In this episode of Parenting Impossible the Special Needs Survival Podcast, Annette begins the discussion of transition planning for young adults with special needs. Annette is well known in the state of Massachusetts for her work in this area, and as a national expert, so she puts her expertise to work in this important podcast. Annette talks about how special needs transition planning is always a work in progress as circumstances can change as the individual gets older and it is always good to...
Feb 21, 2020•43 min
This week, Annette has a touching interview with Lisa Deck of Rare New England, an organization that assists patients, families and others that have been touched by some form of rare disease. The organization provides resources and other educational opportunities to the rare disease community. Lisa is a fighter, having experienced multiple strokes as well as two brain surgeries. She’s an inspiration and now blogs and speaks about her personal experiences. She is an expert at taking her adversity...
Feb 12, 2020•53 min
Annette takes time on this podcast to sit down with Regina Snowden and Joanna Dumas of Partners For Youth with Disabilities based in Massachusetts. This amazing organization runs several programs including one to one mentoring, career readiness, online mentoring, theater arts and a youth leadership forum, all for youth and young adults with disabilities. Regina and Joanna discuss the importance of mentorships and how powerful a mentorship relationship can be and why it is so beneficial to youth ...
Feb 10, 2020•49 min
“This week Annette discusses an important issue facing Social Security recipients. The current administration is proposing a change to the way recipients are being reviewed to continue receiving their benefits. She also answers a series of questions sent in by listeners. First a question about how working impacts Social Security benefits. Next she tackles how to start thinking about housing issues for an adult child and what are the first steps to take. And lastly she answers questions from sibl...
Feb 06, 2020•40 min
This week, Annette sits down to discuss the 2020 census and why it is so important for individuals with disabilities. Her guests are Carly Bari, partnership specialist with New York Regional Census Center and Ellen Taverna, policy officer with The Arc of Massachusetts. Annette starts by asking her guests for an explanation of the census and its function. Carly explains that the census takes place every 10 years and helps the US government determine our representation as well as our funding for p...
Jan 30, 2020•51 min
Special needs planning takes front and center on the Special Needs Survival Podcast this week. Annette talks about what any family or caretaker needs to understand going into the year 2020 when it comes to planning for the future. Annette quickly goes over the SECURE Act which was just signed into law. The SECURE Act provides some flexibility and opportunities when it comes to tax planning and distributions when using special needs trusts. If you have a special needs trust or you should have a s...
Jan 23, 2020•26 min
Mini-podcast episode. Annette takes a few minutes to talk about the recent developments in Massachusetts with Nicky’s Law. Nicky’s Law passed the Massachusetts House of Representatives in January 2020 and paves the ways for an abuse registry for those who mistreat individuals with disabilities. The governor of Massachusetts is expected to sign the bill which will make this important effort law in Massachusetts. Annette sat down with Cheryl Ryan Chan on Episode two of parenting Impossible and the...
Jan 21, 2020•7 min
Annette sits down with Amber Bobnar, who runs the very popular WonderBaby website. WonderBaby is a website that is packed full of valuable resources for parents raising children that have visual impairments and other disabilities. Topics on her website range from tips on raising children that have visual impairments, toy reviews and recommendations for children with disabilities, sleep, eating and nutrition advice as well as assistive technology, and parent advice on how to have a constructive I...
Jan 09, 2020•45 min
The SECURE Act went into effect on January 1, 2020 and Mark Worthington of Special Needs Law Group joins Annette to discuss this important development and to shed some light for special needs parents about what they need to pay attention to when it comes to retirement and leaving assets to their loved ones with special need. One of the big changes in the SECURE Act is that it increases the retirement age from 70 ½ to 72 years old for traditional IRA required distributions. But the Act also ends ...
Jan 07, 2020•38 min•Ep. 27
On this episode of Parenting Impossible, the Special Needs Survival Podcast, Annette takes time to address a number of issues and challenges that could face the special needs community in 2020. Her guests are MacKenzie Mahoney, the newest attorney with Special Needs Law Group and Mark Worthington, a partner at the firm. Annette and MacKenzie discuss the growing concern regarding the availability of direct support professionals that assist individuals with disabilities. In many states, there cont...
Dec 27, 2019•45 min•Ep. 26
Middle school can be a challenging age regardless of whether our student has special needs and Annette’s guest this time knows just how to help those students who are in this age group. Katy Boucher is the founder of The Accord School based in Norwell Massachusetts. The Accord School as Katy puts it, teaches students critical thinking skills and gets them ready for real life experiences and challenges. The school provides an education in all the typical areas a school would provide but also focu...
Dec 20, 2019•46 min•Ep. 25
We all have “Different Brains” and Annette’s guest this time knows that very well. Different Brains founder Harold “Hackie” Reitman, M.D. takes time out of his very busy schedule to have a wide-ranging discussion with Annette about some of the incredible work the organization does. Different Brains is an organization that has dedicated its resources to advocating and educating about the topic of neurodiversity. Different Brains produces a whole host of content including videos, blogs, and podcas...
Dec 18, 2019•56 min•Ep. 24
Annette had a great conversation with Austin Carr, a young energetic man who is a true advocate for people with disabilities. Austin is very involved in the disability community both in mentorship programs as well as helping out with resources for those seeking transitions into adult life and he talks with Annette about these important topics. Austin currently lives in the Boston area with his twin brother and parents. He graduated from Cotting School and attended the Lesley Threshold program. A...
Dec 13, 2019•41 min•Ep. 23
This week, Annette gets to have a conversation with Mary Susan McConnell, host of the popular Mama Bear Podcast. The Mama Bear Podcast is a place where women who are raising special needs children can come and hear stories and advice from other women in similar situations. Mary Susan says that men are welcome too of course! Mary Susan talks with Annette about her journey with her husband to adopt their daughter Abiella from a government orphanage in Ghana. It is a beautiful story that is heart w...
Dec 11, 2019•43 min•Ep. 22
Annette welcomes back Mark Worthington from Special Needs Law Group to discuss the sometimes confusing topic of social security for people with disabilities. There are so many rules and other facts about social security that you need to know about and in particular, those with special needs. Mark and Annette use their years of expertise in the area to clarify some of the mysteries. Annette begins by giving an overview of social security which is meant to help support those who are retired or ind...
Nov 27, 2019•34 min•Ep. 21
Annette takes time out for a short podcast to chat about something very personal to her: her daughter Elizabeth. Elizabeth passed away at the age of 17. Elizabeth had profound disabilities, having mitochondrial disease. As the holidays approach, Annette takes time to share her experiences as a special needs mother and what the holidays can bring as the result of losing a loved one that you cared for so deeply. As Annette explains, Elizabeth had a love for life and made the most of every day she ...
Nov 22, 2019•18 min•Ep. 20
This week, Annette sits down with Lotte Diomede and Deb Hochhauser of SMILE Mass an organization that provides recreational accessibility and disability friendly vacation experiences. SMILE Mass was founded in 2009 and stands for Small Miracles In Life Exist. Founder Lotte Diomede started by creating awareness around the building of a playground that would accommodate all in her community of Sudbury Massachusetts. After creating substantial awareness and raising enough funds, the dream became a ...
Nov 20, 2019•51 min•Ep. 19
On this episode of Parenting Impossible, Annette chats with Blaine Brockman, a passionate advocate for the safety of individuals with special needs as well as the elderly. Blaine and Annette talk about safety in the community as well as the necessary steps for community integration. Blaine discusses with Annette the concepts of community living, and supportive living where individuals are able to live and thrive out in the community with needed support. They discuss the various options as well a...
Nov 15, 2019•1 hr•Ep. 18
This week, Annette continues her conversation with Eric Endlich of Top College Consultants. Dr. Endlich helps many students across the country navigate the college admission system, including those on the autism spectrum and those that have ADHD. Dr. Endlich and Annette are discussing college transition programs this week and whether a student is college ready or college capable. A student needs to ask themselves if they are in fact ready to attend college as well as living independently and see...
Nov 13, 2019•50 min•Ep. 17
Like so many people that Annette Hines has met on her special needs journey, Julie Gortze has turned her struggle into her life’s work and a mission to help others. Julie is the president and founder of Rare New England, an organization that provides support and resources for individuals and family members impacted by rare disease. Julie has personal experience with a complex disease and has learned first-hand what patients and families must deal with while searching for a cause for symptoms. As...
Nov 06, 2019•45 min•Ep. 16
In this short episode, Annette gets to answer a common question she gets from listeners of the podcast and readers of her book, Butterflies and Second Chances. How to move forward after the death of a loved one with special needs. Annette talks about the need to have a community with you at all times and the need to take a step back and examine your identity. Many people who have lost a loved one at an early age feel that their identity was shattered. And it’s a good idea to understand who you a...
Nov 01, 2019•9 min•Ep. 15
This episode, Annette has a conversation with David Greenwood, author of the book, Overcoming Distractions-Thriving with Adult ADHD. The book profiles many entrepreneurs around the county who have ADHD and have created successful businesses. Annette and Dave talk about how in some cases, a parent of a child can get frustrated and even lose hope when they have to work around or deal with challenging behaviors. And by reading the book that Dave wrote, they can begin to understand that there can be...
Oct 30, 2019•56 min•Ep. 14
Today, Annette sits down with MacKenzie Mahoney of Special Needs Law Group. Both MacKenzie and Annette talk about their experience in attending and sponsoring the Raise The Bar Conference that promotes employment for individuals with disabilities in Massachusetts. Annette and MacKenzie talk about current employment stats that apply to people with disabilities and the troubling trends associated with those numbers. They also talk about what’s being done at conferences such as Raise The Bar and so...
Oct 25, 2019•29 min•Ep. 13
Annette talks with Dawn Cordeiro this week about advocating for your special needs child. While some parents have very good luck navigating the educational system with their child, others run into many challenges. In short, some school systems “get it” and others require a strong parent to achieve the educational goals they want and need for their special needs loved one. Dawn Cordeiro has turned the many frustrations of navigating the school system into a passion and now helps other parents wit...
Oct 23, 2019•49 min•Ep. 12
This week, Annette speaks with Eric Endlich with Top College Consultants which helps a wide range of students navigate the college admission system, including those on the autism spectrum. One of the topics that Eric talks about right in the beginning is his own autism diagnosis later in life. He speaks about what it is like to understand that you have an autism diagnosis and the positive aspect of neurodiversity. He says that autism looks different later on in life and you cannot look at a pers...
Oct 18, 2019•48 min•Ep. 11
Robyn Powell is a former social worker turned disability rights attorney. She’s worked extensively in the fields of disability law and policy and has been published countless times in law journals and reviews. Her most notable publication is Rocking the Cradle which was published by The National Council on Disability. Annette and Robyn discuss some tough issues including reproductive law as it pertains to those with disabilities and how they feel some of these legal decisions need to be looked a...
Oct 16, 2019•47 min•Ep. 10
This week, Annette chats with Cathy Boyle of Autism Housing Pathways based in Massachusetts. The organization was created in 2010 as a way to assist families that needed help navigating the complex world of housing for their special needs family member. Cathy is an incredible resource when it comes to special needs housing and has enough information to fill many podcasts on the subject. Her and Annette covered many of the more important and confusing topics when it comes to housing. Cathy talks ...
Oct 08, 2019•52 min•Ep. 9
This week, Annette chats with Kirsty Russell, author, speaker and a special needs mom. Kirsty writes the very popular blog, Positive Special Needs Parenting and is an advocate for how parents work closely with school systems for the benefit of special needs children. She’s had numerous appearances on TV, radio and other media discussing her advocacy around special needs parenting. Based in Australia, Kirsty is often speaking to groups about how to navigate the school system. But her advice cross...
Oct 04, 2019•52 min•Ep. 8
Annette gives us a short snapshot of Disability Awareness Month which is October and all the conferences and groups that are available to special needs families. October is host to many awareness themes in the disability community and it’s also a time when conferences for special needs families get ramped up. Annette Hines is a regular on the special needs conference scene and talks about in this podcast, the available resources that are at your fingertips. The conferences that she sees out ther...
Oct 01, 2019•12 min•Ep. 7
Annette sits down to chat with Maria Hopfgarten, the author of the blog, Moments with Jacob. Maria lost her son Jacob to mitochondrial disease three years ago. Despite Jacob being very medically complex he lived for ten beautiful years. He fought every day to breathe, live, and spread happiness. He never uttered a word in his life, but he inspired more people than most of us will ever do. In this podcast, Maria talks about why she started the blog which in the beginning, was a communication tool...
Sep 27, 2019•44 min•Ep. 6
