How to Include Kids Who Think, Act, or Look Different | Faith, Inclusion, and Friendship w/ Kim Botto

Welcome to another heartwarming episode of the Collide Kids Podcast. This week, host Christen Clark welcomes Kim Botto, a passionate advocate for children with disabilities, neurodivergence, trauma, and behavior challenges.

Kim brings decades of experience in children's ministry and personal insights as an adoptive mom. Her dedication to creating inclusive spaces where every child can belong shines through as she shares her story. She discusses her journey as a mother of children from Ukrainian orphanages and the lessons learned about embracing each child's unique needs.

In this episode, Kim offers practical strategies for kids and families to connect with those who are differently-abled or neurodivergent. She emphasizes valuing differences as assets, not deficiencies, and shares simple ways to start conversations and build friendships that cross boundaries of ability and experience.

Listeners will be inspired by Kim’s latest book, "Boundless Hope for Every Child," which is filled with tools to support children with challenging behaviors. Throughout the conversation, Kim encourages us to follow Jesus' lead in welcoming every child with love and understanding.

Go to kimbotto.com to learn more about Kim and her new book for grown ups!

Special thanks to our editor, Jay Lee, from provisionpods.com.

Clip Finder:

"Understanding the Outsider": "I really became passionate about the kid who is on the outside of the circle, who can't find their place, who's standing alone or last to be picked for games. Then we adopted our two youngest daughters from orphanages in Ukraine. One at the age of 10 and one at the age of 15. And what I better understood is how somebody's background and their experiences, they've had impact, how they respond in the moment to different things."
— Kim Botto [00:04:27 → 00:04:58]

Welcoming All Children: "Jesus said, let the little children come to me. He didn't qualify it as let the kids who can walk from room to room unassisted, or let the kids who are able to articulate their needs verbally, you know, with their words."
— Kim Botto [00:08:38 → 00:08:50]

Understanding Neurodiversity in Social Settings: "Kids, you might be having an awesome birthday party and you're having all this stuff. Well, a kid who has sensory differences, it might be hard for them to be at the party. But what you could do instead is work with your parents and with their parents. Maybe they come over an hour before the party starts and they help you set up and they have the first piece of cake with you."
— Kim Botto [00:17:47 → 00:18:07]

Building Friendships One Bench at a Time: "I mean, I've heard so many stories of kids who feel left out and just having somebody sit by them on the bench, that's huge."
— Kim Botto [00:18:59 → 00:19:08]

Understanding Autism through Empathy: "He's very happy being at the park. That is a way that he expresses that he's happy that he likes being here at the park."
— Kim Botto [00:20:47 → 00:20:54]

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