Just Needs: parenting children with disabilities
Some people still talk about disabilities as "special needs." As parents of children with disabilities, we know our kids just have needs... like everyone else. We also know that in a just world, everyone’s needs would get met.
Settle in with our podcast for real talk about advocacy, friendships, developmental delays, evaluations, IEPs, sensory meltdowns, autism, and all the ups and downs that come with this gig. We don’t have all the answers, but we promise to try to figure it out with you. Join us.
Latest Episode
How to be a great health care advocate for your medically complex kid with Julia Roberts
Do you know how to be a great health care advocate for your medically complex kid? Do you know how to do it while also keeping yourself in one piece? Christina gets helpful information and insight from Julia Roberts, parent and long-time advocate extraordinaire, in this week’s episode.
About our Host
Christina Kozik
Community Engagement Specialist
Christina Kozik works to strengthen partnerships between schools and families of children with disabilities. At Exceptional Lives, she leads outreach efforts in Louisiana by facilitating professional development for educators, supporting schools in building family engagement strategies, and developing resources that make Special Education and healthcare systems easier to navigate.
Christina also creates accessible content—including podcasts and guides—that equips both educators and families with practical tools to support student success. She brings both professional expertise and personal perspective as a neurodivergent individual and parent of a child with disabilities. Christina is a sought-after speaker at disability and special education events.
Intro episode
About our podcast
Who is Exceptional Lives? Resources and support for families caring for children with disabilities.
Exceptional Lives envisions a world where families raising children with disabilities (or special needs) become effective advocates for their children. We support families, train providers and educators, and offer guidance grounded in our own personal experiences. Listen to this short podcast to learn more about how we can support you.
Previous Episodes
Episode 61
Re-Release: 5 tips for filing taxes for people with disabilities
Nothing’s sure but… well, you know the end of that sentence. If your family includes a child or adult with a disability, here are 5 important things to know before you file your taxes for 2024.
Episode 58
Re-Release: Flying with kids with disabilities: 5 tips to make the trip easier
Flying with kids with disabilities can be stressful and overwhelming. Listen along for 5 tips to make the trip easier for you and your child.
Episode 57
Bonus: Pediatric Sleep Study: Sleepless in Baton Rogue
In this bonus episode, Christina discusses doing a pediatric sleep study with her son and his sensory needs.
Episode 56
The importance of sleep in early childhood with Dr. Nilong Vyas
Listen to Christina and Dr. Nilong Vyas talk about the importance of sleep in early childhood.
Episode 55
How to be a great health care advocate for your medically complex kid with Julia Roberts
Do you know how to be a great health care advocate for your medically complex kid? Do you know how to do it while also keeping yourself in one piece? Christina gets helpful information and insight from Julia Roberts, parent and long-time advocate extraordinaire, in this week’s episode.
Episode 54
Speech Apraxia vs Autism: Are they related?
Speech Apraxia vs Autism: Are they related? If a child is speech delayed what can you do? Christina gets helpful information and insight from Kacy Woodson, a speech-language pathologist, in this week’s episode.
Episode 53
Building community for children with disabilities with Raymond A. Jetson
This week you’ll learn how to build community for children with disabilities with Raymond A. Jetson.
Episode 52
Back to school anxiety tips with Julie McIsaac
This week we’ve got back to school anxiety tips from Julie McIsaac, Learning and Mental Health Consultant.
Episode 51
How to Calm the Chaos with Dayna Abraham
Join Christina as she has a conversation with Dayna Abraham, bestselling author of Calm the Chaos: A Fail-Proof Roadmap for Parenting Even the Most Challenging Kids.
Episode
TWG EKS 16: Knowledge at Your Fingertips: Valuable Resources for Parents of Children with Disabilities with Christina Kozik
Christina was interviewed and appeared as part of the Emotional Kids Summit. Christina shares her personal experience as a parent of a child with a disability. She discusses how she and her team at Exceptional Lives recognized the need to provide information and support to families in a different way. By leveraging her own love for podcasts and the effectiveness of audio content, they decided to create a podcast to deliver valuable resources to parents of children with disabilities.
Episode 50
Re-Release: Introduce your child with F-Words; it’s not what you think
We’re back in school. Is your child with disabilities working with a new teacher? In this week’s podcast learn how to introduce your child to their teacher using helpful F-words!
Episode 49
Resources for children with disabilities: how to find them
Resources for children with disabilities: what are they, how do I find them? Listen along as I break down the systems of services on this week’s episode.
Episode 48
Flying with kids with disabilities: 5 tips to make the trip easier
Flying with kids with disabilities can be stressful and overwhelming. This week’s podcast episode has 5 tips to make the trip easier for you and your child.
Episode 46
Self-care for caregivers: practical tips that aren’t (just) about bubble baths
Self-care for caregivers: You’re tired and you know you need it. But how? And why would you want one more thing to add to your to-do list? This week on the podcast, I want to share with you how some things you’re already doing every day can be self-care.
Episode 45
3 ways to support parents of a child with mental illness
There is often confusion and fear and difficulty when talking about mental illness, especially when children are involved. There doesn’t need to be though. This week’s podcast focuses on how you can support parents of children with mental illness. Listen along as we share 3 ways to be a great friend.
Episode 43
“There’s no magic amount of knowledge”: A conversation with a neurodivergent mom raising an Autistic child
“There’s no magic amount of knowledge.” Listen along as I have a conversation with a neurodivergent mom raising an Autistic son.
Interview by Christina Kozik with Nell Curran, Ph. D.Episode 42
Body doubling and other parenting tips for neurodivergent adults.
As a neurodivergent parent, how can I teach my neurodivergent child skills that they’ll need? Listen along for some parenting tips that may help you and them.
Episode 41
“Don’t give up hope.” A parent’s story of raising a child with disabilities.
“There’s some really, really hard days. Just don’t give up hope.” Listen along to hear one parent’s story and the lessons she learned along the way.
Episode 40
What is the IDEA act?… and other Special Education mysteries decoded.
Do you know your rights under IDEA? It’s the law that requires schools to provide special education services. Listen along to learn more.
Episode 38
What kinds of programs can support my child as they become an adult?
It can be scary when your student with a disability transitions to adult life. But there are programs and resources to support them. Learn more.
Episode 38
“Calmness feels nice;” An interview about how tapping helped one mama’s anxious child.
Processing emotions takes time, patience, focus, practice, and follow-through. It’s easy for anxious kids to get overloaded. In this podcast interview, Exceptional Lives Team Member, Carey Luckey, talks about how tapping helps her son.
Episode 37
New Year, Same Me
Setting New Year’s resolutions that you don’t follow through with can leave you feeling defeated. Instead, focus on how amazing you are this year and share that with those around you!
We’ll be taking a short break from the podcast to celebrate the holidays with our families but we’ll be back in your feed the first week of January.
Episode 36
Feeling holiday parent stress? We are too. Here’s how managing your devices better can help.
You know that ‘bored’ feeling? No? You’re a parent. You’re never bored. These days, our devices are a source of constant entertainment, information, and connection – but they can also increase our stress and take us away from our kids (even when we’re with them). Here’s the antidote.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McIsaac
Episode 35
Managing overstimulation during the holidays
Let’s talk about overstimulation, especially during the holidays. All of our kids – no, wait. This one is about how to manage when the ADULTS get overstimulated. Here are 4 tips that have helped me a lot.
Narrated and written by Christina Kozik
Episode 18
Welcoming families of children with disabilities at the holidays
Holiday gatherings can be stressful. If you’re welcoming a family with kids with disabilities, here are six things you can do to make sure they feel welcome.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McIsaac
Episode 33
Parenting mantras for the holidays
Extra stressed during the holidays? We are too. Here are some of our favorite parenting mantras to add to your phone’s lock screen or a sticky note on a mirror. Repeat after me…
Episode 32
5 things to do if your autistic child needs an ambulance
If you are parenting an autistic child, you know that accidents and ambulances can be particularly overwhelming. Here’s what one mom did to make things easier on her child during an emergency.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Nell Curran
Episode 31
Building a village of support: 3 ways to help children with disabilities live their best lives
Building a village of support for our children with disabilities can help them live their best lives. Listen to our podcast, this week, for 3 steps to make that happen.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Marisa Howard-Karp
Episode 30
Better parenting using self-regulation
If you’re parenting a child with a disability, you’ve probably seen the term self-regulation. In this week’s podcast, learn what self-regulation is and how improving your ability to self-regulate can help you be a better parent.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McIsaac
Episode 29
Helping your child to problem solve on their own
You can help your child with problem-solving by introducing new ideas to develop their thinking. This week’s podcast discusses Scaffolding, which is a way to build problem-solving skills from the ground up.
Episode 28
Life after the IEP: Helping my child with a disability transition to adulthood
It’s hard to envision how your child with a disability will transition to adulthood. Let’s set them up with the support they need for adult life in this week’s podcast!
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McKinney
Episode 27
What is Response to Intervention (RTI) and how can it help kids struggling in school?
Response to intervention (RTI) is a system schools use to help students who are struggling. If your child has a disability, RTI could be the way to help.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McKinney
Episode 26
How do I know if my child is just a late bloomer?
What does it mean if your child is a late bloomer? Hear the stages of child development and the questions you can ask yourself about developmental delays.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McIsaac
Episode 25
If You Give a Parent Paperwork
An often time-consuming aspect of back-to-school for children with disabilities is paperwork! Listen in while Christina shares one parent’s thoughts on those endless forms in this week’s podcast.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McIsaac
Episode 24
Introduce your child with F-Words; it’s not what you think
We’re back in school. Is your child with disabilities working with a new teacher? In this week’s podcast learn how to introduce your child to their teacher using helpful F-words!
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McIsaac
Episode 23
My child struggles with reading. How do I know if it’s dyslexia?
Dyslexia is the most common learning disability but it often goes undiagnosed. Here we talk about what to watch for and what to do if you’re concerned.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by the Exceptional Lives Team
Episode 22
Fun in the sun, tips for kids’ water safety
Pool safety is important for everyone, more so for children with disabilities. Here are 9 tips for water safety and UV awareness to keep this summer fun.
Narrated and written by Christina Kozik
Episode 21
How can I get my teenager ready for independent living?
The transition to adulthood is hard. For kids with disabilities, it can bring extra challenges. In this podcast we talk about how to help our kids get ready.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McKinneyEpisode 20
Co-regulation: Your secret tool for managing meltdowns
Parenting comes with meltdowns – it’s part of the deal. But did you know that co-regulating with your child is often the fastest and most effective way to diffuse things when your child is upset? You may already be doing it, even if you’ve never heard of it. Learn more.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McIsaac
Episode 19
6 ways to be a fierce advocate for your child with disabilities
Advocating for your child with a disability can be hard. Here are 6 practical tips to help you make sure they get what they need.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McKinney
Episode 18
Parents, let’s talk mental health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. But what does mental health look like for those of us caring for children with disabilities? How can we support our children while still tending to our own needs? Here are a few ideas for you.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McIsaacEpisode 17
Want to support children with disabilities? Support their families.
One of the best ways to support children with disabilities is to support their families. But how? Exceptional Lives offers our 3 favorite tips.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McIsaacEpisode 16
Mother’s Day special podcast: If you give a mom a minute
A tribute to mamas and people filling those mama shoes this Mother’s Day…. If you give a mom a minute, she’ll try to fill it with “just one more thing”…
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McIsaacEpisode 15
Is DIR Floortime right for my autistic child?
DIR Floortime is an approach to supporting autistic children, yet many parents of autistic children only know about ABA therapy. In this podcast, Julie McIsaac, Learning and Mental Health Consultant, talks about her experience as a certified DIR Floortime provider.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McIsaacEpisode 14
I am the parent of an autistic child. What will I learn from listening to autistic adults?
If you have the chance to learn more about what it is like to walk in your child’s shoes, why not take it? One of the best ways parents of autistic kids can understand our children’s experience is to listen to autistic adults.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McIsaacEpisode 13
What is identity-first language and what does it have to do with autism?
Autistic child? Child with autism? It feels like the language is always changing. But identity-first language is a powerful way of shifting the conversation – and reflects so much of what we want to teach our children.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McIsaac
Episode 12
Does my child have dysgraphia? How would I know?
Dysgraphia is a learning disability that interferes with a person’s ability to express their ideas in writing. But you may not even know what it is. Here’s what to look for and what to do if your child is struggling.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McIsaac
Episode 11
5 tips for filing taxes for people with disabilities
Nothing’s sure but… well, you know the end of that sentence. If your family includes a child or adult with a disability, here are 5 important things to know before you file your taxes in 2022.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McKinney in consultation with Ken W. Shulman, Day Pitney LLP.Episode 10
My child with disabilities is now an adult. How do I let go and still support him?
At age 22, young people with disabilities age out of special education. In this podcast, Exceptional Lives Team member Julie talks about her son’s transition and how she is learning to support him in this new part of his life while she learns to let go.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McKinney
Episode 9
4 pieces every IEP goal should have
How can you tell between a great IEP goal that will support your child with a disability – and one that doesn’t mean much? In this podcast we will talk about 4 things that should be a part of every goal.
Narrated by Christina Kozik; Written by Julie McKinney
