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This replay from the archives is just as relevant now as it was in 2022. If you’ve ever felt the crushing weight of being the one who holds everything together for your child with disabilities, you’re not alone.

In this episode, I share listener reflections on what feels heaviest—like being the only one who knows every detail, the fear of forgetting meds, or never fully relaxing. I also offer a powerful visual: dragging a massive crate filled with your daily responsibilities, inch by inch.

It’s an invitation to pause, acknowledge your experience, and maybe—just maybe—set down the weight for a moment.

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Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

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This one’s light, real, and a little bit ridiculous in the best way.

I showed up ready to share a few stories from the trenches—some funny, some a little gross (parenting, right?), and all with the hope that you’d feel just a little less alone in this wild life of ours.

We talked about:

• 🧯 Levi’s new hobby with matches (and yes, I’m taking suggestions).
• 🍋 My sad little lemon tree and how it became a metaphor for this burnt-out end-of-summer feeling.
• ⏰ The specialist appointment that didn’t happen—and the spectacular mental gymnastics I did to make sure it wasn’t “my fault.”
• 💆‍♀️ Why I’m fantasizing about massages, cafes, and beach days (and putting out a casual call for local beach buddies).
• 🌀 The importance of marking transitions with a little intention, especially when we’re crawling out of survival mode.

Whether you're closing out summer, still deep in the marathon, or somewhere in between—I hope you leave this one with a little more curiosity and compassion for yourself.

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Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

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This week, I’m joined by my friend and fellow writer, Brooke Turbyfill. We met as co-authors of The Courage to Raise, a book written by moms navigating the special needs parenting journey—and somewhere between that and a road trip in an electric blue rental car, we became fast friends.

Brooke shares what it was like entering the special needs world later in parenting, with both of her teens receiving epilepsy diagnoses. We talk about the challenges of finding community, honoring our kids’ privacy while needing support ourselves, and why it’s okay to change what we need in different seasons.

Also in this episode:

• A hilarious hotel sleep setup reveal
• A serendipitous lunch detour that landed us at Clemson LIFE
• How structured writing helped us both process and connect

If you’ve ever felt late to the “club” or unsure where you belong, this one’s for you.

📚 Episode Resources:

• The Courage to Raise
• Clemson LIFE Program
• Mend Coffee & Goods
• Turbo Words Editing
• On Stories Substack

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Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

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This episode lit me up. I had the gift of sitting down with Julie Hornok and Dr. Regina Crone—co-founders of Labeled and Loved. Together, they’ve created something powerful for moms like us navigating disability and special needs: connection, purpose, and spaces where you don’t have to explain yourself.

Julie brings over 20 years of experience in the special needs world—as a mom, speaker, behavioral program facilitator, and author of United in Autism. You might’ve seen her featured on Focus on the Family, Today Parents, or even iHeartRadio. Her work-hard-play-hard energy is contagious.

Regina, a Ph.D. and board-certified behavior analyst, was inspired by her brother’s diagnosis. She owns Therapy & Beyond, and has spent decades presenting, writing, and supporting families across the country. Oh—and she lives on a farm in Texas with her crew, which includes chickens and cows. Her motto? “Go with the flow and eat chocolate.” Legendary.

We talked about what it looks like to grieve expectations and still find deep joy. About the hard moments that no one prepares you for—and the small but bold steps that can shift everything. And we dove into the retreat they created just for moms like us (recently featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show, by the way).

If you’re feeling stretched thin, isolated, or like you’ve lost pieces of yourself along the way, this one will speak directly to your heart.

Resources Mentioned:

• Labeled and Loved Retreat: October 10–12 in Dallas, TX
• Sisterhood Circles: In-person & virtual support groups
• United in Autism by Julie Hornok
• Therapy and Beyond (Dr. Crone’s clinic)
• Labeled and Loved featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show

Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack HERE

Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

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This week’s guest is Kim Botto, a longtime children’s and student ministry leader, TBRI® Practitioner, and all-around passionate advocate for kids who don’t always fit the mold. She’s spent decades creating spaces where every child—regardless of background, behavior, or ability—can belong, contribute, and grow.

Kim and I talked about what happens when places like school or church aren’t safe or supportive—especially for kids with trauma, disabilities, or neurodivergence. She shared the idea of “connection before correction,” and reminded me that we don’t need a diagnosis to lead with compassion.

We also got real about what it takes to build a culture of belonging—and how sometimes it starts with something as small (and powerful) as a strip of red tape.

Kim is the author of Boundless Hope for Every Child and hosts The Every Child Belongs podcast. She lives in the greater Cincinnati area with her husband, close to their five kids and eleven grandkids.

Resources Mentioned:

• Website: kimbotto.com
• Book: Boundless Hope for Every Child
• Podcast: Every Child Belongs
• Instagram: @kimbotto
• TBRI® (Trust-Based Relational Intervention)
• Baylor University & Eric Carter research on disability and church inclusion

Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack HERE

Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

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This week, I’m sharing something exciting: I co-authored a new book called The Courage to Raise! It's a collaborative project with eight other special needs moms, and I’m proud (and a little surprised) to be a published author again—especially since writing has never come easily to me.

In this episode, I talk about how the opportunity came about (perfect timing while I was already traveling), what my chapter is about, and the special tool I included called Tolerating the Intolerable—a game plan for surviving those chaotic, over-the-top moments we know too well. I even share a few “plays” that didn’t make the book but are too good not to mention (Skedaddle, anyone?).

Whether or not you buy the book (but I hope you do!), this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at how I turned hard stories into something meaningful.

Resources Mentioned:

• 📘 The Courage to Raise on Amazon
• ✍️ Publishing Company: Hope Books
• 📕 Becoming Brave Together – A past collaborative book

Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack HERE

Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

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This episode is a rebroadcast of episode 87 that was originally aired May 2022.

This episode I’m talking about what happens when our story gets disrupted. Likely, we all feel this way about diagnosis, a relationship ending or some other trauma in our lives. What narrative do you tell yourself in this special needs mom life when story you thought you were going to have gets disrupted.

“I’m going to be tied down forever. “
“I can’t bring more children into this life.”
“I won’t ever be happy again.”
“I can’t do this.”
“God must not be as good as I thought.”
“This is not how it’s supposed to be.”

When your story gets disrupted you shouldn’t feel like you just need to survive. You have the chance to rewrite your story and recognize that that was how it was supposed to be because it is.

So I ask you, how do you want to know through this? Through being the key word.

Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack HERE

Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/

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This episode is pulled from the archives way back in September 2021. It is episode 56 and it aired shortly after finding out my son Levi’s brain tumor had returned. It was a season full of fear and uncertainty—and that’s exactly what I talk about here: worry and anxiety, and how they show up in our lives as special needs moms.

I share real examples from that time and explore:

• Why worry can feel like responsibility (but isn’t)
• How trying to control the uncontrollable drains us
• What it looks like to trust yourself, even in uncertainty

You’ll hear mindset shifts and questions to help you interrupt the worry spiral and reconnect with presence, peace, and choice—even when the stakes are high.

Get The Special Needs Mom Survival Pack HERE

Connect with Kara, host of The Special Needs Mom Podcast:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespecialneedsmompodcast/
Website: https://www.kararyska.com/