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 mbarkholzingber@gmail.com 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 gagginol@yahoo.com. To learn more about me visit https://www.medicalbhs.com/
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