My guest this week is Marissa Pittard and she is empowering parents. We talk about what inspired her to create a free service that not only helps parents locate desperately needed services, supports, and resources but also builds out a roadmap for their newly diagnosed special needs kids. This is a free service for families within the United States and it's changing lives.About Marissa (Missy) Pittard:Missy is the Co-Founder & CEO of Beaming Health. More importantly, she and her brother are neurodivergent, and she built Beaming to make life easier for neurodiverse families everywhere. The site is the easiest place to find care for autism and other developmental differences. Missy graduated from Stanford and Georgia Tech before spending three years at McKinsey & Company where she focused on improving access to quality behavioral healthcare services. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissapittard/Beaming Health: https://beaminghealth.com/About Beaming Health:This website is the best way to find care for autism and other developmental disabilities. The site lets you look at services based on where you live, your insurance, and parent reviews. www.beaminghealth.comFollow us on InstagramAbout Rob Gorski and The Autism Dad podcast:Rob Gorski is a single Dad to three amazing autistic boys and Found and CEO of The Autism Dad, LLC. Multiple award-winning blogger, podcaster, content creator, digital marketer, social media influencer, and respected public figure for well over a decade.Connect with Rob Gorski: https://listen.theautismdad.comEpisode Sponsors: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesMentioned in this episode:Learn More: Meerkat VillageMeerkat Village is an Android and iOS platform designed to support special needs parents, who often juggle multiple responsibilities like work, school, medical appointments, therapies, and self-care. It addresses the challenge of keeping everyone involved in a child's care coordinated and informed. The app facilitates communication and coordination within your support network, aiding in tracking a child's progress and brainstorming strategies for behavioral concerns. Meerkat Village ensures everyone stays connected and aligned, all within a user-friendly, HIPAA and FERPA-compliant application. For more details, visit meerkatvillage.com.Visit Meerkat Village"I Like My Headphones" by Carmen White, is an inclusive, empowering, and beautifully illustrated picture book for children ages 3-7.

The story features an autistic little girl who explains to her friends and the reader how she uses her headphones in class to stay calm and focused.

Encouraging inclusion and self-advocacy, "I Like My Headphones" have been used by preschool and elementary school teachers across the country to help their students better understand their sensory-sensitive classmates.

You can get your own copy of "I Like My Headphones" on Amazon. Visit I Like My Headphones