Behind The Breakthroughs

In this episode Dr. Annette Nunez and Maylene Johnson discuss how parent burnout is real and they give permission to parents to feel the burnout!  Parenting is a 24/7 job and if you don't allow yourself a self-care break, burnout is inevitable.  Annette and Maylene talk about the importance of accepting burnout and recognizing what the beginning stages of burnout feel and look like within you.  Do you become irritable with your kids? Do you want to sleep all day?  By recognizing your stages of burnout you can make some changes and take some time for yourself in order to deescalate and avoid being impatient with your kids. Remember parenting is not perfection, you are human and that in it self makes you the best parent.   MINDSHIFT (takeaways) Evaluate your day figure out when you are at your best (i.e. have the most energy) and schedule errands and activities based on that time. Remember the simple fact that you are human and not a robot, and that being human doesn’t mean perfection

In this episode Dr. Annette Nunez and Maylene Johnson chat with Val and Jess Brooks the mother and daughter duo of the famous blog entitled, "Autistic Interpretations."  What started off as an interview with Val and Jess, quickly turned into Jess interviewing Annette and May.  Find out their likes and dislikes and who is a "Good One" and "Bad One."  Stay tuned... because Jess will be a featured guest having her own monthly episode entitled, "Convos with Jess."   MINDSHIFT (takeaway) "Everybody be a good one!"

In this episode Dr. Annette Nunez and Maylene Johnson chat with Jenny Friedman from Jenny Friedman Nutrition, aka "The Autism Nutritionist."  She talks about the causes of picking eaters and shares helpful tips and strategies on how to expose children to different variations of food in fun and playful ways.  Jenny reminds us that mealtime shouldn't be overwhelming and stressful and by taking the focus away from eating food and turning it towards playing, talking, and learning about food creates confident eaters. Check out her IG:  @autism.nutritionist for colorful visuals and great ideas of how to introduce new food to your child in fun, playful, and creative ways.   IN THIS EPISODE:   MINDSHIFT (takeaways) The number one thing to remember is that you won't get anywhere if everyone is stressed. Take a step backwards and bring the fun back to eating. Create a fun "hands on" exposure to food outside of meals. Get creative and take the pressure off of eating and put it more into the learning and enjoying food.

In this episode Dr. Annette Nunez and Maylene Johnson chat with Michele Kong, M.D., an empowering Autism Mom and Co-founder of KultureCity. Michele shares her journey of how her son's autism, "the invisible disability," left her family feeling socially isolated.  Through her journey she connected with other families who shared similar experiences with social isolation.  This led her to ask the question of, " How do we change it?"  Change happens by changing the culture and that is how KultureCity was created.  Acceptance and inclusion are key factors for integrating not only the individual, but also the family into society and the community.  KultureCity is a movement and only when everyone buys into it, there is a culture shift and change for true acceptance and inclusion regardless of the each individual's challenges.  The core of KultureCity is to make the never possible.  Listen to this episode to find out more about KultureCity and to find a site near you.   IN THIS EPISODE: MINDSHIFT (takeaways) For pa

It is the start of Season 3 and in this episode Dr. Annette Nunez and Maylene Johnson chat about Empowerment, the theme of the season. The next 25 episodes will focus on empowering parents to be their best selves, individuals with autism to let their voices be heard, and professionals to make an impact in the lives of others. They will reveal what empowers them and talk about the 8 ways for individuals to feel empowered. By empowering yourself you can help foster empowerment among those around you.   IN THIS EPISODE:   MINDSHIFT (takeaways) Ask yourself... What does empowerment mean to you? How can you become more empowered? Get to know yourself and find ways to be empowered and inspired, so that your world is empowering and inspiring. Trust your instinct!!! YOU are your most empowering tool.

It is Behind the Breakthroughs 50thepisode and it is time to celebration!!! In this Episode Dr. Annette Nunez and Maylene Johnson talk about their great podcast season of 25 episodes and highlight each one.  They express their gratitude of being able to connect with and to share the stories of such amazing people. Listen to this episode and get a recap and highlight of Season 2 and if you missed an episode so you can go back and listen to all the inspiring journeys that were shared.   IN THIS EPISODE:   MINDSHIFT (takeaways) 1. Listen to the podcast and reach out to us! If you have a story we would love to connect! This is your platform! 2. Find us, Search Behind the Breakthroughs and Comment, subscibe, review, we are on all major platforms: iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, Google Podcasts. 3. Listen, and share these stories its all about building a tribe and community because you are not alone. We started this podcast to relate to others so you don’t feel alone!    

In this episode Dr. Annette Nunez and Maylene Johnson chat with a mother who describes her journey of raising her extraordinary son diagnosed with autism. She talks about both the highs and lows of her autism journey and how it led her to start writing her blog entitled, Autism and Red Lipstick.  She created this blog as a way to connect with other mothers on their journeys. Her blog is honest and real and can be dark at times but her pictures are vibrant and colorful and sends a message of hope to help inspire families.   Meet Andrea Andrade mother, blogger, advocate, and lover of red lipstick.  Andrea shares how she has lived and breathed autism for the past 17 years in order to help get her son to graduate highschool with his "typical" peers.  As an escape from the the difficult moments she would go to Sephora with her daughter everyweek and try on different lipsticks. For Andrea it was time for her to take a deep breathe and know that everything would be ok.  This form of self-care inspired her to write a

In this episode we chat with the co-host of Sounds Like Autism, Dave Thompson, aka "The Dude Without Autism."  He is changing people's view on autism by encouraging them to look beyond the label and to see individuals with autism as an incredible talent who can surpass what the average individual can do.   Meet Dave Thompson, educator, podcaster, and just all around an awesome dude!  He chats with Dr. Nunez and Maylene about podcasting, and all the great work that he is doing in the community in which he mentors and provides employment opportunities for adults with autism. One of the workplaces Dave mentors at is Spectrum Design Foundation, an apparel business that does screen printing, design, embroidery, and digital printing.  The company has had huge success employing individuals in autism and now makes shirts for Google, Facebook, and Uber... just to name a few. Through is podcast and providing vocational training and employment opportunities, Dave is opening the doors for autistic individuals and is trul

This is the eighth vignette that Dr. Annette Nunez shares. In this vignette she talks about summer break and the importance of structure and predictability. In this episode Dr. Nunez and Maylene chat about how summer can produce anxiety in both children and their parents. They share tips on how to reduce summertime anxiety by going "Back to Basics." This simply means to provide daily structure for your child by using visual schedules, calendars, or making social stories. These techniques not only provide predictability for your child, but it also sets the expectations of what is to be expected of both you. Summer doesn’t have to be daunting, as a parent it is important remember to be present with your child and to enjoy one another. Summer is a time to explore and have FUN!!!!   IN THIS EPISODE:   MINDSHIFT (takeaways) The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. Go "Back to Basics" and provide structure for your kids during the summer months.

In this episode we chat with a mother who describes her journey of juggling school, being a wife, mother, but most importantly sharing her life with others on social media in hopes of connecting with and inspiring other autism parents. She explains that life on the spectrum can often times be lonely and if she can help one person not feel alone by sharing her experiences, then she has done her part.   Meet Shannon Biancamano, the Mother behind the Instagram entitled, "Life With a Side of Spectrum." Through her IG posts and stories she connects with other parents by showing both the highs and lows of life and parenting a child with autism.  Shannon's wit, deep insight, and vulnerability, has led her to capture an audience from around the world.  With each new post she is teaching parents to not be ashamed of the diagnosis, but rather to embrace autism.  This episode will leave you feeling inspired and not alone! MINDSHIFT (takeaways) We are not always promised tomorrow. Love others and see them for their best

In this episode we chat with a loving Mother whose son's diagnosis with autism inspired her on her personal journey of self-discovery.  Shedescribes her journey as a continued marathon, where she is constantly evolving.  She also explains how living through adversity by experiencing heartache and pain, struggling with addiction, to recently graduating with her MA in Business Administration has helped her build character within herself, which has ultimately helped her family.   Meet Simone Greggs, Mother of Jeremiah Josey (Episode #40) a recent graduate, momager, and an advocate for children with autism. Simone talks about her personal journey of being a single Mother and her mission was for her son to not be another statistic. Through sacrifice and unconditional love she made it a point to show up for her son when she needed to show up.  From fighting with professionals to get the correct diagnosis, to advocating for Jeremiah to be placed in a private school that would meet his needs, to attending IEP meeting

In this episode we chat a single mama who "keeps it real" living life with her two sons who are on the spectrum.  This mom turned one of her sons continued elopment into a positive by creating the First Responder Autism Awareness Training (FRAAT) a non-profit organization that focuses on training first responders how to approach and interact with individuals with autism.  Her real life experiences and how she approches them with humor and wit make her relatable and a motivation to ALL auitism mamas.   Meet Francine Mundt, founder of FRAAT.org.  Francine shares her real life experiences with us as a single mom raising her two sons.  From meltodowns in public, to having to wear shorts for the rest of her life because one of her sons doesn't want her to wear pants, Francine talks about the real and raw stories about autism that nobody really talks about.  Her honesty and how she approaches parenting with humor makes it o.k. to talk about the difficult realities of autism. Francine's stories are relatable and fun

In this episode we chat with a motivating mama who took her depression, anxiety and coping with the diagnosis of her son into her own personal self-care fitness journey.  She talks about how self-care for mother's is lacking and encourages others mama's to embrace her own philosophy that self-care is mandatory!   Meet Erin King, from Erin King Fitness.  In this podcast, Erin shares her journey as a mother and we discuss all the unspoken details of motherhood from postpartum depression, stress, to the diagnosis of her son and how it led her to gain 250 pounds.  She talks about her weight loss journey and through her journey has become a fitness coach that encourages others to be the best versions of themselves. She helps people understand that self-care is not just about weight loss.  One can do the physcial work, but if one doesn't do mental work it won't become a lifetstyle. In the past three years Erin has motivated thousdands of women with her determination and positivity while sharing by her motto... "the

Date Yourself In this episode, Dr. Annette Nunez and co-host, Maylene Johnson, visit the topic of self-care especially for moms! Self-care is extremely important and should be considered a non-negotiable. Your children and family are incredibly important, but it's also important to not let your own wants and needs fall by the wayside.   Dr. Annette Nunez and Maylene Johnson discuss how they practice self-care both as moms and as professionals.  They talk about how they take time for themselves to get out of their funks, and how they learned to let go of “perfection.” They also give their advice on how to find the time to invest in self-care, how to shift your mindset around self-care and how to feel less guilty about treating yourself.  By the end of this episode you will know how to create a foolproof plan of how to care for yourself.  Self-care is truly a non-negotiable and must be looked at as a lifestyle. Tune in to learn how you can shift your mindset around self-care in order to become the best version

Sounds Like Autism In this episode we chat with a young adult who recieved his diagnosis of autism at the age of 13.  From being labeled as a "behavioral case" when he was younger, to being bullied by kids, this young man did not let it stop him from living his life and becoming a success. When people said he couldn't, he proved them all wrong by showing them that he could.  His positive outlook on life has proven to everyone that autism has no limits!   Meet Josh Mirsky, host of the Just Like Autism Podcast.  Josh talks about his life experiences and explains that throughout his life he has learned how to turn negative experiences into a positive ones. He is grateful for all these experiences both negative and positive because it has made him into the person that he is today.  We chat about work, driving, living indepedendently, podcasting, and most importantly Josh shares his advice on dating.  This is an episode you don't want to miss. To hear more of Josh you can listen to his podcast, Just Like Autism. 

In this episode we chat with a young man whose diagnosis of autism does not stop him from achieving his goals and aspirations.  From walking the runways in New York for Tommy Hilfiger, to appearing multiple times on The Steve Harvey Show, to writing a book, to following his dream of becoming a pastry chef, this young man is a true example of what it means to live life with positivity and determination. He shares with us how he is living his best life and setting his goals high so he can become the best person he can be! Meet Jeremiah Josey, model, author, speaker, and aspiring chief.  Jeremiah talks about his life experiences through the eyes of autism from modeling, to being a guest on the Steve Harvey Show, to his cooking adventures and making his famous cheesecake. Recently, Jeremiah has been the keynote speaker at several events in which he talks about leaving your mark in this world.  In this podcast you will hear Jeremiah's story and how he is leaving his own mark in this world.  One day we will all get

In this episode we chat with the first openly autistic lawyer who practices law in Florida.  She shares with us her journey from being non-verbal at the age of three to recently passing the Bar.  With her families support and her positive outlook on life this autistic female gives back to the community through her books, artwork, and speaking out about the importance of neurodiversity.  Her famous quote, " Different isn't bad, it's just different, and different can be extraordinary" is an adequate description of autism.   Meet Haley Moss author, artist, advocate, speaker, and lawyer (just to name a few of her jobs.)  Haley talks about her incredible journey from sharing her ealiest memories of the different types of therapies she participtaed in, to her stim behaviors, to fitting in socially in middle and high school, to attending law school.  From an early age she was told that autism was a positive thing and nothing to be ashamed of. She turned this positivity into becoming an artist, writer, and ultimitaly

In this episode we chat with a mother, Kathryn Jenkins, who wanted to open up the conversation about autism and what it means to be inclusive within a home and school environment.  As a mother of three sons, one who is diagnosed with autism, a huge part of their life is the ability to include everyone and to create family traditions in which everyone within the family is successful.  She took her passion for inclusion and wrote a children's book in hopes of educating schools and the community about what it means to be inclusive.    Meet Kathyn Jenkins, the author of "The Inclusion Alphabet."  The book's storyline is based on Kathryn's real life experiences.  It is about a boy who struggles to make friends, a girl who feels different, and a man who meets a stranger that changes his life.  The storyline is created around the alphabet with meaningful words such as empathy, different, forgiveness, and gratitude.  The intention of these words to help children and adults understand what it means to be inclusive. Th

April is Autism Awareness month and in this episode Dr. Annette Nunez and Maylene Johnson discuss the topic of autism awareness versus autism acceptance.  They talk about the ignorance surrounding the topic of autism and they share their personal experiences around this ignorance. They have been asked questions such as, "Is autism contagious?" or "Will my child start modeling weird behaviors?" These types of questions prompted both Annette and Maylene to start an iAccept Campaign in hopes of educating the general public about autism and shutting down the myths about how people perceive autism.    There is a saying, "If you've met one person with autism, you have met one person with autism."  This quote is extremely accurate when describing what autism is.  Many people have a perception of what autism is and this perception often leads to exclusion.   This podcast addresses the issue of autism education, awareness, acceptance and what it means to be inclusive.  Being inclusive doesn't mean that you hang a post

In this vignette Dr. Nunez has a discussion around finding what your child loves to do and turning that love into their passion.  So much emphasis is placed on early intervention and academics, however, not much is placed on social and life skills.  It is important to keep your child's future in mind by creating a well-rounded therapeutic program that includes other therapies that encourage your child to be relational and promotes independence. Autism doesn't go away at age 5, 15, or 21.  So what happens to your child when they are older and they have memorized math facts, but don't have any social or life skills?   In this episode Dr. Nunez talks about how to turn your child's strengths and what they naturally gravitate to into functional interests.  She also discusses the importance of thinking about the life skills your child needs to live independently and to start teaching those skills at an early age.  A comprehensive therapeutic program that incorporates social skills, promotes independence, and encour