Adventures in Autism

In today’s episode I’m flying solo and sharing what I’ve learned after doing 100 episodes of this podcast. This show really started from my own desire to have conversations with other people who were on a similar path. I was desperately craving connection from people who “got it”. I knew that if I was seeking that connection, then it was likely that others were too. And thus Adventures in Autism was born! After 100 episodes and countless incredible conversations with my many amazing guests, I have truly learned so much. From how to be a host to letting go of fear for the future- I’m spilling it all today! I’m also answering some very thoughtful listener questions. I can’t say thank you enough to this community- I am so grateful to have you all on this ride with me! I hope you enjoy listening to this episode. Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message

In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mom, Desiree Goode. Desiree shares her journey with her adorable daughter, Ellie. Desiree explains how despite her early concerns about her daughter, doctors dismissed her and instead just labeled Ellie “strong willed”. Desiree knew there was something more at play and continued to advocate for Ellie and eventually she was diagnosed with ASD. Desiree and I also talk about how isolating it can be during the early days of a diagnosis, as well as how her daughter is doing now. I really enjoyed this conversation and I hope you enjoy listening! Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message

In today’s episode I’m chatting with fellow autism mom, Tiffany Klett. Tiffany and I connected several months back when she became a listener of the podcast. I’m thrilled to welcome her on the show today as a guest! Tiffany shares her unique journey with her youngest son, Parker. Tiffany also has two older sons who are neurotypical. Parker was born when his brothers were 12 and 13 years old. As Tiffany says, Parker was “the surprise of a lifetime!”. Tiffany talks all about Parker’s early years (and how he differed from his brothers) as well as more recent events, like kindergarten placement and navigating the school system. Tiffany is a delight- she is so warm and easy to talk to. We had a great conversation and I hope you enjoy listening! Connect with Tiffany: FB: Tiffany Klett Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message

Today I am once again chatting with my sister, Melissa. We’re discussing some recent updates on her journey with brain cancer and next steps for her treatment. Per usual, Mel is as candid and honest as ever! We talk about her new challenges while recovering from brain surgery and how they’re affecting her day to day life, as well as her future. We’re also talking about her therapy (specifically OT and PT) and how it’s amazing to see the similarities between her and Logan- even though they’re obviously very different situations, there’s a lot of overlap in terms of goals. Later, we’re getting back to last weeks topic of processing feelings. Melissa is obviously experiencing A TON of new emotions around all this and we’re discussing her own feelings of grief. We also get into how we’re both working on being more mindful and coming from a place of gratitude. It’s always a pleasure to bring my sister on the pod (and open with a song of course!) and this episode was no exception! I hope you enjoy listening! Connect with Mel: FB: Melissa Mitchell IG: @thezill Melissa’s Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/make-it-count-for-melissa Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message

Today I’m flying solo and talking about some things that have been happening in our world lately. First, I’m sharing an update on our journey with medication for Logan. It feels like we’re finally on the right track and I’m explaining why that is. We are also resuming ABA therapy this week (hallelujah!) and we are so excited to get back into a routine- Logan is definitely ready! I’m also answering some listener questions that come up often. Specifically my thoughts around grief and processing feelings after a new autism diagnosis, and also why I decided to share our journey. These are both topics I feel passionate about and I’m glad I got to address them in this episode. I am no expert but I do hope this is helpful. If you’ve been struggling with grief, this might be an episode for you. I hope you enjoy listening! Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message

Today I’m chatting with fellow autism mom and podcaster, Laurie Hellmann. Laurie shares her journey with her son, Skyler, who is now 17. Laurie takes us back to the early days of Skyler’s diagnosis, and also talks about what life looks like now. Laurie and I also discuss her divorce from Skyler’s dad and how her current (amazing!) husband ended up adopting him. Laurie started her podcast ‘Living the Sky life’ in September 2019 as way to share her experience raising a now teenager on the spectrum, and connect with others. Laurie also recently wrote a memoir ‘Welcome to My Life: A Personal Parenting Journey Through Autism’ and we discuss what inspired her to write the book. Laurie is so open and heartfelt- it was such a pleasure getting to chat with her. Thanks for tuning into this episode and I hope you enjoy listening! Connect with Laurie: FB: Living The Sky Life IG: living_the_skylife_autismtrip Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message

In today’s episode I’m talking to my sister Melissa Mitchell about her recent brain cancer diagnosis. On May 26th Melissa suffered a massive seizure. After rushing her to the hospital, doctors found she had a very large tumor on the right side of her brain. We’re discussing EVERYTHING today. (Warning: this is very personal and traumatic subject matter.) From the months leading up to the seizure, to the actual day and what has followed since. Melissa is also bravely opening up about her mental health battles, her desire to become a (single by choice) mother, and all the gritty details about this medical journey. Although this isn’t the typical topic we discuss on AIA, I think this episode is so valuable for ANYONE to listen to. It’s all about staying positive and overcoming...we can all relate to that! I am so extremely proud of my sister. A big thank you to everyone that has been praying for her and sending well wishes. It means so much to us all! I hope you enjoy listening to this very personal episode. Connect with Mel: IG: @thezill FB: Melissa Mitchell Melissa’s Go Fund Me: Fundraiser by Jenny Honan : Make it Count for Melissa Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message

In today’s episode I’m flying solo and sharing what happened when our entire family recently got sick with Coronavirus. I wanted to share this because even though every case is different, I think it’s helpful to hear everyone’s experiences with the virus. We are all (thankfully!) recovered now and on the other side of things. I’m giving all the details today- from our symptoms, to testing, to how we got sick in the first place. This past month or so has really been crazy for us. I’m so thankful for our amazing family and friends who helped get us through, even from afar. I hope you find this episode helpful and enjoy listening! Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message

This episode is different from any I’ve ever done before. Today I’m having a conversation with my friend, Jody Warshawsky. Jody is a fellow mom and podcaster, she’s also someone I truly admire and respect. Jody and I decided to come together for this episode (which will be airing on both of our podcasts) to talk about the recent social injustice and racism issues affecting our country. I am not someone who would typically speak out on these issues. However, with the murder of George Floyd I can not stay silent. This is too important. We need to speak on it, but also listen and learn. Jody and I are also discussing the recent controversy in the autism community with YouTuber Myka Stauffer. This news really rocked the autism world. As autism parents it’s hard to not feel emotionally pulled into this story. Jody and I talk about our feelings regarding “rehoming” sweet Huxley and our hope for him going forward. This conversation was tough but I’m extremely glad we had it. These subjects are sensitive and I wanted to be sensitive to them. That being said I think it is SO important to discuss the hard stuff- which is why I decided to speak out. “I understand that I will never understand, but I stand with you.” Thank you so much for listening! Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Jody: Podcast: Accepting the Unacceptable FB: Jody Warshawsky & Accepting the Unacceptable Community IG: @Jodywarshawsky Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message

Today I’m chatting with autism dad and advocate, John Felageller. John shares his journey with his son who was diagnosed with ASD as a toddler. John talks about how because of his son, he developed a real passion for advocacy work and made it his career. We also talk about his recent divorce and raising a child on the spectrum while co-parenting. John shares several great tips in terms of openness and communication! John and I also discuss how him and his son are handling quarantine and recent events. It’s always fun to bring on an autism dad and we had a great conversation! I hope you enjoy listening. Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with John: FB: @John’s Blog For Special Needs Parents IG: @Jfelageller Twitter: jfelageller74 Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message

Today I’m chatting with autism mom and advocate, Jean Mayer. Jean shares her journey with her son Rory and how his diagnosis of ASD lit a fire in her to become his greatest supporter. Jean talks about the impact ABA had on Rory and how she began fighting her school district to get ABA therapy integrated into his school day. This led her to campaigning for a seat on her school board. Talk about a strong mama! I had a great time chatting with Jean about her family and her work as an advocate. I was truly inspired by this conversation! I hope you enjoy listening. Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message

Today I’m chatting with my friend, Jaime Clark. You might remember Jaime from episode 11, where she shared her journey with her son Blake. Since we recorded that episode Jaime and I have been able to form a real bond and friendship! It was so fun to bring her back on the show and catch up with her. During our conversation, Jaime talked about everything from potty training, to getting Blake an AAC, to preparing for IEPs & the transition to kindergarten. These are all topics I get asked about a lot so it was great to hear another mom’s experience! Jaime is such a wonderful mother and friend, we had the best time chatting and I hope you enjoy listening! Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message

Today I’m flying solo and talking about what we’ve been up to in #qaurantinelife. First I’m sharing some our recent struggles with Logan’s ADHD becoming more of concern. I talk about ways we’re trying to fulfill his sensory diet and an update on our journey with meds. Later I’m discussing our experience using Telehealth for therapy and Logan’s recent IEP meeting which took place over zoom. This years IEP was definitely unlike any other, that’s for sure! I’m also sharing the backstory of how Logan and I ended up on the front page of our local newspaper! I’m so grateful for all your continued support, I hope you enjoy listening! Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com Enjoying the show? I would so appreciate your rating & review! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message

Today I’m chatting with autism dad, Dean Trottier, all about his journey with his son, Charlie. Charlie was diagnosed with autism just after his second birthday. Dean shares his experience as a single dad going through the process of getting a diagnosis and finding the right services for his son. Dean is also Canadian so we talk about the good and bad of Canada’s healthcare. It was really interesting to hear how things differ from here in the states. We also talk about his older son who was more recently diagnosed with ADHD. Dean shares openly about both his sons and his unique perspective as a solo parent. We had a great conversation and I hope you enjoy listening! Connect with Dean: IG: accepting_a_different_path Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com Connect with Megan: IG: @adventuresinautismpod FB: @Adventures In Autism Podcast Email: adventuresinautism2018@yahoo.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message

Today I’m chatting with autism mom and advocate, Kate Cortelyou. Kate shares her journey with her son James and how their struggle with the school system led her to becoming an advocate and helping other families in her area. Kate and I talk all about the early days of her sons diagnosis and the emotions she felt at that time. We also discuss the challenges they faced within their district when finding the right placement for her son. Kate fought for (and won!) what she felt was best for him and then knew she wanted to help others facing the same battle. She now works as an advocate and has helped over 50 families! Kate also shares some great tips and very valuable insight as we’re heading into IEP season. We had such a great conversation and I hope you enjoy listening! Connect with Kate: katecortelyou@hotmail.com Sponsors: Audible audibletrial.com/adventuresinautism Making Authentic Friendships makingauthenticfriendships.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/megan-carranza/message