Moments of Joy

Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month 2023

During this weeks episode I'm sending a special shout out to all of the parents raising children with special needs. 

Autism has been something that over the years has gained a lot of attention.  Its gotten awareness but its time for more acceptance. 

This episode has been brought to you by Big Heart  Toys! 

This weekend Maison received a pretty cool set of toys from @bighearttoys. They are great for all special needs children. At the push of a button the book begins to talk. It not only reads the story but shares feelings and solutions as well. 

The books have both educational and enjoyable benefits. Such as building language skills, increasing behavioral and emotional regulation. The books are meant to be fun and informational for children. 

They are easy to use and a great tool to use with you while you are on the go. 

Visit their website to learn more and check out their books! www.bighearttoys.com

WHY parents prioritizing their own wellbeing is so important with Nadia Fiorita.

On this weeks episode Im sitting down with Licensed Therapist Nadia Fiorita. We talked about why parents prioritizing their own wellbeing is so important and  Nadia shared simple things they can start to do when we feel overwhelmed and stressed out. 

She gave tips on identifying anxiety in our children and ourselves and how to manage.

Autism Sibling with Jose Rodriguez Jr. of Tasium Worldwide

It was such a pleasure to sit down and chat with founder of Tasium Worldwide an apparel line dedicated to autistic people. Jose's passion came from being the older sibling to someone with autism. You've gotta hear this....Listen in

 

Follow him on social media @Tasium.worldwide

The truth about speech, language, and hearing science withTeresa Girolamo, Ph.D

Today Im sitting down with Teresa Girolamo, Ph.D., she is an autistic language in autism researcher and assistant professor in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at San Diego State University. As director of the Brain, Environment, and Language Lab, she works with racially and ethnically minoritized autistic individuals with language impairment. This population is underserved in research, hindering our ability to develop supports to meet their needs. Current projects include how social determinants of health plus language ability shape life outcomes and how to better understand strengths in language ability in this population. The long-term goal of this work is to translate this knowledge into community-based supports for individuals to meet their self-identified goals.

Don’t be afraid to advocate with Zulekha Williams

Join me today as I chat with amazing tik tok mom @Zulekha WIlliams. She has an amazing platform encouraging Autism moms and providing many resources. 

Chromosome Deletion with Melanie Oates

Welcome back! Thank you for baring with me as we had a winter break. Today we are sitting down to chat with Melanie Oates. @melanieoates_ Mom of two special needs children. It was wonderful to hear her journey and what resources have worked for her.She made a tough decision of placing her daughter in a 24/7 respite care facility.

Black and Autistic with Tiffany ”Tj”

Today Im chatting with the creator of the platform Nigh Functioning Autism Tiffany aka TJ. She is a 39 year old mom of two who has been diagnosed with Autism. I love her platform because there is nothing like being educated from an adult with Autism. Tiffany adds another layer and that is being Autistic and Black. During this episode  she educates us on sooooo many topics. The puzzle piece, aac devices, meltdowns, speech, special education and so much more! Listen in and leave a review.

 

Follow her @Nigh.Functioning.Autism

Happiness is Down Syndrome with Misty Coy Snyder

During this episode I'm sitting down with founder of Happiness is Down Syndrome and mom of Jed, Misty Con Snyder. We chat about diagnosis, resources, the beauty of raising a child with special needs.  

God’s gift with Yasmeen Hamed (Ibrahim’s Mom)

Today my special guest is the mom of Ibrahim Hamed and her name is Yasmeen. They are constantly going viral on Tik tok and Instagram for showing the day to day life of her family and son who is now an adult living with Autism and Cerebral Palsy. We sit down for a candid discussion that is sure to encourage parents raising children with special needs.  

Hearts of Joy with Lauren Costabile

Today I'm sitting down to chat with the founder of non profit organization Hearts of Joy International. Hearts of Joy is a non profit that  provides life saving heart surgery to individuals with Down Syndrome. They are dedicated to serving vulnerable children who otherwise would have no access to quality medical care. 50% of children born with Down Syndrome are born with a congenital heart defect that requires surgery to repair before it becomes life threatening. Due to poverty and lack of resources in developing worlds, children are not given access to proper medical care. After traveling to Uganda, East Africa and seeing the need first hand and witnessing how individuals with Down syndrome are disregarded and seen as a burden to society, Lauren was inspired to start a program to help. Hearts of Joy International walks with families through the surgery process, providing resources, support and education to communities, orphanages, caregivers and parents on the inherent dignity and value of the child. Hearts of Joy International serves in the Philippines, India, Mexico, Uganda and right here in the United States.