Jo-Ann Turning also known as “Mrs. Bacon”  is one half of the married, blogging couple from Bacon and Juice Boxes: Our Life with Autism. She's mom to Eric (age 19 on the autism spectrum) and Anna Kate (age 22, recent college graduate who is now working in NYC.)  When her son, Eric, was first diagnosed with autism 18 years ago, she couldn’t say the word “autism” without crying.  After many years, and many experiences parenting in both the neuro-typical and special needs world, Jo-ann has become passionate about building bridges of hope for her family and other families like their ..read more

Kentucky mom & former ICU nurse, Rachel Moldoveanu shares her experience navigating through the world of Autism with her almost 15-year-old son Frankie while also parenting her two neurotypical daughters, Livi age 16 and Ellie age 6.  Rachel's love of Diet Coke, Jesus and Kentucky basketball get her through the tough days!   You can reach out to Rachel on FB: @Rachel Moldoveanu Rachel's first appearance on my show was January 2020 (Episode 12) if you want to listen to more of her family story ..read more

On this solo episode, I outline our 20 year journey to uncovering and resolving Skyler's GI issues. It finally feels like we are making significant progress! Through his smiles, laughter and decreased frustration (and subsequent hitting), it appears Skyler is becoming less uncomfortable in his own body! I provide a more detailed account of our experiences in my book 'Welcome to My Life - A Personal Parenting Journey Through Autism' which is available on Amazon. Want to be a guest on Living the Sky Life? Connect with me via my website lauriehellmann.com to learn how!   ..read more

Mike Stuart is a 74 year old retired educator who lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He and his wife Harriet and their 32 year old autistic son, Aaron, moved from Florida 16 months ago to be closer to their daughter and her family.   In 2015, Mike created a life and job skills program for the more significantly-challenged autistic and other developmentally-disabled individuals called Operation Meaningful Life. It has been incredibly successful in turning Aaron into a skilled higher-functioning individual from his formerly designated "low-functioning" label.   Through the FB group fo ..read more

Josh Dech is an ex-paramedic and Holistic Nutritionist, specializing in Crohn’s and Colitis, and other related gut issues. It was the successes his clients have had with complex digestive diseases, previously thought to be impossible to fix, that got him connected to some of the world’s most renowned doctors. Since then, he’s been recruited to the Priority Health Academy as a medical lecturer, helping educate doctors on the holistic approach to gut health, and inflammatory bowel disease. You can connect with Josh on FB & IG @Josh Dech and find his podcast ReversABLE on all platforms ..read more

Dr. Mary Barbera “fell” into the autism world in 1999 when her first-born son, Lucas was diagnosed with autism. Since then, Mary transformed from a confused and overwhelmed parent to a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and best-selling author.  After earning a PhD, Mary launched her first online course in early 2015 and later built additional courses and a membership program to help both parents and autism professionals.  In her vlogs, podcasts, books, webinars, and online courses, Mary teaches her unique step-by-step system and method to help children with autism (or signs of autism ..read more

Dawnmarie Gaivin is the Founder & Executive Director at Spellers Center San Diego, located in Oceanside, CA. Before her career moved into the world of nonspeaking autism, Dawnmarie worked for over 11 years as a trauma & transplant RN.  In 2005 her first son regressed and was diagnosed with autism. A year later, her second son followed the same path. Today her eldest, Evan (20) is a nonspeaker and fluent letterboard communicator.  Her younger son, Trey (18) is a minimal speaker who uses multiple modalities for effective communication.   Dawnmarie is a former DIR ..read more

Claire Thomas is 15-years-old and has a 12-year-old sister named Leah, who was diagnosed with autism as a toddler.  Claire enjoys spending time outside whether it's hunting with her dad or fulfilling her passion for photography by capturing the beauty around her. When she's not doing either of those hobbies, Claire is quite busy in high school as a member of the swim team. According to her mom, Claire is a great helper and wonderful sister, often taking Leah on walks to explore the woods and nature together.  ..read more

Chelsea Waxler lives in Columbus, Indiana with her fiancé, Chris. She is the older sister to brother, Braxton who is 20-years-old and on the autism spectrum. After being able to witness firsthand the success her brother has had with his therapies, she found herself being drawn to autism therapy and wanted to provide high quality services to families in her own community. As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and the Owner/Founder of Kindred Ties Therapy in Columbus, she has proudly supported some truly amazing kiddos and their families. Personally, Chelsea is an avid IU Hoosiers basketb ..read more

Lee is 13 years old and in the 7th grade. She lives at home with her mom, dad, brother, grandmother and two beloved cats, Leo and Max. Her older brother Jack (age 16) has autism, cerebral palsy and developmental delay. Lee enjoys creating video animation, writing, gaming and playing Dungeons and Dragons with her friends. She wants to be a videographer when she grows up. You can follow their family on FB: @Loving Jack or on their blog: loving-jack.com ..read more