Podcast

Unbabbled: A podcast brought to you by The Parish School
Navigating the world of special education, communication delays and learning differences can be a challenge. Tune in twice a month to hear Stephanie Landis and Meredith Krimmel, two speech-language pathologists at The Parish School, interview guests from parents to industry professionals with the goal of providing guidance, insight and hope to those touched by children who are differently wired. Each episode will cover a different topic related to education or child development. Whether you’re the parent or caregiver of a neurodiverse child who has autism, a speech-language delay or a learning disability, or you’re an educator who works with special needs children, this podcast is for you.
Latest Episodes
Season 4
Season 3
Official Trailer
Contact Unbabbled
Do you have topics you'd like discussed or questions for our hosts? Contact us at unbabbled@parishschool.org.
Episode #10: Conscious Parenting with Mr. Chazz
In this episode, we chat with Mr. Chazz, a parent and teacher coach, about positive behavior approaches at home and in the classroom. He is an early childhood educator, educational specialist, and parenting coach. In the episode Mr Chazz discusses his three-step approach of see, guide, trust by walking us through each stop. He also touches on the importance of understanding our own parenting self-judgements and background to best support our children and students. This episode is bursting with insightful information and simple actions you can take now to parent more consciously.
Episode #9: Disability Book Week with Mary Mecham
In this episode, we sit down with Mary Mecham, Director of Disability Book Week to learn about this year’s inaugural event. Mary is an avid reader, advocate, and mother of two girls with rare genetic disorders. She has teamed up with Parish School Teacher Caralou Smith to start Disability Book Week as part of their capstone project with Texas Partners in Policymaking, a leadership training program designed to empower adults with developmental disabilities and family members to become effective advocates for policy change. Mary says that she was inspired by her own daughters to search for books that had main characters with disabilities. During her search, she started to meet authors with disabilities who felt inspired to write about their own struggles in their published literary works. Mary got so excited about their journeys that she knew she needed to share all these incredible books and authors with the world!
Episode #8: Understanding Specialty School Admissions with Bonnie Jones and Meredith Krimmel
A substantial part of finding the right school for your child is going through the seemingly daunting admissions process! In this episode we chat with the director of admissions from Gateway Academy, Bonnie Jones, MS, CCC-SLP and The Parish School’s director of admissions and Unbabbled co-cost, Meredith Krimmel, MS, CCC-SLP. Throughout the episode Bonnie and Meredith walk us through what the typical admissions process is like for a specialty school including how to start the process, what paperwork parents may need to provide, and how they walk families through insuring that their program is the best fit. They also share common reasons why parents choose a specialty school over other options.
Episode #7: Finding the Right School for Your Child with Houston School Options
Our guests today, Dee Dee Halpin and Julie Blumberg run Houston School Options where they help families find the most effective school program for their children. Over the years, Dee Dee and Julie have helped guide numerous families - both new to the city and Houston natives - through the school choice process. During our conversation they discuss their process to find the right match and give tips to parents who are looking, such as what to look for when visiting schools and how you’ll know what the right choice is for you. They also remind us that the “best school” is the one that is the right fit for your child. And that sometimes, the right decision now is not a forever decision. While Dee Dee and Julie work with families in Houston, their tips on how to find the right school will work for all families, regardless of location.
Episode #6: Preparing for the Dentist with Dr. Steven Hogan
In this episode we chat with pediatric dentist Dr. Steven Hogan about the unique challenges and treatment for a neurodiverse population, including children with sensory processing difficulties, anxiety, communication difficulties, and a wide range of medical diagnoses. Dr. Hogan discusses things parents can do to prepare children for the dentist, tips for at the dentist, strategies he personally uses in treatment, and advice for brushing at home. Dr. Hogan’s goal is to make the trip to the dentist a positive experience to support lifelong dental health.
Episode #5: Taking the Stress Out of Feeding Your Kids with Kacie Barnes
In this episode we speak with registered dietician Kacie Barnes about pediatric nutrition. Kacie is the owner of Mama Knows Nutrition, where she helps parents of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers find solutions to nourish their families without stress, guilt, or chaos. Throughout the episode, Kacie shares tips for introducing new foods, discusses typical variations in children’s diets and the nutritional needs of kids all with her signature humor and judgment free style.
Episode #4: IEPs, ARDS, Oh My! Navigating the Public School Special Education System with Huyen Cao
Throughout the episode Huyen Cao, MA, CCC-SLP discusses how to ask for an evaluation, who can get services, what services are available and what to expect during a meeting. Huyen also explains many of the common public-school specific acronyms. We also dive into the lesser-known details such as the legal timeline schools must follow, the difference between an IEP and a 504, and if the public-school gives diagnoses to students. Huyen also reminds us that even if your child is enrolled in a private school, they have the legal right to be tested by the public school system.
Episode #3: Emotional Intelligence and Sensory Regulation with Alyssa Blask Campbell
Episode #2: Supporting Siblings of Neurodiverse Kids Part 2 with Lynn McLean, LCSW-S
Episode #1: Supporting Siblings of Neurodiverse Kids: A Parent Perspective with Katie Higgins
Episode #11: At-Home Toddler Activities with Beth from Days with Grey
Episode #10: At-Home Support for Children with ADHD Featuring Dr. Kimberly Harrison
Bonus Episode: Being an Informed SLP with Meredith Harold
Episode #9: At-Home Sensory-Based Play Activities with Julie Friedman
Episode #8: At-Home Activities That Support Your Child’s Social-Emotional Development with Amanda Armbruster
Episode #7: At-Home Activities That Support Your Elementary Student's Learning with Jordan Boyce
Episode #6: At-Home Activities That Support Your Tween's Learning with Wendy Garza, MEd
Episode #5: Mental Health and Medication with Dr. Alain Katic
Episode #4: Tips to Survive and Thrive During the Holidays
Episode #3: Social-Emotional Learning: Practical Activities Parents Can Implement at Home
Episode #2: Long-Term Financial Planning for Families of a Child with Special Needs
Episode #1: Dyslexia Diagnosis and Intervention
Bonus Episode: Help Your Child Adjust to Frequent Changes in Social Norms
Meredith and Stephanie discuss ways to support your child through the ever-changing social norms during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on front-loading situations, looking for clues in new situations, and problem solving when new changes occur.
Episode #14: Dynamic Testing for Social Communication Disorders Using the CAPs with Dr. Adriana Lavi
We speak with Dr. Adriana Lavi about her new video-based pragmatic language assessment, the Clinical Assessment of Pragmatics (CAPs). She discusses her clinical background, what led her to develop the assessment tool, and why this assessment can be more accurate in detecting pragmatic language disorders. This interview can help parents and educators understand why their child may have scored well on other language assessments, yet they struggle with reading these ever-important social cues in real situations.
Episode #13: Bilingualism and Language Development with Jacquilyn Carcamo
Raising a child in a bilingual household? Hear from bilingual speech-language pathologist, Jacquilyn Carcamo, as she discusses language development and the many common misconceptions held by families, educators and even therapists in supporting children learning to speak more than one language. She provides guidance in determining whether a bilingual child is struggling with a language disorder or if their difficulties are due to learning a second language. In addition to her clinical expertise, Jacqui touches on her personal experience growing up in a bilingual family.
Episode #12: Childhood Apraxia of Speech with Jennie Bjorem
Being told that your child has childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) can be shocking and confusing. Since this speech/sound disorder is so rare—occurring in 1-2 children per 1,000—many doctors, educators, professionals and even speech-language pathologists have minimal understanding of it. In this episode, we speak with speech-language pathologist and childhood apraxia of speech expert, Jennie Bjorem about the characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of apraxia. She also provides tips on where parents can find a speech pathologist with CAS experience and other reliable resources.
Episode #11: Speech Sound Disorders with Jessica Carter
This episode, we discuss speech sound disorders with speech-language pathologist, Jessica Carter. Jessica defines what phonological processing disorders and articulation disorders are and explains how they differ from childhood apraxia of speech. We then discuss common warning signs that parents and educators can look for, as well as therapy recommendations for each diagnosis. She also lets us know what parents can expect when they go in for an assessment.
Episode #10: At-Home Sensory Play
Episode #9: Making Everyday Activities Language-Rich
Episode #8: Keeping Children Active with Loose Parts Play
Episode #7: Supporting Children's Social-Emotional Health with Lily Yoder
Episode #6: Engaging Children in Learning at Home
Episode #5: Keeping Your Family Healthy and Safe
Episode #4: Stuttering and Other Fluency Disorders with Dr. Kia Johnson
Episode #3: Explaining Learning Disabilities with Libby Hall
Episode #2: Benefits of Raising Assistance Dogs in the Classroom with Heather Hillary
Episode #1: Autism Spectrum Disorder 101 with Dr. Cathy Guttentag
Episode #17: Navigating the Holidays
In this episode, our hosts Meredith and Stephanie discuss a number of tried and tested tips to help parents prepare for the challenges the holiday season may bring. While these tips were provided with children who have language and social challenges in mind, they are still excellent for trying with all children.
Episode #16: High-Risk Behavior in Children and Teens with Dr. Crystal Collier
Crystal Collier, PhD, LPC-S discusses risky behaviors in children and teenagers. She gives concrete, practical tips on how to talk with children about these difficult topics in a simple and easily understood manner, and explains how bringing up these subjects up at an early age can reduce the chance of engaging in these high-risk behaviors down the line.
Episode #15: Jordan Shapiro Revisits Children and The Digital Sandbox (Live)
Jordan Shaprio, PhD, gives his presentation: “The Digital Sandbox: What Grown-Ups Need to Know About the New Childhood,” and opens it up to questions from the audience.
Episode #14: Wait and See? The Importance of Early Intervention with Anne Powers
Anne Powers, a speech-language pathologist and Director of Early Childhood at The Parish School discusses the importance of early intervention, touching on the importance of receiving services early, what age range is considered early intervention, and how parents can get an evaluation and find services.
Episode #13: A Parent's Perspective with Justin Keller
Justin Keller joins us to discuss how having a child with developmental delays shifted his perspective – both as a parent and on his life in general.
Episode #12: Navigating the Digital Age of Childhood with Jordan Shapiro
Jordan Shapiro, PhD, an educational pioneer, college professor and father of two chats with us about his unique perspective on navigating the new digital world of childhood.
Episode #11: More than Mozart: Music Therapy with Karina Hall
Karina Hall, Board-Certified Music Therapist at The Parish School, explains what music therapy is, who could benefit from it and ways music therapy can be used to support children in reaching their fine motor, social-emotional and communication goals.
Episode #10: The Parish Way
The Parish School’s director of arts and sciences, Terri Garth discusses the history of The Parish School, provides background on the school’s founder and delves into the educational philosophy, therapeutic approach, and underlining beliefs that make up “The Parish Way.”
Episode #9: Back-to-School Tips for Children
Hosts Stephanie and Meredith discuss tips to help families make the transition from summer to school smooth and positive for the whole family.
Episode #8: Talking to Your Pediatrician 101 with Dr. Marshall Lerman
Pediatrician Dr. Marshall Lerman, MD discusses tips for finding a pediatrician that fits your family and bringing up concerns with your doctor, while empowering you to become a strong advocate for your children.
Episode #7: Basics of Mental Health in Children with Lily Yoder
Lily Yoder, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Registered Play Therapist (RPT), joins us to discuss the basics of mental health in young children and the overlap between communication disorders, learning differences and mental health disorders.
Episode #6: Nuggets & Fries: Discussing Picky Eating with Jennifer Woody
Occupational Therapist, Jennifer Woody, discusses picky eating and provides some much needed clarification on what is "typical" for young children.
Episode #5: Understanding Childhood Apraxia of Speech, with expert Nancy Kaufman
Childhood Apraxia of Speech expert Nancy Kaufman explains the unique disorder while discussing her treatment approach and steps parents can take toward diagnosis and treatment.
Episode #4: Beyond Academics: Social-Emotional Learning with Renee Attaway
Nationally-recognized speaker on Michelle Garcia Winner’s Social Thinking® methodology and founder of the Social Learning program at The Parish School, Renee Attaway, discusses social-emotional learning, and its far-reaching impact on a child’s development.
Episode #3: How Adventure Playgrounds Shape Development, with playworkers Ali Wood and Jill Wood
Playworkers Ali Wood and Jill Wood talk about adventure playgrounds and the importance of free-play and risk-taking in a child’s development.
Episode #2: Project/Inquiry-Based Learning, with educator Jessica Brock
Elementary educator Jessica Brock explains project/inquiry-based learning and discusses how it is an engaging and effective teaching method for children who learn differently.
Episode #1: How Creativity Can Empower Children Who Learn Differently, with Dr. Ron Beghetto
Professor, author and creativity expert Dr. Ron Beghetto shares his advice on how parents and educators can help children utilize their strengths and develop confidence by allowing space for creativity within structured learning experiences.
Unbabbled: The Official Trailer
You can listen and subscribe to Unbabbled from The Parish School for free in any podcast player—such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora or Spotify.
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Visit the Unbabbled podcast page to listen to any episode in the series, including the latest.
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On your Android phone or tablet
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