The Better Behavior Show with Dr. Nicole Beurkens

Episode 196: How To Support The Development Of Children With Down Syndrome So They Can Thrive

Feb 16, 2022

45:51

My guest this week is Sandy Bodeau In this episode, Sandy and I discuss raising children diagnosed with developmental delays or impairments, and specifically Down Syndrome. In reality, when does the diagnosis explain the cause of the problem? Does it give us hope or does it impair us as parents? If we change our mindset first, we have the ability to change the trajectory of what otherwise may have been a grim outlook for our child because of a dead-end diagnosis. When we know how to advocate for our children and continue to seek solutions rather than just an ‘answer’, we have the power to transform our children’s lives into a beautiful and healthy, thriving life. Sandy is living proof that with the perseverance that all parents innately have, you can raise a child diagnosed with special needs, reach far beyond; to their fullest potential!

Sandy Bodeau is an author, advocate, immigrant, TV personality and blogger. She's the creative director of the parenting blog, Mara the Wonder Girl. Sandy is a contributing writer for Today Parents and appears on Univision. Her work has been recognized by Vanity Fair, Lucky Magazine and The Today Show, as an influencer on Instagram and Facebook, Sandy posts daily in both English and Spanish. When Sandy learned that her daughter Mara would be born with Down Syndrome, she knew that together, she and Mara would show the world how special and powerful each individual can be. Mara quickly showed her individual strength and perseverance, as well as her magnetic personality. It was on her first birthday that Sandy launched her website, marathewondergirl.com. The website provides resources for all parents, particularly those who have children with special needs to help them reach their full potential. She released her first book, The Light After Loss in December 2019, it follows her journey to have her second child and the four miscarriages she had along the way.

Episode Takeaways:

Episode Intro … 00:00:30

Introduction to Sandy Bodeau & Down Syndrome … 00:01:00

Babies with Down Syndrome Can Be Born 100% Healthy … 00:04:39

Overcoming Hidden Assumptions & Myths of Down Syndrome … 00:09:32

Standard of Treatment vs. Realistic Expectations … 00:12:30

Is the Conventional Medicine Approach to Neurodevelopment Issues Wrong? … 00:15:15

Importance of Developmental Milestones Like Crawling … 00:22:35

Myths of Down Syndrome Development, Thyroid Health … 00:29:26

Standard of Care for Neurodevelopmental Issues … 00:33:15

Getting Curious and How to Advocate … 00:37:55

Bilingual Resources and More Support … 00:40:50