Kids Matter!

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, C.P. Handler, therapist and author of the new book, The Light Within The Walls, talks about her experience working in  different juvenile justice settings. She explains how the system is so broken, and some ways to make it better.C.P. Handler, LCSW, is a trauma-informed, humanistic therapist, crisis interventionist, and author of The Light Within the Walls. Grounded in the belief that "the human within the therapist creates the space for healing," CP brings a rare, unflinching compassion to children and families often overlooked by the system.Her career spans juvenile and adult correctional facilities, methadone maintenance clinics, residential treatment, foster care, schools, and private practice through her clinic, Ocean Counseling, Inc. She currently serves the South Florida jail system as a crisis interventionist working with inmates in acute psychiatric crisis. Drawing from six years of providing therapy inside state and county juvenile detention, her work centers on trauma reprocessing (EMDR), body-based healing (Brainspotting), juvenile justice, and supporting parents and teens through difficult transitions.https://www.cphandler.com/https://www.amazon.com/Light-Within-Walls-Juvenile-Detention-ebook/dp/B0HD1C6RRD?ref_=ast_author_mpbhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/breaking-the-cycle-of-intergenerational-trauma/id1500215343?i=1000585743582Please note that while I am a pediatrician, I am not your child's pediatrician. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. For any medical concerns or decisions, please reach out to your child’s health care professional.Cover art by Charlotte Feldman

Send us Fan MailDolly Bhargava is a Speech Pathologist, Specialist Behaviour Support Practitioner, author, educator and founder of Behaviour Help. She holds a degree  in Speech Pathology and a Master of Special Education in Sensory Disability.Dolly has worked with children, adolescents and adults with disabilities, their families, educators and support teams for almost three decades. Her work focuses on understanding the reasons behind behaviours of concern and developing practical, person-centred and evidence-informed approaches that improve quality of life, participation, communication and emotional wellbeing.She is the creator of Behaviour Help, an extensive collection of practical resources and professional development programs designed to help families, educators, disability professionals and allied health practitioners better understand and respond to behaviour. Her work includes the Behaviour Help App, the Rainbow of Emotions App, and a suite of Positive Behaviour Support online training courses.At the heart of Dolly's work is a simple principle: behaviour is communication. Rather than focusing solely on stopping a behaviour, she encourages us to understand what the person may be communicating, identify what is contributing to their distress or difficulty, and build the skills, environments and supports they need to thrive.www.behaviourhelp.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nugslEtpSOk https://www.linkedin.com/in/dolly-bhargava/https://www.facebook.com/BehaviourHelpApp/ 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Carly Knauf, a psychologist who specializes in eating disorders discusses the common co-occurrence of eating disorders and autism/other neurodivergent diagnoses. This really matters for effective and neurodiverse affirming care.Carly “Carly K” Knauf, PsyD (she/her), is a licensed clinical psychologist whose work focuses on eating disorders and neurodivergence in children, teens, and adults. She currently serves as Manager of Special Clinical Programs at Equip Health, where she helps design and improve clinical programs for people with eating disorders. With more than 15 years of clinical experience, Carly enjoys translating complex research into clear, practical strategies that people can actually use in everyday life. Before joining Equip, she co-founded a Colorado nonprofit supporting neurodivergent teens and adults. Her work is grounded in curiosity, collaboration, and lifelong learning. She believes research is most powerful when it helps real people solve real problems in everyday life, and she is passionate about helping clinicians and families move beyond one-size-fits-all care by creating approaches that work with—not against—the ways people think, learn, and experience the world.https://equip.health/https://psychallogyservices.com/abouthttps://www.amazon.com/s?k=good+girls+hadley+freeman&adgrpid=190082094719&hvadid=819761971802&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9004447&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=11012505978142629954--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=11012505978142629954&hvtargid=kwd-1839954174403&hydadcr=22565_13821232_8697&mcid=4898785f40d530b3b90d2f806cdf568e&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_6ji46s03fe_ePlease note that while I am a pediatrician, I am not your child's pediatrician. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. For any medical concerns or decisions, please reach out to your child’s health care professional.Cover art by Charlotte Feldman

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Angelea Yoder discusses her new book for children, Look At Me, Look AT What I Can Do!, her Let Them Stare project and her own experiences with VACTERL syndrome. Angelea Yoder is a Nashville-based photographer, author, storyteller, and disability advocate dedicated to shifting the way the world sees disability. Her work blends compelling imagery with authentic storytelling to highlight the beauty, resilience, and humanity found in every person's unique journey. Born with a rare condition called VACTERL association, Angelea has undergone more than 20 major surgeries and spent much of her childhood navigating hospitals, medical procedures, and life with both visible and invisible differences. Those experiences inspired her to create LET THEM STARE, a long-term, mission-driven project that celebrates individuals with disabilities while challenging stereotypes, fostering inclusion, and redefining what it means to be seen. Her debut children's book, Look At Me, Look What I Can Do!, features real children with disabilities proudly showing the world what they can do and what they love to do. Through real photography and empowering messages, the book encourages readers to look beyond appearances and recognize that disability is just one part of a person's story, and it never defines who they are. In addition to her advocacy work, Angelea is an accomplished fashion and music photographer whose clients have included national brands, award-winning artists, non-profits, healthcare organizations, and publications. Whether photographing a campaign or sharing her own story, her mission remains the same: to help people feel seen, create meaningful connections, and inspire others to embrace differences with compassion, curiosity, and love.https://www.angeleaphoto.com/let-them-starehttps://www.instagram.com/angeleaphoto/?hl=enhttps://www.facebook.com/angeleaphoto/Please note that while I am a pediatrician, I am not your child's pediatrician. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. For any medical concerns or decisions, please reach out to your child’s health care professional.Cover art by Charlotte Feldman

Send us Fan Mailn this episode, therapist Michelle Herman, LCSW, discusses the many issues teens identifying transgender often face, which are not always addressed, including neurodivergence, anxiety and depression and more.Michelle Herman, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, co-founder of Kadima Beyachad, and a therapist with Bina Counseling and private practice. She specializes in trauma-informed, affirmative therapy—integrating somatic and evidence-based care to help clients navigate complex trauma, life transitions, and identity exploration. Michelle focuses heavily on supporting LGBTQ+ individuals facing minority stress and system exclusion, and she regularly leads clinical workshops to train mental health professionals in inclusive, relational care.https://www.binacounseling.com/Please note that while I am a pediatrician, I am not your child's pediatrician. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. For any medical concerns or decisions, please reach out to your child’s health care professional.Cover art by Charlotte Feldman

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dina Cohen, registered dietician and coauthor( with Batsheva Herzka and Noa Miller) of the book Smart Cookie: A Girl's Guide to Food, discusses helping girls develop a healthy relationship to food in our challenging culture.Dina Cohen, MS, RDN, CEDS-C, is a nutrition therapist who specializes in pediatric nutrition and the treatment of eating disorders. She is the founder of EatWellSoon, a nutrition counseling practice in Lakewood, NJ dedicated to helping individuals and families develop lifelong healthy habits and a positive relationship with food. Dina's favorite thing to do is help prevent eating disorders before they ever happen, and she speaks in schools, pediatrician's offices, and mental health clinics about eating disorder prevention and awareness. She also provides individual and group supervision for dietitians. You can find Dina at https://www.eatwellsoonrd.com/.https://menuchapublishers.com/products/smart-cookie?srsltid=AU7gw4WQR0c8LVcYbV0gdhLnxW9tcxfNdpM3OzTKb0Km4ZdNuH9968NKhttps://lizplank.substack.com/p/what-if-were-not-actually-worried https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/ariana-grande-thinness-commenting-body-positivity-9793a9a0?eafs_enabled=false Please note that while I am a pediatrician, I am not your child's pediatrician. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. For any medical concerns or decisions, please reach out to your child’s health care professional.Cover art by Charlotte Feldman

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Dr. Melisa Moore, sleep psychologist and expert in sleep issues in neurodivergent kids, talks about how sleep can be different and sometimes more difficult for neurodivergent children, and some tips on how to help these kids sleep better.Melisa Moore, PhD, is the author of The Good Sleep Guide for Neurodivergent Kids. A clinical psychologist board certified in behavioral sleep medicine, she currently works for the Sleep Center at Rady Children’s Health San Diego helping to develop their behavioral sleep medicine program. She also has a practice in the Los Angeles area working with children, teens, and young adults across the country for a variety of sleep and mood issues, specializing in neurodiversity. Visit her online at http://www.DrMelisaMoore.com.  Cover art by Charlotte FeldmanPlease note that while I am a pediatrician, I am not your child's pediatrician. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. For any medical concerns or decisions, please reach out to your child’s health care professional.

Send us Fan MailNatasha Daniels has been an anxiety & OCD therapist for over two decades. She combines both her clinical expertise with her lived experience, raising her own three kids with anxiety and OCD. Natasha received her MSW from Arizona State University. She has received advanced training in OCD both from the International OCD Foundation and from one to one consultations from leading researchers I the field of OCD. She also was trained in the SPACE approach by it’s creator, Dr. Eli Lebowitz. Natasha is the creator of the website, Child OCD Therapist. She gives in-depth support to parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD through her books, courses in the AT Parenting Survival Online School and in her online membership AT Parenting Community. Her latest books include Crushing OCD Workbook for Kids and her memoir, Out of My Shell: Overcoming Social Anxiety from Childhood to Adulthood.Parenting Blog - AT Parenting Survival for Anxiety & OCDInternational OCD Foundation | Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)OCD Treatment and Therapy | NOCD

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Kelley Jensen and Julianna Scott, who podcast under the name  Refrigerator Moms,  discuss common issues parents ( especially moms) face when they have a child diagnosed with autism.We did a podcast swap- here is the link to my episode on their podcast!https://refrigeratormoms.com/overdiagnosed-or-overlooked-a-pediatrician-on-autism-today/Kelley Jensen is a parent of two adult children, one of those being her son,Beau. Beau is 26 years old with severe autism. He was diagnosed at the age of3 years old. They reside in San Jose, California.When Kelley received the diagnosis, she was extremely overwhelmed. Sheadmits to going through many emotions, including the stages of grief. One ofher mottos is “Speed to Acceptance,” which has helped her and other moms.In spite of her son’s disability, she describes him as thriving and meeting hispotential. Their family’s  journey of advocacy, patience, resilience, self-actualization, and community has expanded from their home to a clinic, BrainPerformance Technologies, where she is the marketing director. In this role,she advocates for those who struggle with depression, thoughts of suicide,anxiety, OCD, autism, and traumatic brain injury.Julianna Scott is a parent of two adult sons, one on the spectrum. Eventhough her nest is now empty, the title “autism mom” still applies. After 25years, the lessons learned about acceptance, friendship, and doing what’sbest for your family have been hard won.Outside of the podcast, Julianna is an independent college counselor whoworks with many neurodivergent students.Julianna met Kelley Jensen, more than 20 years ago, when their autistic kidswere in the same gymnastics class, and they bonded over their sharedchallenges, candidness, and sense of humor. They started the RefrigeratorMoms podcast and resource-rich website to share with other moms theirapproach to thinking critically about the issues the autism community istalking about right now, and together they tackle topics with the samefierceness they bring as advocates for their sons.Cover art by Charlotte FeldmanPlease note that while I am a pediatrician, I am not your child's pediatrician. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. For any medical concerns or decisions, please reach out to your child’s health care professional.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I speak for the second time to Michael McLeod , MA, CCC-SLP TSSLD about ADHD, parent coaching for kids with ADHD, the role of executive function skills as explained in his new book The Executive Function Playbook. Medication for ADHD has it's place, but we need to build these critical skills! In 2016, Michael created the Internal Skills Executive Function Strengthening Model, and GrowNOW ADHD was born. His mission: improve quality of life for youth and families facing ADHD and executive function challenges. Mike has presented this model to audiences nationwide and internationally, providing specialized support in ADHD, Executive Functioning, Social Executive Functioning, and Parent Coaching.With more than 20 years of experience, a Master’s degree from Lehman College, and collaborations with leading doctors, neuropsychologists, and nonprofits, Mike blends deep expertise with a practical, strength-based model that gets results. Co-Host of the ADHD Parenting PodcastWinner Best Executive Function Coaching Service Award Winner Developmental Service Hero Award – Main Line Parent Award Winning Keynote Speaker and School TrainerCover art by Charlotte FeldmanPlease note that while I am a pediatrician, I am not your child's pediatrician. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. For any medical concerns or decisions, please reach out to your child’s health care professional.