The Empowered Parent with Dana Baltutis

• Unschooling Series with Paige Carter (Parent, Advocate, Community Leader, Business Owner): Week 4- Hydrotherapy and Drop Offs

  Send us a textChange doesn’t wait for the perfect schedule, and neither do big feelings. We sit down after a long day to unpack a week where a 30-minute hydrotherapy session brought relief, the weather kept us indoors, and Oakland leaned hard into the comfort of screens and familiar routines. Rather than fight it, we explore why control, predictability, and co-regulation can be smart strategies when a child’s world is filled with packed boxes and looming travel plans.We get personal about the daily school run for Lacey and the meltdowns that come with transitions: the countdowns that sometimes help, the moments that don’t, and the practical safety steps that keep everyone secure. Paige breaks down why static visuals and tabletop tasks trigger Oakland, offering a different lens for therapists and educators—lighten language, reduce direct demands, and protect autonomy wherever you can. We also talk about weekends, nature, and why water usually eases his nervous system, while staying honest about the days it doesn’t.Amid family recalibration, Paige reveals The Inclusion Collective—an accessible, privately funded membership for carers seeking practical training and genuine connection. Expect live group education on NDIS reviews and school systems, clarity connection calls for questions and body doubling, masterclasses from diverse voices, and an active chat that doesn’t expect perfection. It’s built to meet real carers where they are and make support feel possible.https://inclusiveoak.com.au/ danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

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• Unschooling Series with Paige Carter (Parent, Advocate, Community Leader, Business Owner): Week 3 -Small Wins, Big Steps In Unschooling

  Send us a textEver watched a child light up at the zoo, then shut down at the hospital and wondered how to bridge those worlds with care, dignity, and actual access? We dive into a week that held both: a quiet bus at Monarto where curiosity bloomed, and a clinical setting where pushing past tolerance backfired. Along the way, we unpack the practical tools that make community life possible for neurodivergent kids, from hydrotherapy wins to the much-debated disability stroller that functions as a lifeline.We share how unschooling shows up in real time: learning differences between apes and monkeys on the move, noticing the iPad as a regulator rather than a villain, and prepping for transitions when the water slides are closed but the pool is still calling. At home, we’re packing up to rent the house and planning a lap around Australia: tag-teaming weekends, leveraging ADHD hyperfocus, and keeping eyes on a future with more freedom and family time. Our daughter’s school fatigue gets a humane reset with later starts, backed by a supportive teacher and simple, clear communication.The heart of the conversation is nervous system literacy. One parent often becomes the safe base, the other the action signal. Naming these roles reduces blame and power struggles, and it guides who should lead what-especially during transitions. We also pull back the curtain on NDIS knockbacks that label strollers as “restrictive practice,” how we used a Variety grant to fund a purpose-built disability stroller, and what to do when the first device can’t withstand meltdowns or strength. Think durable gear, sensory shielding, and realistic logistics that keep outings possible.Medical trauma needs careful handling. We share scripts that protect capacity- sending videos ahead, setting no-engagement boundaries, and calling time when a clinician pushes a child past their limit. The result isn’t perfect compliance; it’s sustainable care and trust for the next visit. If you’re navigating similar terrain-unschooling, access, advocacy, and family alignment-you’ll find strategies you can use today. If the conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs the validation, and leave a review so more families can find these tools. danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

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• Season 2 NEURODIVERSITY - Episode 10: Every Colour Matters - Closing Thoughts on Neurodiversity (Dana Baltutis, Speech Pathologist and Parent Coach)

  Send us a textThe rainbow stretches across the sky – vibrant, diverse, and complete only because each colour exists. This powerful metaphor frames our season finale on neurodiversity, reminding us that human brains, like rainbows, aren't meant to be identical. Each carries unique colours, patterns, and brilliance that contribute to the whole.Throughout this season, we've explored what truly neuroaffirming spaces look like – environments that don't merely tolerate neurological differences but actively celebrate them. These spaces recognize that every form of sensory communication and emotional expression is valid, meeting needs with respect rather than correction. Most importantly, they create that irreplaceable feeling of belonging – being valued, trusted, and celebrated exactly as you are.Parents, here's something especially for you: your brain belongs in the rainbow too. When you recognize and honor your own neurological wiring, you connect with yourself more deeply and model self-acceptance for your children. This understanding becomes the bridge to authentic relationships. What colors make up your brain? What lights you up? What overwhelms you? What strengths have carried you through? This season has shown us that supporting neurodivergent children isn't about fixing perceived deficits but recognizing the brilliance already present and creating environments where that brilliance can flourish.As you move forward, remember that creating neuroaffirming spaces happens through simple daily choices – a parent pausing before speaking, a therapist following a child's lead, a teacher adjusting the environment. Every time you choose acceptance and celebration over correction, you reshape the world around you. Thank you for joining us on this journey. Your participation in these conversations transforms understanding into real change. Please subscribe, share with others who might benefit, and visit mytherapyhouse.com.au or danabaltutis.com for additional resources. danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

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• Season 2 NEURODIVERSITY - Episode 9: Photography As Therapy: Motherhood, Bipolar, And Neurodiversity (Bianca Buliga: Parent, Artist, Photographer, Advocate)

  Send us a textWhat if a camera could say what your voice can’t? We sit down with Bianca, a neurodivergent artist and mother living with bipolar II, ADHD, and autistic traits, to explore how art, therapy, and the right clinical support helped her turn pain into purpose. From a turbulent childhood in post-communist Romania to a leap-of-faith move to Adelaide during the pandemic, her story threads vulnerability with resolve, and invites us to rethink what recovery and advocacy can look like.We trace her late diagnosis journey—sparked by her child’s assessment—and the mix of shock and relief that followed a bipolar II diagnosis. Bianca breaks down the real work of finding effective medication, why a psychiatrist’s expertise matters for complex mood disorders, and how weekly therapy functions like emotional hygiene. She shares the gritty middle: when ADHD meds tangle with mood stability, when the wrong clinician sets progress back, and how to keep going until you’re truly seen.Parenting deepened everything. Bianca talks candidly about postpartum depression, the fear of passing on trauma, and the craft of repair—slowing down, choosing different words, making room for both joy and overwhelm. Her photography practice became a lifeline: mindful “find red” walks to regulate attention, self-portraits on the days words failed, and exhibitions that turned private suffering into communal understanding. Her widely shared projects—on postpartum mental health and Hear Me Say This—use portraits and lived testimony to dismantle stigma around bipolar, autism, ADHD, and disability.If you care about mental health, neurodiversity, creative practice, or simply want a grounded conversation about how people actually heal, this one’s for you. Subscribe to catch more stories that blend evidence, empathy, and art—and share this episode with someone who needs to feel seen today.https://www.biancajoannaphotography.com.au/home danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

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• Unschooling Series with Paige Carter (Parent, Advocate, Community Leader, Business Owner): Week 2 - Rethinking Success: Recovery, Autonomy, And Gentle Education

  Send us a textA five-minute visit can hold a whole season of hope. I sat down with Paige Carter of Inclusive Oak to trace the delicate return of motivation after school burnout, and name a stage many families live inside: curiosity without capacity. Oakland asked to see his friends, stepped into the classroom, then stepped back out, overwhelmed but determined enough to hug classmates in the hallway. We call that progress, and we talk about how changing our expectations changes a child’s nervous system.We also untangle language that matters in practice. De-schooling is the rest-and-repair bridge between school and any home education model; unschooling is the child-led learning that may follow. Paige shares how releasing academic demands helped her son regulate, then rediscover interest through technology. From iPad downtime to active PlayStation sessions and YouTube walk-throughs, we explore how authentic learning shows up when a child truly cares about the goal: decoding letters to search, transferring steps into gameplay, and building confidence one solved problem at a time.Parallel to this home shift runs a major advocacy effort. Paige takes us inside her months-long push to address the “grey area” in education, children who don’t qualify for special education but can’t access mainstream classrooms safely or consistently. After building a campaign, gathering expert input, and meeting the Premier, she shares the emotional toll and why deep rest afterward wasn’t indulgence but maintenance. Looking ahead, the family is packing up their home to travel Australia for a year. The kids get choice over what to keep and how to set up their bunks, and a purpose-built stroller remains a crucial support for safety and regulation in public spaces.If this story resonates, whether you’re navigating de-schooling, advocating for grey-area learners, or rethinking what “success” looks like - come along. Listen, share with someone who needs a gentler lens, and leave a review to help more families find this conversation. danabaltutis.com, mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

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