Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss a summer checklist for families navigating the transition process. They talk updating DD (Developmental Disabilities) information, ensuring recent assessments/IEPs, connecting with other parents for advice, and researching community services. They emphasize the importance of creating a home folder for documents, understanding timelines with coordinators, and exploring volunteer opportunities to build work skills. All this and ...
Jul 07, 2025•19 min•Season 3Ep. 80
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) chat with Jamie Brodnax, a former Coordinator of Community Services who now runs her own Support Broker agency. They break down the differences between support brokers, CCSs, and administrators, and explore the broker’s role in self-directed services—from attending PCP meetings and budgeting to supporting families in setting goals and navigating policy changes. Jamie also shares tools she uses to stay organized, tips for handling staf...
Jun 30, 2025•41 min
Send us a text In this second installment, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss the role of support broker with Jamie Brodnax. They talk about assisting families with person-centered planning (PCP) and self-direction, emphasizing the importance of understanding family needs, identifying goals, and managing funding. Jamie highlights the use of various tools to help keep her sane including apps and trackers. Jamie also addresses the challenges of staffing issues, advocating for c...
Jun 23, 2025•25 min
Send us a text In this first installment, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss the role of Support Broker with Jamie Brodnax, who recently transitioned from Coordinator of Community Service (CCS) to running her own Support Broker agency. The team of three work to clarify the differences between support brokers, the CCS & day-to-day administrators. They emphasize the support broker's role in self-directed services, while Jamie explains some of the tasks her position asks for...
Jun 09, 2025•18 min•Season 3Ep. 77
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) work to broadly discuss transportation and travel training for students with disabilities, while recognizing its a tricky topic due to regional differences. They highlight the challenges families face in getting students to jobs and community activities, they explore school-provided travel training, public transportation options, and the importance of etiquette and safety on buses. They mention resources like the Regional Transportati...
May 27, 2025•24 min•Season 3Ep. 76
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) share a resource page they put together for their Post Secondary Transition website: Transition Tools. A few of the page's highlights cover the ABLE account (a tax-advantaged savings account for disability-related expenses), Comprehensive Transition Program (designed for adults with intellectual disabilities), Digital Portfolios (showcasing student achievement) and more. Join the conversation! Episode Keywords: Transition tools, ABLE ...
May 12, 2025•11 min•Season 3Ep. 75
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) have gone back and combined two previous discussions about Maryland's Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) and, at the same time, cleaned up the audio a bit. We emphasize the importance of completing a DDA application by age 14, including necessary documentation. We cover how the application process involves assessment and determining the young adult's support needs. We work to explain the difference between entitlement and...
Apr 28, 2025•39 min•Season 3Ep. 74
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss the eligibility categories for Developmental Disabilities (DD) agencies and what that means for families. They talk about the distinction between "Future Needs" and "Current Request" levels. They cover the "Supports Only" designation, and how that can require additional documentation. Additionally, they also touch on "Crisis Prevention" and "Crisis Resolution" for urgent needs, highlighting the importance of gathering comprehe...
Apr 21, 2025•16 min•Season 3Ep. 73
Send us a text Typically, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss aspects of the transition process. However, this week Patrick is on his own to discuss a local business fair organized by Meghan and co-worker Erin Bourque (also a Transition Coordinator). The business fair highlighted businesses that support individuals with disabilities and emphasized the importance of visibility and opportunity for people with disabilities. Join the conversation! Episode Keywords: disability comm...
Apr 07, 2025•11 min•Season 3Ep. 72
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue to play catch-up with their schedules. In the meantime, we thank Dr. Katie Healey for letting us "borrow" one of her episodes from the Disability Daily Podcast; the podcast works to shine light on figures or events in disability history each day. From February, Katie talks about Dr. Ray Curzwell and the impact his inventions have had on modern society and good old "honest" Abe Lincoln, whose personal experiences and policies ...
Mar 24, 2025•9 min
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) have a short discussion on the importance of financial literacy for students with disabilities, noting a common stigma that they cannot manage their own money. They emphasize the shift from handling cash to using debit cards and the need for basic financial education. Practical strategies include community-based instruction, involving students in household financial decisions, and using chores and allowances to teach budgeting. They h...
Mar 03, 2025•12 min•Season 3Ep. 71
Send us a text Host Meghan (Smallwood) and (Patrick Cadigan) discuss estate planning for individuals with disabilities, focusing on ABLE accounts and special needs trusts. They review how ABLE accounts, available in over 45 states, can be used for various expenses like transportation, medical bills and education. They also cover how a special needs trust is managed by attorneys to ensure funds are used for a beneficiary's sole benefit and other useful information. Join the conversation! Episode ...
Feb 17, 2025•12 min•Season 3Ep. 70
Send us a text Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) have re-cut their 2022 parent interview with Nick and Remy Nirschl, whose son Rich was preparing to transition out of the school system. The Nirschls share their journey, including Rich's early signs of autism, the challenges of getting a diagnosis, and their experiences with various educational and therapeutic programs. They emphasize the importance of early intervention, the benefits of SSI (Supplemental Security Income), and the dec...
Feb 03, 2025•38 min•Season 3Ep. 69
Send us a text For this week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) focus more at a local level to discuss resources around Assistive Technology (AT). They emphasize the importance of understanding AT needs which can range from low-tech to high-tech. They highlight local resources and some of the benefits they can provide. They also parallel their conversation with some potential supports for home modifications for families in need. Join the conversation! Episode Keywords: assistive tec...
Jan 20, 2025•20 min•Season 3Ep. 68
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan), take a few minutes this week to highlight a resource to locate Rehabilitative Agencies. They emphasize the need for families to research specific states as each has its own eligibility criteria and service offerings; VR agencies typically provide job training, assistive technology, and career counseling. Join the conversation! Episode Keywords: vocational rehabilitation, developmental disabilities, job placement, assistive technology...
Jan 06, 2025•6 min•Season 3Ep. 67
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) have a discussion with Cody Leach, a movie review YouTuber with 176k+ subscribers, about his journey to becoming a full-time content creator. Cody discusses the importance of focusing on a niche, managing negative feedback, navigating challenges like copyright issues and YouTube’s complexities. Cody also shares advice for aspiring YouTubers on content planning, balancing creativity with business, and building resilience in the face of...
Dec 30, 2024•50 min•Season 3Ep. 66
Send us a text This week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) finish their discussion about the challenges and realities of becoming a YouTube content creator with Cody Leach. Cody shares his experiences around copyright issues (even when using royalty-free music!) and the complexities of YouTube admin and copyright laws. Cody shares insight on his monthly content planning process, advice for aspiring YouTubers including understanding risk, maintaining a thick skin against negative fe...
Dec 23, 2024•26 min•Season 3Ep. 65
Send us a text This week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) feature a conversation with content creator Cody Leach. Cody's YouTube channel boasts 175k subscribers and he shares his journey to becoming a full-time YouTube content creator specializing in movie reviews. Cody emphasizes the importance of focusing on a niche, differences in sound for video-only content, the challenges of dealing with negative feedback and differences between live streaming and pre-recorded content. Join ...
Dec 09, 2024•27 min•Season 3Ep. 64
Send us a text This week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) conclude a series of discussions charting transition through school years. For senior year, they differentiate between diploma-bound students and those on a certificate track. Key points include finalizing student-centered transition plans, participating in transition meetings, and ensuring students are aware of their accommodations and supports. They also stress the importance of building a support network and self-advocac...
Nov 25, 2024•23 min•Season 3Ep. 63
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) had challenges around their school schedules, so a full discussion is still forth coming. Not wanting to leave listeners without new content, they have a quick chat about a resource from the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services that is linked to their parent website, www.postsecondarytransition.com. They discuss the importance of developmental disability (DD) agencies and highlight that each s...
Nov 11, 2024•6 min•Season 3Ep. 62
Send us a text Hosts Meghan and Patrick interview Donna Pidel and Adebayo Sodunke from “The Difference 2-17.” The discussion covers the program’s growth, focusing on self-direction, community building, and the importance of independence, relationships, and a supportive environment. They emphasize the program’s focus on personalized care, community inclusion, and giving individuals a voice, with a strong commitment to accessibility and being centrally located. Challenges discussed include maintai...
Nov 04, 2024•52 min•Season 3Ep. 61
Send us a text This week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue to talk with Donna Pidel and Adebayo (Bayo) Sodunke from "The Difference 2-17." This time, their discussion focuses on The Difference 2-17's emphasis on personalized care, community inclusion, and the importance of giving individuals a voice; they stress the importance of being in the heart of towns for accessibility and how that is essential for inclusion. They cover overcoming challenges including maintaining qua...
Oct 28, 2024•32 min•Season 3Ep. 60
Send us a text This week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) interview Donna Pidel and Adebayo (Bayo) Sodunke from "The Difference 2-17. Their discussion covers how the program focuses on self-direction and community building; emphasizing the importance of independence, relationships, and a supportive environment. They talk about how the program has grown from a small initiative to multiple sites, with strong partnerships. They highlight the significance of building a community that ...
Oct 14, 2024•23 min•Season 3Ep. 59
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) invite Zabrina Kearns to have a discussion with them about what transition looks like for families in her New Jersey district. Zabrina shares out from her extensive background in special education, applied behavior analysis and her current roles as Work-Based Learning supervisor, & transition coordinator. The trio discuss the differences in transition programs and outcomes between states, the importance of independent living skill...
Oct 07, 2024•52 min•Season 3Ep. 58
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue their conversation with educator, supervisor and transition coordinator Zabrina Kearns. They cover the importance of teaching soft skills like professionalism & interactions, the need for students to gain experience in various industries, the complexities of funding and the need for better communication with families about available resources through local DD and VR agencies. Join the conversation! Episode Keywords: DVRS,...
Sep 30, 2024•32 min•Season 3Ep. 57
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) invite Zabrina Kearns to have a discussion with them about what transition looks like for families in her New Jersey district. Zabrina shares out from her extensive background in special education, applied behavior analysis and her current roles as Work-Based Learning supervisor, & transition coordinator. The trio discuss the differences in transition programs and outcomes between states, the importance of independent living skill...
Sep 16, 2024•22 min•Season 3Ep. 56
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are back for Season 3! At the start of the upcoming school year, they continue their discussion of what transition can look like during junior year. They talk about considerations around applying for medical assistance and Social Security, healthcare transitions, the importance of financial planning, career exploration and never forgetting the importance of those basic independent living skills (for all levels). Join the conversation....
Sep 02, 2024•27 min•Season 3Ep. 55
Send us a text As hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue to prep for their upcoming school year, they wanted to share out a conversation from their friend, Mary Cardle of the T21Mom Podcast . In Episode 90 of T21Mom Podcast, Mary talks with author Meeka Caldwell about her " My Friend Anian " book series. Meeka couldn't find any books about down syndrome and a black family, so she decided to write her own. It's an open conversation about race, down syndrome and having representat...
Aug 26, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Send us a text As hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are on break, they wanted to share out a talk they recently heard from Podcaster/Advocate/Educator & Parent, Ashley Barlow . In this recent talk from her own podcast, Special Education Advocacy with Ashley Barlow , Ashley, a special education attorney in Kentucky, muses on her own experiences with her son, Jack, and thinking about his future. She talks about the importance of building skills and habits for independent living, c...
Aug 12, 2024•17 min
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are taking off the month of August to prep for the upcoming season. In the meantime, here is the full discussion with Audri Levering , Transition Program Coordinator at Parents Place of Maryland (PPM). The conversation covers the resources available for families of students with disabilities through PPM and the importance of considering all options available to families when considering the future of children as they grow into adults....
Aug 05, 2024•53 min•Season 2Ep. 54
