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The Empowered Parent with Dana Baltutis
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.
Episodes
88 episodes
Unschooling Series with Paige Carter (Parent, Advocate, Community Leader, Business Owner): Week 6 - Recovery, Stability, Then Expansion: Trusting A Child’s Pace
Say yes to slower. That simple pivot—away from pressure and toward real choice—turned a chaotic season into a week with fewer meltdowns, easier car rides, and a hydrotherapy session full of laughter. We open up about parenting a PDA child with ...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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28:57
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Unschooling Series with Paige Carter (Parent, Advocate, Community Leader, Business Owner): Week 5 - A Family Weighs CBD For Epilepsy And PDA
What happens when you remove the biggest triggers from a child’s day and the seizures stop? We sit down with Paige Carter to unpack a remarkable shift since Oakland left school, the role stress and heat play in absence and atonic seizures, and ...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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37:35
Unschooling Series with Paige Carter (Parent, Advocate, Community Leader, Business Owner): Week 4- Hydrotherapy and Drop Offs
Change 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 comfor...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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25:50
Unschooling Series with Paige Carter (Parent, Advocate, Community Leader, Business Owner): Week 3 -Small Wins, Big Steps In Unschooling
Ever 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 cl...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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36:32
Season 2 NEURODIVERSITY - Episode 10: Every Colour Matters - Closing Thoughts on Neurodiversity (Dana Baltutis, Speech Pathologist and Parent Coach)
The 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 identica...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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8:32
Season 2 NEURODIVERSITY - Episode 9: Photography As Therapy: Motherhood, Bipolar, And Neurodiversity (Bianca Buliga: Parent, Artist, Photographer, Advocate)
What 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 in...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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50:37
Unschooling Series with Paige Carter (Parent, Advocate, Community Leader, Business Owner): Week 2 - Rethinking Success: Recovery, Autonomy, And Gentle Education
A 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 ...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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31:42
Season 2 NEURODIVERSITY - Episode 8: Parenting with ADHD: Finding Your Calm-ish (Dr. Claire Milligan, Psychologist, Business Owner, Parent)
What happens when a clinical psychologist with ADHD parents two neurodivergent children? A uniquely insightful perspective on navigating family life with different brains. Dr. Claire Milligan opens up about her journey from struggling parent to...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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58:20
Unschooling Series with Paige Carter (Parent, Advocate, Community Leader, Business Owner): Week 1 - When school breaks a nervous system, what does real education look like?
What if the bravest thing you could do for your child’s education was to stop pushing and start listening to their nervous system? That’s the pivot Paige Carter makes as she chooses unschooling to help her autistic son, Oaklan, recover from sev...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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28:56
SEASON 2 NEURODIVERSITY - Episode 7: Beyond Shame: Discovering the Joy in Your Brain Architecture (Sarah Eagle, Neurodivergent Consultant, Business Owner and Advocate)
What happens when we reframe neurodivergence not as a deficit, but as a natural variation in brain architecture? Sarah Eagle, founder of Joy Diving Australia and late-diagnosed autistic woman with ADHD, offers a refreshing perspective that cele...
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36:55
Season 2 NEURODIVERSITY - Episode 6: Hope in Therapy: Cultural Sensitivity Meets Neurodiversity (Anushka Phal , Educational and Developmental Psychologist, Business Owner, and Community Advocate)
What happens when cultural identity meets neurodiversity? Psychologist Anushka Phal knows this intersection intimately as a Fijian Indian, born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, who received her own ADHD diagnosis as an adult. This revela...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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52:38
Season 2 NEURODIVERSITY - Episode 5: Neurodivergent Families: Finding Your Tribe (Paige Carter, Advocate, Parent Coach)
What happens when the professional becomes the parent? Despite 14 years working in the disability sector, Paige Carter found herself completely lost when her son was diagnosed with autism at age two and a half. That moment sparked a powerful re...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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33:11
Season 2 NEURODIVERSITY - Episode 4: Living Authentically: How to Embrace Your Neurodivergent Identity (Joanne Hatchard, Social Worker, Advocate, Podcaster)
What happens when we truly embrace neurodivergence as a fundamental part of human diversity? Joanne Hatchard, founder of Better Being Me and creator of the "Be Me Completely" course, brings profound wisdom from both personal and professional ex...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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34:36
Season 2 NEURODIVERSITY - Episode 3: The Heart Behind Mingle Co: Vee's Mission to End Isolation (Violeta Abarzua Vasquez - Event Manager, Advocate, Podcaster, Film Maker)
"Sometimes I feel things very intensely," reveals Violeta Abarzua Vasquezas she shares her journey of discovering neurodivergence in both herself and her children. This revelation transformed not only her understanding of her family but sparked...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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43:20
Season 2 NEURODIVERSITY Episode 2: Mind the Gaps - Dr. Vanessa Spiller on Neurodiversity (Clinical Psychologist)
What if challenging behaviours aren't problems to fix, but signals showing us how a child's brain works? Dr Vanessa Spiller, clinical psychologist and FASD expert, revolutionises our understanding of neurodivergent children through her groundbr...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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48:20
Season 2 NEURODIVERSITY - Episode 1: Rainbow Brains and Belonging (Dana Baltutis - Speech Pathologist and Parent Coach)
Welcome to Series 2 of the Empowered Parent Podcast, where we explore neurodiversity and attunement to children with "rainbow brains." I'm setting the foundation for upcoming conversations with parents, professionals, and neurodivergent individ...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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18:20
Episode 72: Dana Baltutis (Speech Pathologist and Parent Coach) - Taking a Mindful Pause
The journey we've been on together for 71 episodes is taking a thoughtful pause. After two years of deep conversations about neuroaffirming parenting, understanding our children's unique neurological wiring, and moving from compliance-based exp...
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Season 1
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Episode 72
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8:34
Episode 71: Caroline Mundy (Person Centred Mortgage Broker) Navigating Financial Freedom for Parents
"Knowledge is power" takes center stage in this eye-opening conversation with Caroline Mundy, Director of Tevey Loans – a mortgage broking business built on empowering clients through education and heart-led service. Caroline shares her journey...
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Season 1
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Episode 71
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40:54
Episode 70: Dana Baltutis (Speech Pathologist and Parent Coach)- Celebrating Mother's Day: From Historical Roots to Cultural Expressions
What if Mother's Day was never supposed to be about flowers and gifts at all? This special episode reveals the forgotten origins of Mother's Day in Australian hospitals, where Janet Hayden collected gifts for lonely mothers who had lost childre...
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Season 1
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Episode 70
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18:12
Episode 69: Neelam Khatri (Early Childhood Teacher) - What Every Parent Should Know Before Choosing Childcare and Kindergarten
Navigating the complex world of early childhood education can feel overwhelming for parents. In this illuminating conversation with Neelam Khatri, a kindergarten teacher with a Master's degree in teaching, we uncover the hidden depths of what r...
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Season 1
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Episode 69
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37:33
Episode 68: Kerry Herbert (Early Childhood Teacher) - The Transformative Power of Play in Early Childhood Development
Kerry Herbert opens up about her 40-year journey as an early childhood teacher and her passionate belief in the power of play. With a twinkle in her eye and wisdom gained from decades of working with young children, Kerry shares why she conside...
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Season 1
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Episode 68
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50:40
Episode 67: Rose Irranca (Social Worker and Holistic Therapist): Holistic Kids: Revolutionizing Child Wellness in Australia
Looking beyond conventional healthcare for your child can feel like navigating without a map. Where do you find practitioners who understand children need support for their body, mind, and spirit? How do you know which approaches might help you...
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Season 1
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Episode 67
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30:32
Episode 66: Toni Everard (Business and Mindset Coach): Balancing Masculine and Feminine: The Path to Healthy Relationships and Parenting
Masculine and feminine energies aren't just abstract concepts—they're powerful forces shaping our relationships, parenting approaches, and personal wellbeing. In this deeply insightful conversation with NLP Master Trainer Toni Everard, we explo...
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Season 1
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Episode 66
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49:53
Episode 65: Judy Au (Occupational Therapist) - Unlocking Sensory Secrets: An OT's Guide to Child Development
Occupational Therapist Judy Au explores the holistic approach of pediatric OT, explaining how foundational skills underpin a child's ability to participate in daily activities and engage with the world.• Occupational therapy supports ch...
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Season 1
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Episode 65
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33:48
Episode 64: Bethany Burrell (Speech Pathologist): Rural Speech Therapy: Hidden Challenges, Real Impact
What happens when you're the only speech pathologist for hundreds of kilometers? Meet Bethany Burrell, founder of Speak To Bee, who travels across 200 kilometers of rural Victoria supporting children and adults with complex communication needs....
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Season 1
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Episode 64
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52:57