The Coffee Klatch Special Needs Radio

BRIGHT NOT BROKEN - DIANE KENNEDY REBECCA BANK  Dr Temple Grandin discusses brain scans, sensory issues, parenting tips, different thinking styles in autistics and much more 

Dyslexia:  The Parent's Perspective Helping your child with dyslexia can be a daunting and, often, frustrating process.  This episode of School Struggles will be devoted to understanding some of the typical challenges faced by parents in their efforts to help their children.  The guests on the show will be all parents of dyslexic children. We will be meeting with Wendy Ramos and Rachel Catalano of the grassroots parent group Wishes of Literacy  from Staten Island, NY, along with  Andy Kavulich of  Decoding NJ

Saving Normal: An Insider's Revolt against Out-of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis, DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the Medicalization of Ordinary Life   Is it possible that soon most of us will all have a diagnosable mental illness? Will our differences, which make us so unique and wonderful, only be looked in the negative, as a disorder, with the mindset of needing to be fixed when in fact, we are not truly broken  Referred to as "The most famous and honored psychiatrist in America"  Dr. Allen Frances makes his 3rd appearance, he is a clinician, educator, researcher, and leading authority on psychiatric diagnosis. He chaired the DSM-IV Task Force, was a member of the Task Force that

"Fending off Eating Disorders in your children (boys & girls)"   Our host Dr Russsell Hyken, family therapist,  adolescent educational diagnostician Educatinal Therapeutic specialist.    Today's discussion will focus on underlying issues, prevention, and signs of eatingdisorders/body image issues. Ms. Pace will also discus how to create an emotionally safe family environment to initiate discussion about health and nutrition.    Ellen Sheffield Pace is a Psychotherapist in private practice in Richmond Heights. Missouri.  Ellen specializes in the treatment of eating disorders and works with individuals and their families affected by this illness.  Ellen's commitments in the St. Louis community include serving on the board of The Scholarship Foundation and on the Development Board of Forsyth School.  Ellen is the past President of the Alumni Board at John Burroughs School.  She has a BA in Art History from Middlebury College and a Masters in Social Work from Washington University

A new concept on human diversity has emerged over the past 10 years that promises to revolutionize the way educators provide services to students with special needs: neurodiversity. Just as we celebrate diversity in nature and cultures, so too do we need to honor the diversity of brains among our students who learn, think, and behave differently. In Neurodiversity in the Classroom, best-selling guest Dr. Thomas Armstrong argues that we should embrace the strengths of such neurodiverse students to help them and their neurotypical peers thrive in school and beyond.  His innovative book focuses on five categories of special needs: learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, intellectual disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders. We will discuss: * The positive attributes associated with that category, * Acclaimed neurodiverse adults who have excelled in their chosen fields, * Computer programs and applications that allow students with special needs to overcome obstacles and achieve success, * Rich networks of human resources both inside and outside of school that educators can draw upon to support the social and emotional lives of neurodiverse students, * Innovative learning strategies that are tailored to each student's unique strengths, * Future career paths for which a student s particular gifts might be a good fit, * Modifications in the school environment that allow for seamless inclusion of neurodiverse students in the regular classroom, and * Timely information about how to integrate the strategies and assessments for each category with the Common Core State Standards.   

Stefanie is a Mental Health Consultant specializing in OCD, Anxiety, ADHD, PANDAS, and other related mental health disorders. She meets with the parents of children who have these disorders so that they can speak openly and honestly about their child. Based on an in- depth consultation and intake process, they collaborate on selecting a team of doctors that will be most appropriate for the child.   Should we mainstream our "grey area" child think about Special Needs School?  A tough decision many parents face.  Deciding where your  "grey area" child would be happiest at school can be a very tough decision.  The academic, social, and emotional pieces are all important pieces of the puzzle that parents need to consider when making this decision.  Ask Stefanie interviews Chantal Afalo a Special Needs & Educational Advisor, and Linda Gardener The Admissions Director for The Aaron School, a private special education school K-12, to determine what parents need to conside

Join hosts Diane Kennedy and Rebecca Bank authors of the blockbuster book "Bright Not Broken Gifted Kids, ADHD, And Autism: Why Twice Exceptional Children Are Stuck and How To help them Our guest is Dr. Ralph L. Ankenman, is a veteran psychiatrist and the author of Hope for the Violently Aggressive Child. Dr. Ankenman's work focuses on an alternative approach to treatment and management of severe meltdowns and aggression. These behaviors often associated with Autism, Bipolar, and related conditions are commonly treated with psychotropic drugs, Which often do not fully resolve those behaviors or may cause unnecessary side effects. Dr.Ankenman shares detailed case histories and explains through his personal experience how he has successfully treated patients, and how many of these behaviors may  be able to be treated with safer medications that target the adrenaline systems.  

Bish Bash Books is proud to announce the launch of its newest eBook My Special Family My Special Family was written and illustrated by ten year old Paige Snider and explores what it is like to live with two brothers who have autism. Written as a school project nearly ten years ago, the book highlights through the eyes of a child how living with autism is different, but in many ways, not that much different to the lives of many families. Ten years later, the book includes a new afterword that explains how life has changed now that Paige is attending college in Virginia. “I’m so excited to see My Special Family published by Bish Bash Books” said Paige Snider. “Autism affects many families. Both my brothers have autism and I wanted to show our life as a family that is not that dissimilar to yours.” Ms. Snider has worked hard to raise awareness of autism and has made a number of documentary films

Would you like to feel better, look better and have more self confidence? Has the stress of special needs parenting taken a toll on your health and well being. Tonight we get tips and tools to get ourselves in shape. Dr Stuart Fischers acclaimed little book of big medical emergencies is truly life saving and has been the subject of multiple television appearances.  · How to save someone who is fainting, choking, or drowning · How to tell if someone is having a stroke, heart attack, or epileptic seizure · How to identify a life-threatening allergic reaction, kidney infection, or pneumonia · How to perform CPR, make tourniquets, create an emergency kit for your home and car, and much more  Dr. Fischer’s Park Avenue Diet is a comprehensive program that addresses the seven principal componentsof image, how we appear and how we behave, the reflection of our lifestyle choices that the outside world judges us by. Permanent lifestyle change in The Park Avenue Diet is accomplished with the help of seven top experts in the seven uniquely interconnected components of image: weight, physique, hair, skin, clothing, self- confidence and interpersonal skills.

Depression, Bipolar, and ADHD: Dr Hyken and his guest will discuss how symptoms can overlap, confusion with the diagnosing these different issues, personality characteristics of each, and how to determine the proper diagnosis.   Discussions about teens, young adults and the challenges they encounter.  Dr Hykens first guest is "Rekha Ramanuja M.D. is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist specializing in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Clayton Behavioral in St. Louis, Missouri. She attended medical school at Saint Louis University before going on to complete both residency and fellowship at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital respectively. In addition to her practice at Clayton Behavioral, she works at the Bridges to Success intensive outpatient program for adolescents suffering from addiction. She also enjoys working at a children's residential care facility in Webster Groves known as Epworth Children and Family Services."  

  Join host Dr. Richard Selznick author of The Shut-Down Learner: Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child and the highly acclaimed School Struggles: A Guide To Your Shut-Down Learner’s Success. A down-to-earth presenter who looks to discuss difficult topics in non-jargon terms, Dr. Selznick tries to present complex issues in down-to earth terms.   Christine Robinson of ADD Action Coach is a Certified ADHD Coach and Educational Consultant. She has a degree in Psychology and a Master’s in Education. She is a certified practitioner of Cogmed Working Memory Systems and Integrated Listening Systems.  Christine presents a variety of workshops on parenting skills and parent support groups focusing on specific topics such as : homework management, parenting in our hi-tech world, how to be your child’s best advocate, navigating social challenges, improving time management and building your child’s strengths and self-esteem. As an experienced Educational Consultant, Christine specializes in IEP development and school placement. She find it very rewarding to be able to help children with special needs find “the right fit school” or finally receive the educational support they require from their teachers. She has successfully advocated for many children and teens through the Northeast and also conducts classroom observations. Her specialty areas are ADHD, dyslexia, learning differences and Asperger’s syndrome.

We have all heard the term "Maverick Mind"  today we meet the woman who coined the phrase... wrote the book... uncovered the Maverick Mind.   In this interview, Dr. Florance will share with us the joys of becoming a symptom-free Maverick. We will learn about the emerging signs of verbal fluency and hear inspiring success stories of Dr. Florance's work with Mavericks.  Once the symptoms are treated and the risks are reduced, the true genius of Mavericks can be unleashed.  Despite having others label her son, Whitney, deaf, autistic and mentally disabled, Dr. Florance refused to give up on him. With her expertise in brain science and speech pathology, she traced her son's difficulties to his high level of visual thinking. Combined with a multi-disciplinary focus on speech, hearing, and psychology, she found the key to unlocking her "unreachable son.  Today, Whitney is symptom-free, a college graduate, and a professional engineer.   Through her experience, Dr. Florance discovered what she calls the "Maverick Mind." Today, Dr. Florance works with Mavericks all over the world through her Brain Engineering Labs, enhancing the lives of children and adults with symptoms of Autism Spectrum, ADD, PDD, and other disorders of communication, language, learning, and behavior.   Join special host Angela Eaton, a mother of a "Maverick" daughter, to explore this enlightening and potentially paradigm-shifting discussion in a four par

Join hosts Diane Kennedy and Rebecca Bank authors of the blockbuster book "Bright Not Broken Gifted Kids, ADHD, And Autism: Why Twice Exceptional Children Are Stuck and How To help them Unlocking Your Brillance- Karen Purcell  Too often the strengths and talents of our gifted girls are overlooked especially in the fields of math and science.  Our guest this week, Karen Purcell is The author of Unlocking Your Brilliance Smart Strategies for Women to Thrive in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math: FOLLOW YOUR PASSION and RISE to GREAT HEIGHTS" Karen is a dynamic engineer, entrepreneur, and author focused on helping women create meaningful futures in the STEM fields. As the founder and president of PK Electrical, she draws on her experience to inspire young women to enter the STEM fields with confidence. Her nonprofit organization, STEMspire, was founded to support that mission. Her inspirational story is a wonderful guide for girls and young women interested in the STEM fields.Tackling an important social issue from a personal perspective, Karen describes the trajectory of her own career in engineering, including the struggles she endured.Through her story and stories from women in other fields, she explores the hurdles women in the male-dominated STEM world must overcome and offers pragmatic strategies for moving beyond them.

Ask Stefanie  Kids with ADHD act without thinking, are hyperactive, and have trouble focusing. They may understand what's expected of them but have trouble following through because they can't sit still, pay attention, or attend to details.  Ask Stefanie interviews Stephanie Weldon to find out what parents and teachers can do to maximize children's potential both academically and socially. Stephanie Weldon has the combination of being a learning specialist and psychotherapist. She grew up having ADHD herself, so she really relates to her patients. Understanding first-hand the way children with ADHD learn is very important in the process of getting them to reach their highest potential. Through organizational tips and techniques, learning support, and therapy, children with ADHD can and should succeed.   Stephanie Weldon is a psychotherapist who began her training in the trauma division of the Karen Horney clinic working with adults. In addition, Stephanie is the former director of GO Families where she spent several years facilitating weekly support groups for parents who have children with learning disabilities and other special needs. Stephanie has been consulting for the public and  independent schools in NYC for over ten years. She is the former learning specialist for the Chapin School.  Most recently, in celebration of IDEA's 35th year anniversary, a documentary called People Like Me was released tracking the theater company Stephanie founded twenty years ago when she first began working with children with special needs.

Join hosts Diane Kennedy and Rebecca Bank authors of the blockbuster book "Bright Not Broken Gifted Kids, ADHD, And Autism: Why Twice Exceptional Children Are Stuck and How To help them Tonight Bright Not Broken: Mentally Gifted Not Disordered Dr. Enrico Gnaulati Many of our Gifted kids are misunderstood and misdiagnosed with ADHD, Bi-Polar and other related conditions. Having the right "lens" to view many of the characteristics these unique individuals present with is key. In this episode we will discuss what does a mentally gifted kid look like? Too often when a child is fidgety, restless, argumentative, aloof or unmotivated teachers and care providers assume these are signs of a disorder rather than  possibly signs of giftedness. Our guest Dr. Enrico Gnaulati is a psychologist in private practice, Pasadena CA. He specializes in child and adolescent therapy and assessment, parenting consultation, couples therapy and in-depth adult individual therapy. He has published a host of scholarly articles and magazine pieces, and is the author of "Emotion-Regulating Play Therapy with ADHD Children: Staying with Playing," as well as the fortcoming book, "Back to Normal: The Overlooked, Ordinary Explanations for Kids' ADHD, Bi-Polar, and Autistic-Like Behavior."