All Episodes

The CDC and National Health Statistics Reports estimate that there is a 1-2% chance of a child being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the rates for boys are higher than that for girls. So, if your child has just been diagnosed with autism, you are not alone. In today’s podcast episode, CHC experts Seema Motwani, Occupational Therapist and Gina Baldi, Parent Trainer in our Early Support Program for Autism (ESPA) tell us where to turn for services, therapies and support. Best of all, they remind us that an autism diagnosis doesn’t change who our child is or what they’re capable of. (Hint: anything).

Anxiety is a healthy emotion, except when it’s not. Experiencing anxiety can be just what we need to finish a project or task, or deal with a stressful situation. But it can also be overwhelming and debilitating. In today’s podcast episode, CHC experts Jessica Shankman, MA, Doctoral Psychology Intern, and Christa Johnson, PsyD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist help us understand what’s normal and when to worry. Don’t miss this important conversation, covering everything from the differences between stress and anxiety, warning signs and behaviors, the mental health impacts of the pandemic and how to know when to seek help.

Parenting is really an art — of balancing being there with letting go. Can your children navigate the world on their own? Will they ever stop needing you and will you ever stop worrying about them? Don’t miss today’s podcast episode featuring two CHC experts — Liberty Hebron, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Audrey Schield, Bilingual Associate Social Worker — as they share a three-step model for weathering all sorts of parenting “storms.”

Our brains develop from the back to the front. The prefrontal cortex — important for impulse control, managing emotions, planning, organization and finishing tasks — is the last to develop, and is not fully mature until our mid-twenties. How does this impact teen behavior and decision making and how can parents make sure we still matter? Don’t miss today’s inspiring episode featuring CHC’s own Dr. Erin Hoolihan, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, as she explains how parents can tap into, connect with, be understanding of and provide a safe haven for our teens and their developing brains.

Data shows that calls to the helpline for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) increased 40% in the first year of the pandemic. Sometimes symptoms might fly under the radar or be dismissed as ‘just a phase,’ but the shame, guilt and health complications associated with eating disorders are risks we can’t ignore. On today’s podcast episode, we sit down with CHC’s own Alexa Wilmarth, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, who has worked with adolescents with eating disorders in both outpatient and residential treatment settings. Listen today as Alexa shares warning signs, insights, co-occurring mental health disorders and advice for parents on this timely topic.

We receive lots of questions from parents about evaluations: Does my child need one? Or should we just start treatment? An evaluation by a psychologist or a multidisciplinary team can be a valuable tool in understanding your child’s strengths and weaknesses and provide a roadmap for next steps. It can reveal whether what seems like distraction, laziness or reluctance could actually be a sign of mental health or learning challenges. In today’s podcast episode, CHC experts Dr. Pardis Khosravi, Clinical Director and Psychologist and Ann Lyke, Educational Therapist, share their professional perspectives on everything from the differences between evaluation types to how to talk to your child about the results.

A lack of socialization over the past two years has a lot of parents worried about their children’s language development. In fact, one of the most viewed articles in our online Resource Library right now focuses on speech delays in young children during COVID. How do we know when our kids should be progressing from first words to full sentences? Have masks and social distancing affected typical language development? Where should we turn if we’re concerned? Today’s podcast guests — two CHC Speech and Language Pathologists, Shirit Megiddo, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL and Kharyl Anne Piano, MS CCC-SLP — will put these questions to rest and share ideas to foster healthy language development at home.

Do you ever wonder if your child might be missing some key developmental milestones? Are you seeing some behaviors or delays that give you cause for concern? As a parent, it can be hard to know where to turn and how to figure out next steps. In today’s podcast episode, I sat down with Sarah Knepper, MEd, Educational Services Manager at EBC School and the mother of two young boys, one with disabilities. Sarah shares her parenting journey — from the initial “pit in my stomach” and the shame she felt on the playground, to the validation of a diagnosis and finding the right supports for her son. Sarah’s perspective as both a mom and an educator is filled with “aha” moments, compassion and authenticity.

Parenting expert, author and educator, Julie Lythcott-Haims is well-known for her words of wisdom and encouragement. But in today’s podcast episode — for the first time — we are invited to listen in on a heart-to-heart conversation between Julie and her 22-year-old son Sawyer, about his journey with ADHD and their family’s road to acceptance. Sawyer bravely shares stories of his diagnosis, his anxiety, his decision to take a year off from college and the importance of his parents’ understanding. We hear Julie, not just as an expert, but as a mom in the moment, discussing the mistakes she’s made along the way, what she’s learned and how she and her partner are finally becoming the “parents their son deserves.” This is one you won’t want to miss — it’s special from start to finish.

The last couple of years have been all about adapting to meet evolving and elusive protocols. For students with learning differences, the shifts from online learning to hybrid to in-person (and back) have made a part of their life that is already challenging exceedingly more difficult. Adaptation is a key aspect of Executive Functioning, which can be lacking in those with learner variability. In today’s podcast episode, we sat down with Dr. Nicole Ofiesh, Director of the Schwab Learning Center at CHC, about strategies students can use to build Executive Functioning skills in high school, college and beyond.

Parenting is never easy, but raising a child with exceptional talents who also struggles with learning differences (such as autism, ADHD or dyslexia) is even more complex. This combination of giftedness and challenges — known as twice exceptional (2e) — creates a confusing picture for parents and educators. It can be difficult to see the signs of 2e because it looks different in every child. Their strengths can mask their challenges and their challenges can mask their strengths. Today we talk with Callie Turk, a parent of a 2e child and Dr. Vivien Keil, neuropsychologist, about the journey of understanding and parenting these unique and extraordinary kids.

It’s hard to imagine, but essential to talk about. While we shudder to think of our teens injuring themselves intentionally, cutting and other forms of self-harm are on the rise, affecting 1 in 12 youth and increasing 99% during the pandemic. In today’s episode, we welcome back Jennifer Leydecker, LMFT to the podcast, to discuss what self-harm looks like in adolescents and how to validate their hurt while encouraging healthier coping strategies. As Clinical Program Manager and Clinician at the RISE Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), Jennifer is an expert at helping teens regulate big emotions in a nonjudgmental way.