Episode 171: The SCC Pod - Celebrating Holidays in Turkey with Dr. Hanife Akal

Dr. Hanife Akal talks about her family vacations in Turkey—especially summer vacations shared by both sides of her extended family.

Dr. Shazia Parveen talks about how she celebrates the holiday of Eid in Pakistan and how she helped the children flood survivors celebrate life by planting trees to heal the earth.

Bob McDonell, the Director of Mi Casa Kids El Salvador talks about the holiday traditions of his childhood in the U.S. and now how Christmas is celebrated in El Salvador by the children at Mi Casa and by his family in San Salvador.

Dr. Carlotta Bettancourt describes an innovative group therapy model for children on the Autism Spectrum paired with volunteer high school mentors.

In our next episode of the series “Autism Today”, Professor Sylvie Goldman, of the Child Neurology and Cognitive Neurosciences Division of the Department of Neurology at Columbia University, talks about her work related to movement disorders and the identification of autism in girls. 

Dr. Cynthia Martin discusses her work with developmental differences such as autism. She will focus on the assessment of these children and refer to studies of their long-term outcome. Her work is fascinating and compelling. 

Alexandra Harrison answers listeners’ questions about grandparents, divorce,  and pressured children.

Patricia de las Casas Elias Bonnemaison, a psychanalyste, author, member of the Peruvian volleyball team, and grandmother, talks about her experience as a grandmother in Peru. Her daughter, Rocio Luna de las Casas, a psychologist, infant mental health specialist, and psychoanalytic candidate, will join the conversation to discuss Peruvian grandmothers and daughters, culture, and the power of relationships.

Chris-Ander Paraison is a rising sophomore at Harvard studying Chemistry. He was born in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, but moved to Massachusetts alongside his family following the 2010 Haitian Earthquake. Outside of academics, Chris enjoys playing guitar, watching anime, and hanging out with friends. In the future he hopes to either pursue a career in medicine, biotechnology, or pharmaceuticals. He talks about how his family values have shaped his life and his ambitions for the future.

Shamala Senthilkumar is a speech and language pathologist who has worked with young children, the terminally ill, and the medically disabled. She draws on her strong family values and commitment to early relational health to motivate her work with this vulnerable population.