The Village Lantern Podcast

After a loooong break from recording due to life and curveballs (our Villagers will understand), Anna, Bel and Char are back. We talk about our fears, experience and hope as our neurodivergent 12 year olds finish primary school, and head into high school. We also update listeners on our name change, and share that our conversations from now on will also be on YouTube! https://youtu.be/EWjlNoxJoFc The Village Podcast (previously the Village Lantern Podcast)

A conversation with one of our treasured Villagers about navigating eating disorders and neurodiversity. A first hand account and one we know many will relate to. Please note that this episode contains discussion of eating disorders that some people may find distressing.

In this ep Char shares her horror story of sleep with her ND kids. We know this is a real thing for many of our Villagers and would love to hear your experiences too. Contact us on Insta @thevillagelanternpodcast

ChristMESS incoming!…as Anna, Bel and Char drag themselves to the 2023 finish line, they chat about the discomfort and joy of navigating the festive season and long summer hols in neurodivergent families. Grab a sherry/Aperol and a fistful of chocolate and come and have a listen… Show notes: Find our script for how to respond to some of the comments we get from family and friends about our ND kids and our parenting. Go to www.takesavillage.com.au, register with your email and go to Village Support.

Bel interviews Anna on her recent workshop with the incredible Dr Ross Greene. Dr Greene has developed a child-lead, exploratory approach to understanding the root of challenging behaviours and how to address the needs, rather than the behaviours. It's gold. Show notes: https://drrossgreene.com/about-cps.htm https://livesinthebalance.org/

Anna and Bel share their thoughts and discoveries about how ADHD shows up in their families.

Mental health for parents and carers of neurodivergent kids is hard to prioritise and maintain. Anna, Bel and Char talk about their own experiences and share some of what they have learned.

We talk about the gnarly topic of school and its challenges for ND kids. It's only ever a small slice of the reality but it's such a big one for Villagers.

Second half of Ep 2. There is never enough time to cover this gnarly topic.

Kicking off Season 3 with the beautiful Lael Stone. Lael Stone is a speaker, educator and author who defines her passion as “supporting parents to understand their children, helping adults process their own childhood trauma and creating education systems that value emotional awareness."  In this conversation we talk about the importance of compassion, connection and acceptance in the context of parenting neurodivergent kids.

In this conversation, Anna, Bel and Char talk about the many challenges of working while raising neurodivergent kids. All families trying to make this delicate balance work will tell you it's a struggle, but when you add the Additional and complex needs  of ND kids it's a whole new level of challenge. We talk about the daily tribulations, the decisions some families make to step away and the inevitable burnout that effects so many of us.

Anna, Bel and Char talk about the extra, extra challenges of parenting more than one child with neurodivergent conditions. The fighting, the despair, and even the good bits!

Anna, Bel and Char scratch the surface of educating kids with hidden challenges.  We talk about the complex, ongoing struggle of supporting our kids through the school years.

We welcome back Jordan and talk to Scott McCarney, COO of HoopNow, a basketball program for kids with additional needs.

Quick update on some updates to the podcast and introducing Takes A Village, an organisation supporting families living with kids with hidden challenges.

In this episode Anna, Char and Bel talk about what it's like going through the process of getting a diagnosis of a neurodiverse condition for your child.

Meet Bel Rattigan and Char Adorjan, our new co-hosts joining the Village Lantern Podcast. In this episode we get to know Bel and Char, talk about how we met, our shared joy and struggles parenting neurodiverse kids, and our hopes to change the world around them.

A short episode to share some exciting news about bringing on two additional co-hosts to the Village Lantern family - Annabel Rattigan and Char Adorjan join Jordan and Anna.

Kate Shierlaw is the Community Engagement Support Officer and an AFLW athlete at the St Kilda Football Club. In this conversation, we talk to Kate about the SaintsPlay program at the Club, which provides the opportunity for kids with intellectual and development disorders to learn footy skills, and be a part of the Saints community. We also talk about Kate's passions for the other inclusion programs offered by the club, for AFLW, and playing her part in making footy accessible for all.

Meet Lola. A brilliant, funny and articulate teenager living with ASD and ADHD. In this conversation, we talk about the experience of being diagnosed, identity, friendship, gender and living in a neurotypical world.

We talk to the inspiring and brilliant Dean Cohen, CEO of Flying Fox and AOM. Since 2014, Flying Fox has connected kids with special needs with the wider community through exciting youth organised camps. The network is comprised of volunteer buddies and campers to create positive social interactions in a fun and safe environment. Flying Fox is dedicated to building an inclusive community. In this conversation we talk about the campers, camp leaders and parents, who all love this brilliant and vital service.

Season 2 finally launched. Anna and Jordan talk about what's been going on and what's ahead for the Village Lantern Podcast.

Tal Spinrad is a career Jewish educator and advocate for change with over three decades of experience working within all aspects of the Jewish community. Combining the passion of Ezekiel, with the humour of Mel Brooks, Tal uses both modern and traditional narratives to engage and reveal insights.In this episode, Tal shares his personal experiences of growing up with autism, as well as parenting two autistic kids. He uses his gift for story telling to paint a colourful and insightful picture to which we we can all relate.

Sarah Wright started her career as a high school English teacher, and went on to become an educational psychologist. Sarah spent 16 years at a special school for children with intellectual disability and co-morbid disabilities, a place she calls her "true love". Sarah then qualified as a clinical psychologist, and continues to work with special needs kids, as well as with parents and young adults with 'extra zing'. Sarah is kind, funny and thoughtful and is deretmined to see the whole person, beyond any label or diagnosis. She has a beautiful gift for connecting with love, generosity and a palpable commitment to helping humans be understood, cared for and loved.

Rodney has been a comedian since 1991 using 'hoaxes and jokeses' to bring light and joy to private and public events and corporate sessions. Rodney is hilarious as well as deeply kind and caring and has a beautiful knack for exploring the human experience with both lightness and depth. In this conversation, Rodney shares the inspiring, unique and ultimately awe-inspiring journey of one of his boys, who is (though never formally diagnosed) most likely somewhere on the autism spectrum.

Chris Varney is the founder and CEO of the first-of-its-kind I CAN Network. Chris's vision of a 'Rethink on Autism' is a shift from a deficits-focussed approach to a strengths-based one, and one that has touched and benefitted the lives of thousands of Autistics. In this episode we hear about how Chris made his dream of changing lives come true.

Deirdre started as a primary school teacher, and was driven to become a psychologist after seeing kids in the classroom struggling, and who were not receiving the support they needed. Deirdre has been a fully registered child psychologist (AHPRA) for over 20 years and with her interest in Autism Spectrum Disorder. We talk to Deirdre about kids, the education system, families, and the gifts and joys our extra 'zing' kids bring to the world.

Tal Spinrad is a career Jewish educator and advocate for change with over three decades of experience working within all aspects of the Jewish community. Combining the passion of Ezekiel, with the humour of Mel Brooks, Tal uses both modern and traditional narratives to engage and reveal insights.In this episode, Tal shares his personal experiences of growing up with autism, as well as parenting two autistic kids. He uses his gift for story telling to paint a colourful and insightful picture to which we we can all relate

How is ASD diagnosed in the medical world and how does it impact individuals?

Chris Varney is the founder and CEO of the first-of-its-kind I CAN Network. Chris has a mind-blowing CV, including graduating law, being recognised as the Australian Youth Representative to the UN, the World Vision Australia's Manager of Youth in 2009, and the recipient of the 2017 Supreme Court of Victoria's Best Achievement in Human Rights Award. Chris also serves as National Patron of the Australian Association for Special Education and is on the Advisory Board of Learning Creates Australia.

Anna and Jordan are a full generation apart (they think...). In this intro episode, they share their story of how they came together to bring light and love to the community living with hidden challenges. They chat about how they met, how they landed in this community, and what they want to achieve with this podcast and their lives!

The Hawthorn Football has social inclusion as a key pillar of their community strategy. CEO Justin Reeves and General Manager of Foundation and Community, Kerrie Brewer join us to talk about their role as community leaders, and the responsibility that comes with having the influence over a significant proponent of Victoria and broader Australia, and their admirable and innovative social inclusion initiatives.