TAKING THE HELM with Lynn McLaughlin

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐈-𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞?

Guest host Kathryn Collins sits down with Derek Crager to explore how AI is beginning to reshape learning in practical, student-centered ways. Derek is the creator of Pock...

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥?

Guest host Kathryn Collins sits down with Lisa Danahy, founder of Create Calm, to explore what it really means to support a child’s emotional and behavioural regulation. We often focus on what we see -tantrums, defiance, big reactions - but beneath it all is somethin...

Some children shine in obvious ways. Others quietly wonder if anyone truly sees them.

Guest Host Kathryn Colins speaks with Dr. Mark Perloe, a retired IVF specialist and grandfather, whose relationship with his two grandsons inspired him to write his first children’s book. One grandson is highly focused and neurodivergent. The other sometimes feels invisible -but uses humour as his superpower to connect.

We explore:

Dr. Theresa Lyons, Ph.D. in chemistry from Yale University, shares her unique perspective as both a scientist and a mother of a daughter with autism. Drawing on cutting-edge research and her personal journey, Dr. Lyons explores the underlying health and environmental factors that can influence a child’s development beyond the autism diagnosis. She launched "Navigating Awetism" to help parents.

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤...

Kimberly Gawne is an educator and founder of Star Students, a program that creates personalized learning plans driven by each child’s interests. Starting as a tutor during COVID-19 school closures, she now supports families with homeschooling, curriculum guidance, and real-world learning experiences, helping students develop critical thinking and a love of learning.

Guest host Kathryn Collins dives into the key topics with Kim...

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐬 𝐮𝐩?

Laurel Crossley joins us again with guest host Kathryn Collins to explore how small, thoughtful decisions can make a huge difference for families during the holidays. From keeping little ones comfortable and predictable to helping older kids engage in meaningful ways, we cov...

𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬? 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬? 

For over 40 years, Laurel Crossley has dedicated her career in support of children and their families. From hosting parent and child workshops to coaching parents and their...

How can non-invasive neurofeedback can help children and adolescents struggling with ADHD, learning differences, anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, and more. Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and neurofeedback specialist Lisa Cramer explains how brainwave patterns influence focus, behavior, and emotions—and how neurotherapy can gently guide the brain toward healthier, more functional states.

Key topics:

💥 Wha...

Did you know that the questions we ask children should change as they develop? Asking the right questions at the right time helps children’s communication flourish.

Paula LaSala-Filangeri is a Speech-Language Pathologist who has been supporting children and families for over 25 years.

How can parents move beyond flashcards and start turning everyday routines, like walking in nature or baking a cake, into powerful opportunities ...

What if we stopped trying to “fix” children and started listening to their souls instead?

Michelle Harris has almost 30 years in the field of healing, well-being, and empowerment. She is the founder of the innovative Draco Dragon System of Healing & Master Healer/Teacher. A trailblazer in the well-being industry, dedicated to empowering individuals (especially women), children, teens, schools, organizations, and busi...

What if a simple text message could change, or even save a teen’s life?

Listener alert: Suicide and suicide prevention are discussed in this episode.

iuri Melo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 20 years of experience and the proud father of five. He’s the co-founder of SchoolPulse, a nationwide student support service that delivers positivity, optimism, and growth mindset tools to students, parents, and...

When Elaine Uskoski received a chilling email from her son, she knew something was deeply wrong. He had stopped attending university classes, missed deadlines, was sleeping all day, barely eating, and had been gaming for up to 16 hours a day. What began as a fearful drive to pick him up from campus became the beginning of a life-altering journey, not just for her son’s recovery, but for Elaine’s new purpose: helping fam...

Dr. Teri Rouse holds a doctorate in behaviour management. She is an international speaker, autism reading specialist and creator of the REAL Peaceful Parenting program. She is on a mission to help families and ed build stronger relationships through empathy, empowerment and emotional intelligence. Whether you are navigating tantrums or teacher burnout, Dr. Teri offers real world strategies that are practical, heartfelt and deeply h...

When Rita Miceli received her son Giaci’s autism diagnosis, her world shifted - but it didn’t break. In the second part of this heartfelt conversation on Taking the Helm, Rita shares how her family navigated the uncertainty, fear, generational and cultural beliefs by building an unshakable foundation of love, support, and understanding.

Rita also reflects on sibling connection, self-care, the steps they took to build th...

Rita Miceli is a mother of four and a contributor to the international bestselling book "Ambitious Women Rise: The Amazing Stories of Women Overcoming Obstacles and Creating the Life of Their Dreams."

Living in Windsor, Ontario, with the love of her life, John, Rita is the proud mother of three daughters and her autistic son. She was honoured with the Best New Canadian Manuscript award from the Word Guild for her manuscript, "Giaci ...

Assistive technology is more than just a tool—it’s a game-changer for students of all abilities, helping to bridge gaps in learning and create equitable opportunities.

Erin Plumb is a leader in assistive technology with 20+ years of expertise in accessibility, accommodations, and inclusion. She has influenced policies and technologies across public, private, and nonprofit sectors, championing digital equity to ensure al...

Dr. Christine Daigle is a child and adolescent clinical neuropsychologist and clinical psychologist whose work includes brain-computer interface, translating brain signals into commands to control technology. 

She's been doing children's psychology for 17 years, specializing in developmental disabilities, autism, learning challenges, and mental health.

Key points. 💥 Conditions that affect your brain also affect your life.

Lindsey Frank, M.Ed., CEO of The Butterfly Within and President of the Coalition of Schools Educating Mindfully (COSEM), joins us to explore how cultivating presence through heart-centered practices can transform schools and communities. With over 13 years of experience as an educator and now a global changemaker, Lindsey shares her courageous journey of stepping out of the classroom to embrace a broader mission of empowering other...

Guest Host Kathryn Collins continues the conversation with JackieSavi Cannon. For the past 15 years, Kathryn held the pivotal role of Educational Coordinator, coordinating special education services and collaborating with community agencies to provide comprehensive support for students from kindergarten through grade 12.

How do we help children build resilience and emotional literacy through mindfulness, yoga, and medi...