Kate, Mandy talk to one of the original speakpipers - Pea Mandy from New South Wales, mum to 21-year-old peashoot Kieran who was diagnosed with autism at age two. 

In this lovely chat about Pea life, Mandy first shares some very rectum stories from her days in a competitive mum’s group, and then explores the confronting diagnosis period, the attitudes towards Kieran at kinder, her sense of being an outsider, the absolute lack of funding or early intervention pre-NDIS, the challenges of entering the school system and feeling isolated and segregated from the mainstream school community, and the happiness and trickiness both of Kieran's time in high school. Kieran now currently attends Warrah School, a day service with a Rudolf Steiner ethos and is also branching out into assisted employment. Mandy also touches on her experiences of depression, chronic loneliness, being unable to speak the truth and really learning who your friends are while on the Pea journey.

Things to check out:

·      Mandy loved the book Smiling At Shadows: A Mother’s Journey Raising An Autistic Child

·      Our Generation Dolls are bringing Miss 10 joy

·      The balm you need for your soul – Nailed It

Other Pea Business

·     Buy our book The Invisible Life Of Us to keep it on the bookshelves so all the other Peas can find it!

·     Get a signed copy and deck yourself out in some excellent Too Peas merch here!

·     Listen to our Spotify playlist – Too Peas: Songs Our Guest Peas Love

·     Melbourne forecast for Thursday September 30 – A few showers, 19 degrees, hopefully no earthquakes

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Contact us here:

Website: www.toopeasinapodcast.com.au

Email: toopeaspodcast@gmail.com

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