For many, the holidays are filled with anticipation and awe. But for some of us, the holidays hurt.

Whether you just received a diagnosis, you lost a loved one, or you’re walking through a wilderness season—sometimes the Christmas season has a way of magnifying our pain.

In Episode 89, I share 3 unconventional Christmas traditions that have kept me grounded when my world felt like it was falling apart.

Full Spectrum Parent is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network.

To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.Christianparenting.org

Teenage years are a challenging time for any parent, but when you throw autism into the mix, it’s a whole different ball game.

In Episode 88, Jessica reveals her fears and concerns around puberty while raising her daughter who struggles with severe autism. She then offers special needs parents 7 tips to mentally and practically prepare their child on the spectrum for the big “P” word.

Full Spectrum Parent is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network.

To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.Christianparenting.org

Fifteen years into our autism journey, my husband and I finally took the plunge and started our daughter Mara on medication. Pursuing medication for your child is not a decision parents should take lightly, but sometimes it’s a necessary step.

In Episode 87, we share our personal pros and cons after starting our daughter on Risperidone. If you have a child on the spectrum and you have gone back and forth in your mind on this topic, you don’t want to miss this episode.

Full Spectrum Parent is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network.

To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.Christianparenting.org

The term PDA stands for Pathological Demand Avoidance and it’s a proposed disorder on the spectrum that involves an extreme resistance to everyday demands.

I had never heard the term before until my friend Karen Dorsey mentioned some struggles with her grandson. As she shared her story, my eyes were opened and I began to understand my youngest daughter’s behaviors in a way I never considered before.

If you have a child that continually resists demand and you may have chalked it up as defiance, you don’t want to miss this episode.

Full Spectrum Parent is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.Christianparenting.org

I’m not a huge movie buff—but when I catch a film that moves me—especially when it centers around autism, I can’t help but recommend it. There is something about a story that causes you to drop your defenses and sneaks into the backdoor of your heart.

In Episode 85, we share two autism films that everyone should watch and why, whether you’re parenting a child on the spectrum or not.

Full Spectrum Parent is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.Christianparenting.org

As parents, it’s so easy to sacrifice our own mental health in order to care for the high needs of our kids on the spectrum.

Our guest, Craig Holbrook, coined this life motto: “Boys live. Men sacrifice” as he cared for his 15-year-old daughter with Level 3 Autism. But that very motto drove him to burnout as he attempted to be everything to everyone.

Listen in as Craig opens up his heart and shares transparently about the seasons of life autism has dragged him through and how he has learned to care for himself while continuing to be the best dad he can be to his two children.

If you find yourself emotionally and physically exhausted as a parent, you don’t want to miss this episode!

Full Spectrum Parent is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.Christianparenting.org

As a special needs parent, when I think of the future it scares me.

Parents of kids on the spectrum often wonder what will happen to their children and fear what transition into adulthood will look like.

In Episode 83, we interview Carrie Cariello. Carrie is a mother of five and her son Jack is on the autism spectrum. He recently graduated and is now thriving as an adult.

Being a few steps ahead of many of us on this autism journey, Carrie shares her wisdom on how to navigate this difficult transition. You won’t want to miss this episode!

Carrie is the author of 3 books on parenting. Her latest is, “Half My Sky: Autism, Marriage, and the Messiness That is Building a Family.” Learn more at www.carriecariello.com

Full Spectrum Parent is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network.

To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.Christianparenting.org

In 2012, our daughter received a diagnosis of “classic” autism. We had no idea what that meant. But a year later, the DSM 5—which is the “rulebook” used for diagnosing mental conditions—was published, creating what we know as the autism spectrum and different levels of need. If your child is diagnosed with autism, they will now be categorized as a Level 1, 2, or 3 based upon the amount of support they will need.

In Episode 82, I invite my friend and fellow autism mom, Kelly Werwie, to join me as we discuss the different levels on the autism spectrum and the unique parenting challenges each level presents.

Click here to order Jessica’s new book, Unlimited Motherhood: Overcome 12 Limits that Overwhelm and Conflict our Hearts: https://a.co/d/4yxk5AG (https://a.co/d/4yxk5AG)

Full Spectrum Parent is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual guidance to help you grow into the perfectly imperfect parent you want to be visit www.Christianparenting.org