Kate Shierlaw is the Community Engagement Support Officer and an AFLW athlete at the St Kilda Football Club. In this conversation, we talk to Kate about the SaintsPlay program at the Club, which provides the opportunity for kids with intellectual and development disorders to learn footy skills, and be a part of the Saints community. We also talk about Kate's passions for the other inclusion programs offered by the club, for AFLW, and playing her part in making footy accessible for all ..read more

We talk to the inspiring and brilliant Dean Cohen, CEO of Flying Fox and AOM. Since 2014, Flying Fox has connected kids with special needs with the wider community through exciting youth organised camps. The network is comprised of volunteer buddies and campers to create positive social interactions in a fun and safe environment. Flying Fox is dedicated to building an inclusive community. In this conversation we talk about the campers, camp leaders and parents, who all love this brilliant and vital service ..read more

Tal Spinrad is a career Jewish educator and advocate for change with over three decades of experience working within all aspects of the Jewish community. Combining the passion of Ezekiel, with the humour of Mel Brooks, Tal uses both modern and traditional narratives to engage and reveal insights.In this episode, Tal shares his personal experiences of growing up with autism, as well as parenting two autistic kids. He uses his gift for story telling to paint a colourful and insightful picture to which we we can all relate ..read more

Rodney has been a comedian since 1991 using 'hoaxes and jokeses' to bring light and joy to private and public events and corporate sessions. Rodney is hilarious as well as deeply kind and caring and has a beautiful knack for exploring the human experience with both lightness and depth. In this conversation, Rodney shares the inspiring, unique and ultimately awe-inspiring journey of one of his boys, who is (though never formally diagnosed) most likely somewhere on the autism spectrum ..read more

Deirdre started as a primary school teacher, and was driven to become a psychologist after seeing kids in the classroom struggling, and who were not receiving the support they needed. Deirdre has been a fully registered child psychologist (AHPRA) for over 20 years and with her interest in Autism Spectrum Disorder. We talk to Deirdre about kids, the education system, families, and the gifts and joys our extra 'zing' kids bring to the world ..read more

ChristMESS incoming!…as Anna, Bel and Char drag themselves to the 2023 finish line, they chat about the discomfort and joy of navigating the festive season and long summer hols in neurodivergent families. Grab a sherry/Aperol and a fistful of chocolate and come and have a listen… Show notes: Find our script for how to respond to some of the comments we get from family and friends about our ND kids and our parenting. Go to www.takesavillage.com.au, register with your email and go to Village Support ..read more

Bel interviews Anna on her recent workshop with the incredible Dr Ross Greene. Dr Greene has developed a child-lead, exploratory approach to understanding the root of challenging behaviours and how to address the needs, rather than the behaviours. It's gold. Show notes: https://drrossgreene.com/about-cps.htm https://livesinthebalance.org ..read more

How is ASD diagnosed in the medical world and how does it impact individuals ..read more

Anna and Bel share their thoughts and discoveries about how ADHD shows up in their families ..read more

Mental health for parents and carers of neurodivergent kids is hard to prioritise and maintain. Anna, Bel and Char talk about their own experiences and share some of what they have learned ..read more