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Giving the gift of relational JOY!
Dan and I are continuing to build joy by working through Chris and Jen Coursey's 30 Days of Joy: For Busy Married Couples. Many couples get so obsessed with their needs and focus on "the marriage" that they wonder, "Do you even like this person anymore?" What do you like about your spouse?"
Love is commanded by Scripture, but like is a choice.
In Coursey's book, they said one exercise is to tell each other what you like about each other and whether your spouse calls you to your Christ-like identity. Today, we will talk about relational circuits (RCs) and when they are on and off. Can you tell the difference when they are on and off?
You cannot build joy without your RCs on! -
Just the Guys discussed their experiences with planning surprise events and trips, emphasizing the importance of considering the other person's interests and preferences.
They also shared their experiences with travel planning, highlighting the challenges and stress involved and the need to be more mindful and attentive in daily life. The conversation concluded with the importance of expanding experiences beyond the US context and understanding the unique interests and needs of their children. -
Saknas det avsnitt?
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Dr. Stephanie and Meredith discuss social skills groups for adolescents and young adults 14 and older.
Meredith Sinclair is the Executive Director/Founder of LIFE Behavior Consulting, LLC. Meredith holds a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Georgia State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University. She is a certified Rehabilitation Counselor and a Certified PEERS for Young Adults Provider, school-based Provider, and Telehealth provider. Meredith loves working with people with Neurodiverse brain styles to help them learn the skills to build their confidence and independence in working on their goals in life, whatever those may be. Meredith's specialty is helping her clients uncover and leverage their strengths and take action steps to apply the skills they learn in the real world. She is an advocate for Neurodiversity in the workplace and believes that anyone who has the desire to work CAN work and have a fulfilling career with the proper support.
Find her at:
https://lifebehaviorconsulting.com/ -
About our Guests:
Kristin Faith Evans, MA, MS, LMSW, and Todd Evans, PhD, MA,
are award-winning authors, speakers, and disability parents. They
earned their MA in Christian educational ministries at Wheaton College
in Illinois and have served together in full-time ministry in church,
camping, and retreat settings. Todd received his PhD from Vanderbilt
University’s School of Engineering and currently manages his own
business. Kristin earned her MSW from the University of Tennessee and
is a Licensed Master Social Worker experienced in couples, child and
family, substance abuse, and crisis counseling.
About Their Book:
In their upcoming book How to Build a Thriving Marriage as You Care for Children with Disabilities (Baker Books, May 2024), Kristin and Todd provide the field guide for success. With extreme practicality and empathy, they present research-based skills for fostering a thriving caregiving marriage.
Caregiving parents require an additional set of skills for protecting their marriage amidst emotional, financial, and relational obstacles. Much like on a wilderness adventure, the steps of identifying where you are, setting goals, and planning your path together are vital to the success and enjoyment of the journey. Kristin and Todd apply this easy-to-follow framework in crucial areas such as stress management, communication, problem-solving, and respite to help couples thrive.
Kristin and Todd are available for interviews to discuss topics such as:
• Grieving the continual losses in a caregiving lifestyle
• Prioritizing marital intimacy in an overwhelming schedule
• Supporting each other’s mental, physical, and emotional health
• Fostering a life of joy despite “unhappy” circumstances
https://disabilityparenting.com/
Dr. Holmes says you want to get the book!
Get the book! Visit their site:
https://toddandkristinevans.com/
Get Connected
www.DisabilityParenting.com
Instagram
@disabilityparenting
Facebook
/kristin.evans.5895
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@AuthorKristinEv -
Listeners, you asked! We listened!
Many reached out and wanted to hear from an NT Husband and ND Wife!
Today, we have Gary and Molly, who discuss not only neurodiversity in marriage but also the extra layer and complexity of being a couple in ministry and who would find out about their neurodiversity.
What are the similarities and differences of being the "reverse," so to speak, type of NeuroDiverse Christian Couple?
Gary, being in ministry and having counseled hundreds of couples, what did he say about pastoral training and the need for Christian counseling to have specific training in NeuroDiverse Couples? -
We had 2 questions come in from listeners about chronic stress and autoimmune issues in the ND marriage and how to build resiliency and calm the central nervous system in high-stress environments.
Today, Dan and Stephanie talked with Jana Smith, an expert in this area.
About Jana:
Bio: Jana Smith is a Certified Nervous System and Somatics Coach with a Master’s Degree in Health Education. Jana’s experience with neurodiversity began in her family of origin and included her diagnosis of ADHD as an adult. She also has firsthand experience navigating chronic illness. After 7 years of debilitating symptoms, Jana found relief by learning how to build resilience through nervous system regulation. She has made it her life’s work to help others bounce back so they can thrive instead of just surviving.
Talking points:
1. Chronic illness is connected to stress, even if we don’t feel stressed out. Low-level ongoing
nervous system dysregulation leaves us vulnerable to developing symptoms and illnesses
(physical and emotional).
2. Define and explain the causes of nervous system dysregulation.
Factors that affect our propensity to dysregulate:
Our neurotype
Our personality
Our attachment style
Our past experiences
Our current stress level
Our perceptions of safety
3. Dysregulation is not bad! God created our nervous system responses to protect us. However, when we are unable to return to regulation, we can end up living in a chronic stress state.
4. What types of situations, without proper support, create chronic dysregulation?
Past trauma
Difficult marriage
Parenting challenges
Neurodiversity (both for the individual and the family)
Not feeling emotionally supported or connected; feeling emotionally abandoned
Feeling invalidated: not feeling seen and heard
Overfunctioning, perfectionism, people-pleasing
Co-dependency
Lack of sleep
5. Dysregulated nervous system states: fight/flight, freeze, fawn/overwhelm. Examples.
6. It’s never too late to learn nervous system fitness.
7. Knowledge vs experience: you can learn all about the brain, the science, polyvagal theory,
etc., and still live in a mostly dysregulated state.
8. Walk through a brief experiential example to help cultivate nervous system balance.
Reach out to Jana:
https://www.janamsmith.com/ -
Dr. Donna Berghauser is a Florida-licensed and Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) with over 10 years of experience in public schools and community settings.
Dr. Donna Berghauser earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Florida State University and a doctorate in psychology from Nova Southeastern University. Since 2011, she has served on the Florida Association of School Psychologists (FASP) executive board in many capacities, including President. Her professional interests include systems change, restorative practices, and culturally sensitive assessment and intervention. In her leisure time, she enjoys traveling, visiting local coffee shops, reading, and hanging out with her fluffy boy, Cosmo. -
Today is a special edition of JTG. Our usual crew will be back!
Today, Dan discusses marriage, divorce, and a new marriage with John Fela of Joni & Friends. While not officially diagnosed, John has realized later in life his neurodivergent identification.
About John:
John Fela is the Ministry Relations Manager at Joni and Friends Chicago, working with churches to equip and train them to help the disabled in their communities. Prior to that, he spent almost 20 years in education, working with children from Infants to Middle School, serving in a variety of roles, including Teacher, Mentor Teacher, and School Director.
Zoom AI Summary of Conversation:
John and his wife have a dedicated time or day to review and update their shared calendar to ensure they are both aware of each other's schedules and commitments.
John and his wife consistently express gratitude and appreciation for each other's efforts and contributions, even for small tasks or gestures.
John and his wife practice gentleness and empathy in their communication, especially when discussing sensitive or past-related topics.
John and his wife continue engaging in regular devotional and check-in times to maintain a strong connection and support each other.
John lives in Round Lake, IL, and is married to his wife Faith and father to his son Christopher (ASD.) He is a public speaker, podcast guest on multiple shows, and regular contributor to Key Ministry’s Special Needs Family blog and other special needs blogs, including Hope Anew and The Mighty. -
Today we took some listener questions and Dr.Stephanie asks them from neurodiverse couples to Natalie Roberts and Heather Parks.
One key component- Neurodiversity is never THE only marriage challenge or complexity.
ntroducing Natalie Roberts and Heather Parks
Heather Parks has been in a neurodiverse relationship for over 25 years and lives in Devon, UK, with her husband and four children. Neurodiversity was unknown until 2012 when it exploded into their lives amid a mental health crisis that affected every family member. Ill from the persistent stress of trying to keep everyone afloat, desperate to find solutions, and losing hope that things would ever get better, Heather embarked on a journey in which she recovered herself and rebuilt connection firstly with herself and then in her relationship, family, and beyond. After 8 years of supporting families discovering and navigating neurodiversity, Heather certified with MasterCoach in 2020 before becoming a Positive Intelligence ® Coach. In 2021, she gained the ICF Accredited Certificate in Body-Oriented Coaching with The Somatic School in London, UK.
Heather coaches individuals struggling in their neurodiverse relationships using a nervous system approach of safety and curiosity so that they can reconnect with themselves and create conscious, loving connections with others... so they can be themselves, too!
Natalie Roberts lives in the UK with her husband Pete. She’s been married for 25 years and has known about neurodiversity, participating in it for 10 of those years when her husband discovered he’s autistic.
Frustrated and depressed by toxic online groups, a lack of hope, and virtually no solutions that actually worked in real life, Natalie took a different path. Led by her social sciences background and inspired by her incessant curiosity to find a way where there is seemingly no way, she busted neurodiversity relationship myths, reversed symptoms of Cassandra Syndrome, and began to thrive in her relationship again!
Professionally, as an accredited and award-winning Relationship Coach, Natalie coaches individuals who are struggling in their neurodiverse relationships to reverse the individual and relationship impact of unknown neurodiversity so that they can be true to themselves and feel empowered to make positive and hopeful decisions about their present and future.
In 2020, Heather and Natalie co-founded Loving Difference to bring hope and a way forward for neurodiverse relationships to more people. Loving Difference has an online home that combines empowering coaching, a friendly community, and step-by-step guidance to be you again and flourish, with the company and encouragement of others navigating the same challenges. Heather and Natalie also co-host the Myth Busting Neurodiverse Relationships podcast.
www.lovingdifference.net
[email protected]
www.natalieroberts.com
[email protected]
Myth Busting Neurodiverse Relationship podcast is available where you listen to podcasts.
Disclaimer:
When we have guests on the ASR podcast, they are recognized for their expertise in autism as advocates, self-advocates, clinicians, parents, or other professionals in the field. They may or may not be part of the faith community; having a guest on the broader topic of autism does not reflect complete agreement with the guest, just as many guests may not agree with our faith perspective. Guests are chosen by topic for the chosen podcast discussion and are not necessarily in full agreement with all beliefs of the chosen guest(s). -
Dr. Stephanie and Carrie talk about Carrie's journey in marriage and family navigating Autism. We speak about the limited opportunities that exist for those on the spectrum beyond high school and steps to consider to help your teen and young adult become more independent in life after high school.
Carrie Cariello is the author of What Color Is Monday, How Autism Changed One Family for the Better, and Someone I’m With Has Autism. She lives in Southern New Hampshire with her husband, Joe, and their five children. Carrie is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post, TODAY Parents, the TODAY Show, Parents.com, Love What Matters, and Grown and Flown. She has been interviewed by NBC Nightly News and has a TEDx talk. She speaks regularly about autism, marriage, and motherhood and writes a weekly blog on her website. One of her essays, “I Know What Causes Autism,” was featured as one of the Huffington Post’s best of 2015, and her piece, “I Know Why He Has Autism,” was named one of the top blog posts of 2017 by the TODAY Show.
https://carriecariello.com/
You can access her blog/essays and her Ted Talk. -
Today, we discuss a few topics in today's podcast. Dr. Stephanie talks with Jenilee about their family's journey with autism on the mission field. While in church ministry and mission work the three teen girls are diganosed with ASD, ADHD, AuDHD. She realized not only were her kids neurodivergent, but she was in a neurodiverse marriage and family system.
What additional challenges to ministry or being on the mission field may come with a neurodiverse marriage and family?
Are churches or ministry organizations equipped to help neurodiverse marriages and families serving in the ministry/mission field?
About Our Guest:
Rev. Jenilee Goodwin
Professional Life Coach
As a certified professional life coach (ICCI), a certified autism coach (NCDD), and an ordained minister (AG), Jenilee has over 20 years of career ministry experience. Serving in stateside churches and overseas missions, Jenilee brings lived experience, problem-solving skills, compassionate support, and creativity into each coaching session. Jenilee asks hard questions while listening, guiding, and coaching clients in their unique life situations. Jenilee is trained in the Equipping Profile, a personal development coaching tool that helps discover growth points and possible barriers to growth. Through one-on-one and group coaching, Jenilee uses the Equipping Profile, book studies, and even some homework to establish personal development plans, helping clients move forward healthily.
With many in her immediate family on the autism spectrum, Jenilee has a special call and place in her heart for moms of kids on the spectrum and for NT wives going through the difficulties of ND marriages. Even more specifically, I have a passion for these women who are also in full-time ministry or missions. There are very few places to share the full story. In coaching with Jenilee, you can share every single page of the story.
In addition to the above skills, Jenilee loves reading, writing, coffee, going for walks, and watching history documentaries.
You can connect with Jenilee daily on Instagram @jenileerachel or through her website, jenileerachel.com -
Dan and the guys talk about AI, Perry's new book FAIK and applications to real life.
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Today, Dr. Stephanie interviews Sarah Casburn.
They will chat about:
ABA or not ABA?
What is the controversy about ABA?
Do nutrition and diet impact Autism?
What is sensory enrichment therapy?
Sarah Casburn is a late-diagnosed autistic woman and autistic mom who combines her 20 years of personal and professional experience in a variety of areas, including Early Childhood Education, Autism and Behavioral Science, Sensory Enrichment, Nutrition, and Children’s Ministry, to support families and volunteers in a fresh approach. She is the founder of Crown Family Wellness (Neuroscience & Nutrition for Neurodiversity), which supports children and adults, and a Ministry stream dedicated to supporting church communities all across Canada and the USA.
Find out more at:
https://www.crownfamilywellness.com/about -
We continue to discuss the book Dan did not read before publication and what he learned from each chapter when we received our author's copies of Uniquely Us.
Pre-order yours today at https://www.christianneurodiversemarriage.com/uniquelyus -
Today, Dr. Stephanie and Carolyn discuss self-concept, self-identity, and self-esteem as key ingredients to building social communication skills. Carolyn's curriculum starts from a neurodiverse-affirming lens that is strengths-based and effective.
Carolyn Long is an SLP and the creator of the Social Optics curriculum.
https://mysocialoptics.com/
Bio:
Carolyn Long, MCD, CCC-SLP, has worked in school districts, private practice, and healthcare for 23 years. She is passionate about using nonverbal and verbal communication to create and navigate social relationships.
She developed Social Optics, a neurodiverse-affirming social communication curriculum, in 2015 and the software in 2022. She believes in the inclusion of student voices in the development of interventions that lead to better outcomes based on engagement, research, and data. She lives in Montana with her husband and 2
amazing teenage daughters. She enjoys fly fishing, horseback riding, and watching others plow snow. -
Dr. Holmes discusses promoting safety and independence for young adults on the autism spectrum.
Brody and Julie are OTRs with Springbrook Behavioral Health. They walk you through the skills needed for young adults on the spectrum to live as independently as possible, whether outside of the home or if they need to remain at home. Helping your young adult achieve autonomy, competence, and relatedness is key to a fulfilling life and mental health!
As mentioned: https://nflyte.com
NFlyte
Bios:
Brody is a graduate of Evangel University, where he obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. From there, Brody attended Cox College, where he received his Master's in Occupational Therapy. Since becoming an Occupational Therapy practitioner, he has provided OT services in the fields of Home Healthcare, Inpatient Rehabilitation, and Behavioral Health. Brody currently works at Springbrook Behavioral Health, where he provides Occupational Therapy services to individuals 5-21 years old diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and occurring mental health diagnoses.
Julie is a graduate of D’Youville University, where she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Human Occupation and minored in psychology. From there, she continued her education at D’Youville University, where she received her Master's in Occupational Therapy. Since becoming an Occupational Therapy practitioner, she has provided OT services in school-based pediatric inpatient/outpatient behavioral health and chemical dependency. Her main focus has been behavioral health, which she has been
in for nine years. Julie currently works at Springbrook Behavioral Health, where she provides Occupational Therapy services to individuals 5-21 years old diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and co-occurring mental health diagnoses. She is also the clinical unit director for our adolescents, who are more independent.
Julie is passionate about helping individuals with higher support needs, as her 7-year-old son has Autism. -
Join Dr. Stephanie Holmes podcasting from the 2023 Converge Autism Conference with conference speaker Dr. Richard Boles. Dr. Boles joins her for an in-depth discussion about how energy metabolism, when not working right, can lead to many disorders, including Autism.
About Dr. Boles
Dr. Richard G. Boles is a medical geneticist and a pediatrician who specializes in mitochondrial medicine, functional disease (including cyclic vomiting syndrome, other atypical forms of migraine, and chronic fatigue syndrome), and autism spectrum disorders. His expertise stems from decades of both clinical work and research at a major academic center, as well as from his most recent experience in cutting-edge biotechnology and genomics. He uses an innovative and integrative approach in both diagnosis and treatment to best serve his patients. Dr. Boles leads the NeuroGenomics program at NeurAbilities. Patients, physicians, and other healthcare providers can consult with Dr. Boles directly about reanalyzing previously done genetic testing results, advice for managing neurometabolic disorders, or obtain guidance on choosing and interpreting genetic testing. Neurogenomics can help to unravel the biological causes and contributions for many diseases and disorders, as well as provide vital information for changing clinical management, including:
Mitochondrial Disease and Dysfunction
Autistic Spectrum Disorders
Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Intellectual Disabilities
Chronic Pain, Fatigue, and Headache Disorders
Epilepsy/Seizures
Unexplained and Undiagnosed Disorders
And Much More
https://neurabilities.com/our-team/staff-bio-richard-boles-md/
https://www.neuroneeds.com/
https://neurabilities.com/our-team/staff-bio-richard-boles-md/
https://cnnh.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/NeuroGenomics-Boles-2018-web.pdf
Disclaimer:
When we have guests on the ASR podcast, they are recognized for their expertise in autism as advocates, self-advocates, clinicians, parents, or other professionals in the field. They may or may not be part of the faith community; having a guest on the broader topic of autism does not reflect complete agreement with the guest, just as many guests may disagree with our faith perspective. Guests are chosen by topic for the chosen podcast discussion and are not necessarily in full agreement with all beliefs of the chosen guest(s). -
Dr. Stephanie interviews Rosemarie Griffin about her workshop on joint attention.
Joint attention is an essential skill for clinicians, teachers, and parents to address for the autistic child/student.
Joint attention involves shared attention between at least two people on an object or even with both people knowing they are attending to the same entity. While this is focused on students, this information is also essential for couples to learn. - Visa fler
