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A Personal Account of Raising a Child with Autism

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“Our family collectively made a decision to start being more honest about some of the more challenging parts of this journey…because the more invisible I inadvertently made other families feel.”

It was such a joy to sit down with Bobbi Rogers, Director of Proud Moments Therapy & Founder of Families For Effective Autism Treatment (FEAT), to talk about the challenges that families with autistic children face in their journey.

Thank you so much for your honesty, insight and kindness Bobbi!

The Truth about Women & Autism

This week I am joined by  bestselling author, international speaker and autism advocate, Jennifer Cook, to smash the stereotypes of what it means to be autistic and female.

Jennifer has dedicated her life to redefining the spectrum and informing the world about how autism impacts females, and how this differs from the impact on males.

Listen to learn more about the consequences of overlooking the diagnosis of autism in women.

Advocating for our Edlers & Bridging Generations

Elderly woman sitting with younger woman

“The elders will teach you something that you cannot learn from the most famous bestselling authors or the most high-impact business coaches or the most polished self-help gurus.”

Countless professionals, parents, and partners have walked the earth before us. They’ve had triumph and failures…booms and busts…and have the advice we all need to hear…if only we would listen.

In this episode of the Illuminare Podcast, I sat down with David Romanelli to discuss why it’s so important to integrate younger generations with older people in order to gain valuable knowledge and build powerful relationships.

The History of ABA

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What a thrill to talk with my undergraduate and graduate school professor, advisor, mentor and dear friend, Dr. John Lutzker. 

Join us as we take a trip down memory lane and discuss the history, practice, and prominent figures in the research and development of applied behavior analysis (ABA),including Dr. Donald Baer, Dr. Montrose Wolf, Dr. Nate Azrin and many more.

John shares many personal accounts of his experiences with these pioneers as well as their contribution to the development of the field.  

Dr. Lutzker is an esteemed child and developmental psychologist and leading expert in child neglect and maltreatment prevention.

It is always such a delight speaking with you, John. Thank you for sharing your expertise with our listeners. 

Women, Sexuality and Autism

On this episode of The Illuminare Podcast, I sit down with Amy Gravino, an author, speaker, and autism sexuality advocate to discuss the importance of comprehensive sexual education for all individuals with disabilities, including individuals with autism, how sex can be a tool to reclaim independence, and how autism impacts women. 

Amy is an advocate and relationship coach for those on the autism spectrum, whose mission is to empower those with autism to take agency of their sexuality. 

Such a fun, meaningful and enlightening conversation that I’m honored to share with listeners. Thank you for joining me, Amy!

The Burnout Dilemma in Healthcare

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On this episode of The Illuminare Podcast, Shawn C. Jones MD FACS joined me for a conversation about the burnout dilemma among physicians in the medical community and providers in behavioral health, as well as his own personal journey with PTSD. 

Tune in to learn tools to utilize when you experience burnout and more insights from his book – “Finding Heart In Art: A Surgeon’s Renaissance Approach To Healing Modern Medical Burnout.” 

The Bedtime Doctor: Better Bedtime Routines for Children, Teens and Adults

Child sleeping

On this episode of The Illuminare Podcast, I was thrilled to be joined by Dr. Lynelle Schneeberg, a pediatric sleep psychologist and author of “Become Your Child’s Sleep Coach.”

This is a great listen for anyone who struggles with their bedtime routine and wants to improve the overall quality of their sleep, but it’s especially apt for those who have young children that struggle to fall asleep. If that’s you, you’re not alone: 80% of preschool parents say their kids have sleep issues. 

Dr. Schneeberg provides practical advice and tips to improve the bedtime routine not just for young children, but for teens, adults, and the elderly as well. 

The Prevalence of Brain Injuries in Sports and the Military

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On this episode of The Illuminare Podcast, I’m happy to have Elizabeth Sandel, MD back for part 2 of our discussion on brain injuries. 

This time Dr. Sandel and I focus our talk on athletes and soldiers — two of the most vulnerable populations for concussions and other TBIs —and the long-term effects of repeated head trauma, such as CTE and other neurodegenerative diseases.