This last episode in the series is right in step with how all good things should conclude and that is with a bit of fun. You are about to listen in on a conversation with plenty of laughter and bad jokes that I had with a man who has been using AAC since the 80’s and who has been living in his own place with hired supports for 20 years. We travel down memory lane recalling accommodations that thankfully have been replaced with better options but also those that have stood the test of time. About...
Jul 12, 2022•28 min•Season 6Ep. 171
AAC users often have to, first, assert authority over their self care staff. Our guest who exclusively communicates via AAC shares tips and tricks she has learned over the years on hiring and training staff. About the Guest Hannah Foley is the Product & Service Development Intern and an Ambassador at PRC-Saltillo, where she develops training and implementation supports for PRC-Saltillo language systems. She also represents PRC-Saltillo at speaking engagements and other events. Hannah present...
Jul 05, 2022•53 min•Season 6Ep. 170
Communication between provider and patient is a crucial component of quality care which is why extra thought and planning need to be arranged for augmentative and alternative communicators. About the Guest: Jessica Gormley, Ph.D., CCC-SLP of The Patient-Provider Network Jessica Gormley, PhD, CCC-SLP is an Assistant Professor, Speech-Language Pathologist, Research Coordinator and Interim Director in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology at the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute. Dr. Gormley earned...
Jun 28, 2022•32 min•Season 6Ep. 169
The internet has swung the door wide open for alternative and augmentative communication users, yet often the creative use of these tools is never introduced. It’s time to expand how AAC users maximize devices as well as how to navigate online communities that they now have access to via AAC. About the Guest: Tiffany Joseph Known as Nigh Functioning Autism on instagram, Tiffany has 3 neurodivergent children and is autistic. Tiffany’s ultimate goal is for nonspeaking individuals to all have early...
Jun 21, 2022•44 min•Season 6Ep. 168
Many AAC users are dependent upon others to program language onto their device. Despite what research shows regarding common language in various age groups, it is common practice to censor slang, slurs, and swearing even for adults. About the Guest: Hali Strickler is an AAC services coordinator for TechOWL at the Institute on Disabilities at Temple University. She received both her Bachelor and Master of Arts in Speech, Language, and Hearing Science from Temple University. Hali is a Pennsylvania...
Jun 14, 2022•44 min•Season 6Ep. 167
Brittany Dube is and autistic partial AAC user who shares the stigma she often experiences when choosing AAC over her spoken voice despite how AAC makes her more communicative. Links to Mentioned Content: Etsy has several sellers creating personalized communication boards. Brittany’s came from the seller Coatney Creations . The quote referenced came from an article about partial AAC use in communicators with speech written by Alyssa Hillary Zisk and Elizabeth Dalton. It was published in April, 2...
Jun 07, 2022•35 min•Season 6Ep. 166
Often, AAC is used for nothing more than to make requests. While requesting wants and needs is important, AAC can offer much more to complex communicators and those who wish to know them. About the Guest: Kate McLaughlin, M.S., CCC-SLP Kate McLaughlin is a speech-language pathologist specializing in AAC - alternative and augmentative communication for individuals with complex communication needs. She believes that autonomous communication, inclusion, and self-determination are fundamental human ...
May 31, 2022•38 min•Season 6Ep. 165
The new series will focus on "Doing More With AAC". This episode gives a peek at the topics that will be covered with expert guests, many who are AAC users themselves. The second half shares a few life updates relevant to the LOMAH tagline "Planning the future for our daughter with disabilities and inviting you to fumble through it with us". There has been some great news regarding the next 3 years (Miranda's transition years ages 19-22) as well as an update even closer to home....
May 24, 2022•17 min•Season 6Ep. 164
Most adult supports are chosen via eligible providers on HCBS waiver lists. However, some states have been toying with a new method that offers more flexibility and choice. In this conversation we explore what families have and have not liked about the newly rolled out Self Determination Program and why our family has decided to move away from provider lists and into this new option of funding supports. About the Guest: Sonni Charness, Founder of Guidelight Group Sonni Bendetson Charness brings ...
Mar 08, 2022•55 min•Season 6Ep. 163
Conservatorship has long been the route to providing supports to disabled individuals with they turn 18. However, a new option called supported decision is an alternative that supports the person in making their own decisions rather than giving up rights through the conservatorship option. About the Guest: Lauren Butterworth, Esquire PLLC received her Bachelor of Science from Penn State in education and was a teacher prior to returning to school for her law degree. She now owns her own law firm ...
Mar 01, 2022•52 min•Season 6Ep. 162
Geege Taylor, who you may know from the reality TV show Leave it to Geege, joins Kim for a reflective chat. They both have been parenting autistic children for over 18 years and have a list of things they feel they did really well as well as a few things they would have done differently. About the Guest: About the Guest: Geege Taylor Geege Taylor is an autism advocate and writer who produces and stars in Leave it to Geege, a reality series on The Lifetime Network. The show celebrates autism and ...
Feb 22, 2022•49 min•Season 6Ep. 161
Our family barely survived and is just now emerging from a hard two years that where spiraling into aggression, self injury, and rapid regression for Miranda. It took intention to make it through to the other side as a caregiver. This episode shares some of the struggles and impact they had on Kim's mental and emotional health. Joining and contributing to the conversation is Mary Susan McConnell. Kim and Mary Susan swap caregiving stories and strategies that point to the truth that hard seasons ...
Feb 15, 2022•55 min•Season 6Ep. 160
We have set a deadline for Miranda to be independent of us, her parents by the age of 22. While she will always require significant care and continual supervision, we have a 5 year plan to phase those supports to others while at the same time honoring her life as a young adult. We are now 4 years out. Listen to the 5 years out episode published January of 2021 before this one where we are 4 years out. The 5 years out episode from last year goes into the details of the overall plan and the why's ...
Feb 08, 2022•26 min•Season 6Ep. 159
In this first episode of year/season 6, the first 10 minutes lay out what is to come in the new mini series. The last 15 minutes are spent sharing personal situations that have impacted the family.
Feb 01, 2022•28 min•Season 6Ep. 158
The therapy series included 10 interviews challenging us to consider the why and how behind therapy choices. This episode offers snippets from each conversation. Thus concludes our 5th year and 5th season. The LOMAH Podcast will return in January with a life update about the many big changes taking place as we march closer and closer to Miranda's adult years. There is a lot happening! Late January or early February will bring the start of a new series. Be sure you have tapped subscribe and/or fo...
Nov 16, 2021•24 min•Season 5Ep. 157
What does therapy look like and feel like from the perspective of the client? A woman in her 20’s who has been in therapy since infancy shares her experiences and observations of how things changed as she aged and what she feels is important during the teen to adult transition years. About the Guest: Hanna Foley Hannah Foley is the Product & Service Development Intern and an Ambassador at PRC-Saltillo, where she develops training and implementation supports for PRC-Saltillo language systems....
Nov 09, 2021•56 min•Season 5Ep. 156
Families living in rural and frontier setting may live hours away from the nearest specialist and have a small pool of therapists and providers from which to choose. How can a support system and work force be formed for these families? Links to Mentioned Content: Telehealth and telepractice regulations vary by state. Therapy-focused national associations track these regulations, by state. AOTA State Actions Affecting OT in Response to COVID-19 Virtual School-based Services via Telehealth ASHA Tr...
Nov 02, 2021•49 min•Season 5Ep. 155
Doctors tell parents of autistic kids not just to do ABA therapy but a lot of ABA therapy and as early as possible. Meanwhile, autistic self advocates are loudly saying under no circumstances should ABA be a therapy option. Who is right? About the Guest: Brian Middleton, M.Ed, BCBA, LBA Brian Middleton started Bearded Behaviorist as an effort to make understanding behavior fun and interesting. Dedicated to open-source education, Brian is a founding member of the Open-Source Educational Resources...
Oct 26, 2021•47 min•Season 5Ep. 154
Complex needs necessitate a more specialized approach toward therapy. Often the “Big 3” of speech, OT, and PT are not specialized enough to address complex needs. This episode takes a look at how niche therapies fold in the The Big 3 and where trends seem to be headed. About the Guest: Laura Hayes, MS, CCC-SLP Laura Hayes is a speech-language pathologist with over 12 years of augmentative communication experience in both school and medical settings. Laura has presented locally and at state, nati...
Oct 19, 2021•43 min•Season 5Ep. 153
If the traditional format of education during the day and therapies in the afternoon are not advancing your objective, you CAN break the mold. Listener turned guest, Jess Fraga is venturing out of the box this year. Rather than slot her twin boys into what is already established with education and therapies she is creatively customizing a day that is focused on how to best meet goals. She shares how her boy’s days are structured, where she found people to help, utilizing resources for funding, a...
Oct 12, 2021•42 min•Season 5Ep. 152
Adulthood often comes with a narrowing of therapeutic options that unfortunately are becoming even more thinned out due to recent policy. In this episode we pick up from a line of thought introduced in episode 150 regarding supports that affirm Neurodiversity and how value is ascribed to disability communities. Ableist lines of thinking are having a catastrophic impact on support services for the most vulnerable. These impacts in policy will be very hard to reverse once implemented and many advo...
Oct 05, 2021•38 min•Season 5Ep. 151
What does it look like to support self injurious behavior in a way that is affirming to the individuals neurotype? Are the approaches being suggested in the neurodivergent affirming therapeutic practices movement just wishful thinking or are they game changers for the many looking for help in this area? We conclude with a conversation about what self determination truly looks like when considering independent living outcomes and goals. We highly suggest listening to this episode with a copy of t...
Sep 28, 2021•53 min•Season 5Ep. 150
New methods of therapy are beginning to take hold that emphasize neurodivergent affirming practices. What does this even mean and how does it expand or change the scope of traditional therapeutic focus? This is the first of two episodes on the topic. About the Guest: Jacklyn Googins, MSOT Jacklyn (she/her) graduated from UNC Chapel Hill’s Master’s of Occupational Therapy program in August 2021. Jacklyn is the co-founder of OTs for neurodiversity, a paradigm-shift in social media advocacy platfor...
Sep 21, 2021•52 min•Season 5Ep. 149
From the start, referrals and advice and options abound. How do we make smart decisions and put boundaries around therapy so as to choose the best option and know when it’s time to bail. About the Guest Kimberly Richey is a former librarian, researcher, massage therapist and Rolfer with over 20 years of experience. She is also on a unique parenting journey with her son, Eli, who has disabilities. Kimberly’s goal is to support other parents navigating and advocating for their children with disabi...
Sep 14, 2021•50 min•Season 5Ep. 148
The most common settings for occupational, physical, and speech therapy are clinics, schools, homes, and in the community. This episode explores the pros and cons of each and introduces the new series where we rethink the what, when, where, why, and how of therapies we choose to use. About the Guest: Sara Hall, OTR/L Sara Hall is a pediatric occupational therapist and the owner of SOAR Pediatric Therapy , a community-based private practice specializing in unique and tailored therapy services to ...
Sep 07, 2021•42 min•Season 5Ep. 147
In this final episode of the literacy series, Kim shares how she is implementing into Miranda's literacy instruction what the guests have taught and what she has learned from the book Comprehensive Literacy for All . Along with specific episode/guest mentions from the series and page references from the book Kim shares: How at the beginning of the series it was confusing to understand the way literacy and communication were and were not the same when using a speech generating device. What happen...
Jun 15, 2021•39 min•Season 5Ep. 146
She was denied access to appropriate educational opportunities and a robust communication system for the first 18 years of life. But now, she has a degree in education policy and is a grad student studying curriculum instruction. A self advocate shares what it was like to live with trapped thoughts for 18 years and what was helpful and harmful on her journey toward communication and literacy. About the Guest: Jordyn Zimmerman, B.Ed. Jordyn is a graduate student of education at Boston College stu...
Jun 08, 2021•36 min•Season 5Ep. 145
Despite what research tells us about time learners need in emergent literacy environments, learners with CVI and significant disabilities are often expected to immediately jump into conventional strategies. This episode shares emergent literacy strategies, specifically in writing, for learners who have difficulty seeing and who have significant physical impairments. About the Guest: Gretchen Hanser, PhD Dr. Hanser has worked in the field of assistive technology and literacy for students with sig...
Jun 01, 2021•56 min•Season 5Ep. 144
If it’s not in the IEP then there is a good chance it won’t be an educational priority. Comprehensive literacy involves several areas of instruction. What should assessments and goals look like when using comprehensive literacy approaches toward literacy? About the Guest Stephanie Spadorcia is the chair of the Teaching and Learning department, which consists of Early Childhood, Elementary. Middle School, High School, and Special Education programs. Her research and teaching focuses on literacy i...
May 25, 2021•46 min•Season 5Ep. 143
Bringing all learners, regardless of disability, to a place of literacy is going to require specialized skill sets from the therapy team, leadership from the special education teacher, involvement of para professionals, and follow through at home. This episode offers insight from a public high school education team that have discovered how bring it all together for comprehensive literacy instruction. About the Guests: Ashley Larisey is a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist and clinical educator...
May 18, 2021•47 min•Season 5Ep. 142
