special Needs Consultant for parents and professionals, visit our website: Amy…
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In which Jessica and I talk about the movies Encanto and Turning Red and how they relate to generational trauma. Shownotes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-25 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 Le…
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S1E24: A Place to Belong with Amber O'Neal Johnston
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Join me today and hear Amber O'Neal Johnston talk about her new book that is coming out in May!!! I absolutely LOVE her message about learning to love who we are and where we come from... and how that opens us up to being able to see what is beautiful in other people!! This is SUCH an important message for our Special Needs Families where children …
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S1E23: Why You Don't Need a Special Needs Math Curriculum
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Does your child hate math? Is it the subject they struggle with most? Are you searching for the Special Needs Math Curriculum that will solve all of your woes? If you want to see real progress with math, the key is not a curriculum targeting a specific learning disability.. the key is helping your child see the beauty in math and to find a curricul…
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Join me today as my daughter, Jessica, and I talk about the importance of internet safety, including some of the measures we have put in place over the years to protect them. Spoiler! It has not included software or guardian tech! It has mostly depended on building and maintaining a trusting relationship with our children and using that as a place …
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S1E21: Profiles in Personhood - Meet Austin!
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Join me for another episode of our series: Profiles in Personhood! Today you will get to meet my son, Austin, and learn a little more about what is important to him! Get ready to laugh along with us as we talk about Hyperlexia, NonVerbal Learning Disability, classic video games, music, and humor! And we get to hear Austin do some of his voice impre…
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S1E20: Sex Education, ABA, and Autism: How We Can Do Better
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My guest today is Madison Holcomb, an Autistic adult whose work focuses on offering an Autistic perspective to families and professionals. Madison was a recent guest speaker at SEXABA, a conference focused on the importance of thinking ahead to the needs of not only the child, but also the adult the child will become! This must include giving thoug…
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The Holidays can be a very difficult time for Special Needs Families, and one of the big reasons The Holidays can be so difficult is: traditions. Holiday Traditions are made up by a democracy of the dead. They are not designed to meet the needs of the people in your home today. The were designed for an earlier time. Join me as we discuss ideas for …
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S1E18: Profiles in Personhood - Meet Jessica!
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Join me for the inaugural episode of our new series: Profiles in Personhood! Today you will get to meet my daughter Jessica (unedited) and learn a little more about what is important to her! In the episode, we decided that if we were going to create an ad for her it would be: Jessica loves drawing, big hugs, and fandoms – including The Wizard of Oz…
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Often the perspectives of Autistic individuals (or individuals with other types of diagnoses) are not taken into consideration because their perspective is not well known. This time of year there are many holidays that expose us to a perspective that also may not be well known to us. With Thanksgiving being last week, Hanukkah being this week, and …
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ABA has been under fire from Autistic adults because the bodies that govern the field of ABA are not living up to their sacred responsibility to protect children from unethical treatment. So what do we do with ABA? Do we advocate that every child receive ABA? Or do we say ABA is evil and should be banned? Or...is there a more nuanced approach? I be…
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Real inclusion is all about connection! It's not about having everyone in the classroom doing the exact same work. It's about helping everyone find the way that they can connect with the topic of the day best! In this episode, I talk about how I manage this in my online classes where I teach Woodworking and Family Yoga through The Charlotte Mason C…
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S1E14: Puberty – How an Autistic Girl Grows Up
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It's tough being a teenager, period! There are so many changes to go through, and if you add sensory processing issues to that, it can be even more difficult! Join me today as we talk about how we can show up as the adults and support our children through these changes!! Show Notes: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-episode-14 For more info about Amy B…
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Join me today as we talk about LOVE on the Spectrum! I will be sharing me and my daughter's perspective on the first season of the TV show, "Love on the Spectrum," and then I will be sharing some of the things that I have learned along the way about dating and relationships from an Autistic perspective! Show Notes at: https://amybodkin.com/podcast-…
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