Orchid Kids: Demystifying the Negative Stigma of Dynamic Children

Gabriele Nicolet, MA, CCC-SLP is the Founder of SpeechKids, a private, holistic speech therapy and parent mentoring practice. As a speech-language pathologist and certified parent coach with over 20 years of experience, she helps families and children with speech and language difficulties increase communication success. Gabriele's profound ability to translate information from children and develop strategies for reducing behavioral challenges has helped parents understand why their child acts the way they do. Through her course Raising Orchid Kids, she empowers parents to truly see, understand, and cater to their children's needs.

In this episode…

Research has shown that autism, ADHD, or other special needs conditions may invite stigma and the loss of a parent's feeling of normalcy. How can parents truly understand their children and help them improve their quality of life?

According to Gabriele Nicolet MA, CCC-SLP, a trained speech pathologist, the focus should be on the child's functioning and ability to express their needs, rather than the diagnosis. Gabriele started parent coaching to empathize with the challenges of parenting and teaching special needs, stressing that the stigma surrounding autism and other conditions can hinder the ability of children to learn and develop. Highlighting the relationship between gut health and brain health, she emphasizes the impact of diet on a special needs child's nervous system, especially with regard to attention, memory, and language learning. Gabriele also addresses tongue-tie and its effect on feeding habits and oral development, therapy approaches in speech therapy, and why teachers' personality types are a crucial factor in education and stress management.

In this episode of EspecIallY "SpeciAl" SpeeCh?!, Jennifer Branchini hosts Gabriele Nicolet MA, CCC-SLP, the Founder of SpeechKids and Raising Orchid Kids, to demystify the negative stigma of neurodivergent children. Sharing her experiences as a communication specialist and parent coach, Gabriele explains the importance of the nervous system and diet, how to create a supportive environment, and tongue-tie's impact on speech and feeding.