Show Notes
In this episode of Now What?, Betsy and Libby sit down with Dr. Zach Bush for a conversation about one of the ideas at the heart of their experiences as parents: what if our children are perceiving the world in ways we have forgotten how to perceive ourselves? The conversation begins with nature. Betsy reflects on how her son Joe is drawn to the earth, water, and the natural world, while she often finds herself caught up in the worries of everyday life. From there, Zach explores his belief that life is fundamentally built through relationship and that many of us have become disconnected from that sense of interconnection. They talk about autism, sensory experience, food, the microbiome, and why Zach believes some nonspeaking autistic people may be deeply attuned to environmental signals that others have learned to filter out. They also discuss parenting, the exhaustion of trying to control outcomes, and what can happen when caregivers begin to follow their child's lead rather than constantly trying to make their child fit into the world around them. For parents who have spent years asking What do I do?, Zach offers a different question: What happens if we become quiet enough to notice what our children are already showing us? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
More from The Telepathy Tapes: Now What?
Nutrition can feel overwhelming for any family. Add sensory differences, limited diets, food sensitivities, gut issues, and a nervous system that may already be working overtime, and figuring out what to put on the plate can become one more enormous task for caregivers. In this episode of Now What?, Betsy and Libby sit down with nutritionist Kelly Dorfman to strip the conversation back to the basics. Rather than prescribing a single “autism diet,” Kelly explains how protein, plants, blood sugar, food quality, and nutrient deficiencies can affect how comfortable someone feels in their body, and why nutrition may be especially worth examining when a nonspeaker is struggling with regulation. They also explore picky eating and ARFID, why introducing new foods can be particularly difficult for people with sensory and motor challenges, the limitations of food-sensitivity testing, and what families should know before experimenting with supplements or restrictive diets. Most importantly, Kelly offers overwhelmed caregivers a manageable place to begin: reduce artificial dyes and highly processed foods, rethink sugary drinks, and build a better breakfast.
In this episode of The Telepathy Tapes: Now What?, Betsy Hicks-Russ and Libby Ingram sit down with occupational therapist and Sunrise Therapies founder Erin Clarelli to take a deeper look at whole-body apraxia, and what parents and practitioners can actually do to support a body that doesn’t always follow the mind’s intentions.
This week, Betsy and Libby turn the microphone around on Ky Dickens, creator of The Telepathy Tapes. Ky shares the deeply personal story behind the series from years of rejection and the moment she feared the project might never reach the world, to its unexpected rise as a global phenomenon. She reflects on the non-speakers and families who shaped the work, the criticism that followed its success, and why advocacy must remain at the heart of everything that comes next. It’s a candid conversation about perseverance, allyship, the responsibility of telling someone else’s story, and the mission that made walking away impossible. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode, Betsy and Libby sit down with somatic trauma practitioner Lisa Fairman to explore how stress, grief, and chronic caregiving shape the body, and why nervous system regulation matters for the entire family. Together they discuss co-regulation, trauma responses, boundaries, grief, nutrition, and practical ways caregivers can move from survival mode toward greater steadiness and connection. The conversation also ventures into telepathy, as Lisa shares insights she received from several non-speakers about the body's wisdom, the importance of community, and what they hope caregivers understand most. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, or simply looking for new ways to care for yourself while caring for someone else, this episode offers compassionate guidance and practical tools to help you find your way back to yourself.
What happens to our relationships after someone we love dies? Can connection continue even when physical presence is gone?