Today's guest, Nicole Feeney, wrote an article which spurred passionate debate. She feels caregivers of individuals with disabilities should put forth extra effort to ensure the dignity of those in our care regardless of the extra effort required. But is that true? Shouldn't society just be more accepting? Take a listen and assess which side of the debate you fall.
Read MoreThe Arroya Family has dreams of beginning a farm similar to many currently in existence for adults with special needs. In preparation, they put the family belongings in storage and began an epic road trip to visit 25 farms across the country. Amy Arroya shares with us what they are learning and a simple question serving as the compass for their adventure. Learn what the question is and consider asking it to plan a future for your special needs loved one.
Read MoreIn the last episode, Vacation or Relocation?: Special Needs / Disability Travel, you heard three arguments in favor of travel despite the challenges. While the last episode focused on why go, this episode focuses on what to do upon arrival. Kim tosses out a few vacation hacks that have been helpful for her family. Hopefully, they will be beneficial to you, too!
Read MoreVacations can feel more like relocations because the demands we have at home exist regardless of location. Is it worth it to go through the planning and hassle, especially when traveling with someone who has special needs/disabilities?
Read MoreEpisode #6 dives into cultivating friendships for our special needs children, especially as they enter the preteen and teen years. You will walk away with 3 unique nuggets of wisdom & application from our guest, Stacey Martin, who seems to have cracked the friendship formula for her (soon to be) 17 year old daughter.
Read MoreAlex Krem, Sr. was the founder of Camping Unlimited. This year marks 60 years of providing camping opportunities for children, teens, and adults with special needs. It is now run by his granddaughter, Christina Krem, along with Katie Giampa
Today, we are chatting with the middle generation, Alex Krem, Jr., about the unique objective of Camping Unlimited as well as his vision to carry things over into long term living solutions for adults with special needs.
Read MoreSpecial needs parents do a lot of caregiving and a lot of advocacy. But, do we do enough celebrating? How do we even know the answer and what happens when the scales are tipping too heavily to one side?
This is where we are headed in Episode #4, BUT just when it seems we have things figured out...a guest will join us to put breaks on the whole thing forcing us to stop and rewind a bit.
Read MoreAre we expecting too much? Are we expecting too little? Does the team agree on realistic goals? What about your spouse? Is there disagreement over the capabilities of your child?
Episode #3 looks at behavior, education, independence, and comprehension.
When is the tendency to overestimate our special needs loved one and when is the tendency to underestimate? How do we know which voice to follow?
Read MoreAt least twice a year, Kim travels across the country via airplane with her special needs daughter. After dozens of flights ranging from nightmarish to dreamy, she has learned a few things.
This episode tosses out 10 tips from the obvious (utilize TSA cares) to the unconventional (choose a seating pattern in an L shape rather than straight across).
If you are about to board the plane with your special needs loved one, this episode should be part of your travel preparations.
Read MoreMany terms circulate in the special needs circle. When Kim's daughter became a teenager, she started to hear grumblings about what was around the corner.
The terms "aging out" and "falling off of the cliff" were used interchangeably.
- What do these terms mean?
- When does it happen?
- What are parents doing about it?
- What does it mean for our special needs loved ones?