Full Spectrum Parent: a Faith-based Autism Podcast

Praying FOR Our Special Needs Kids

November 10, 2022 05:00 - 35 minutes - 32.4 MB

We all know prayer is important and if we're honest, we often feel guilty for not praying enough. In Episode 29, we launch a 3-part series on praying for our kids. This week, we tackle the challenge of praying for our special needs kiddos. Why we do it, how we do it, and the big question: DOES GOD WANT TO HEAL AUTISM?

Surviving Halloween

October 27, 2022 04:00 - 36 minutes - 41.2 MB

Whether you’re a special needs parent worrying about sensory overloads and meltdowns or a typical parent praying your kids don’t eat so much candy they puke, we are all hoping to survive Halloween. But what if instead of hoping for survival, we actually planned ahead and enjoyed this time with our kids? In Episode 28, we share our tips and tricks for navigating trick-o-treating and even dive into why we as pastors feel to participate in Halloween.

Surviving Halloween

October 27, 2022 04:00 - 36 minutes - 33 MB

Whether you’re a special needs parent worrying about sensory overloads and meltdowns or a typical parent praying your kids don’t eat so much candy they puke, we are all hoping to survive Halloween. But what if instead of hoping for survival, we actually planned ahead and enjoyed this time with our kids? In Episode 28, we share our tips and tricks for navigating trick-o-treating and even dive into why we as pastors feel to participate in Halloween.

Screen Time

October 13, 2022 04:00 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MB

Screen Time. The word itself seems to conjure up guilt. Maybe you haven’t been the best at monitoring your kid’s electronics. Or maybe you struggle with regulating how many hours you’re staring at your own phone. At one time or another, we have all been ashamed at how many hours we’ve wasted staring at a screen. In Episode 27, we share some staggering statistics in regards to technology, while offering The 4 Non-Negotiable’s we set as a family in regards to electronics. Proloquo2Go A...

The Lessons Our Kids Teach Us P.3

September 29, 2022 04:00 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MB

In Episode 26, we are celebrating our one-year anniversary as the Full Spectrum Parent Podcast by giving away a $50 Amazon gift card to one lucky listener who leaves a review on Apple Podcast. We also finish our three-part series, "The Lessons Our Kids Teach Us", sharing candidly how God has killed the perfectionist in each of us and used autism to give us a glimpse of his love for every individual.

The Lessons Our Kids Teach Us P.2 feat. Jen Forsthoff

September 15, 2022 04:02 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MB

In Episode 25, we continue our 3-part series called “The Lessons Our Kids Teach Us” and this week we had the privilege of interviewing Jennifer Forsthoff. Jen is an author, speaker and advocate from Fenton, Michigan. Jen and her husband are pastors and have 3 children. Their oldest, Charlie, was diagnosed with Trisomy 21 at birth. As Jen experiences the beauty and challenges of raising Charlie, she speaks out to share her story and strengthen others. Jen’s books, “Chosen for Charlie...

The Lessons Our Kids Teach Us P.1 feat. Heather Avis

September 01, 2022 04:00 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MB

In Episode 24, we introduce a 3-part series called “The Lessons Our Kids Teach Us” and we had the honor of interviewing Heather Avis. Heather Avis is a New York Times best-selling author, podcaster and Down syndrome advocate, working to create a more inclusive world where everyone belongs. Learn more about her latest ministry and her latest child’s book, “Everyone Belongs” at https://www.heatheravis.com/everyonebelongs

Grief, Loss & Our Kids

August 18, 2022 04:00 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MB

Grief is a part of life we can’t avoid. The only thing worse than walking through a season of loss, is seeing our kids walk through one. In Episode 23, we talk candidly about grief, loss, and how to help our kids navigate life during the dark times.

Filters We Parent Through

August 04, 2022 04:00 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MB

Just as Instagram has dozens of filters that change an image, our parenting styles run through unique filters that distort and change reality. I’m Episode 22, we highlight 3 commons filters we unconsciously parent through; how to recognize and overcome these filters with God’s help. Whether you are a special needs parent or a typical parent, you need to listen to this one!

Early Signs of Autism

July 21, 2022 04:00 - 37 minutes - 34.4 MB

When our daughter Mara was first diagnosed with severe autism, we had no clue what autism even was. We quickly received a crash course but would never want others to be blindsided like we were. In Episode 21, we share 10 early signs of autism to be aware of as your child grows and develops. Also, we’d love to connect with you in a greater way: 🧩FREE GIFT FOR AUTISM FAMILIES 10 Crucial Facts About Autism No One Told Me(Just click the link to sign up for our weekly newsletter and this gi...

Family Vacations & Autism 🫣

July 07, 2022 12:57 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MB

Vacations are supposed to be a time to unplug, a time to laugh, and to time to enjoy just being with family. But as special needs parents, vacations can be extremely stressful—to the point you need a vacation AFTER your vacation. In Episode 20, we share hilarious moments from our recent family trip to Ohio and offer three tips to consider when venturing with special needs kiddos on a summer vacation.

Letting Go: Learning To Release Our Kids Into The World (Part 3)

June 23, 2022 04:00 - 30 minutes - 28 MB

As special need parents, we believe God has entrusted us to care for our children. But should we release our kids into the world like a typical parent would? Or should we care for our special needs kiddos indefinitely on our own? There are no cookie-cutter answers to these hard questions, but it helps to talk with a parent who is a few steps ahead. In Episode 19, we continue our series “Letting Go: Learning To Release Our Kids Into The World” by interviewing Fern Douglas. Fern is a w...

Letting Go: Learning To Release Our Kids Into The World (Part 2)

June 09, 2022 04:00 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MB

Being a parent is hard. Launching our kids into the world is even harder. In Episode 18, we continue our series “Letting Go: Learning to Release Your Kids Into The World” by interviewing Elaine Kesner. Elaine has been married for 32 years and is a mom of 3 young adults. All attended college, one is married, and her oldest is currently a missionary in Uganda. Listen in as Elaine candidly shares her parenting fears, frustrations, and the lessons she has learned among the way.

Letting Go: Learning To Release Your Kids Into The World (Part 1)

May 26, 2022 04:00 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MB

As graduation season is upon us, many parents are faced with the challenge of releasing our kids into the big, scary world. Our ability to let go and launch our children depends on the health of our relationship with them. In Episode 17, we discuss six warning signs that you may be leaning towards codependency as a parent and how choosing to place our trust in God is always the answer.

Foster Care & Adoption: "Lies, Truths, and Horror Stories" 😬

May 12, 2022 04:00 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MB

In honor of May being National Foster Care Month, we dedicated Episode 16 to sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly regarding foster care and adoption. With a candid look at our foster to adopt journey, we debunk five prevalent lies we hear all the time while challenging parents to prayerfully consider foster care and adoption.

Ask Anything Part 2

April 28, 2022 04:00 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MB

We challenged our listeners to ask us anything and the questions came rolling in. In Episode 15, we tackle tough parenting questions ranging from how to deal with guilt as a parent to how to keep your kids in their bedrooms at night. This is an episode you don’t want to miss!

Church Challenges & Kids

April 07, 2022 04:00 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MB

As Christian parents, we believe church should be an essential part of our children's lives. Yet the more kids we had--the more challenging church became. From the toddler who can't sit still to the teenager on the spectrum, church can be an overwhelming place. In Episode 14, we speak candidly of our own struggles with our children in the church setting and how we overcame some of these obstacles.

Help! I Can't Stop Yelling At My Kids :(

March 24, 2022 04:00 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MB

If we were to set up a confessional for parents, and you could slip behind the curtain and share your “sins”, the one admission we would hear most often is this: “I can’t stop yelling at my kids.” My husband and I are pastors, yet we lose our cool with our children too. The chaos of life with little ones feels as if you are a boiling pot of water—the minute you turn up the heat—you find yourself spewing water everywhere and then feeling guilty about it after the fact. In Episode 13, we...

IEP's, 504's, and CSE's OH MY!

March 10, 2022 05:00 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MB

The day our daughter was diagnosed with autism we entered into a foreign land called Special Education. In this strange new world, they spoke an entirely different language—spouting jargon and acronyms left and right. My husband and I felt completely lost. In Episode 12, we offer 10 tips for tackling your child’s Individualized Education Plan, defining terms, and walking parents through what it’s like to sit in a special education meeting. And if you would like to learn more about th...

Medication and Our Kids

February 24, 2022 05:00 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MB

Considering medication for our children is a hot topic. Some families are dead set against the idea, while others swear by them. With so many options, it can be difficult to navigate what is best for our children. On top of all this, as Christian parents, we are confronted with the stigmas regarding medicine that exists in some circles. If our children are on medication, does that mean we aren't trusting God? Are faith and medicine opposed to one another? In Episode 11, we share th...

Typical Kids In A Special Needs Family

February 10, 2022 05:00 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MB

Raising special needs kids should qualify as an extreme sport. But raising typical children in the midst of these challenges takes parenting to a whole new level. In Episode 10, we reveal an exclusive interview with a very special guest: our eldest son Jeremiah. Jeremiah describes the challenges he has faced as a typical teen growing up with two siblings who struggle with severe autism.

Ask Anything

January 27, 2022 05:00 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MB

We challenged our listeners to ask us anything and the questions came rolling in. In Episode 9, we tackle tough parenting questions ranging from how we hire babysitters to how we address the topic of sexuality with our children. This is an episode you don’t want to miss!

School & Education

January 13, 2022 21:00 - 33 minutes - 30.4 MB

Every child learns differently. Every child has different needs. Throw in a pandemic, masks, and social distancing—and learning gets complicated. How can we as parents make wise decisions in regards to our kid’s education? What does God require of us? In Episode 8, we offer three guiding principles to navigate decisions regarding school, while sharing our blunders along the way.

Sleep

December 30, 2021 05:00 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MB

Sleep. We know we need it but can never seem to get enough. As parents, sleep can feel elusive. The moment a tiny human enters our world—everything changes—including our sleep schedule. In Episode 7, we encourage parents that we aren’t victims to our children’s erratic sleep patterns. Our kids CAN learn the skill of sound sleeping, no matter what challenges our families face.

Unmet Expectations

December 16, 2021 05:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MB

Expectations are a tricky thing. God calls us to believe for great things but how do we navigate life when it doesn’t seem to measure up to our expectations? Most of us grow up dreaming of a spouse, a modern home designed by Joanna Gaines, a white picket fence, and 2.5 kids. Yet sometimes life serves up a different course than we envisioned—special needs, divorce, illness, miscarriage, loneliness. In Episode 6, we discuss how to tackle the internal and external expectations we...

Mental Health & Parenting

December 02, 2021 05:00 - 28 minutes - 26.1 MB

There has never been a time in history where our mental health has been more taxed. Sickness. Isolation. A world-wide pandemic. And throw in the responsibility of raising good humans to boot. I never thought much about my mental health until I experienced my first panic attack. In this episode, we share our story and the steps we took toward pursuing peace and prioritizing our own mental health in the midst of parenting.

Marriage First

November 18, 2021 05:00 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MB

Marriage First. Marriage is the foundation of a family. Everyday stressors such as work, bills, and kids puts a strain on our relationships—let alone a pandemic or an autism diagnosis. In episode 4, we share three practical tips we have implemented as a couple to invest in our marriage. Laugh along with us at the extremes we have had to take to carve out time alone, as we challenge you to do the same.

Discipline

November 04, 2021 04:00 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MB

No one likes the word discipline, but as parents, we realize it’s necessary. In this episode, we address the Top 3 Struggles parents face when it comes to disciplining their kids—reminding listeners what is MOST important in our parenting journey. We even tackle the dreaded “S” word—spanking—and break down the verse in Proverbs that is often misquoted and highly misunderstood.

Autism Causes

October 21, 2021 04:00 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MB

In this episode, we tackle the age-old question: “What causes autism?” On a more personal note, we wrestle with the question, “What did I DO to cause my child to be autistic?” With humor sprinkled in along the way, we then share with our audience the biggest question in our faith journey, “Did God cause my child to be autistic?”

Our Story

October 05, 2021 21:00 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MB

In this episode, we share a little about our family and our journey. In 2012, our oldest daughter was diagnosed with Level 3 Autism and it sent us into a tailspin. Four years later, we traveled the same highway, to the same development center, to receive the same bleak diagnosis for our son. We were angry at life, at God, and at each other. We candidly share how we processed this news differently and what God has taught us through it all.

Episode #1 - Our Story

October 05, 2021 21:00 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MB

In this episode, we share a little about our family and our journey. In 2012, our oldest daughter was diagnosed with Level 3 Autism and it sent us into a tailspin. Four years later, we traveled the same highway, to the same development center, to receive the same bleak diagnosis for our son. We were angry at life, at God, and at each other. We candidly share how we processed this news differently and what God has taught us through it all.

Full Spectrum Parent: a Faith-based Autism Podcast

Episodes