The Chronicles of Autism Moms

SEN vs Mainstream Education

Summary
The episode includes Suzana, Maha, Moira and Alison sharing their own unique experiences of choosing a SEN vs Mainstream school for their child and how that affected them and their lives as women, mothers, and professionals.
 
Topics
00:00 - This Life, the chronicles of Autism moms podcast, series 1 episode 7 – SEN vs Mainstream Education00:30 - Alison kicks off the show03:00 Suzana, was it quite clear to you that your son should go to a Mainstream school?05:30 Once you decided on the school, what were your biggest concerns?07:00 Did you have to push for involvement in your son’s school?09:20 Maha, how were you feeling about being received by other parents or the teachers as a parent of a SEN chid?12:00 How did you approach suggesting he needs to move into mainstrem?16:30 Moira, how was your experience of being the only or one of few SEN parents in a class?19:30 Alison what is your experience of SEN and Mainstream schooling?22:00 Mainstream curriculum needs a huge overhall to allow it to be modified for SEN children.33:00 Organizational skills required of kids as they progress through school needs to be taught much earlier and/or accommodations met for SEN children struggling with organization.
34:00 What would be your advice for parents who are currently facing the SEN vs Mainstream choice for their child?
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To learn more about SEN Education, watch Learn Autism’s video: School and Special Education.  
To learn more about Autism, visit: www.learnautism.com
To watch this podcast, visit our YouTube Channel.
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Keep in touch with us on Instagram  @chroniclesofautismmomspod
Download the Learn Autism app today and start your FREE 3-Day trial:
 

School Admissions

Summary
This episode is about the process of finding a place in schools for thier kids and how that affected these Autism moms and their lives as women, mothers, and professionals.
 
Topics
00:00 - This Life, the chronicles of Autism moms podcast, series 1 episode 6 – School Admissions.
00:30 - Alison kicks off the show
01:00 Alison shares her experience of choosing a school to accommodate all her children.
08:20 Karina – was it important to keep your twins together at the same school?
09:20 Did the disclosure of speech delay close the doors to many schools?
10:30 Were you surprised by the lack of support from schools?
12:15 How does inclusion differ in other countries> - Hasna
17:20 Moira’s school experience
20:40 Huma, how do you feel looking back at your school journey?
28:20 Maha, do you have experience of being asked to leave a school?
31:00 How did you explain to your son that he needed to move schools?
35:20 Reen, did you feel it was important to have all your children at the same school?
40:20 Suzana, what was your process to get your son into school?
46:30 How did you feel about the pressure on you during the school assessment process?
50:00 Round the table for Top Tips and advice for parents starting the process of looking for a school for their child.
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To learn more about Autism, visit: www.learnautism.com
Download the Learn Autism app today and start your FREE 3-Day trial:
 
To watch this podcast, visit our YouTube Channel.
Keep in touch with us on Instagram  @chroniclesofautismmomspod
 

Early Intervention

Summary
The episode includes everyone sharing their own unique experiences of Early Intervention with their child on the Autism spectrum and how that affected them and their lives as women, mothers, and professionals. 
Topics
00:00 - This Life, the chronicles of Autism moms podcast, series 1 episode 5 – Early Intervention.
00:30 - Alison kicks off the show
01:30   What is Early Intervention?
03:50   What are the reasons for Early Intervention?
04:40   Did you know about EI when your child was diagnosed? Karina’s story
07:00   Reen’s early experience of intervention.
12:30   How do you manage the planning of services your child needs?
15:30   How did finding an EI program help – Moira’s story
20:30   Maha’s experience in Australia
24:20   Suzana, when did your child join an EI program?
30:00   Huma’s experience and advice for parents who are embarking on a therapy journey.
37:30   Hasna’s experience
48:00   Alisons experience and final advice
 
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To learn more about Autism, visit: www.learnautism.com
Download the Learn Autism app today and start your FREE 3-Day trial:
 
To watch this podcast, visit our YouTube Channel.
Keep in touch with us on Instagram  @chroniclesofautismmomspod
 

The Disclosure Dilemma

Summary
The episode includes everyone sharing their own unique experiences of disclosing to family, friends and school that their child is on the Autism spectrum and how that affected them and their lives as women, mothers, and professionals. 
 
Topics
00:00 - This Life, the chronicles of Autism moms podcast, series 1 episode 4 – The Disclosure Dilemma. 
00:30 - Alison kicks off the show 
01:08    What do we mean by Disclosure?
06:00    Have you ever been in a dilemma over disclosing?
08:45    Are there any situations where you wouldn’t disclose?
12:00    In terms of schooling, what are your experiences of disclosure? Would you have done things differently?
16:30    Have you had any negative reactions to disclosure?
18:30    How can we empower our kids by sharing information when it backfires?
21:00    Do you proactively disclose your situation?
29:00    What are your top tips for disclosure?
Additional Info
When to absolutely not disclose – When making an insurance claim! Speech Therapy for general speech and language disorder or Occupational Therapy for general gross and fine motor skills assistance do not need to be linked back to the A word!
When to absolutely disclose – Anywhere there is a queue!!!! Airports, tourist attractions, Disney!! Fast Track it to the front of the queue wherever possible. Some countries try to make it easier by having a card to display to save you going through endless explanations.
In Qatar you can apply for a card from the Qatar Society for Rehabilitation of Special Needs. You need to visit the office in order to process the card. https://goo.gl/maps/h8vs9kaWR882
In the UK you can apply for a Sunflower Card. The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a discreet sign that the wearer has a hidden disability and may need additional support. It is now recognized in many airports around the world.  https://hiddendisabilitiesstore.com/
 
Resources
Watch the preview for Learn Autism's episode on School and Special Education with attorney Michael Gilberg:   https://bit.ly/3CDBRqZ
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To learn more about Autism, visit: www.learnautism.com
Download the Learn Autism app today and start your FREE 3-Day trial:
 
To watch this podcast, visit our YouTube Channel.
Keep in touch with us on Instagram  @chroniclesofautismmomspod
 

The Quest for Finding Services

SummaryThe episode includes everyone sharing their own unique experiences of how their story unfolded after they received the diagnosis their child is on the Autism spectrum, how they then went about finding services for their child and how that affected them and their lives as women, mothers, and professionals. 
Topics00:00 - This Life, the chronicles of Autism moms podcast, series 1 episode 3 – The Quest for Finding Services.00:30 - Alison kicks off the show01:30 – How did you navigate the next phase after receiving the diagnosis?03:30 – ABA & BCBA Definition – see below**04:30 – How did you know ABA was an option, where were you getting your information?08:00 – How stressful was it to manage, as a parent, all the required services?09:00 – How can we guarantee a consistency of care? What to look for when employing a therapist.16:00 – How did the waiting for services make you feel?22:40 – How did you feel managing your child’s schedule?28:00 – Was being unaware of what the future held for you and your child a protection or a fear?43:00 – How did you cope with friendships/social life? Did you feel judged by friends over your parenting?44:30 – Did it take time to get your friends to understand your situation?
 
Terms**
ABA – Applied Behavioral Analysis: a scientific approach that studies the function of behavior. It looks at behaviors within context and allows you to understand what triggers and maintains the behaviorr.BCBA – A Board Certified Behavior Analyst is the person who will create and supervise an ABA program for your child.
 
Resources
Watch the preview for Learn Autism's episode on Effective Therapies and Services for People with Autism by Dr. Adrienne Robek:  https://bit.ly/375BNo5 
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To learn more about Autism, visit: www.learnautism.com
Download the Learn Autism app today and start your FREE 3-Day trial:
 
To watch this podcast, visit our YouTube Channel.

The Diagnosis

Summary
Alison discusses “the diagnosis” with Autism moms Hasna, Moira, Maha, Suzana, Huma, Karina, and our techie Raana. They share their feelings, perspectives and reality of what life was like during the time they received their child’s Autism diagnosis.  Their discussion focuses on them as mothers but also primarily as women who have been on this journey and how that period of time felt for them. 
Topics
00:00 - This Life, the chronicles of Autism moms podcast, series 1 episode 1
00:30 - Alison kicks off the show 
00:52 - Who diagnosed your child? Without naming names, share the process and your experience. 
25:03 - Do you need need a diagnosis?
27:25 - What would you change about the diagnosis system and process?
Resources
Learn Autism Episode on Diagnosing Autism by Dr. Adrienne Robek on https://tv.learnautism.com/programs/diagnosing-autism
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To learn more about Autism, visit: www.learnautism.com
Download the Learn Autism app today and start your FREE 3-Day trial:
 
To watch this podcast, visit our YouTube Channel.
 

Oh! So It’s Autism!

Summary
This podcast is a fun and thoughtful initiative that we hope will support others as we share our collective years of experience and knowledge. This project is a means to pay it forward to other families as they begin their journey. It is hosted by Alison Saraf, an Autism mom, and also features other awesome Autism moms Hasna, Moira, Suzana, Reen, Maha, Karina, Huma and Raana, our techie. The episode includes everyone sharing their own unique experiences of how their story unfolded when they realized their child is on the Autism spectrum and how that affected them and their lives as women, mothers, and professionals. Strap in, grab some tissues, sometimes you’ll cry from empathy and other times from laughter. Join us on our journey of This Life.
 
Topics
00:00 - This Life, the chronicles of Autism moms podcast, series 1 episode 1
00:30 - Alison kicks off the show
03:05 - How did you first notice that something was different about your child?
12:37 - How did that make you feel as a mother and as a person? 
16:46 - What do you remember about the period when you were seeking a diagnosis for your child?
31:18 - Fast Forward 10 years…. What do you think was the most important thing that you did for your child during this time? What made the most difference?
53:54 - How is your child doing now and how are you doing (as a mother and a person)?
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To learn more about Autism, visit: www.learnautism.com
Download the Learn Autism app today and start your FREE 3-Day trial:
 
To watch this podcast, visit our YouTube Channel.
 
 

Bonus: Meet Us!

This podcast is a fun and thoughtful initiative that we hope will support others as we share our collective years of experience and knowledge. This project is a means to pay it forward to other families as they begin their journey.
Meet our host, Alison Saraf, an Autism mom, and the other awesome Autism moms on our podcast: Hasna, Moira, Suzana, Reen, Maha, Karina, Huma and Raana, our techie.
Strap in, grab some tissues, sometimes you’ll cry from empathy and other times from laughter. Join us on our journey of This Life.
 
00:00 - This Life, the chronicles of Autism moms podcast, series 1 Bonus episode
00:30 - Alison kicks off the show
 
To learn more about Autism, visit: www.learnautism.com
Download the Learn Autism app today and start your FREE 3-Day trial:
 
To watch this podcast, visit our YouTube Channel.