On this episode of Life at EASe, we are discussing the Cultural Barriers to Understanding Autism in the South Asian Community with Sana Khan and Dr. Nayela Ahmad. Sana Khan is a Speaker, Writer and Coach. Born and raised in India, Khan has attained her engineering degree in India. She has a Masters in International Business from EAE Business School in Barcelona, Spain and UPC Catalonia, Spain. Khan has written a motivational eBook entitled, “Dreamcatcher Framework.” She has also co-authored two anthologies titled, “Pause and Pen" and "Hijri ". She coaches people to build inner confidence and break through their problems using NLP, TLT, and Mental Space Psychology. Dr. Nayela Ahmad is Special Educator, DIR Floortime Practitioner, Language Interventionist at Listening Ears by Oishi Care Clinic in Delhi and at The Nurture Clinic in Lucknow. Nayela is currently pursuing a Masters in Early Intervention in Deaf Education from Fontbonne University. You can find Sana on www.talkwithsana.com, FaceBook and YouTube: @TalkwithSana, Instagram: @sanakrblogs, Blog: [email protected]. You may find Listening Ears on FB and IG @listeningears_oishicare . You can find The Nurture Clinic on FB.

On today's episode of Life at EASe we have with us the author of ‘AN IN-DEPTH EXPERIENCE WITH A CHILD WHO HAS A DISABILITY Serving the Role as an Autism Parent School Years MADE SIMPLER', Linda Miller. Linda L. Miller is an active parent of an adult son who has Autism. She is also married to a supportive husband and the proud parent of an adult daughter. Linda has spent many years volunteering with, and serving the role as a Secretary of a local parent formed Special Olympic group which consists of children in the community coming from similar backgrounds. Linda also holds an official position at her local church and is a founding member for a support group that acts as a liaison between the church and the Sick and Shut-in Committee. Linda currently works for the Federal Government and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, as well a certification for a Certified Licensed Associate in Project Management (CAPM). In 2021, Linda wrote and published her first book with the hopes of being able to help other parents of children with autism who are struggling with the diagnosis, and locating resources. The book is available at www.iccolors2publish.com, on Facebook under ICCOLORS2PUBLISH LLC, and Amazon.

On today's episode of Life at EASe we are mythbusting Speech and Occupational Therapies with one of one of our Speech-Language Pathologists, Chrissy Schenk, and one of our Occupational Therapists, Carly Shapiro. Chrissy is a passionate Speech-Language Pathologist, specializing in working with children on the autism spectrum, as well as AAC, stuttering, and feeding disorders. She has previously worked in the outpatient, home health care, acute care, and public school settings. She has an additional background as an IEP advocate for families of non-verbal children. A graduate of Augusta University with a degree in Occupational Therapy, Carly is passionate about working with children ages birth to 18 in a pediatric setting. She has experience working with children with a multitude of disorders and/or developmental delays. If you are interested in learning more about our OT and SLP programs please visit our website earlyautismservices.com and click on the 'Our Services’ Tab. Any questions regarding Speech or OT services can be emailed to [email protected]. Families may enroll for just OT and/or ST services by filling out an intake form.

On this episode of Life at EASe we are discussing ways to advocate for children with special needs with Author Reema Abdelkarim. Reema is a fulltime mother and wife who has been gifted with four children. Three of her girls were born with a rare genetic disorder, which causes epilepsy, growth retardation, and cerebral palsy among other health issues. Two of her children passed away from this condition. Reema has always loved writing, but it wasn’t until her daughter was born that she began penning her feelings down. She began writing her story in the hopes of helping others who are going through hardship and dealing with special needs children. Eleven years later, her autobiography ‘Living with Miracles’ was born. Australian customers can purchase her autobiography ‘Living with Miracles’ using the link livingwithmiracles.ctcin.bio which can be found on Reema's Instagram @ reema.abdelkarim International customers can purchase it through most online bookstores, such as Amazon, Book Depository, and Ebay. *CONTENT WARNING* This episode contains a personal account of seizures resulting in personal injuries. Some listeners may find the details shared in this story to be disturbing. Listener discretion is advised.

On today’s episode of Life at EASe we will be talking about Sports and Autism with Chase Trimmer, Director of the Philadelphia program for Special Olympics Pennsylvania. Chase works to bring people with and without intellectual disabilities together through sports training, competitions, leadership development and health education and services that promote equity and inclusion. Prior to becoming Director for Special Olympics PA – Philadelphia, Chase served on the Executive Advisory Board where he brought his passion for bringing communities together, promoting greater awareness and inclusion of differences, and learning from individuals, families and the communities he serves to the table. Loretta Claiborne is the Chief Inspiration Officer for Special Olympics. Check out the film Loretta Claiborne's Story, a film showcasing the inspirational story of Loretta, a Special Olympics runner overcoming social bias. Loretta is a 1996 recipient of the Arthur Ashe ESPY Courage Award. In order to learn more and get involved with Special Olympics in Philadelphia please visit www.specialolympicspa.org, the social links can be found at the top right of the home page. You may also email Special Olympics PA at [email protected].

On today’s episode, in preparation for summer travels now that your littles are out of school, we have with us Author Dawn Barclay who will be speaking with us about her book ‘Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, Inflexible, and Neurodiverse' currently available for preorder at http://www.travelingdifferent.com.Dawn M. Barclay is an award-winning author who has spent a career working in different aspects of the travel industry. She started as an agent with her parents’ firms, Barclay Travel Ltd and Barclay International Group Short-Term Apartment Rentals, and then branched out into travel trade reporting with senior or contributing editor positions at Travel Agent Magazine, Travel Life, Travel Market Report, and most recently, Insider Travel Report. She is a mother of two and resides in New York’s scenic Hudson Valley. She also writes fiction as D.M. Barr and holds leadership roles in several writer organizations. Dawn’s other fiction books can be found at http://www.dmbarr.com.

On today’s episode of Life at EASe, in honor of Mental Health Awareness month, we will be speaking with Amy Federer with NAMI Philly (The National Alliance on Mental Illness) and their theme for this month 'Together for Mental Health.' Amy Federer is the Director of Operations at NAMI Philadelphia and is an Internationally Certified Crisis Intervention Training Coordinator. After working in the mental health field for 4 years, she moved over to the corporate world. Eventually she went back to the behavioral health field and hasn’t looked back since she did so, 5 years ago. She has dedicated her life to helping others who are struggling to get the help that they need because she and her family also struggle with mental illness. In order to learn more and get involved with NAMI please visit www.nami.org to find your local NAMI. If you are in the Philly region, check out www.namiphilly.org, and visit the Mental Health Resource Fair at Friends Hospital on Thursday, May 26th. Save the date and join NAMI at 'Nami Walks Philly' on September 25th.

On this episode of Life at EASe we are speaking with Emily and Victoria about a revolutionary app - PeerKnect. PeerKnect is an app that parents and therapists may download and use in order to build social connections by posting playdates and events for children of all abilities. Emily Bruce is the CEO and Founder of Determinism, LLC, the developer of the platform PeerKnect. She is a Board Certified and licensed Behavior Analyst (BCBA, LBA) in the State of Tennessee with an M.S., in Psychology. Victoria Williams is a mother to a four year old daughter diagnosed with autism. She is an Inclusion Advocate for PeerKnect. Please visit www.PeerKnect.com for more information and to engage via their contact form. You may also check out their social media handles TikTok, Facebook, IG, and Twitter- @PeerKnect.

On this episode of Life at EASe we are speaking with Joohi Tahir, Co-Founder and Executive Director of MUHSEN (Muslims Understanding & Helping Special Education Needs). MUHSEN is a revolutionary non-profit founded by Shaykh Omar Suleiman. As a leader of this organization, Joohi advocates and markets the needs for which MUHSEN implements programs and services across North America promoting inclusion of all members of the community impacted by special needs through awareness, accommodation and acceptance. Visit MUHSEN'S website www.muhsen.org and follow them on FB, IG and Twitter @Muhsenorg for more information on their programs and services and to get involved. You may send questions or requests to [email protected] . Check out our presentation on Education for Welcoming Families with Children with Autism to a Worship Community: https://youtu.be/GxSntzpCOoc . We look forward to being able to assist your place of worship in creating a more inclusive space for families with neurodivergent children.

On this episode of Life at EASe we are speaking with Samara Shalom (Mrs. Sami) and Elina Mehrabi about the benefits of Collaborative Care when ABA, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and any other therapy for that matter work, together in assisting a child with their goals. Sami is a Speech Language Pathologist and Founder of SpeechLeap. SpeechLeap provides speech and language evaluations and treatments to children and young adults up to age 21 in Baltimore MD. Elina Mehrabi is the lead OT with SpeechLeap. Elina started her career working with both adults and pediatrics with neurological and orthopedic conditions in an outpatient setting. As a mother, Elina enjoys integrating play-based activities to make therapy fun, and goal-oriented for children. Please visit www.Speechleap.com or call 410-846-4005 for more information about the Speech and OT services available at SpeechLeap. Please email [email protected] with any ABA related questions. Thank you for tuning in!