81. Clear Communication & the Yoga Kids Adventure Podcast with Kathryn Mercer

Kathryn Mercer has been a speech language pathologist for 25 years and a follower of yoga throughout her adult life.  Currently, Kathryn is a Clinical Educator and a Contributing Faculty Member for Speech Therapy at the University of St. Augustine. Her private practice as guide to parents of children with communication and executive functioning is called Our Bright Path. Her areas of specialty include Autism, Executive Functioning and pediatric language and speech challenges. She has dedicated much time to learning from Autistic people (in her life and elsewhere) about neurodiverse experiences. These inform many of her clinical (and parenting) approaches.   Kathryn is a certified 500 hour yoga teacher and yoga teacher for children. She also has completed several trainings for trauma-sensitive yoga. Kathryn parents her neurodivergent teenaged children and volunteers her time teaching with Bliss Kid Yoga in Austin, Texas.  Kathryn has formally presented to fellow clinicians and to parents on subjects related to mindfulness research, interpersonal neurobiology, and trauma as they relate to speech therapy/communication difficulties.  Kathryn is also the host of the new podcast, Yoga Kids Adventure, the first yoga podcast made specifically for children.  Kathryn shares how she infuses yoga into her speech pathology work and has great insight into the idea of effective communication. She also talks about her collaborative experience working on the Yoga Kids Adventure Podcast, their deliberate approach to the language used in the podcast, and how as a team they've created a wonderful resource for children to practice yoga at home. Kathryn is a warm, present and articulate person with so much valuable knowledge to share. Listen in NOW!