Vocal stimming is among the hardest stimulation to dissect and support, especially when the person is non verbal and unable to communicate the function of the stim. In this episode we look at the behavior through a medical, behavior, and sensory lens with new strategies for each. About the Guest Moira Peña , BScOT, MOT Reg. (Ont.) is an occupational therapist working at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto who has dedicated her career to supporting individuals who experience...
Aug 04, 2020•54 min•Season 4Ep. 117
Neglecting to teach sexual boundaries can have devastating consequences. In this episode we discuss the importance of understanding consent and teaching it at a very young age starting with simple displays of affection such as hugs. We learn how to teach public vs private spaces and public vs private behaviors as well as sensory replacements for inappropriate public self touching. About the Guest: Leah Bauman-Smith is an educator and outreach specialist for Mad Hatter Wellness and Sexuality for ...
Jul 28, 2020•49 min•Season 4Ep. 116
Self injury, aggression, elopement, scripting, and other behaviors can be complicated to support and move beyond. We hear how one family, with 2 autistic men in their 20’s, learned to shift focus from what the behavior is to why it exists to how to best provide successful support strategies. About the Guest: Dr. Tara Regan is the founder and president of the non profit , Autism Grown Up . Autism Grown Up has a website with an extensive library of free downloadable resources and paid downloadable...
Jul 21, 2020•46 min•Season 4Ep. 115
Challenging behaviors are difficult not only in nature but also because there seems to be few avenues of support and suggestions. We hope to change that with this series. In this episode Kim talks about the pressure she feels to ensure this series is the best one to date and the standards she has set for each episode. She will offer a glimpse into topics that will be covered. Find Kim on Instagram at @journey2lomah.
Jul 14, 2020•18 min•Season 4Ep. 114
The special needs financial planning series included 12 interviews from special needs financial planners and special needs lawyers. This episode offers soundbites from each interview in the series to help you choose which episodes may be of interest. Episodes in the financial planning series were: 101 - Learning the Lingo 102 - Special Needs Trusts 103 - Choosing and Training the Trustee 104 - Memorandum of Intent 105 - ABLE Accounts 106 - Government Benefits 107 - Finding Resources 108 - Taxes ...
May 05, 2020•25 min•Season 4Ep. 113
In this episode we cover common mistakes in special needs financial planning and the big question we need to be asking ourselves before making any financial planning move. We go over the difference between a financial planner and financial advisor, discuss what questions to ask when selecting a team, flexible financial planning strategies, and a quick hit list of ideas. About the Guest Andrew Komarow is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP™) and founder of Planning Across the Spectrum . Andrew sp...
Apr 28, 2020•44 min•Season 4Ep. 112
Our guest shares assets to consider when financial planning for a loved one with disabilities. We learn what assets work best in short planning versus long term planning, how to ask for “free money” from our employer, taxation of investments, and some new rulings that could have significant impacts on Special Needs Trusts drafted prior to December of 2019. Disclosure: This general communication is provided for information purposes only. It is educational in nature and not designed to be a recomm...
Apr 21, 2020•46 min•Season 4Ep. 111
Services and supports for adults with disabilities can be expensive so it makes sense to get creative. Using insurance policies as a financial planning tool is an example of the creative use of resources. Our guest gives us the lowdown on the various types of insurance available and how they can be leveraged to maximize assets, especially when a family member has special needs. About the Guest: Anthony Trias, CFP, RICP As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, Anthony Trias uses his passio...
Apr 14, 2020•43 min•Season 4Ep. 110
Assets often are passed from one generation to the next so coordination of financial planning is necessary, especially when a family member with disabilities is in the mix. This episode teaches us how to sync plans across multiple generations to maximize assets as well as what to focus on for each generation. About the Guest: Mark Gilfix is an attorney at Gilfix and La Poll associates, an award winning writer, and an up and coming leader in the field of Estate Planning, Elder Law, and Special Ne...
Apr 07, 2020•44 min•Season 4Ep. 109
The estimated lifelong cost of living with a disability is $3 - $4 million dollars. This episode uncovers 35 financial and caregiver support considerations. Show notes, including the list of 35 considerations can be found at https://www.lomah.org/podcastseason4/108 About the Guest: Penny is a certified financial planner specializing in helping families with special needs children prepare and plan for the future. Penny’s middle son, born with muscular dystrophy, has been instrumental in illuminat...
Mar 31, 2020•46 min•Season 4Ep. 108
SSI and SSDI are widely used government benefits. Our guest has 35+ years with the Social Security Administration and shares tips and tricks of the application process and what to do should the application be denied. About the Guest: Marlene Ulisky is a Disability Benefits Expert with the ABLE National Resource Center and a Manager of Financial Empowerment and Disability Benefits at the National Disability Institute . She retired from the Social Security Administration after a 35+ year career. S...
Mar 24, 2020•44 min•Season 4Ep. 107
With proper documentation, many expenses qualify as medical deductions. Likewise, Special Needs Trusts and ABLE accounts have unique taxation rules. This episode is two in one with the first half covering how to get documentation necessary to cover medical deductions not commonly considered. The second half of the show discusses the taxation of Special Needs Trusts and ABLE accounts as well as the taxation of SSI and SSDI payments. Show Notes with links to mentioned content at https://www.lomah....
Mar 17, 2020•55 min•Season 4Ep. 106
ABLE accounts are fairly new on the scene and are unique in their tax benefits, ease of set up, and the financial freedom they offer individuals with disabilities. Our guest addresses ABLE account myths, informs us what homework needs to be done prior to opening an ABLE account, how ABLE accounts can and can not be used, and how they offer freedom unlike any other financial planning tool. About the Guest: Miranda Kennedy is the Director of the ABLE National Resource Center. Miranda’s expertise i...
Mar 10, 2020•49 min•Season 4Ep. 105
Drafting a Special Needs Trust is only the foundation of sound planning. On that foundation are additional documents and steps to take. In this episode we discuss two. First, the memorandum of intent which gives direction on wishes and day to day care. This episode covers what to put in the memo of intent, ensuring it is easy to find, being bold yet discreet in wishes that others may not like, and why you should not store it in your safe at home. The second consideration discussed is the importa...
Mar 03, 2020•45 min•Season 4Ep. 104
The Trustee of a Special Needs Trust has an incredible amount power over the distribution of funds for the individual with disabilities. Not only must they act in the best interests of the beneficiary with special needs but the trustee’s job must be done flawlessly because mistakes could result in the loss of benefits for the person with disabilities. In this episode we learn how to choose and train the appointed trustee. The show covers 4 qualities a trustee must have, why we should rethink the...
Feb 25, 2020•44 min•Season 4Ep. 103
Special needs trusts are one of the first things mentioned when beginning to plan financially for a family member with special needs. In this episode we learn why special needs trusts are such powerful tools and the difference between 1st, 3rd, and pooled trusts. We also learn a management strategy that works well for most families, what to look for when choosing a pooled trust, as well as suggested next steps after the completion of creating the trust. About the Guest: Kevin Urbatsch is a princ...
Feb 18, 2020•48 min•Season 4Ep. 102
Special needs financial planning is one of the most important and impactful things we can do in preparing and controlling the future. There are many terms and a lot of intimidating lingo. In this episode we have some fun with the terms and learning them so as to set the foundation for what is to come in the next 12 episodes of the financial planning series. About the Guest: Mark Gilfix is an attorney at Gilfix & LaPoll in Palo Alto, California. He is an award winning writer, and an up and co...
Feb 11, 2020•53 min•Season 4Ep. 101
Kim’s husband, Tom, joins the show for episode 100! The duo discuss respecting the privacy of their family while still on such a public space, the marital roles they have found themselves, and Tom connecting with other dads. The last half of the show is podcast discussion such as some embarrassing things that have happened with the guests, how things are so much different than they were 100 episodes ago in regards to steps they are taking toward planning the future for their daughter with type 3...
Feb 04, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 3Ep. 100
We are pausing the normal flow of expert guest interviews to share a bit a personal story about our daughter’s educational journey and current status of establishing FAPE. I’m sharing how we arrived at the realization we needed to make changes and how we might be making the job hard for our lawyer.
Jan 27, 2020•24 min•Season 3Ep. 99
The Transition Plan goes into the IEP at the age of 14 or 16. At this time, all IEP goals should point directly to these long term post secondary goals. Despite the tremendous importance of the Transition Plan, it is often overlooked or approached as a last minute legally required add on. After a few announcements regarding what is next for the LOMAH Podcast, this episode gives an overview of the 13 episode Transition Planning series. Guests in the series educated us on aspects of the transition...
Dec 03, 2019•33 min•Season 3Ep. 98
Parents often take a significant role in planning the future for their child with disabilities. It is not feasible to take on every role and task so how can parents identify and prioritize their roles in transition planning? What are the most important aspects in which to devote energy and attention? About the Guest Dawn A. Rowe, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the department of Educational Foundations and Special Education at East Tennessee State University. Her research and scholarship are f...
Nov 26, 2019•41 min•Season 3Ep. 97
School services end when adult services begin, but there is opportunity for overlap during the teen years to increase chances of a smooth transition via interagency collaboration. How can this opportunity be maximized? About the Guest: Kelli Crane, Ph.D. is an Assistant Research Professor at the Center for Transition and Career Innovation, University of Maryland, College Park. She bring extensive experience serving in significant leadership roles on research and model demonstration projects fund...
Nov 19, 2019•37 min•Season 3Ep. 96
When students age out of school services and transition to adult services gaps often emerge. Many of these gaps have simple solutions. What are the gaps and how do we bridge them? About the Guest: Sonni Charness is the founder of Guidelight Group . She and her team specialize in helping California teens and adults with developmental disabilities and their families plan for and live their their best lives. Sonni has over ten years of professional experience supporting teens and adults with disabi...
Nov 12, 2019•40 min•Season 3Ep. 95
For individuals with differing abilities to have paid employment in community settings, there needs to be a culture that believes they are capable. What hurdles must be overcome to shift perspective? Our guest discusses 4 key hurdles keeping parents and IEP teams from believing in the possibility of paid employment in a community setting. We acknowledge these hurdles and learn how to clear them. We also learn what to put in the employment section of the transition plan in the IEP to help student...
Nov 05, 2019•43 min•Season 3Ep. 94
Assistive technology is an essential lifeline for many students with differing abilities. How do we get it in the IEP and what additional considerations are important? What happens to technology supports after the student ages out of the school system and enters adult services? This episodes covers: What does federal IDEA says about assistive technology and how you can use the law in your advocacy efforts to get needed technology into the IEP How to stay current on new assistive technology trend...
Oct 29, 2019•34 min•Season 3Ep. 93
Clemson University supports one of the first post secondary programs for students with disabilities in the country. There currently are over 200 similar programs across the country and in this episode we use Clemson Life as a framework to give families and IEP teams a vision of a post secondary college program so they can begin considering necessary requirements to qualify for programs such as Clemson Life and thus begin working toward goals in the middle school and high school years. There are ...
Oct 22, 2019•41 min•Season 3Ep. 92
Most students in special education are tracked to age out of the school system without a degree or direct pathway to employment. What if we believe expectations can be higher for our student? What are the options for exiting the school system and where does each option lead? Who is making these choices? About the Guest Our guest, Ashley Grant is a Supervising Staff Attorney at Advocates for Children of New York, focusing on protecting the rights of middle school and high school students, includi...
Oct 15, 2019•38 min•Season 3Ep. 91
We hear a lot and think a lot about the inevitable time of transitioning out of special education school services and into adult services. It has been coined “when the bus stops coming” or “falling off the cliff.’ What does this time of life feel like from the perspective of the person actually going through it? From the perspective of the individual with disabilities? Self Advocate Melissa Crisp-Cooper shares her journey, gives parents a pep talk, and expresses where challenges still exist in h...
Oct 08, 2019•32 min•Season 3Ep. 90
Individuals with disabilities have the right to make choices for themselves and for those choices to be honored, but what if it is hard for us to understand what those choices, likes, and dislikes are because of complex communication needs? How do we begin teaching and honoring self determination at a young age? This episodes explores 3 strategies: Verbal Referencing Separating what is important to the individual from what is important for the individual Reframing likes into social rolls Links t...
Oct 01, 2019•56 min•Season 3Ep. 89
When we start considering the future for individuals with differing abilities, the assessment process is an important yet often omitted first step. Ongoing formal and informal assessments, specifically those identifying strengths and interests, should be the drivers of transition IEP goals. How can we encourage school districts to assess and what are the whens, hows, and whos of the process? Dr. Mary E. Morningstar is faculty in Special Education at Portland State University and Co-Director of t...
Sep 24, 2019•48 min•Season 3Ep. 88
