EPISODES

Looking for practical tips to prepare for this school year?! Look no further. Ashley Barlow is a lawyer, former teacher, member of federal and state DS advocacy boards, and basically an expert in all things IEPS and special education. She’s here today with 3 practical ways to prepare for the school year.. that you can do while watching TV (yay!). Plus she’s sharing her wisdom on least restrictive environments, specific inclusion models, tracking your child’s progress, and how to START the school year in a general education setting. We’re even answering the question: “What are schools hiding from parents?..”

Well friends it’s officially #BACKTOSCHOOL season and we’re here with your (unofficial) guide to all things inclusion, IEPS, + more! But first, we’re kicking things off with a Q & A featuring questions from all of you! We’re chatting about covid safety measures, talking to your child’s classroom about DS, and what to do when you don’t feel confident in your decisions.. like at all. With our different perspectives (kids in middle school, kindergarten, and home schooling), we’ve got practical tips for everyone! But most importantly, we’re cheering everyone on as we start this school year off strong (well, hopefully).

After over a year of social distancing, many of us have finally started traveling again! But when it comes to vacationing with kiddos who have Down syndrome, there’s so much more to consider! After Mercedes’ daughter Sunny took an emergency trip to the hospital, we figured what better time to have a conversation about keeping our children safe and healthy while traveling.. and WHO better than Dr. Spinazzi to chat with!? That’s right, friends. She’s back on the show with practical tips for traveling plus information on local, national, and even international guidelines for planning your next trip! And because we have a doctor on this episode, we had to ask about the new variant of Covid-19 and what this means as we try to keep our loved ones with DS safe. Grab a pen and get ready to take some notes, friends!

We’ve all felt that sense of anxiety as we prepare to bring our children with DS to a new activity. How much can we expect the people in charge to support them? Are staff members prepared to support a child with a disability? Is the parent responsible for sticking around and teaching everyone else how to interact with their child? How can inclusive spaces work if the adults in charge aren’t equipped to support all the children present? The list of questions goes on! And we don’t have all the answers, but we do know that by the time we bring our kids to these inclusive spaces (that they deserve to be in!), we’re already exhausted.

Meet Sara and Sabrina. They are mothers raising children with Down syndrome who have made it their mission to use social media to educate fellow lucky mamas on feeding strategies. And today, they’re here to answer all of our questions about feeding our children with DS — and there’s plenty to discuss! So if you’ve ever wondered about baby lead weaning, breast feeding support, and advocating for your child in the medical space, this is the episode for you! Where ever you are in your feeding journey, remember that you know your child the best, and you are doing amazing.

The last thing Wendy Lacey thought she would do is open a general store in the middle of downtown Montclair, New Jersey. But after raising her daughter with Down syndrome and realizing that “once you finish high school, there’s a cliff to fall off” for students with disabilities, she knew she needed to create an inclusive space for employment. And that’s how Cornerstone General Store came to be. Wendy’s goal is to reflect the diversity of the real-world and that’s why she hires individuals with and without disabilities to work alongside each other and learn from one another. So friends, join us for this chat all about this vibrant New Jersey hub of community and inclusion. You might just be inspired to start something similar yourself!

If you’re like us, you may have felt the need to take control and schedule ALL the therapies once you received your child’s DS diagnosis. Suddenly, you’re spending most of your time driving to different appointments and constantly wondering how you can give your child all the opportunities they need. But, it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s another way to parent your kiddos with Down syndrome.. the third way. Because we believe in interventions and giving your child opportunities and we also understand that some seasons are meant for more.. or less. So friends, don’t miss out on this conversation all about what we’re calling The Third Way.

Friends! We are so excited to introduce you to Johanne Meyer! She’s an adult woman with Down syndrome, mentor at a community college, and (maybe most importantly) a dog mom! When she’s not spending time educating and encouraging college students with disabilities, she’s volunteering at a dog rescue, or recording episodes for her own podcast: Inclusive Views! We’re so grateful she joined us today to chat all about what it’s like to be a self-advocate and what to keep in mind when supporting your loved ones with DS!

Have you ever gone to a birthday party, a summer BBQ, or a coffee shop and just felt your shoulders up the entire time? Maybe you even noticed that your child has their shoulders up too.. But have you ever been to a meet-up with other families who have kids with Down syndrome? You can let your shoulders down in these spaces where you know your people just get it. That’s why it’s so important to find your people. And we’re chatting all about HOW to find your people in today’s episode. It might be hard work, but take it from us - it’s so worth it.

When Jeremy’s family realized that he needed a place to live at age 22, they visited a few local group homes, and soon realized, this model just wasn’t the right fit. So he created Cohome, an inclusive living program where individuals with and without disabilities live in beautiful homes designed to foster independence, build community, allow individualized support as needed for each resident. And in case it’s not clear in the episode.. we are obsessed with this housing model! Micha and Ace walk by Cohome each day being a New Jersey neighbor! She’s gotten to know the place quite a bit, and today her and Nathaniel are chatting all about this model of inclusion, how residents (and their parents) feel during their transition to Cohome, and so much more. You do not want to miss this one, friends!

Friends! “Different— A Great Thing To Be” by Heather Avis is out right NOW, and we’re celebrating with a very special interview featuring none other than the entire Avis crew! That’s right, Heather is joined by her husband Josh and their three kiddos, including Macy— the star of the book (who also happens to be turning 13 on it’s release day). And if you’ve been listening for a while, you know about the goal for Macy to read this book on her own.. well, she’s been practicing for months and let’s just say, this book sounds even better coming from her! So don’t miss this special episode and don’t miss out on this book! “Different— A Great Thing To Be” is a great tool for your kiddos to learn to celebrate differences and we cannot wait for you to read it with them! Click HERE to get your copy today!