Episodes Archive - Page 14 of 16 - Water Prairie

Friday, March 13, 2026

Episode #18: Miracle League Baseball for Special Needs Children

The Miracle League of the Triangle is a special place for kids with disabilities! This program of baseball for special needs children offers teams for kids from age 5-65 and has teams playing in Cary, Raleigh, and Durham, NC.

Join Tonya as she interviews Benjy Capps, the Executive Director of the Miracle League of the Triangle, and learn more about what Miracle League baseball is all about.

If you’re looking for a Miracle League baseball program near you, see the links below for contacts with the National office of the Miracle League, and get connected as a player, coach, or volunteer. It will change your life!

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Miracle League of the Triangle (NC) Contact Information:

Website: Mltriangle.com

YouTube

Instagram: @mlofthetriangle

Twitter: @mlofthetraiangle

Facebook: @MiracleLeagueOfTheTriangle

Photos used with permission from Miracle League of the Triangle and Cary Magazine.

Music Used: “LazyDay” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Episode #17: Brody the Lion Books for Children

Tonya continues her interview from last week’s episode with Dr. Kristin Wegner, a clinical psychologist who works with autistic children along with children who may have other sensory needs to help them unlock the door and experience the world around them. During this part of the interview, Dr. Wegner introduces the Brody the Lion book series. The series of books for autistic children was written as a way to help any child who needs to prepare for change and may have difficulty when things don’t go as they expected them to go and include a special section of tips for parents to help them teach their child and prepare them for different challenges they may face.

The Brody the Lion series is an excellent addition to your library for your child, and, after meeting Brody and watching this video, we think you’ll want to get these books for your children and grandchildren! We’ve included the links below for anyone who wants to purchase through Amazon or Dr. Wegner’s website.

If you missed Episode #16 with Dr. Wegner, you can find it HERE. She gave some fantastic tips for parents of young children on who to call if you think you see autistic traits in your child so you can get started with early interventions and help your child open the door to the world around them as well as how to know if the therapy you’re starting will be a positive experience for your child.

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Brody the Lion Books: (As an Amazon Associate, I may receive a commission if you make a purchase. This is a way you can help support the podcast!)Sometimes I ROAR! – https://amzn.to/3OyeioYI Can Do it, Yes I can! – https://amzn.to/37HoDONThe Shopping Flip – https://amzn.to/3v5r8n6Meets the Doc – https://amzn.to/3k5L8zGGet a FREE 30 Day Trial for Kindle Unlimited! – https://amzn.to/3EErPqw

Dr. Wegner’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brody.the.lion/

Dr. Wegner’s website: https://www.brodythelion.com/

Brody the Lion Shopping Page: https://brodythelion.shop/ (Books, plush animals, stickers, and book bundles are available)

Music Used: “LazyDay” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Episode #16: Autism Early Diagnosis and Intervention

In this episode of the Water Prairie Chronicles, Emily Wollum returns to give us an update on the Inclusive Sports Program she told us about in episode #2. Goalball is a new sport for her college recreational sports program and has been a great inclusive sports example for the students at the school Emily shares how the program worked out this Spring and some of the lessons she learned about running an inclusive sports program.

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Tonya speaks with Dr. Kristin Wegner, a clinical psychologist who works with autistic children along with children who may have other sensory needs to help them unlock the door and experience the world around them. During the interview, Dr. Wegner shares information about how early a child might show signs of being autistic, the difference between early ABA therapy and that being used today, tips for parents, and if an autistic child should have an IEP or a 504 plan.

This is the first half of the interview with Dr. Wegner, and the second half will be released in episode #17 where Dr. Wegner will introduce the Brody the Lion book series for parents of young autistic children. The books are a great tool for parents of all children to use to help their children prepare for changes in routines and new experiences. Be sure to watch episode #17!

Brody the Lion Books: (As an Amazon Associate, I may receive a commission if you make a purchase. This is a way you can help support the podcast!)Sometimes I ROAR! – https://amzn.to/3OyeioYI Can Do it, Yes I can! – https://amzn.to/37HoDONThe Shopping Flip – https://amzn.to/3v5r8n6Meets the Doc – https://amzn.to/3k5L8zGGet a FREE 30 Day Trial for Kindle Unlimited! – https://amzn.to/3EErPqw

Dr. Wegner’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brody.the.lion/

Dr. Wegner’s website: https://www.brodythelion.com/

Brody the Lion Shopping Page: https://brodythelion.shop/ (Books, plush animals, stickers, and book bundles are available)

Music Used: “LazyDay” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Episode #15: Inclusive Sports Example – Goalball

In this episode of the Water Prairie Chronicles, Emily Wollum returns to give us an update on the Inclusive Sports Program she told us about in episode #2. Goalball is a new sport for her college recreational sports program and has been a great inclusive sports example for the students at the school Emily shares how the program worked out this Spring and some of the lessons she learned about running an inclusive sports program.

Connect with Us: https://linktr.ee/waterprairie

Support this channel: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/waterprairie

Music Used: “LazyDay” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Episode #14: The History and Symbols of Autism

Show Notes:

When you think of the word “autism,” what images come to mind for you? Do you think of the autism puzzle piece? Is there a symbol for autism that means something to you? Who was the first person with autism?

In this episode of the Water Prairie Chronicles, I’m going to talk about some of the more common symbols used to represent autism and the history and meaning behind them. To do this, we’ll also dig into the history of when autism was first diagnosed and some of the changes that have occurred in diagnosing autism over the last century.

Some of the references mentioned during this episode are listed below for you to explore on your own. These are listed in the order they are referenced during the episode:

Websites referenced:
https://www.britannica.com/science/autism
https://www.autisticempire.com/2018/07/30/so-you-think-the-mmr-jab-is-dangerous/
https://otsimo.com/en/history-of-autism-when-was-autism-first-diagnosed/
https://theplaceforchildrenwithautism.com/autism-blog/autisms-colors-symbols
http://web.archive.org/web/20070714093137/http:/www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=364&a=2183
https://studybreaks.com/thoughts/puzzle-piece-infinity-symbolas-a-symbol-for-autism/
https://goodautismschool.com/autism-symbol/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/awareness-pride-evolution-autism-symbols-from-1963-amber/?trk=articles_directory

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Music Used: “LazyDay” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Episode #13: Stimming Behavior in Autistic Children and Adults

April has been Autism Acceptance Month, and we continue our focus on autism-related topics by having an open discussion on stimming. Stimming is a word that stands for self-stimulation and is a behavior that is commonly associated with autism.
In this episode, Justin Houcek from ASDwithME.com joins us again as we discuss the topic of stim behaviors and if they can be good or bad. Our focus this episode is to help parents of young children recognize the value stimming may give to their children and to know when they may need to step in and help redirect the behavior. As an autistic adult, Justin once again helps us break down the topic and understand it better.
Contributions for this discussion were made by several Reddit members, and we’d like to thank DraconWolf2, littlemiddlemissy, lilisophieraris, and Maddybear167 for their comments about what stimming is for them. We’d like to thank Reddit user Abrab736 for providing the short video segment on his experience with stimming and his suggestions for parents of young children. We’d also like to thank Dr. Wegner, the author of the Brody the Lion books for young children, for allowing us to use one of her Instagram posts @Brody.The.Lion to help explain what stimming can look like, and we look forward to having her on the podcast in a couple of weeks to share more with us!

Episode #12: Support for Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, and other Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities

Are you a parent of a child with autism or another intellectual or developmental disability? Do you know what resources are in your community and available to help support your child?

In today’s episode, Tonya is speaking with Jennifer Pfaltzgraff, the executive director of the Arc of the Triangle in Raleigh, NC about the types of services they offer individuals with autism, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome, and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. Jennifer’s son has cerebral palsy, and she talks about some of her experiences as a parent of a child with cerebral palsy and how that led her to become involved with her local Arc chapter.

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Music Used: “LazyDay” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Episode #11: Helping parents understand their child with autism.

In this episode of the Water Prairie Chronicles, Justin Houcek talks with Tonya about how autism has impacted his life and how he mentors others who have autism through his business, ASD With Me. Justin shares some good points on autism for parents, and how he’s advocating for individuals with invisible disabilities when he works with First Responders.
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Music Used: “LazyDay” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Episode #10: The IEP Parent Academy & How to Start Advocating for Your Child

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the IEP process?

In today’s episode, Nicole Schlechter talks with Tonya about parenting a child with a disability and how to start advocating for your child at school. Nicole is the owner of the IEP Parent Academy and has some tips for parents as they begin to navigate the IEP process as well as for those seasoned parents who need some pointers on how to advocate more effectively at school. She also answered some of our listeners’ specific questions about advocating for their child.

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Music Used: “LazyDay” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/

Episode #9: Parenting Visually Impaired Children & The Role of an O&M Specialist

What is an orientation and mobility specialist, and what do they do?

How do you advocate for your visually impaired child?

Tonya learns the answers to these questions during her interview with Traci Wilkerson, a parent of two children who have a visual impairment. After becoming a mom to her children, Trace went back to school to expand her knowledge of how to help her children and started a new career as an orientation and mobility specialist.

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Music Used: “LazyDay” by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Artist: http://audionautix.com/