Complicated Kids

Argavan Nilforoush, Pediatric Registered Dietician and Founder and CEO of Baby Steps Nutrition, talks to us about nutrition and kids today. Argavan describes how the principles of nutrition are applied differently in children vs. adults. We chat about the brain - gut connection, her process in interpreting the data she collects, the emotional aspects of working with parents, and how the gut can affect not only nutrition, but sleep, habits, behavior, and hormones as well. To find out more about Argavan, visit her website at https://babystepsnutrition.com.

Author and child psychologist, Dr. Daniela Owen, joined me today to talk about her children's book, Right Now I am Fine. Developed during the pandemic, this book, and the others in the series, embeds emotional processing skills and strategies that parents and caregivers can use in the moment when children are experiencing difficult emotions. Join me for this dynamic conversation about validation, emotions, mindfulness and so much more. To find out more about Dr. Owen and her work, go to https://drdanielaowen.com.

Join Jen and me as we discuss her parenting journey from awareness to worry, to diagnosis, to the continued ups and downs of raising her wonderful, ebullient, loud and loving autistic child. We touch on the initial shock she felt when getting the diagnosis, what she finds are the most effective ways to help herself, coregulation, and lots more. Find out more about Jen and the Raising Orchid Kids classes her and I offer together by visiting www.raisingorchidkids.com.

Join psychotherapist Jennifer Glacel and me for a lively discussion on ableism, neurodiversity, autistic nervous systems, and so much else! This was a wide-ranging conversation that got me thinking, as I hope it will get you thinking as well. To find out more about the great work Jennifer is doing to empower neurodivergent individuals, visit https://www.wing-dmv.com. To find out more about Jennifer's private practice, visit sevencornerspsychotherapy.com.

As Dr. Ortiz writes in his New York Times piece, it turns out that experiencing independence can do as good a job as exposure therapy for anxious kids. Dr. Camilo Ortiz is a clinical psychologist and a professor of clinical psychology at Long Island University. He currently specializes in anxiety and parenting. Join us for this fascinating conversation. To learn more about Dr. Ortiz, visit his website at www.drcamiloortiz.com.

In this week's interview, we're talking about the choreography of parenting through attunement and attachment with the amazing Judith Wides. When it goes well, the dance of parent-child interaction is fun and easy. But for some parents and kids, that dance can be full of missteps. Join us as Judith shines light on how to help parents form unbreakable bonds and open to their children's needs. To find out more about NCRC, the inclusion model preschool we discuss in the episode, visit https://www.ncrcpreschool.org.

Kelley Coleman knew that raising kids would be challenging, but she wasn't prepared for all the things she would need to learn, all the people she would need to find and all the skills she would need to acquire when her second son was born with multiple disabilities. With humor and directness, Kelley has written the book she wished had existed when her son was born, and outlined what parents of complicated kids might need to know on their parenting journey. Join us for lots of laughs and some shifts in perspective you didn't even know you needed. You don't want to miss this one. Find out more about Kelley and her book by visiting www.kelleycoleman.com.

Jason DellaValle - creator of Live Action Fitness - is not your average fitness instructor. He's not even your average adaptive fitness instructor. Jason has developed an inclusive program for kids 10 and up that brings gaming, motivation, executive functioning and social learning into an environment where Complicated Kids are happy to work out and make progress on their fitness goals. What?! Join me for this fun and informative conversation! And find out more about Jason at https://adaptivemovement.live.

Moms in Motion is a fabulous Virginia-based organization that I was delighted to discover recently. Anna Thomas joins me to talk all things Virginia Medicaid Waiver, including: how people qualify (spoiler alert: the waiver is based on the income of the person with the disability!); what services are offered by Moms in Motion; and how to access them. You won't want to miss this conversation about a service that makes a huge difference in the lives of the families it serves. To find out more about Moms In Motion and the ways they can help you navigate the waivers in Virginia, visit their website at www.momsinmotion.net.

This week I am joined by Whitney Ortiz of Eliana's Light, an organization that focuses on providing the care needed for whole families who have a family member with a serious or life threatening medical complexities. In this powerful interview, Whitney and I talk about her story of the struggles that her and her family experienced while caring for Eliana through her heart condition. Whitney shares some often overlooked needs of families in this position, addresses the lack of support for these families and shares with us how she is making a difference in the lives of those in the DC, VA and MD communities. To find out more about Eliana's Light and the incredible impact that Eliana is making on the world even after her passing and the ways that Whitney can help you and your family get some relief from the stressful times of caring for a sick child, visit her website at www.elianaslight.org or email Whitney directly at whitney@elianaslight.com. You can also find more resources that can help by visiting her partner page at www.findhelp.org.