Moms Talk Autism Podcast

What if what looks like anxiety, rigidity, or “just part of autism” is actually OCD?

This week, Brittney, Tash, and Shannon sit down with clinician and mom of four neurodiverse children, Natalia Aiza, to talk about how OCD can show up in neurodivergent kids—and why it can sometimes be difficult to recognize.

We get into fear, compulsions, anxiety, and the overlap that can make it hard for parents to know what they’re actually seeing.

Natalia also shares what families may want to pay attention to and why understanding the reason behind a behavior can change the way we support our kids.

Because sometimes the behavior isn’t the whole story.

Sometimes fear is driving a lot more than we realize.

Instagram: @letstalk.ocd

Website: www.kairoswellnesscollective.com 

Books and other resources: https://nataliaaiza.com/

IOCDF.org

Dr. Eli Lebowitz

Breaking Free Books

Children’s Yale-Brown OC Scale (CYBOCS)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How much should we expect from our kids?

And how do we know when we’re asking too much… or not enough?

This week, we’re revisiting a conversation about one of the hardest parts of parenting neurodivergent kids: balancing support and accommodation with opportunities to build independence, resilience, and confidence.

Our kids may need things to look different. They may need more time, more support, or a completely different path. But that doesn’t mean we stop giving them chances to learn, adapt, experience consequences, and discover what they’re capable of.

The hard part is figuring out where that line is for your child.

We talk about expectations, limitations, coping skills, independence, and why there is no one-size-fits-all answer.

At the end of the day, we keep coming back to the same things: know your child, communicate in whatever way works for your family, and lead with love.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When does helping actually stop helping?

This week, we’re talking about the very blurry line between supporting our kids and accidentally doing too much for them.

As parents of autistic and neurodivergent kids, it can be hard to know when to step in, when to wait, and when to let them struggle a little so they can build confidence and independence.

We get into self-care skills, hygiene, sibling dynamics, puberty, patience, and the importance of presuming competence - even when our instinct is screaming at us to just do it for them.

And sometimes the bigger challenge is looking at ourselves and asking the uncomfortable question: are we helping… or are we getting in the way?

It’s a balancing act - guiding them, supporting them, protecting them, and still giving them room to grow.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What if some of the things we’ve been taught about autism aren’t actually the whole story?

This week, we’re joined by Jonathan Alderson, author of Challenging the Myths of Autism, to talk about the beliefs and assumptions that can shape the way we approach autistic children—and what happens when we start questioning them.

We get into why there is no one-size-fits-all approach, how to figure out what may actually be helpful for your individual child, and why the order in which therapies and supports are introduced can matter.

But one of the biggest takeaways from this conversation has less to do with a specific therapy and more to do with the relationship itself.

The way we approach our kids matters. The trust, connection, attitude, and intention between a child and the adults supporting them can become the foundation for everything else.

This is part one of our conversation with Jonathan. In part two, we dig deeper into ThriveGuide and how families can begin building a more individualized roadmap for support.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What happens to our kids when we’re not here anymore?

It’s one of those questions most of us would rather shove into a drawer and deal with… never. But eventually, we have to talk about it.

This week, Tash and Shannon sit down with licensed financial advisor Mary McDirmid, who specializes in helping families raising children with disabilities. Mary is also a mom herself, and her own family’s experience with a rare disease is what led her into this work.

We talk about planning for long-term care, understanding benefits, protecting eligibility, sibling roles, building a support network, and creating a roadmap that doesn’t leave everyone scrambling later.

And maybe most importantly, we talk about how to start.

Because financial planning for a child with disabilities can feel overwhelming, emotional, and ridiculously complicated—but doing something is better than avoiding it altogether.

You do not need to have the next 40 years figured out today. You just need a place to begin.

Find Mary here: https://allneedsplanning.com/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.