New Episodes Every Wednesday

Child Development Episodes

Discuss the developmental challenges faced by children with various conditions, highlighting strategies caregivers and professionals can use to support their growth and well-being.
Episode 96 | Carrie's Story: A Son with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus
Nov. 23, 2021

Episode 96 | Carrie's Story: A Son with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus

My guest today is Carrie Holt. Carrie is one of those people who, when you talk to her, you feel like you've known her your whole life AND it feels like you're there in the room with her. She has such a great perspective on ...

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Gratitude Journaling for Kids: How to Start
Nov. 16, 2021

Gratitude Journaling for Kids: How to Start

Meet the author, Priscilla Morgan. She gives us exactly what we need to know to start a gratitude journal with kids, without making it a chore. She teaches us how to find the emotional connection with gratitude to make it me...

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Episode 93 | Expert Advice Every Parent Should Know From an Occupational Therapist
Nov. 2, 2021

Episode 93 | Expert Advice Every Parent Should Know From an Occupatio…

For today's 12 minute talk, I'm interviewing Ashley McGaughy. Ashley is a pediatric occupational therapist from Chicago, and she primarily works as an independent contractor with kids in intervention programs, ages zero to t...

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Episode 92 | The Dad's Perspective: A Son with a Rare Genetic Disease
Oct. 26, 2021

Episode 92 | The Dad's Perspective: A Son with a Rare Genetic Disease

The Dad's Perspective: A Son with a Rare Genetic Disease So there is this rock star in the podcast world, and her name is Effie Parks. She hosts a podcast called Once Upon a Gene, inspired by her son who has a rare genetic d...

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Episode 91 | How Do You Explain the COVID-19 Vaccine to Kids?
Oct. 19, 2021

Episode 91 | How Do You Explain the COVID-19 Vaccine to Kids?

For today's 12 minute talk, I'm talking about the COVID-19 vaccine and how to discuss it with kids. I'm going to give you some ideas, with the caveat that you don't have to use the exact words I use. You know your child bes...

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Episode 89 | How to Talk with Kids About Disabilities with Dr. Brittany Ferri
Oct. 5, 2021

Episode 89 | How to Talk with Kids About Disabilities with Dr. Britta…

For today's 12 minute talk, I'm interviewing Dr. Brittany Ferri. She is an occupational therapist, and she has a passion for talking with kids about disabilities. Brittany talks about her program, Social Fly, a social and m...

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Episode 87 | Lisa and Brady's Story - A Mom and Son Discuss Their Past Cancer Experience
Sept. 28, 2021

Episode 87 | Lisa and Brady's Story - A Mom and Son Discuss Their Pas…

I connected with one of today's guests, Brady, through our shared alma mater, Penn State University. He has dealt with cancer not once, but twice, and he agreed to come on the podcast with his mother, Lisa. I'm so honored t...

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Episode 86 | Starlyn's Story - Quadruplets in the NICU
Sept. 21, 2021

Episode 86 | Starlyn's Story - Quadruplets in the NICU

I'm so excited to have my friend Starlyn on the show today! She and her husband have struggled with infertility for years, and she is here to share the miraculous story about having one embryo and ending up with four babies....

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Sickle Cell Anemia in Children: A Mother's Advocacy Journey
Sept. 14, 2021

Sickle Cell Anemia in Children: A Mother's Advocacy Journey

It's another day in September, which means we are going to be recognizing National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited blood disorder in which blood cells may become sickle shaped and harden, cau...

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Episode 83 | How to Talk to About a Friend or Classmate's Cancer
Aug. 31, 2021

Episode 83 | How to Talk to About a Friend or Classmate's Cancer

When it comes to talking about cancer with kids, there is no one that compares to Holly Senn (Certified Child Life Specialist at Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital). We're going to share some tips for parents, teachers, an...

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Episode 82 | Taraneh's Story - A son with cleft palate
Aug. 24, 2021

Episode 82 | Taraneh's Story - A son with cleft palate

My guest this week is Taraneh, sharing her story about having a son with cleft palate. In this episode, we talk about… [2:24] Taraneh's background and her family [3:54] Taraneh's pregnancy and birth experience with her son [5...

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Episode 81 |How to Support Your Kids for Back to School
Aug. 17, 2021

Episode 81 |How to Support Your Kids for Back to School

This episode is sponsored by SmileMakers. Use code ONCALL20 for 20% off your order of smile making stickers, toys, patient supplies, and more! This episode is also sponsored by Magic Mind, the World's First Productivity Drink...

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Episode 80 | Bonnie's Story - A son with Type 1 Diabetes
Aug. 10, 2021

Episode 80 | Bonnie's Story - A son with Type 1 Diabetes

This episode is sponsored by SmileMakers. Use code ONCALL20 for 20% off your order of smile making stickers, toys, patient supplies, and more! Meet Bonnie, her husband and her three adult children. Bonnie calls herself "the r...

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Episode 76  | Cortney's Story - A daughter with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
July 13, 2021

Episode 76 | Cortney's Story - A daughter with Hypoplastic Left Hear…

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with Cortney Given, Life Coach and Host of the Mindset for Medical Moms Podcast . Cortney could have never guessed that the high school paper she wrote HLHS would be given to her s...

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Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS): Navigating Diagnosis and Daily Life
June 29, 2021

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS): Navigating Diagnosis and Daily Life

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with Jessica Patay, Founder and Executive Director of We Are Brave Together. Her own story as a mom of a child with special needs began in 2003 when her second son, Ryan, was born ...

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Episode 73 | Should Kids Go To Funerals?
June 22, 2021

Episode 73 | Should Kids Go To Funerals?

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with Lauren Holley, CCLS and Professor answers the question and discusses the topic: Should Young Kids Go To Funerals? We talk about: +How to assess whether or not your child is re...

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Episode 69 | Liza's Story - A daugther with Lyme Disease
May 18, 2021

Episode 69 | Liza's Story - A daugther with Lyme Disease

Episode 69 | Liza's Story - A daugther with Lyme Disease "I don't think I would have ever done the work on myself had it not been for my daughter's struggle." Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with Liza Blas from V...

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Episode 66 | How to Support Siblings of Children with Medical or Special Needs
April 20, 2021

Episode 66 | How to Support Siblings of Children with Medical or Spec…

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist is interviewed and asked about ways to support children of chronically ill or medically complex children. Questions that Katie discusses include: +How to have hard conversations with chi...

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Episode 65 | Holly's Story - A son with Hereditary Spastic Paraparesis (HSP)
April 13, 2021

Episode 65 | Holly's Story - A son with Hereditary Spastic Paraparesi…

"I think this may be a parent's worst nightmare." Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist interviews Holly, mom to three children living in Northern California. Holly's son, Austin, was typical until just after his 1st birthda...

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Episode 64 | Mijha's Story - A daughter with Triplication of Gends on Chromosome 15q
April 6, 2021

Episode 64 | Mijha's Story - A daughter with Triplication of Gends on…

Mijha and her husband live in Atlanta with their three daughters—ages 9, 5, and 8 months at the time of this conversation with Child Life On Call. Her middle daughter, Violet, was born with challenges that became evident only...

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Episode 60 | Dafne's Story - Children with Chronic Illness: Juvenile Type 1 Diabetes, Psoriatic Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis
March 2, 2021

Episode 60 | Dafne's Story - Children with Chronic Illness: Juvenile …

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist interviews Dafne, The Chronic Illness Coach. Dafne is mom to three college-age kids and she and her husband live in Houston, Texas. In this episode, we talk about how her children all su...

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Episode 58 | Shani's Story - A child with a learning difference #ADHD #Anxiety #Dyslexia #Dysmorphia
Feb. 9, 2021

Episode 58 | Shani's Story - A child with a learning difference #ADHD…

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist welcomes back Shani (a.k.a. Child Life Mommy ) to the podcast. Shani is a Certified Child Life Specialist who has a private practice in Northern California and you can learn more about ...

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Episode 53 | Teresa's Story - A daugther with Spina Bifida and Tethered Cord
Jan. 5, 2021

Episode 53 | Teresa's Story - A daugther with Spina Bifida and Tether…

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist interviews Teresa, a mom of a teenage daughter with Spina Bifida. With no signs of abnormalities during her pregnancy, Teresa was shocked to learn that a fatty lump on her daughter's ski...

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Episode 52 | Nichole's Story - A son fighting cancer with help from My Special Aflac Duck and Child Life
Dec. 8, 2020

Episode 52 | Nichole's Story - A son fighting cancer with help from M…

(This episode was developed in partnership with Aflac. I was compensated for this episode, but all opinions are entirely my own. #ad ) In this episode, Katie Taylor, Certified Child Life Specialist talks about the importance ...

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