In this episode of the Complicated Kids Podcast, I talk with Jennifer Kaufman—educator, school principal, grandmother, and now author of Grandparenting on the Spectrum. We dive deep into the often-overlooked role of grandparents in families raising autistic children. Jennifer shares how her personal and professional worlds collided when her grandson was diagnosed with autism, prompting her to rethink her expectations, shift her approach, and ultimately write a book to help other grandparents do the same. We explore the power of backing off, listening more, and supporting adult children with respect and trust.

To find out more about Jennifer visit her website at https://grandparentingonthespectrum.com.

About your host, Gabriele Nicolet

Join Gabriele Nicolet, podcast host, parenting life coach and speech therapist, weekly for practical strategies and tips on raising complicated kids. Learn how to go from surviving to thriving and create a family culture in which every family member can feel valued, seen and heard. With a practical, relationship-based, family-friendly approach, Gabriele provides tools and insights parents need to create a more balanced and fun family life.If you've been listening and wondering what next steps to take to help your child, I am here for you. Maybe you're wondering whether your kiddo needs a speech and language evaluation, or occupational therapy, or some behavioral intervention to deal with picky eating, anger, meltdowns, hitting and biting. With over 20 years of experience, my knowledge of child development and the available options goes deep. Maybe you just want some practical tips on how to get through the day and feel like a better parent. We can unpack that too. Sound good? Learn more at www.gabrielenicolet.com.

Complicated Kids Resources and Links:

🌎 www.gabrielenicolet.com

📅Schedule a free intro call at https://calendly.com/gabrielenicolet/free-15-minute-1-1-session.

📺Subscribe to Gabriele's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@complicatedkids/featured

👾Grab Tell the Story - my powerful anti-anxiety tool for kids https://www.gabrielenicolet.com/tell-the-story

➡️ http://instagram.com/gabriele_nicolet

➡️ http://facebook.com/gabriele.nicolet

➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielenicolet/

🌺Grab our free checklist to find out if you're raising an Orchid Kid https://www.raisingorchidkids.com/orchid-kid-check-list-sign-up/

Samantha Foote—a board-certified music therapist, parent coach, and neurodivergent mom—brings a rare blend of professional expertise and lived experience to a powerful conversation about parenting differently-wired kids with greater connection and less frustration. In this episode of the Complicated Kids Podcast, we dive deep into how understanding our kids' neurodivergent wiring, and our own, can completely shift the parenting experience from frustration to connection. Samantha shares powerful insights about regulation, the harm of compliance-based parenting, how parents often unintentionally carry their own childhood wounds into parenting, and how music can be a profound tool for emotional regulation.

To find out more about Samantha, visit her website at www.everybrainisdifferent.com.

About your host, Gabriele Nicolet

Join Gabriele Nicolet, podcast host, parenting life coach and speech therapist, weekly for practical strategies and tips on raising complicated kids. Learn how to go from surviving to thriving and create a family culture in which every family member can feel valued, seen and heard. With a practical, relationship-based, family-friendly approach, Gabriele provides tools and insights parents need to create a more balanced and fun family life.If you've been listening and wondering what next steps to take to help your child, I am here for you. Maybe you're wondering whether your kiddo needs a speech and language evaluation, or occupational therapy, or some behavioral intervention to deal with picky eating, anger, meltdowns, hitting and biting. With over 20 years of experience, my knowledge of child development and the available options goes deep. Maybe you just want some practical tips on how to get through the day and feel like a better parent. We can unpack that too. Sound good? Learn more at www.gabrielenicolet.com.

Complicated Kids Resources and Links:

🌎 www.gabrielenicolet.com

📅Schedule a free intro call at https://calendly.com/gabrielenicolet/free-15-minute-1-1-session.

📺Subscribe to Gabriele's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@complicatedkids/featured

👾Grab Tell the Story - my powerful anti-anxiety tool for kids https://www.gabrielenicolet.com/tell-the-story

➡️ http://instagram.com/gabriele_nicolet

➡️ http://facebook.com/gabriele.nicolet

➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielenicolet/

🌺Grab our free checklist to find out if you're raising an Orchid Kid https://www.raisingorchidkids.com/orchid-kid-check-list-sign-up/

What if your child’s wildest playtime moments were actually the clearest window into their emotional world—and you held the key to understanding them? In this episode, I sit down with David Schatzkamer, a licensed mental health counselor and registered play therapist supervisor, to explore the world of child-centered play therapy and filial therapy. David shares his powerful approach to helping young children process their emotions through play—and even more importantly, how parents can learn to do this work themselves. We explore why following a child's lead is crucial, what play really reveals about a child's inner world, and how everyday parenting moments (even the ones where your kid calls you "stupid") can be transformed into opportunities for connection and understanding.

To find out more about David, visit his website at www.center4playtherapy.com.

About your host, Gabriele Nicolet

Join Gabriele Nicolet, podcast host, parenting life coach and speech therapist, weekly for practical strategies and tips on raising complicated kids. Learn how to go from surviving to thriving and create a family culture in which every family member can feel valued, seen and heard. With a practical, relationship-based, family-friendly approach, Gabriele provides tools and insights parents need to create a more balanced and fun family life.If you've been listening and wondering what next steps to take to help your child, I am here for you. Maybe you're wondering whether your kiddo needs a speech and language evaluation, or occupational therapy, or some behavioral intervention to deal with picky eating, anger, meltdowns, hitting and biting. With over 20 years of experience, my knowledge of child development and the available options goes deep. Maybe you just want some practical tips on how to get through the day and feel like a better parent. We can unpack that too. Sound good? Learn more at www.gabrielenicolet.com.

Complicated Kids Resources and Links:

🌎 www.gabrielenicolet.com

📅Schedule a free intro call at https://calendly.com/gabrielenicolet/free-15-minute-1-1-session.

📺Subscribe to Gabriele's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@complicatedkids/featured

👾Grab Tell the Story - my powerful anti-anxiety tool for kids https://www.gabrielenicolet.com/tell-the-story

➡️ http://instagram.com/gabriele_nicolet

➡️ http://facebook.com/gabriele.nicolet

➡️ https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielenicolet/

🌺Grab our free checklist to find out if you're raising an Orchid Kid https://www.raisingorchidkids.com/orchid-kid-check-list-sign-up/