Episode 105: Navigating the Beautiful Chaos: Fiona Valentine's Story of Love, Growth, and Special Needs Parenting

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In this episode, DJ invited author Fiona Valentine on the show to discuss her unique perspective of parenting a special needs child, embracing unconventional education solutions, finding patience in any setbacks and celebrating baby steps. Stay tuned as Fiona sheds light on the ever-changing nature of autism and the balancing act required to create a harmonious and joyful family life to ensure the needs of all the children are met (including those without autism).

Fiona is an Australian artist,  founder of Business School for Artists and author of Tiny Wings.  She loves talking about creativity, finding work you love (and how as a parent of a neuro diverse child you can work towards that for your kids). When her daughter was young, hope for the future got buried under advocating and trying to find a diagnosis.  Her hope is that sharing their story will help families who are in the thick of parenting - especially if special needs are part of their life. Her book Tiny Wings is written for girls with autism and the people who love them.

TIMESTAMPS
• [5:55] It's such a journey of discovery… There are so many variations. What is the specific set of challenges and abilities that your child has? And how can you develop them?
• [9:10] Fiona shares her daughter's first signs of special needs and how she became interested in reading.
• [13:53] DJ & Fiona discuss the challenges of communicating with teachers, potentially homeschooling your special needs child and looking for a cooperative school.
• [36:28] “We love stories… They have helped us. So we're going to contribute our story and hope that it's helpful for someone else.”

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Fiona Valentine -
Website: https://www.fionavalentine.com
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-valentine-art/

Jennifer Cook’s work on autism: https://www.jenniferotooleauthor.com/

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