TPP 182a: A Conversation with Autism and Neurodiversity Support Specialist Kristy Forbes

TILT Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

Debbie Reber

Education, Parenting, Kids & Family

4.8 • 983 Ratings

🗓️ 28 February 2025

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

My guest this week is autism and neurodiversity support specialist Kristy Forbes of In Tune Pathways. Kristy is the parent of four autistic children, and has an abundance of emotional, practical, and lived experience both working with and raising children who are neurodivergent. She has an extensive background in early childhood education and psychology, and as you’ll hear from our conversation, is passionate about radical acceptance without the need or intention to fix, change or cure, particularly in regard to children. Kristy was diagnosed as autistic at age thirty-three herself, and has committed herself to working with children and adults on the autism spectrum, with a special interest on people who, like her, have a PDA expression. In this episode, we share a deep conversation about how parents can truly tune in to who their children are and show up for them in a way that reflects true respect for their children’s neurodivergence. We cover a lot of ground, including the PDA profile of autism, how parents can get clear about their intentions when exploring interventions for their children on the spectrum, how to support families through periods of intensity and very difficult behavior, and the trauma that can result when children are perpetually in fight, flight, freeze or fawn mode because they’re being forced to conform to a way of being that isn’t true to who they are. Kristy is a wise and genuine spirit who is doing healing work for so many families… I’m grateful to be able to share this conversation with you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode is sponsored by Abel Now, tax-advantaged savings accounts for eligible individuals with
0:05.9	disabilities. If you're a parent, you know how important it is to plan for your child's future,
0:10.5	but if your child has a disability, saving money can feel complicated, especially when you're trying
0:15.2	to protect their eligibility for certain benefits like Medicaid. That's where Abel Now comes in.
0:22.5	Abel Now accounts offer a tax-advantaged way to save for your child's future needs without jeopardizing eligibility for
0:27.0	those critical disability services and supports. Funds in your account can be used for a wide
0:31.9	range of expenses, everything from education to health care, housing, transportation, and even basic
0:37.2	living expenses.
0:38.6	Abel Now accounts are available to qualified individuals in all 50 states.
0:42.7	Are you eligible?
0:43.7	Visit Abel Now.com to learn how you can start saving today and join thousands of families using Abel Now to secure a brighter future for their loved ones.
0:52.5	Hey there, it's Debbie.
0:54.0	Today's episode is a special re-release of a favorite conversation from the archives.
0:59.0	Unless you're a long-time listener of the show, there's a good chance you haven't heard
1:02.4	this one before.
1:03.4	And even if you have, you just might get something completely different from it this
1:07.3	time around.
1:08.7	I think families need to be supported to tuning to who their children actually are
1:13.7	and look at what their challenges are and find supportive ways of assisting them to get
1:22.6	the help that they need that way, rather than just taking this entire human being,
1:29.6	not even looking at who they are, and just going, okay, autism means we have to make them something they're not because it traumatizes
1:36.2	them.
	...

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