The Interactive Journey
Join Interactive Kids Coworkers- Megann Czekalski, Logan MacIntosh, and Rachel Watson as they explore the journeys of parents, children, and professionals navigating a challenging world of various diagnoses, life transitions, and being human.
Join Interactive Kids Coworkers- Megann Czekalski, Logan MacIntosh, and Rachel Watson as they explore the journeys of parents, children, and professionals navigating a challenging world of various diagnoses, life transitions, and being human.
Episodes

Apr 6, 2026
Apr 6, 2026
58 min
Join us as we sit down with Dr. Spandana Nallapati of Turtle Pediatrics to discuss developmental-behavioral pediatrics, telehealth evaluations, and supporting children with autism and ADHD — with a focus on guiding families past the point of diagnosis and into meaningful next steps.
Phone: (640) 225-3072
Website: https://turtlepediatrics.com/
Apr 6, 2026
58 min

May 19, 2025
May 19, 2025
1 hr 3 min
Join the Interactive Journey for an insightful conversation with Dr. Jed Baker, a leading expert in social skills training! Discover the journey behind his influential "pink and purple book" and his practical approaches to helping individuals navigate social challenges. Learn about his views on everything impacting social functioning to his upcoming Social Skills Summit.
https://www.socialskillstrainingproject.com/about
May 19, 2025
1 hr 3 min

May 12, 2025
Ep. 411 Authenticity & Advocacy: Ray's Journey
May 12, 2025
May 12, 2025
50 min
Meet Raymond Wos, Jr. a neurodivergent individual with ADHD and autism, who shares his experiences navigating life and education. Ray discusses the importance of accommodations, like 504 plans, and expresses concern over potential legislative changes that could impact access to these supports. He highlights the significance of self-advocacy for students with disabilities and describes his efforts to create a Disability Student Union at Rowan University. The conversation covers topics such as societal inequalities, advocacy strategies, and the need for greater awareness of disability rights.
Check out all the things Ray is up to
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourishability?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
May 12, 2025
50 min

May 5, 2025
May 5, 2025
52 min
Join us for an inspiring conversation with Emma and her mom, Shana, as they share their journey navigating life with autism! From day program to being apart of the 'Ezra' Cast , discover the power of acceptance, advocacy, and finding your place on the spectrum. Plus, hear Shana's invaluable advice for parents and teachers on creating inclusive environments. Get ready for laughs, insights, and a whole lot of heart!
Ezra - STREAMING NOW
May 5, 2025
52 min

Apr 28, 2025
Apr 28, 2025
45 min
On this episode, Erin Lichtenwalner tells us about the development and implementation of a program designed to educate law enforcement and other first responders about interacting with individuals with disabilities. It details how a specific incident involving a student with autism prompted the creation of specialized training. The training aims to equip officers with the knowledge and tools to de-escalate situations, understand sensory sensitivities, and communicate effectively with people who have a range of disabilities. This has led to positive outcomes, including officers seeking guidance and using new strategies in real-world scenarios. The initiative has expanded to include crisis intervention team (CIT) training and the creation of a special needs registry.
https://www.acsssd.net/
Apr 28, 2025
45 min

Apr 21, 2025
Apr 21, 2025
31 min
Meet Director of Instruction, Programs & Services, Erin Lichtenwalner and explore the innovative world of the Atlantic County Special Services School District, where acceptance and understanding create a one-of-a-kind learning environment. This isn't your typical school; it's a place where individualized support, community partnerships, and a sky's the limit vision are helping students of all abilities thrive. In this episode, listeners can expect to hear how the school is redefining special services through its commitment to community outreach, individualized programming, and creating a supportive and inclusive environment for all students.
https://www.acsssd.net/
Apr 21, 2025
31 min

Apr 14, 2025
Apr 14, 2025
43 min
Karly Forman Cohen shares her personal journey and the story of Raise the Bar, a nonprofit providing support and community for families with children with disabilities living in Camden, NJ. Learn about their programs and the importance of raising expectations and promoting inclusivity.
https://raisethebarnj.org/
Apr 14, 2025
43 min

Apr 7, 2025
Ep.406 Healing Through Play with Demi Banchs
Apr 7, 2025
Apr 7, 2025
59 min
Ever wondered what it's like inside a Children Trauma Healing Center? We take you on the road with us to Turnersville, New Jersey, to visit Demi Banch and her practice. Demi shares her journey into therapy, the importance of understanding trauma beyond the event itself, and the power of play. Get ready for an insightful conversation about child-led play therapy, the neurobiology of play, and practical tips for supporting children and their families
https://www.childrenstraumahealingcenter.com/
Apr 7, 2025
59 min

Mar 31, 2025
Mar 31, 2025
55 min
In this episode, "The Interactive Journey" welcomes Mary Ry Moyer and Kirby Reid from The Ark of Atlantic County to share stories about supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Discover how The Ark empowers people to live fulfilling lives through residential programs, adult day habilitation, family services, and more. Learn about volunteer opportunities, membership benefits, and upcoming events. Find out how you can get involved and make a difference in your community!
https://thearcatlantic.org/
Mar 31, 2025
55 min

Mar 24, 2025
Mar 24, 2025
44 min
After navigating the challenges of raising a child with a rare disease, she was inspired to dedicate her life to advocacy and supporting disabled families. Today we welcome Leslie Ponzo who will be sharing about her work with The Connected Parent, a comprehensive one-stop hub of resources, local to you and reviews, for those hard to find services that your family needs.
https://theconnectedparent.net/home/
Mar 24, 2025
44 min

Megann Czekalski, MA, BCaBA
Hey, I’m Megann, a passionate, overcommitted 40-something who has always been fascinated by people’s stories. What happened to get them to this point and how are they surviving the day to day? As a wife, mom, owner of a business serving those with special needs and designated “cruise director” with my girlfriends, I’ve learned that making human connections is at the heart of all aspects of life. Embarking on this podcast journey brings together my 25 years of wrestling, sometimes literally, with issues surrounding the special needs community.

Logan MacIntosh, MSW,LSW
Hello!! I’m Logan and I am a Licensed Social Worker, Dog Mom, Book Addict, and someone who cannot say no. And that last part is how I landed a spot on this podcast. I originally went to college to pursue radio, tv, and videography, and somewhere along the way I switched paths to Social Work. I am a licensed therapist who fell into the world of ABA when I first applied to Interactive Kids. Now I am working with little humans who have various diagnosis, social emotional concerns, and traumas. With a background in radio, tv, and videography, it seemed a podcast was right up my alley, so I said YES. And that’s my story.

Rachel Watson, MS
Rachel began her career around the same time Harry Potter was perfecting his wizardry, Tony Soprano was still top guy in n New Jersey, and cargo shorts were actually fashionable. While everyone was worried about catching the Y2K bug, Rachel was scouring the classifieds (yes, we still had them at that time. No, there was no LinkedIn. Yet). With a Nirvana attitude in a Britney Spears world, Rachel channeled that energetic mindset into transforming the lives of adults with mental health issues re-integrating into the vocational community after the state institutions closed in Philadelphia. Her leap into the world of special education began at a school for children with developmental disabilities, where her skills of dodging scissors and staplers began. During these 10 years she experienced several opportunities to learn, practice and teach principals of ABA to teachers and paraprofessionals, while simultaneously obtaining her master’s degree in counseling. In her spare time, she brought three beautiful kids into the world, thus starting her second career as a “Soccer mom.”
When the private sector called, Rachel went running into the arms of Interactive Kids. Her years as a consultant in public schools sparked a masochism unparalleled and she decided to go into management, starting as Operations Director and then as VP of Marketing and Development. Her goal is simple: to pass off as much work to others. In other words: build leaders. Rachel does in fact believe that leaders create leaders, not followers, and strives to grow positivity and empathy and cultivate resolve by embracing challenges and strife.
When she is not working, she enjoys her other full time job as taxi driver to five children with her partner-in-crime, Andrew. For herself, she runs as often as she can, buys anything Amazon tells her she needs, and binges on Hulu (when does Handmaids come back?).
Disclaimer
This podcast and website represent the opinions and views of Megann Czekalski, Logan MacIntosh, and Rachel Watson and their guests to the show and website. The content here should not be taken as medical/clinical advice. The contact here is for informational and resource purposes only, and because each person is unique please consult your clinician or healthcare professional for any questions.
Views and opinions expressed in the podcast and website are our own and do not represent that of our places of work. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.
Privacy is of utmost importance to us. All people, places, and scenarios mentioned in the podcast have been changed to protect patient confidentiality.
This website or podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast or website.
In no way does listening, reading, emailing or interacting on social media with our content establish a clinician-patient relationship.




