Acorns to Oaks
Raising a child is never one-size-fits-all, and neither is therapy.
Acorns to Oaks is a podcast about helping children grow, families feel supported, and care feel more human.
Hosted by behavior analysts and healthcare professionals, each episode explores the real-world challenges families face, breaking down ABA, child development, feeding, behavior, and the systems that shape care today.
We believe in individualized treatment, compassionate care, and asking the most important question first: what matters most to your family?
Episodes
14 episodes
Supporting Medically Complex Autistic Children: Inclusion, Burnout and Pain
Supporting an autistic child with complex medical needs requires thoughtful coordination across home, school, healthcare, and behavioral services.In this episode, Christine Dixon and nurse Sarah Merrill discuss the accommodations familie...
Supporting Autistic Children with Complex Medical Needs, Part 2
What happens when autism support must also account for feeding tubes, seizures, mobility needs, hospital visits, communication limitations, and other significant medical concerns?In Part 2 of this conversation, Sarah and Kristine explore...
When Autism Care Gets Medically Complex
In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Kristine Dixon and Sarah Morrow talk about supporting autistic and neurodivergent children with complex medical needs. They discuss epilepsy, medication changes, sensory sensitivities, hospital and dental visi...
Self-Care, Boundaries, and Puppy Power in ABA
Sarah and Kristine are joined by Reese for a conversation about self-care, burnout, boundaries, and what helps behavior analysts stay grounded in the work.They talk about the early years of becoming a provider, carrying client concerns h...
The Hidden Challenges of Being a Behavior Analyst
In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Kristine and Sarah talk honestly about the challenges of being a behavior analyst.They discuss cancellations, scheduling, telehealth, assessment, insurance barriers, treatment integrity, building new pr...
When ABA Gets Complicated: Masking, Feeding, Trauma, and Trust
In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Kristine and Sarah discuss five of the most controversial topics in applied behavior analysis.They explore whether teaching social skills can become masking, why treatment goals should be tied ...
5 Controversial Topics in ABA: Consent, Compliance, Neurodiversity, and Modern Care
In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Kristine and Sarah discuss five of the most common and important controversies surrounding ABA therapy.They explore whether ABA helps children or teaches conformity, when intervention can becom...
Video Games, Screen Time, and Why Kids Struggle to Turn Tech Off
In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Kristine and Sarah discuss video games, screen time, internet gaming disorder, and why technology can be so difficult for children to stop using.They explore how video games use powerful reinfo...
The Science of Friendship | Social Skills, Bullying, and the PEERS Program
Kristine and Sarah discuss social skills, friendship development, bullying, cyberbullying, and the UCLA PEERS® program for autistic teens and young adults.This episode explores: how friendships actually form
Navigating ABA Insurance and Funding in California
In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Kristine and Sarah are joined by Nurture & Nature ABA’s Chief Operations Officer, Kevin Jackson, to discuss how ABA therapy is funded in California.They break down private insurance, Medi-C...
Helping Kids Expand Their Diet Without Force
Kristine and Sarah discuss compassionate food expansion, picky eating, sensory sensitivities, comfort foods, peer modeling, and why children should never be forced into eating new foods. They explore practical ABA-informed strategies like Plate...
Why Forcing Kids to Eat Can Backfire: Rethinking Feeding Therapy
Feeding challenges in children, especially those with autism, are far more complex than “just getting them to eat.” In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Kristine and Sarah explore the science, psychology, and real-world experiences behin...
Medications in ABA Therapy: Side Effects, ADHD Treatment, and What Parents Should Know
In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, we explore how medications are used alongside ABA therapy and what parents should know about benefits, risks, and side effects.From ADHD stimulants like Ritalin to antipsychotic medications oft...
The Future of ABA: Value-Based Care Explained
In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, we explore the evolving landscape of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and the growing shift toward value-based care. After attending a recent industry conference, we break down what these changes mean ...