Mary Barkholz is a special education teacher and mother of 2 young men on the autism spectrum. She is passionate about giving support and guidance to families and their children with special needs. In this episode, she shares her experience as a parent raising her children, how her work as a special education teacher plays in the situation, and how healthcare providers can better connect with families.
Let’s listen to Mary and learn what parents want and need from us!
[00:01 – 06:05] Opening Segment
- Welcoming today’s guest, Mary Barkholz
- How she realized her children are on the autism spectrum
[06:06 – 17:00] The Importance of Honesty
- Mary recalls how she landed in the special education space
- Educational diagnosis vs. Medical diagnosis
- Mary breaks them down
- The importance of honesty for Mary
[17:01 – 29:46] Connection Between Families and Healthcare Providers
- Mary’s approach in raising children in the autism spectrum
- How starting a conversation is crucial to a child’s growth
- The disconnect between families and healthcare providers
[29:47 – 41:45] Guardianship and Parent Networks
- Are there any parent networks you can join?
- Mary’s thoughts about guardianship on children in the autism spectrum
- How parents can assist children in making decisions
[41:46 – 50:55] Relationship-Building Advice
- Listen to this parenting advice from Mary you don’t want to miss!
- The power of building relationships with children
[50:56 – 59:01] Closing Segment
- Finals takeaways
- The parents’ readiness to be informed on autism
- Emotions are a mixed bag
- Medical diagnosis vs. Educational diagnosis
- Path to adulthood for children with special needs
- Bridges that connect healthcare, community, and education sectors
- Giving children options
- Guardianship
- Children in the autism spectrum are not numbers but persons
- Letting the child take the lead
Tweetable Quotes:
“I always say that honesty is the only way I can function.” – Mary Barkholz
“We do have to let [our children] fall down, let them figure things out.” – Mary Barkholz
Resources Mentioned:
- An Approach to Transition Assessment and Planning
- Guardianship
- Autism Alliance of Michigan
- Book: Raising Your Spirited Child
- Pediatric Meltdown episode: Pediatric Hero: Building Safe Spaces for Kid’s Emotions with Dr. Mark Sloane
- Pediatric Meltdown episode: Across the Divide: Building Bridges between Primary Care and Community Mental Health Providers with Dr. Zakia Alavi
- Pediatric Meltdown episode: Caring for Kid’s Mental Health During Covid: How Parents Can Help with Dr. Zakia Alavi
- Pediatric Meltdown episode: Meeting the Educational Needs of Children – Collaborating with Our Colleagues in Schools
Email [email protected] to connect with Mary and or follow her on LinkedIn.
If you’d like to connect with me, you can find me at LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter or email me at [email protected]. To learn more about me visit https://www.medicalbhs.com/
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