Just like advocating for your child, sometimes unlearning and relearning how we see the world can be a messy, ongoing exercise. But if we are to move forward together as a society, we have to do the work. We have to get out of the wading pool and dive into the big pool. Access the transcript and full show notes here. If you are enjoying the Good Things in Life Podcast, I would so love it if you would rate and leave a review on iTunes . The more ratings and reviews the podcast gets, the more like...
Nov 04, 2020•56 min
We are talking about F-words on the podcast, but not that one. Better ones. F-words that help us focus on the things our kids are, and the things our kids can do. These F-words are ones we can use to get doctors and therapists to see the whole picture of who our kids are now, and who they are becoming. F-words that lead to the good things in life. Access the transcript and full show notes here. If you are enjoying the Good Things in Life Podcast, I would so love it if you would rate and leave a ...
Oct 28, 2020•58 min
In this episode, I'm talking with Samantha Noyek, Claire Davies, and Nora Fayed about the importance of researching the obvious, the idea of quality of life as it relates to kids with significant disabilities, and building a dictionary of our kids unique communication styles. In Nora’s words: “We're talking about involving these children in the world when society has not even thought to even consider them.” Access the transcript and full show notes here , and Sam's research here . If you are enj...
Oct 21, 2020•58 min
“Can we realize that even though we're loving our children, we can be doing them so much harm when we don't address those beliefs, those worldviews, and those expectations: the biases that we have?” La Shanda Sugg joins me on the podcast to unpack the relationships between trauma, bias, and othering and how this plays into all of our interactions with strangers, and with our own kids. This is a podcast you do not want to miss. Our relationships are key to healing from trauma and fostering resili...
Oct 07, 2020•1 hr 16 min
“I very happily describe myself as a lifelong rebel because the system never had any room for me.” This week on the podcast, Jean-Luc Martel shares his experiences with a broken educational system. Even in programs designed for individuals with disabilities, Jean-Luc found that so often there was not an appropriate understanding of how lived experiences and vulnerabilities shaped how he and his peers encountered the system. Listen as Jean-Luc tells his story and reminds us to continually lend a ...
Sep 30, 2020•1 hr
“It’s not the functional aspect of disability that prevents a good life. It’s the social isolation.” Sarah Buffie gets it, and on this podcast, she unpacks a lot of really great information about how to re-focus caregivers on what really matters to both prevent and to heal trauma. Hint: it’s not more services. Our relationships are key to healing from trauma and fostering resilience. This school year presents all kinds of challenges to social connections and relationships for our kids. But all i...
Sep 23, 2020•47 min
Mary Vicario adapts current neuroscience into practical interventions for people who have experienced trauma, including people with developmental disabilities. Mary illustrates how our brains – and bodies – experience trauma and how real inclusion for people with disabilities can build resilience and begin to heal trauma. When we see people with disabilities excluded, it actually makes us feel unsafe too. Inclusion means connection with safe people, and it means that everyone feels safe together...
Sep 16, 2020•1 hr 4 min
Could you make a list of every single thing you are capable of doing? Now cross off the things you hate. Someone on the list that you have left, is a way for you to make money on the internet. Don’t believe me? Chantelle Turner is on the podcast this week to talk about how you can make money on the internet in ways you haven’t thought of yet - and yes, it’s legal! Chantelle is the founder of Stronger Mommy, a positive community for parents of children with special needs, and Not Yet Notable, a b...
Sep 09, 2020•47 min
Have you noticed that being a parent means scheduling things in 25-minute chunks? There’s never more than that before something interrupts you! What if you could use some of those 25-minute chunks to make money for your family? Abbi Perets is on the podcast this week talking about exactly that. If the thought of a home-based business appeals to you, check out Amy Porterfield’s Course Creation Starter Kit & Abbi's Free Course or join Writing for Money . Access the transcript and full show not...
Sep 02, 2020•45 min
This week on the podcast , R&A Creative Co. CEO, Mia Francis-Poulin, and I talk about how her family life led her to make the bold jump from the corporate world to a home-based business that allows her to meet her kids (and her financial) needs. If the thought of a home-based business appeals to you, check out Amy Porterfield’s Course Creation Starter Kit . Access the transcript and full show notes here . If you are enjoying the Good Things in Life Podcast, I would so love it if you would ra...
Aug 26, 2020•47 min
Marta Spirk, mother of triplets, joins me on the podcast to talk about how we can fill our cups so that we can remain well while caring for our kids, families, work and community. Access the transcript and full show notes here . If you are enjoying the Good Things in Life Podcast, I would so love it if you would rate and leave a review in iTunes . The more ratings and reviews the podcast gets, the more likely that others will see what Good Things in Life Podcast has to offer....
Aug 20, 2020•23 min
“There's no shortage of people who need whatever it is that you have to offer.” Families who care for kids with disabilities suffer from disproportionate financial insecurity due to extra costs and higher demands on schedules and energy. Add COVID to that mix, and we’re all worried about money. This week on the podcast, Meg Brunson talks about how to monetize skills you already have, how to move past worrying about what people might think, and how to jump in before (you think) you’re ready! ULTI...
Aug 20, 2020•56 min
Dr. Temple Grandin speaks about the error of limiting the opportunities of children with disabilities and recommends a strengths and interests based approach to stretch their minds, build capacity, make friends and become contributing citizens. Access the transcript and full show notes here . If you are enjoying the Good Things in Life Podcast, I would so love it if you would rate and leave a review in iTunes . The more ratings and reviews the podcast gets, the more likely that others will see w...
Aug 12, 2020•1 hr 6 min
“It's a less dangerous assumption that a student isn't learning because we're not actually using the most effective strategies. And it's a very dangerous assumption that the reason a student isn't making progress is purely because of their intellectual disability.” Students with disabilities will experience two kinds of barriers to learning. One barrier is created by their disability. The other is created by people’s attitudes. Both kinds of barriers need to be addressed in order for kids to lea...
Aug 06, 2020•1 hr 1 min
What’s the most important thing you want for your kids? Did you think about love and connection and then get worried that it will never happen the way you envision? In this podcast from October 2019, Dr. Julie Causton and I cover why placement matters, friendships, moving away from one-to-one educational assistants, and the long game of love and connection with students with difficult behaviours. The long game of love and connection sounds nice, doesn’t it? Nice, but not easy. You can read the f...
Jul 27, 2020•1 hr 12 min
Shelley Moore is blowing up special education. Don’t worry. She’s not a bomb threat. But she is pushing for an evolution of inclusive education that puts “special” in its place and focuses on a responsive education system that allows all kids to have their needs met. You can read the full show notes and transcript here . If you are enjoying the Good Things in Life Podcast, I would so love it if you would rate and leave a review in iTunes . The more ratings and reviews the podcast gets, the more ...
Jul 22, 2020•1 hr 13 min
I have been talking with a ton of parents since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools. Some of us have enjoyed the break from therapy appointments and from all the little demands that pull us away from time with our kids. Some of us have been well supported by their schools. But most of us experienced poor support, inappropriate support, inaccessible support or no support at all from our schools. After parents identify their child’s education priorities, MatchUs connects students with teachers...
Jul 15, 2020•1 hr 3 min
Paula tells her family’s story of pursuing inclusion through segregated placements and unsupportive systems. We don’t live in a perfect world. Many parents will not be able to just register their children in an inclusive school no matter how passionate their convictions. While keeping their positive inclusive vision in front of mind, they may need to work with deeply flawed options, keep advocating and move forward in baby steps. Whether your child is in a segregated placement or an inclusive sc...
Jul 13, 2020•29 min
Ask yourself this question. “What would I need to do today if my children with Down Syndrome will be matriculating university students in the future?” This is a question that guest, Dr. Ann Marie Licata has been asking since her kids were little. She’s been embedding this vision into their IEP, their home life and their participation in community. Dr. Ann Marie Licata is the Director of the Pennsylvania Inclusive Higher Education Consortium located at Millersville University. She has built a com...
Jul 09, 2020•56 min
Barb McKenzie’s daughter had Down Syndrome. Sadly, she passed away in her twenties. But not before she made friends, fell in love with Shakespeare, and made the commencement speech at her high school graduation. Barb’s book, Reflections of Erin , is available for free from Inclusion Press. A video of Erin giving her high school commencement address is also available. Links are available on the show notes page . Erin went to inclusive schools but Barb and the school team didn’t have all of the an...
Jul 03, 2020•30 min
Inclusive education expert, Marilyn Dolmage, addresses 5 of the most common worries of special needs parents when making school placement decisions. Safety, access to specialists, one-to-one support, and friendships for students, and whether parents will find help and support or have to fight for everything their child needs. We’ve created a FREE guide to help parents ask insightful, quality questions to really get to the heart of a school’s inclusive programming so that parents can focus their ...
Jul 01, 2020•51 min
Complex care physician, Dr. Eyal Cohen, joins Genia for a discussion about why complex care is so important to the life and happiness of kids with complex medical needs and their families, the evolution of health systems to respond to the needs of our kids and what parents can do when there is no care coordination available in their community. When people with disabilities are in the hospital, having a parent or other known supporter with them for support and advocacy is essential for reducing e...
Jun 24, 2020•53 min
This podcast episode was recorded many months ago. It was an obvious oversight that we didn’t talk about the use of restraints and violence against black people. The recent death of George Floyd is currently in the media and well known. However, restraints have been killing Black people and people with disabilities and other devalued groups in great numbers every year for decades. I’ve attached one article in the full show notes (one of many available) that shows that Black people experience res...
Jun 17, 2020•1 hr
Dr. Lilach Saperstein’s F-I-G Method is a handy and actionable advocacy tool to help us make strategic decisions about how we handle conversations and social interactions. You can download the F-I-G Method Guide here . You can read the full show notes and transcript here . If you are enjoying the Good Things in Life Podcast, I would so love it if you would rate and leave a review in iTunes . The more ratings and reviews the podcast gets, the more likely that others will see what Good Things in L...
Jun 10, 2020•43 min
Inclusive recreation expert, Lisa Drennan, talks about what it takes for community recreation programs to evolve towards full inclusion and provides parents with advice on how they can maximize the opportunities for their child to be welcomed and have a positive experience. If you are struggling to think about recreation and connection during COVID-19 restrictions and feel like inclusion is out of the question then consider joining Lisa and Genia for a free Good Things In Life event. “ Inclusion...
Jun 05, 2020•56 min
There are many things that require our attention right now and I think that we can focus our attention on five basic points for safety during this pandemic. You can read the full show notes and transcript here . If you are enjoying the Good Things in Life Podcast, I would so love it if you would rate and leave a review in iTunes . The more ratings and reviews the podcast gets, the more likely that others will see what Good Things in Life Podcast has to offer....
May 07, 2020•26 min
Amie and Sara from the Gritty nurse podcast give advice on how to make a compelling argument for continued family presence at the bedside of patients with disabilities even as hospitals enforce no visitor and no support person policies due to the pandemic. Creating a plan before you need one is far more effective than figuring it out in a crisis. Get insider tips and insights into what will likely work and not work in your arguments for continued presence. If you are interested in digging deeper...
Apr 14, 2020•1 hr 2 min
Parents of kids with disabilities sometimes don’t take great care of themselves but that is avoidable. Judy Hunsberger talks about how her healthy habits sustained her through the worst and most stressful months of her life. Link to Plant-Based Resource Academy 5 day plan You can read the full show notes and transcript here . If you are enjoying the Good Things in Life Podcast, I would so love it if you would rate and leave a review in iTunes . The more ratings and reviews the podcast gets, the ...
Apr 10, 2020•59 min
The covid-19 pandemic has led to greater isolation and loneliness for people with disabilities – and everyone else. This episode explores ideas for getting and staying connected and supporting people with disabilities to be a light and leader in their community by addressing the isolation and loneliness of others. During the pandemic, Good Things In Life is offering a series of resources to help. Join the End Loneliness Challenge . You can read the full show notes and transcript here . If you ar...
Apr 02, 2020•32 min
Dr. Roberta Shaler offers advice on dealing with difficult people while advocating for your child with a disability. School advocacy can be hard – downright infuriating – when you are dealing with people who are making it harder than it needs to be by standing between your child and what they need to for successful inclusion and learning. Dr. Shaler offers effective strategies for building rapport, taking care of yourself and moving towards successful teamwork. You can read the full show notes a...
Mar 14, 2020•53 min
