The Empowered Parent with Dana Baltutis

Dana Baltutis
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Welcome to The Empowered Parent Podcast. This podcast is a space for parents to learn, reflect, and grow.Each week, we explore topics that help parents understand themselves and their children more deeply - from communication and connection, to supporting neurodivergent development at home and in the community. We’ve had wonderful conversations with experts, parents, and professionals - including speakers from the Neurodivergence Wellbeing Conference, and a special series following one mum’s journey in unschooling her child. Every episode is here to inspire curiosity, compassion, and confidence in your parenting journey. Don’t forget to follow along, share your reflections, and join the conversation.You can connect with me at danabaltutis.com or mytherapyhouse.com.au. Let’s celebrate neurodivergence.Let’s celebrate belonging.

  1. 4d ago

    ALL4ONE: A FATHER'S STORY: Episode 4: From Safety To Independence Through Supported Living

    Send us Fan Mail Buying a home for your child sounds like a practical decision until you realise it also forces a whole new identity for everyone involved. We sit down with Graham to unpack how his family moved from assuming Bradley would live with them forever to building a supported home where he can grow into adulthood with safety, dignity, and choice. Along the way, we talk about OCD, tics, anxiety, and what it looks like when a young person’s needs are expressed through behaviour rather than neat explanations.  A big thread through our chat is the power of curiosity. Graham shares how a developmental educator helped him notice patterns, understand what he was seeing, and stop defaulting to “No, that’s not possible.” We explore what a developmental educator actually does in the home, why predictable routines and tailored resources matter, and how the right professionals can take pressure off parents while still keeping the child’s voice at the centre.  We also get very real about the NDIS logistics: comparing living options, deciding against a shared model that didn’t suit Bradley, then dealing with rosters, staffing, funding changes, medication processes, and the learning curve of managing a team. Graham speaks honestly about the emotional load, survival mode, and later recognising PTSD, plus the surprising signs of adulthood when Bradley starts setting boundaries and claiming his space. If you’re planning future living options and independent living supports, this conversation will give you language, ideas, and hope. Subscribe, share this with another parent, and leave a review so more families can find it. danabaltutis.com,  mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

    45 min

  2. Jun 3

    ALL4ONE: A FATHER'S STORY: Episode 3: School Was The Anchor And Then It Ended

    Send us Fan Mail School can feel like it’s “for the kids”, but for many families it’s also the first place a parent stops feeling invisible. I sit down with Graham to keep following Bradley’s journey from childhood into adulthood, starting with the school years and the surprising way a school community can become a carer’s support system. We talk about the power of a simple hello at drop-off, how volunteering helped Graham feel he belonged, and why identity shifts for both child and parent when school becomes a stable routine.  Then things change fast. When Bradley starts saying “no school”, the family faces the messy reality of transitioning out of education without a gentle runway. Graham shares what the loss of predictability did to everyone’s anxiety, why time and permanency are so hard to navigate, and how stress showed up through OCD patterns and tics. We also unpack a six month caravan “gap year” that began with careful planning and ended with tough decisions, including flying home to restore safety and regulation. It’s an honest reminder that travel with neurodivergent young people can be brilliant, but only when the structure matches their needs.  From there, we get practical about rebuilding. We explore how the right support coordinator can simplify the NDIS, why bringing support workers into your home is such a big emotional step, and how independence is taught through logical sequencing, visuals, and daily living skills. Cooking becomes a gateway to shopping, schedules become a tool for calm, and we challenge the way NDIS forms can accidentally overstate ability when parents are silently scaffolding every task.  If you’re supporting an autistic teen or young adult through big transitions, this conversation will leave you with real strategies and a lot of hope. Subscribe, share it with a parent who needs community, and leave a review so more families can find these stories. What part of the school-to-adulthood shift are you in right now? danabaltutis.com,  mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

    1h 2m

  3. May 27

    ALL4ONE: A FATHER'S STORY: Episode 2: The Survival Years Of Neurodivergent Parenting

    Send us Fan Mail Some parenting seasons are loud, messy, and relentless and you don’t even realise you’re surviving until you finally stop to breathe. We pick up Graham's story as a full-time carer for his non-verbal, neurodivergent son Bradley, stepping into the years filled with routines, appointments, behaviour storms, paperwork, and the constant job of advocating through education and health systems. Graham explains why their days had to run like a military operation, and how predictability became the foundation for safety. We also go to the place many families dread: public spaces. Supermarkets bring sensory overload, triggers you can’t always predict, and the sting of being judged. We talk honestly about staring, unhelpful comments, and what real community inclusion looks like when a child is struggling. We then shift to what happens inside the home when all energy goes into care. Graham shares how being a strong “team” can still strain a marriage, why communication matters, and how therapy and mental health support can help parents who feel depleted or alone. You’ll also hear the most practical advice in the whole conversation: find five minutes for yourself, keep it simple, and reframe a “bad day” as a challenging event inside a bigger day. We also mention helplines like Parentline and Beyond Blue for anyone who needs a voice on the other end of the phone. If this connects with you, subscribe, share it with another parent or carer, and leave a review so more Australian families can find support when they need it most. If you need support or help please reach out to parenting help lines. You can find information here https://raisingchildren.net.au/grown-ups/services-support/about-services-support/helplines#sa-parent-helplines-nav-title https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/urgent-help danabaltutis.com,  mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

    42 min

  4. May 21

    ALL4ONE: A FATHER'S STORY: Episode 1: The Beginning

    Send us Fan Mail A child can be sleeping through the night, walking on time, and lighting up your world with cheeky joy, and you can still end up facing a diagnosis that changes everything. Graham Clark joins us to start a special six-week series, sharing what it’s been like to parent Bradley, a now mid-twenties neurodivergent young man, from the earliest signs right through to supported independence. We talk about the moments that first raised questions, like speech developing into substituted sounds, and sensory differences around food textures and loud environments. Graham takes us back to the uncertainty of assessments and the long wait for an autism diagnosis, and he’s candid about the grief that followed, the fear of the unknown, and the flood of “what if” questions that so many parents carry in silence. We also reflect on how much has changed in Australia, with stronger neurodiversity awareness, neuro-affirming perspectives, and NDIS supports that can make real independence possible. Most importantly, Graham shares what helped his family move forward: teamwork with his wife Tracy, learning from therapists without getting overwhelmed, and building Bradley’s skills through practical steps, visual supports, and a steady belief in what’s possible. We explore what “success” can mean when you reframe it as safety, happiness, community contribution, and belonging, and why dads need more spaces to talk to other dads without judgement. If you’re parenting a child with autism or supporting neurodivergent adulthood, you’ll walk away with hope that feels grounded, not wishful. Subscribe to the Empowered Parent Podcast, share this series with someone who needs it, and leave us a review so more families can find these stories. What’s one question you wish you could ask a parent who’s further down the track? danabaltutis.com,  mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

    36 min

  5. 12/17/2025

    Year-End Gratitude And New Beginnings

    Send us Fan Mail Dana's reflections on 2025. danabaltutis.com,  mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

    14 min

  6. 12/10/2025

    Unschooling Series with Paige Carter (Parent, Advocate, Community Leader, Business Owner) Week 9: When We Stop Pushing, Children Start Healing

    Send us Fan Mail What changes when a child’s wellbeing takes the lead and everything else rearranges around it? In this series finale with Paige Carter of Inclusive Oak, we follow a family through unschooling and burnout recovery, anchored by one unforgettable moment: a teacher who shows up at a caravan park simply to say hello, offer a gift, and hold the thread of belonging. No pressure, no performance—just proof that connection travels. You’ll leave with three anchors to navigate your own journey: educate yourself about your child’s neurotype and what actually helps, connect with people who truly get it, and invest in your own healing so you can stop pushing past capacity and start trusting your gut. If this conversation helped you reframe, share it with a friend, subscribe for more grounded stories, and leave a review to help others find the show. What quiet win are you celebrating this week? inclusiveoak.com.au danabaltutis.com,  mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

    29 min

  7. 12/03/2025

    Unschooling Series with Paige Carter (Parent, Advocate, Community Leader, Business Owner) Week 8 - We Moved Into A Caravan And Found Our Pace

    Send us Fan Mail What if the bravest choice is to stop doing what everyone expects and start doing what your child needs? We sit down with Paige Carter to unpack a seismic family pivot: renting out the house, moving into a caravan, and giving a neurodivergent child time to recover from burnout. It’s not a retreat from learning; it’s a redesign of life around safety, trust, and capacity. Paige shares how they balanced two very different paths for their kids: keeping Lacey in school to the end of term and donating her uniform later, while removing demands for Oak so he could heal. We dig into the fine line between pushing and guiding, and why she paused most therapies but kept hydro because it consistently led to joy and pride. The wins are wonderfully ordinary: a smooth car ride to drop-off, a self-advocated exit at the zoo without a meltdown, and a spontaneous cold swim where Oakland practiced rockets from physio and laughed his way through the chill. If you’re wrestling with burnout, compliance anxiety, or the fear of stepping outside the box, this conversation offers a roadmap and real-world proof that small, steady wins add up. Subscribe, share with a parent who needs courage, and leave a review telling us the one rule you’d rewrite for your family. affirmingconnections.com.au inclusiveoak.com.au danabaltutis.com,  mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

    31 min

  8. 11/26/2025

    Unschooling Series with Paige Carter and Sarah Lovett : Week 7 - Rethinking Education When Safety Comes First

    Send us Fan Mail This week on The Empowered Parent Podcast I sat down with Sarah Lovett from Our PDA Kids and Paige Carter from Inclusive Oak. Both Sarah and Paige are parents of children with Pathological Demand Avoidance, or Persistent Demand for Autonomy, and both run successful services supporting families just like yours. Sarah talked about burnout, why it happens, and how we can support children who find school overwhelming. She also shared gentle reminders about parent self care and why looking after yourself helps your child feel safe. Paige shared her own real life stories with her children, Oaklan and Lacey. She spoke honestly about the hard moments, the small wins, and what has helped her family at home, in the community, and at school. This episode is full of practical ideas and hope for parents who are struggling with everyday challenges like getting up, eating, brushing teeth, showering, going out, or returning to school. Join us for a conversation that reminds you that you are not alone, and that small steps can make a big difference. https://www.ourpdakids.com.au/ https://inclusiveoak.com.au/ https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/assistance-for-isolated-children-scheme danabaltutis.com,  mytherapyhouse.com.au, https://mytherapyhouse.com.au/your-childs-therapy-journey/ https://www.danabaltutis.com/services

    1 hr
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About

Welcome to The Empowered Parent Podcast. This podcast is a space for parents to learn, reflect, and grow.Each week, we explore topics that help parents understand themselves and their children more deeply - from communication and connection, to supporting neurodivergent development at home and in the community. We’ve had wonderful conversations with experts, parents, and professionals - including speakers from the Neurodivergence Wellbeing Conference, and a special series following one mum’s journey in unschooling her child. Every episode is here to inspire curiosity, compassion, and confidence in your parenting journey. Don’t forget to follow along, share your reflections, and join the conversation.You can connect with me at danabaltutis.com or mytherapyhouse.com.au. Let’s celebrate neurodivergence.Let’s celebrate belonging.

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