The Parent Portal
Light conversations for parents living with heavy things
The Parent Portal is an autism parenting podcast offering practical, evidence-based guidance for families facing real behavior challenges. Each episode centers on a parent question or difficult behavior and breaks down what may be causing it. We offer concrete strategies to increase helpful skills or reduce behaviors that are getting in the way.
The Parent Portal is a place to think clearly, talk honestly, and approach parenting challenges with curiosity and humor.
A teacher - behavior analyst joins a parent - paraprofessional to explore practical ways to support behavior change. Together, we talk through turning some behaviors up and others down, with a laugh along the way. Our experience comes from working with autistic / neurodivergent individuals and people with developmental delays across a variety of settings, though the information may be helpful for any parent or caregiver working to support behavior change.
Welcome!
Jen Poss
Megan Connell
The perspectives shared are grounded in behavior analysis and special education and are intended for general educational purposes. This podcast does not provide medical or therapeutic services and is not a substitute for individualized professional support.
Megan
I’m a BCBA and a certified special education teacher. I worked with my co-host, Jen, for five years when she was a paraprofessional in my classroom. Even on the hardest days, we all always managed to laugh together. I really value talking things out with Jen and hearing her professional and personal perspective on the work we do.
I’ve worked in education and with neurodivergent children and adults, as well as people with developmental delays, since 2009. My background is in special education and behavior analysis, and most of my career has been spent working directly with children, families, and support teams in schools and home settings. I’m originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and have lived in Alaska since 2010. I love living in Alaska, I love helping families, and I love my co-host, JenJen.
I also run my own business, Connell Behavior Consulting, LLC, where I offer parent coaching. Check out the website.
Jen
I’m Jen. I’m a parent and I worked as a paraprofessional in a school and as a respite worker for families for over twenty years. My last five years before I retired, I worked with Megan at a K-2 elementary school in Alaska. These experiences gave me a front-row seat to what actually works, what sounds good but doesn’t always translate to real life, and how challenging behavior shows up day to day for kids, families, and staff.
I bring a parent and professional perspective to this podcast. I’m the one asking the questions, pushing for clarity, and saying out loud what a lot of parents and caregivers are thinking. Megan and I spent years talking through tough days and problem-solving together, usually with a lot of humor, and this podcast is an extension of those conversations.
As I talk about behavior I want to remember that a behavior is not a person. A behavior is something a person does. It may be something we want to do more, like taking walks. It may be something we want to do less, like eating sugar. I am not a different person or valuing myself less if I say I want to do more or fewer behaviors in my life. If a behavior does or doesn’t fit well with our lives, we may try to change it. When we talk about behavior change, we are not trying to change a person.
When I started teaching and I didn’t know what to do (or it felt like that) I knew if I could keep following this philosophy I would end the day knowing I did good:
“Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.”
I had these words posted in my classroom when I first started working in Special Education. This is often quoted, “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” This also makes me reflect on developmental milestones and how we ‘measure’ growth. How our kids compare and keep pace to their companions or peers should not be our yard stick for success. We should measure success by ending a day knowing we did good, and that was our best, and that we loved. We should take every person and value them and allow them to be themselves. Our kid’s uniqueness is a gift and not something to change. Our companions are not people we measure ourselves against, but those we align ourselves with. We should always, all of us, be stepping to our own music. - Megan
