All Brains Grow

The Epilogue: A Season of Growth

After 28 episodes, I’m closing this season with a quiet reflection on the voices that shaped this past year: parents, siblings, therapists, educators, and experts. And the ones I hope to hear more from in the next.
You’ll hear moments from the most personal interviews, people who were brave enough to say things out loud they’d never said before. And you’ll hear from the mothers I sat with, privately and tenderly, who trusted me with their stories.
This episode isn’t a summary. It’s a turning point. A reminder that growth isn’t always loud or linear, and that understanding someone deeply can be more powerful than changing them. 
Thank you for listening, for showing up, and for allowing this season to be a space for honesty. We’ll be back soon, with more voices, more truths, and maybe this time, a few more visuals.
With love,Louloua
You can find me: 
Instagram @allbrainsgrow
www.allbrainsgrow.com

The Music Teacher Who Broke the Rules — By Setting Them with Joan Koenig

Joan Koenig didn’t just teach music, she redefined how it should be taught.
In this fun episode, I sit down with Joan in the heart of her music school, surrounded by pianos, harps, and joyful noise, to talk about what truly makes a child learn. From welcoming my deaf son into her classroom with open arms, to creating a school where joy and discipline live side by side, Joan challenges the traditional rules of education, by setting better ones.
We explore the power of rhythm, structure, and laughter in learning; the societal myths that make us believe education should be hard; and how music creates connection even when language or hearing is missing. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or simply someone who believes in kids, this conversation will leave you hopeful, and maybe a little emotional.
Because maybe the secret to great education… is joy.
Joan Koenig is founder of L’école Koenig and author of “The Musical Child”.
Head to www.allbrainsgrow.com for resources on how best to support your differently abled child.
 
 

The Teacher-Therapist-Parent Trap with Yasmine D. Chamseddine

Ever felt like you're stuck in the middle? Between professional advice, school expectations, and your own gut instinct?
In this episode, Yasmine D. Chamseddine joins us to unpack the quiet tension so many parents feel when navigating therapy, education, and advocacy. From late diagnoses and school pressure to the unspoken rules of “collaboration,” we explore what happens when everyone has a plan for your child, except you.
This is the episode for every parent who’s ever wondered: Am I allowed to question this? Do I really get to say no?
Raw, validating, and filled with truth that rarely gets airtime.

How Real Change Happens

We all want to create change, in our lives, in our children, in our families. But sometimes, without realizing it, our desire for growth turns into pressure, frustration, or even quiet rejection. In this episode, Louloua shares the hard truth about where real, lasting change actually begins: not with fixing what’s wrong, but with loving what is.
She unpacks the difference between change driven by fear and change rooted in belief, and opens up about her personal journey — from chasing her son’s speech to rediscovering joy, connection, and a new way forward. You’ll also hear the story of her autistic brother, the meltdowns that shaped their family, and the unexpected lessons that came once they stopped resisting and started listening.
If you’ve ever felt stuck, unsure how to help, or afraid of doing it wrong, this episode is for you.
Head to www.allbrainsgrow.com for resources on how best to support your loved ones.

It Takes Two: Rethinking Speech with Sarah Oudet

What if speech therapy wasn’t just about the child, but about empowering the parent too?
In this episode, I reconnect with Sarah Oudet, a speech therapist, autism researcher, and mother of three, to explore how her professional and personal journeys have come full circle. Years ago, Sarah coached me through a parent-led speech program for my son, Talal. What stayed with me was this: the sessions weren’t really about him, they were about me.
We talk about the Hanen program, what “parent-led” actually means, and why coaching the caregiver may be the most effective way to support communication and development, especially in bilingual and neurodivergent families.
Sarah also shares her experience raising an autistic son in France, the challenges of navigating diagnosis in a culture that resists labels, and how she’s learned to balance therapeutic strategies with parenting values at home.
Whether you’re a parent, therapist, or educator, this conversation is a gentle but powerful reminder: You’re not on the sidelines. You’re at the center of your child’s growth.
Head to www.allbrainsgrow.com for resources on how best to support your neurodivergent child.

What If It’s Not a Motor Issue, But a Belief Issue?

In this solo episode, I share a powerful question a dad recently asked me about his autistic son—one that opened the door to a much deeper conversation about motivation, brain development, and how we teach.
His son has psychomotor difficulties with his hands but loves cooking. Should he be encouraged to pursue it, even if it's hard? Or is that setting him up to fail?
We explore why ability is only part of the story—and why belief, emotional safety, and how we teach matter just as much as what we teach. I walk you through the principles of BioPlay, how to create a learning environment that feels joyful and light, and why fun is not a luxury—it's a requirement for growth.
If you’ve ever wondered how to support your child’s passions while still being realistic, or how to strike the balance between challenge and compassion, this episode is for you.
Head to www.allbrainsgrow.com for resources on how best to support your neurodivergent child at home and in real life.

The Sensory Obsession with Dr Lynette Louise

What if your autistic child never learns to like something like sand? Will it hold them back? Will it mean they’re not “regulated”? In this episode, I’m joined once again by my mentor, Dr. Lynette Louise, to unpack one of the most misunderstood topics in the world of autism: sensory regulation.
I open the conversation with a story about my autistic brother—his intense stims, the sounds, the taps, the stillness. These sensory experiences are deeply familiar to so many of us, but what do they actually mean? Are they obstacles to learning? Clues to something deeper? Or simply part of the child’s natural way of being?
Together, we challenge the way sensory sensitivities are often pathologized or treated like checkboxes in therapy. From a parent worrying about her son’s aversion to sand to the over-reliance on sensory rooms and swings, we dive into how misunderstanding sensory behavior can distract us from the real work of connection, teaching, and growth.
Dr. Lynette reminds us: it’s not about fixing everything—it’s about understanding what matters to your child and what doesn’t. Because sometimes, nothing bad happens if your child doesn’t like sand.
This episode is an invitation to look beyond the obsession with regulation and see the child in front of you.
Head to www.allbrainsgrow.com for resources on how best to support your neurodivergent child at home and in real life.

A Phone Call with My Autistic Brother

Every evening around 5pm, Milo calls. It’s a rhythm as familiar as the streets of Paris he walks while on the phone. In this episode, I share one of those calls. It might sound like a simple sibling exchange, full of repeated phrases, reminders, and offbeat transitions, but listen closely, and you’ll hear something much deeper.
This isn’t just a phone call. It’s a window into neurodivergent communication, into the rituals that bring comfort, connection, and meaning for my autistic brother. It’s also a reminder that a person's behaviors, however repetitive or "different", don’t limit their capacity for independence, love, or joy.
I recorded this conversation not because it was extraordinary, but because it was ordinary. Because it reflects a truth I want every parent, sibling, and loved one of an autistic person to understand: your child, your sibling, your person can live a rich, connected, meaningful life. Even if they repeat things. Even if the way they engage looks different.
Let this episode be a small invitation to listen differently, love more fully, and believe in what’s possible.
 
Head to www.allbrainsgrow.com for resources on how best to support your neurodivergent child or loved one.

Playtime With Purpose

If you’ve ever sat on the floor surrounded by toys thinking, “What am I even doing?” — this episode is for you.
I used to hear “Just play with him, that’s how he’ll learn!” all the time when my son was little. So I tried. I got on the floor. I brought out the toys. I used every technique I knew as a professional. But it still felt… off. Boring. Exhausting. Honestly, like a waste of time.
It wasn’t until I shifted how I saw play — not as a goal, but as a response — that things started to click.
In this solo episode, I’m sharing the exact mindset change that helped me turn play from something I dreaded into one of the most powerful tools for connection and learning with my child. Especially if your child is neurodivergent, this can be the missing piece that makes play feel meaningful again.
I’ll walk you through:
How to become more magnetic than a screen (without acting like a clown)
Why chasing milestones makes play harder — and what to do instead
The power of fast, positive feedback (for them and for you)
If play feels pointless, or like it only leads to shutdowns or meltdowns, maybe you don’t need to change what you’re doing… just how you’re looking at it.
This one’s especially for the tired parents who’ve quietly given up on play. There’s another way—and it works.Head to www.allbrainsgrow.com for resources on how best to support your neurodivergent child.

Hearing from the Other Side - The Husband Version with Tarek El Hajj

In this deeply personal and long-awaited episode, I sit down with someone you’ve heard about —but never from: my husband, Tarek.
For the first time ever, he shares his side of our journey as parents navigating the unknown. From the early signs of our son Talal’s silence, to the heartbreak and relief of finally getting a diagnosis—Tarek opens up about what it felt like to be a father, a partner, and a man in a moment where everything felt uncertain.
We talk about the panic attacks, the misdiagnoses, the grief timelines that didn’t match, and the heavy guilt I carried for not seeing what he saw sooner. We talk about hearing loss, about autism fears, about being “crazy” in the face of denial. And most of all, we talk about what it really means to co-parent a disabled child—when your emotional experiences look nothing alike.
This is not a perfect story. It’s a raw one. It’s the story of two people who processed their son’s needs on entirely different timelines—and still found a way to meet in the middle.
This is for every parent who has ever felt out of sync with their partner, every father who stays quiet because he thinks he has to, and every family searching for clarity when the world is giving none.
It’s also a reminder: Your story matters—even if it doesn’t look like everyone else’s.
Head to www.allbrainsgrow.com for support & resources to learn how to best help your neurodivergent child.