EPISODES

Friends, we’re catching you up on the fun and exciting weekend we had at The NYC Buddy Walk! Even on a humid September Saturday, we walked, danced, and celebrated Down syndrome with over 2,000 people in Central Park. Our girl Macy was invited to be a Grand Marshal and we share some highlights of her duties and time on stage! We give our tips for attending not only the NYC Buddy Walk, but some tips from our experience participating in our local walks. Whether you’re part of the flagship walk in NYC or one of the many across the country, there’s nothing like the support and community these walks give all those who attend. We’re so grateful to have met so many of you in NYC and look forward to the next walk! 

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Friends, we have Kayla Craig joining us back on the show to share the incredible message of her new book Every Season Sacred available for pre-order today (out Sept. 19th)! As a former journalist, author, and podcaster Kayla shares how she wanted to write a book speaking to the deep pains, joys, and injustices that come with being human. She hopes this book will speak to the honest lived experience and meet every parent where they are in life. Through the seasons of parenting her daughter Eliza, she’s come to see the world in a whole different way and learned to appreciate embracing all the seasons of life. Kayla invites us to embrace the moments we so often pass by. This is an episode you don’t want to miss!

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When we first learned about a school that was dedicated to inclusive education practices in a New York Times article this June called A Brooklyn School Pioneers New Ways to Teach Children With Disabilities we knew we had to have them on! Today we’re joined by PS 15, The Patrick F Daly Magnet School of the Arts, Principal Julie Cavanagh, along with teachers Rachel Marks and Megan Macfie. It’s through educational pioneers like these educators at PS 15 who are breaking barriers and proving inclusion can work. They have worked hard to create a culture of trust and transparency breaking the barriers of the fear of the unknown and taking the risks needed to make inclusion work. We’re so excited to continue these important conversations about inclusion in our schools.

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Friends, can you believe we’re already heading into Fall?! We’ve had a busy summer full of adventures! Today, we’re catching everyone up on all the things we’ve been up to the last few months, from vacations to camps to the NDSC Convention. We’re chatting about all our summer fun! We share some favorite moments from seeing and meeting so many friends at the NDSC Convention. We celebrate being recognized with the Media Award at the 51st National Down Syndrome Congress Awards. All of our kids went to camps this summer, we chat about how we chose each camp and our experiences with each. Join us as we reflect on some amazing adventures and cherished memories made this summer!

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Friends, today we’re talking about school and friendship in a different way, this episode is to the parents of our kid's peers. We’re sharing our thoughts on having conversations every kid deserves to have about disability and why it’s important. We think about our own childhoods and our first interactions with people with disabilities. How we as parents can make intentional choices about the way we talk about disability with our kids. We share some encouraging moments we’ve seen other parents approach including our kids with Down syndrome. Let’s keep shifting those narratives parents, whether you have a child with Down syndrome or not!

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We are so excited to have Dr. Vaish Sarathy back on the show! Vaish is here to discuss counterintuitive ideas to jumpstart learning, reading comprehension, and so much more! She’s a Functional Nutrition Practitioner and Math and Science Educator. She comes to Nutrition and Education with a mission to reframe health, cognition, and learning for children with Down syndrome or Autism. Her perspective is shaped by her Autistic, non-speaking 16-year-old son, with Down syndrome: a published poet and author. She challenges all of us to rid the limiting assumptions from our expectations of where our learners should be in their educational journey. Instead: assuming intelligence aggressively, knowing our learners have the ability to learn and understand how to bridge the gaps to reach them. You don’t want to miss this one, friends!

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Our kiddos are going into third, fourth, and ninth grade this year! Today, we’re sharing some of the tips, tricks, and routines we’ve found helpful. We’re catching you up on our IEPs for this year…there were some letters back and forth after our end-of-school-year episode! How we get back into those school routines and break all those summer habits of counting pool days as showers and late bedtimes! Our tips for creating independence in our kiddo's routines and so much more. For the parents sending your kiddo’s off to school for the first time we’ve got some words of encouragement and advice! Friends, no matter where you’re at on the school journey, you’ve got this! 

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Friends, we’re taking the month of August to talk all things Back to School, today we kick off the series with a discussion on implementing inclusion in the classroom. We’re joined by Tim Villegas, he’s the director of communications for the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education (MCIE), a nonprofit that seeks to be the catalyst for the meaningful and successful inclusion of all learners in their neighborhood schools. Throughout his 16-year career in education, Tim has advocated for including students with extensive support needs in general education classrooms. He is the founder of Think Inclusive, a podcast for inclusive education, and Inclusive Stories, a narrative podcast series about families and school districts fully committed to inclusive education. Join us as we chat about all things inclusion in our schools: advice for educators, parents, and those in leadership looking to create spaces where everyone belongs. This is an episode packed with resources, be sure to check our show notes for all the links to helpful books, organizations, and films!

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Friends, we’ve all been there, those cringy shoulders-up comments that catch us off guard and leave us wondering why people think saying certain things are ok. They leave us wondering how to respond and a lot of times regretting what we didn’t say. We chat about some of our cringy experiences, what we said (and wish we would have said) in the moment, and so much more. We can’t promise we have all (or any!) answers, but you know we have thoughts and experiences to share! This is a conversation you’re not going to want to miss!

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It has been over three years since the Covid-19 pandemic began and today we are chatting about how our school systems have seen continued impact on students, teachers, and parents. Who better to chat with than Larkin O’Leary and Emily King, representatives of the Common Ground Society?! Larkin runs the nonprofit @common.ground.society, what started as “Just Two Moms” doing a presentation on Down syndrome in a preschool classroom has led to advocacy at over 90 different schools in 5 counties and a few trips to California’s capitol! Today she’s joined by Emily King, a presenter, Common Ground Society’s board treasurer, and a mother to a child with Down syndrome. We chat about the positive impact of inclusive teaching on students of all abilities, how we can work together to create meaningful change, and so much more. Friends, we’re so excited to have them on today chatting all about the incredible work they’re doing in our schools!

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Today we’re talking about our personal experiences using disability access services at theme parks! We know how fun (and stressful) day trips can be we’re sharing all our favorite tips and tricks for planning your next theme park adventure. From getting the most out of your access passes, to finding what restaurants offer food allergy-friendly options, our must-have items to pack for the day, and so much more! We’re sharing our personal experiences with using these services at Disney, Universal Studios, Knott’s Berry Farm, Sesame Place, and Legoland! Friends, this episode is a must-listen before making your next theme park plans!

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Friends, what better conversation to have on an episode released on a holiday that celebrates America than to talk about the differences between Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Supported Decision-making? We have attorney and Executive Director of Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Anna Krieger here to help explain the differences and similarities between these options. Anna is a nationally recognized expert on Supported Decision-Making and has trained, advocated, and written widely on the topic alongside decision-makers and their supporters. We’re also joined by self-advocate Craig Kinney and his mom Sandy, who have chosen Supported Decision-Making and are sharing their experience with us today! We hope this episode helps you think about what next steps you may consider when deciding what is best for your family.

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Today we’re talking about our personal experiences with adaptive and inclusive programs. We know both can be successful, we also know what's worked and what hasn’t worked for our kiddos. From basketball, baseball, dance, surfing, theater, gymnastics, ski lessons, soccer, and swim team, we’ve tried what seems like every activity imaginable! We’ve seen our kids thrive in both inclusive and adaptive programs, and we’ve also seen our kids face challenges with both. Let’s pause and realize that these spaces can be so beautiful but equally hard for our kiddos. We chat about how and when we step in and say something, and when we’ve learned to simply step away. No matter what kind of program works best for your child, there’s nothing better than seeing our kids thrive and develop relationships with friends of all abilities. No matter what season of finding the best activity or program for your child you’re in, we hope you know you’re not alone in the trial and error of finding just the right spaces for your incredible kids.

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Friends, we’re so excited to have National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) Executive Director, Jordan Kough on the show today! He’s here to tell us what to expect at the 51st NDSC Convention, discuss the impact of the Down syndrome community working together, and so much more! We chat about the disability rights movement and how advocacy has created meaningful changes that have impacted policy changes at State and Federal levels. How coming together at NDSC Convention and participating in the advocacy boot camps, self-advocate sessions, educator’s conferences, and other workshops can give us the tools we need to be change-makers in our own communities. We know what amazing friendships we’ve made at past Convention’s and we hope to see you in Florida for this year’s NDSC Convention!!

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Dads, father figures, this one’s for you! Today The Lucky Few Dads are taking over to chat about nurturing the connections with their kiddos with Down syndrome and what this journey of fatherhood has taught them so far. Josh, Andy, and Chris share what they’d tell their younger selves and how they’ve grown as fathers so far. Some of the changes they’ve made in their careers and family dynamics that have benefited their families. How important it is to normalize asking for support from friends and family. Looking for opportunities to get involved with their kiddos, being flexible while finding what works best for their family, and so much more. They take a moment to brag about their wives and share the superpowers of our three favorite ladies! Friends, you won’t expect their answers!! Happy Father’s Day to all the father figures out there advocating and learning from your kiddos every day! We see you and celebrate you!

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