THE SJ CHILDS SHOW-Building a Community of Inclusion

THE SJ CHILDS SHOW-Building a Community of Inclusion

🎙️ Welcome to The SJ Childs Show Podcast! 🎉 Join Sara Bradford—better known as SJ Childs—as she bridges understanding and advocacy for the neurodivergent community. This podcast shines a light on autism awareness, empowering stories, expert insights, and practical resources for parents, educators, and individuals alike. Brought to you by The SJ Childs Global Network, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting autistic individuals and their families worldwide, this show is your weekly dose of inspiration and actionable ideas. Visit sjchilds.org to learn more about our mission, find resources, and connect with our growing community. Catch us on platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Goodpods—or tune in Fridays at 8:30 AM EDT on the Helium Radio Network’s Life Improvement Radio (Channel 1). Together, let’s foster a brighter, more inclusive world! 🌟 Go here to download training materials! https://sjchilds.myshopify.com/

Episodes

September 23, 2025 • 40 mins

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Dive deep into the fascinating world where regenerative agriculture meets human health with landscape architect and author Matthew Mehuys. From his roots on a Belgian family farm to his current mission transforming farmland in the Azores, Matthew shares how his personal journey through crisis became the catalyst for his life's purpose.

The conversation reveals startling truths about our modern food syste...

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Curiosity drives creativity in this heartfelt conversation with author Mila Maxwell, whose debut novel "Finding Lady Baltimore" emerged from a simple yet profound question: "What if something happened to me that allowed me to see her perspective?" This burning desire to understand her sister Sarah's experience with cerebral palsy ultimately became the foundation for a work of fiction that blen...

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Kathy O'Connell opens up about her journey navigating dating while living with cerebral palsy, revealing how vulnerability and self-acceptance transformed her personal life and launched her mission to help others. As founder of Radiant Abilities, she's developed a framework that guides people with disabilities through the often challenging world of dating and relationships.

Her story is both touchin...

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What if your child's seemingly unusual behaviors are actually their way of connecting with a world most of us can't see? 

Catherine Crestani, leadership coach and intuitive healer with nearly two decades of experience as a speech-language pathologist, shares profound insights about the spiritual dimensions of autism that mainstream approaches often miss. Drawing from her extensive work with hundreds...

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What if autism isn't a modern condition but an ancient, essential thread in human evolution? Dr. Kristen Williamson, a professional counselor diagnosed with autism at 39, takes us on a journey that challenges everything we think we know about neurodiversity.

"I feel like an alien wearing a matching skin suit of a human," Dr. Williamson confesses, describing the exhausting process of studying an...

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What happens when children struggle to read despite their best efforts? How can parents spot the early warning signs of dyslexia or dysgraphia? And why do millions of children continue falling behind in reading despite classroom interventions?

Daniela Feldhausen, founder of Kids Up Reading Tutors, brings both professional expertise and transformative solutions to these pressing questions. After 25 years pract...

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Ever felt like your brain works differently than everyone else's? Dr. Albert Bramante invites us to celebrate these differences as superpowers rather than limitations in this enlightening conversation about neurodiversity.

Drawing from his 22 years as a talent agent and his background in psychology, Dr. Bramante shares why he prefers the term "neurodivergent" over "on the spectrum" - ...

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What if the key to transforming children's mental health wasn't found in medication or traditional therapy, but in teaching them to quiet their minds and connect with their bodies? In this eye-opening conversation with healer and educator Luminara from Manchester, UK, we discover the remarkable impact of bringing meditation, visualization, and energy work into school settings.

Luminara's journe...

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What happens when artificial intelligence meets neurodivergent thinking? Magic, innovation, and life-changing tools for those who've always felt different.

Meet Derek Crager, a late-diagnosed autistic entrepreneur who spent decades feeling like "an alien here on Earth to observe" before discovering his neurotype at age 50. Now he's channeling his unique perspective into creating AI solutio...

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What happens when you uncover a hidden family history that reveals both heartbreak and resilience? Janet's discovery of a banker's box filled with her brother's medical records sparked an unexpected journey into autism's troubling past and ultimately led to her powerful memoir, "The Alien Savant."

Born in the 1950s when autism wasn't recognized as a diagnosis, Janet's b...

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What if you suddenly experienced the sensory challenges your autistic child faces every day? Jacki Edry's life took a dramatic turn when doctors discovered a massive tumor on her brainstem. After surgery, she woke to a transformed reality - faces appeared to melt, floors became disorienting patterns, and everyday sounds overwhelmed her completely.

This remarkable conversation explores Jacki's extrao...

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What happens when autism representation meets reality? Kaelynn Partlow pulls back the curtain on life before, during, and after Netflix's "Love on the Spectrum" in this candid conversation about authenticity and advocacy in the public eye.


Diagnosed with autism at age 10 after years of medical professionals dismissing her mother's concerns ("In the nineties, girls couldn't catch autis...

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Every movement matters. That's the powerful message Dr. Mark Fleming brings to his work with autistic individuals seeking to improve their physical wellness. Diagnosed with autism at age 11 due to motor and speech challenges, Dr. Fleming has transformed his personal experience into a mission that's changing lives across the autism community.

The conversation reveals how seemingly simple movements ca...

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What does it mean to discover your autism at age 44? Dr. Jason Ybarra takes us on a profound journey of self-discovery that began when he noticed he could understand his autistic students in ways others couldn't. "This feels like a cozy sweater," he recalls thinking, as pieces of his own identity puzzle started falling into place.

The revelation transformed Dr. Ybarra's understanding of hi...

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What happens when you're passionate about cooking but can't see the ingredients? For Debra, founder of The Blind Kitchen, vision loss became the catalyst for culinary innovation rather than limitation.

Debra's story begins unexpectedly – she wasn't a natural cook, growing up as one of twelve children with limited kitchen experience. When retinitis pigmentosa claimed most of her vision in h...

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"What if homeschooling didn't have to look like anyone else's version but your own?" This question frames our enlightening conversation with Linsey Knerl, veteran homeschooling mother of six and author of "Homeschool Hacks." With children ranging from 11 to 26 years old, Linsey shares how her family's "one year at a time" approach evolved into a two-decade educational journ...

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What if the key to meaningful connections isn't trying harder to fit in, but learning how to authentically stand out? Coach Lee Hopkins transforms this question into life-changing guidance for late-diagnosed autistic adults struggling with social connections.

Growing up watching sitcoms where problems resolved neatly in 30 minutes, Coach Lee assumed real relationships would follow the same pattern. Inste...

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Discovering you're twice exceptional—both gifted and neurodivergent—can be transformative, especially when diagnosed as an adult. In this fascinating conversation, Sara welcomes authors Deb Gennarelli and John Truitt to explore the complex world of twice exceptionality (2E) through their book "Navigating Neurodiversity."

John shares his remarkable journey of being diagnosed at 45 as both gifted...

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What happens when your entire life changes in an instant? For Sara Freeman Smith, losing 95% of her vision wasn't the end of her story—it was the beginning of something much greater.

In this profound conversation, Sara shares her remarkable journey as a disability advocate, career navigator, and author of "Turning Stones Into Gems: Learn How to Find Purpose in Your Life and Career." With warmth and wisdo...

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Ever wondered why some brilliant minds struggle with reading, writing, or math? What if the key isn't trying harder, but learning differently?

Dr. Emily Levy, founder of EBL Coaching, takes us into the world of multi-sensory learning strategies that transform education for students with diverse learning needs. Drawing from her twenty-one years of experience and childhood immersed in special education (he...

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