< Back to NICU Babies Parent Support Podcast

Episode 137: What I wish I knew about…raising special needs kids

November 19, 2025

Guest: Kelly Mantoan, Special Needs Mom

Special needs mom, Kelly Mantoan, a mother of five and advocate for families raising children with disabilities, gives some solid advice to parents. Two of her children have spinal muscular atrophy and she candidly shares the challenges, surprises, and moments of grace from her early NICU and diagnosis days, offering wisdom on friendship, confidence, faith, and what she wishes she’d known at the start.

In this episode, we chat about:

- Understanding spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and how it shapes daily life
- What Kelly wishes she’d known at the time of her sons’ diagnoses
- The early NICU and diagnosis moments that reshaped her perspective
- Unique joys and challenges of raising boys with disabilities
- Helping children build friendships, confidence, and community
- The myths, misconceptions, and unhelpful advice many NICU families encounter
- The mantras, mindset shifts, and parenting wisdom she’d share with her younger self

About the guest

hand to hold nicu babies parent support podcast, special needs, Kelly Mantoan, spinal muscular atrophy

Kelly Mantoan is a wife and mother to five children, two of whom have Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a degenerative neuromuscular disorder. She’s the author of Better Than OK: Finding Joy As A Special Needs Parent, and is the founder of Accepting the Gift, a ministry for Catholic special needs parents. She also writes about family life, homeschooling and special needs parenting at her blog This Ain’t the Lyceum.