Send us a text Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) take another rung on the ladder; this time the discussion focuses on guardianship. They introduce the two types of guardianship, discuss possible questions families should consider and the how guardianship effects personal decision-making. DISCLAIMER : This is not designed or intended as legal advice. Guardianship is just one of many tools in the transition toolbox; families need to do the research and may consider alternatives before ...
May 29, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Send us a text Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) interview Betsy Dooley, a retired teacher/transition coordinator. Betsy discuss her varied career, some of the difficult topics she had to talk about with families, her approach to having students understand their IEPs and so much more! Episode Keywords: students, transition, conversations, IEP, classes, work, family, coordinator, accommodations, high school, college, career, strengths, moving Links: Disability Support Services (for co...
May 15, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Send us a text Updated links 11/9/2024! Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue climbing the ladder by discussing the complexities of Supplemental Security Income (SSI). They lay out how adults may receive monthly payments, how eligibility starts at age 18 and includes automatic Medicaid. The conversation also covers preparation for SSI applications, the importance of housing agreements, and the role of a representative payee to manage funds. Join the conversation! Episode Keyword...
May 01, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Send us a text Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) interview Britt & Lauren Burr, founders of Barrier-Free, a program that incorporates theater arts to enrich the lives of of adults with disabilities. Lauren & Britt discuss the founding of Barrier-Free, why they do what they do, a few of the challenges and so many of their successes. Join the conversation! Episode Keywords: folks, neurodivergent, skills, transition, community, theater, program, Carroll County, navigate, work, p...
Apr 17, 2023•54 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Send us a text Updated Links 11/2024! Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) traverse the ladder; they drill down and do an overview of work programs offered by their school system for both non-diploma and diploma-bound students, the criteria including some of the expectations these programs have for their participants. Please Note : this is by no means intended to be comprehensive, simply just a conversation around some of the programs that one school system offers; of course there will ...
Apr 03, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Send us a text Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) move up another rung on the ladder, by giving an overview of the Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS). They discuss the five parts of the pre-employment transition services including the referral process, vocational rehabilitation and some of the differences in supports between agencies. Episode Keywords: student, DORS, counselor, services, transition, individual, disability, vocational rehabilitation, conversations, school, refe...
Mar 20, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Send us a text Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) interview Sarah Hammond, who works as an Adult Life Planner (under the Autism Waiver) for a private agency. Sarah shares insights on being a resource for families, person-centered planning, aspects of the job she loves in addition to the things that keep her on her toes. Join in on the conversation! Episode Keywords transition, families, work, support, person-centered planning, role, parents, adult, information, services, resources, cl...
Mar 06, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Send us a text Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) interview Jamie Brodnax who works as a Coordinator of Community Services. Jamie shares her insights into a world that so many families are focused on right now. We discuss what benefits coordinators offer to families, what self-direction looks like from a coordinators perspective, and tips/tricks that families can use to stay organized & stay ahead of the curve. Episode Keywords: support, transition, families, parents, coordinator,...
Feb 20, 2023•42 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Send us a text Due to a scheduling snafu, there will not be a "new" episode, per say. Instead, we've unearthed an artifact from the past; while at Towson, Patrick conducted a project interview with Meghan so as to learn more about transition (please note, Patrick received an A+++ on the project). Fair warning! the audio...sucks, but it's a decent interview and the information is consistent. So, enjoy this blast from the past; Boy oh boy, how far we've come! We will be back soon for our regularly...
Feb 06, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Send us a text Links updated 10/2024! Happy New Year! Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue their climb up the ladder, with Part 2 of their overview of the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA); the state agency that provides funding and services to eligible people with disabilities. They work to explain the difference between entitlement vs eligibility, more information on the differences between waivers and more. Keywords: young adult, DDA, transition, support, coor...
Jan 23, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Send us a text Links Updated 10/2024! Happy New Year! Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) climb another rung on the ladder, by giving parents an overview of the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA), the state agency that provides funding and services to eligible individuals. Keywords: DDA, young adult, application, coordinator, transition, families, parents, funding, supports, eligible, documentation, assessment, specialist, services, agencies Links: What is Developmental D...
Jan 09, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Send us a text Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) give parents an overview of what to expect from the transition process, starting in a student's freshman year of high school and working through to senior year (or the super-senior year). Episode keywords: transition, student, DDA, parents, conversations, SSI, young adult, coordinator, milestones, IEP, work, guardianship, ABLE account, disability, file, participate Links (updated 4/22/2024): - Where to Start - Acronyms & Definition...
Dec 26, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Send us a text Updated Links 2/24/2025! Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) work to explain timeline(s) for students aged 14 - 21. They emphasize the importance of long-term planning, using school resources, and attending transition fairs. They talk about key milestones like starting transition planning at age 14, involving students in school activities, and exploring work programs like Career and Community Exploration (CCE) and Work Study. Join the conversation! Episode keywords: DDA,...
Dec 12, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Send us a text Updated Links 10/2024! This is a re-upload of a previous chapter in keeping with our Transition101 series of informational episodes. #enjoy Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) work to explain the responsibilities of a Transition Coordinator, including student interviews, progress monitoring, data tracking and collaboration with teachers & service providers. The conversation also touches on the evolving IEP requirements to better integrate transition planning and the ...
Nov 28, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Send us a text Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) do a "soft reboot," by using a ladder metaphor and introduce some of the very basics around the transition process for parents and students. They discuss what post-secondary transition means, how middle school plays a part in the transition process and how parents should use research to aid in their understanding of the process. Episode Keywords: transition, information, talk, podcast, IEP, interest, students, prepare, freshmen, high s...
Nov 21, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Send us a text Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) interview Selina & Curtis Gray; they are foster parents to an adult with autism. They give insight and personal views on their post-secondary experiences; successes, warts and all. Episode Keywords: job, parents, agency, self-direction, teacher, people, client, Enclave, adult, school, work, students, food pantry Links: - AllAutismTalk Podcast - Self-directed (Maryland) Download a transcript of the episode here . PLEASE NOTE: We are...
Nov 07, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Send us a text Links updated 4/10/2025! Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) interview parent (and special educator) Pam Paris. Pam shares the story of her son Mark, who has autism. She talks about Mark's transitions in school programs, including their experiences with Academic Life Skills (ALS) and Project SEARCH and working to secure work. Pam emphasizes the challenges of transportation, job placement, and navigating government services like SSI and DDA. She highlights the importance...
Oct 24, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Send us a text Updated Links 10/2024! Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) work to explain the responsibilities of a Transition Coordinator, including student interviews, progress monitoring, data tracking and collaboration with teachers & service providers. The conversation also touches on the evolving IEP requirements to better integrate transition planning and the challenges of managing multiple stakeholders and information. Episode keywords: transition coordinator, long-term goa...
Oct 10, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Send us a text Links updated 10/2024! Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue their interview with Remy and Nick Nirschl, parents of a student with autism. They continue to give insight on their experiences as they prepare for post-secondary transition. We focus on a variety of topics and still find more than a few "rabbit holes." Join us as we walk with this family on their journey. Episode Keywords: parents, talk, resources, decision, guardianship, self-direction, research, flex...
Sep 26, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Send us a text Links updated 10/2024! Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) interview Remy and Nick Nirschl, parents of a student with autism. Nick and Remy give insight on their current experiences around post-secondary transition. The family discusses a wide variety of topics and find more than a few "rabbit holes." Join us as we walk with this family on their journey. Episode Keywords: SSI, parents, child, autism, school, transition, Maryland, ABA, life, intensive therapy, question, H...
Sep 12, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Send us a text (Updated audio 4/23/2024) Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss a working definition for post-secondary transition for families. They emphasize the importance of starting transition planning at age 14, with middle school teachers initiating discussions about career interests. They highlight the challenges families face, such as dealing with bureaucratic agencies and obtaining Social Security benefits. The podcast aims to provide practical advice and support, with f...
Aug 29, 2022•20 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) introduce their new podcast that focuses on transition for students with disabilities (and their families). They aim for 15-minute bi-weekly episodes featuring discussions on various topics related to preparing students for life after high school. This time, the spotlight is on Patrick; he shares his journey into special education, highlighting his early interest in helping those with unique needs and his educational path, including a...
Aug 15, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Send us a text Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) introduce their new podcast that focuses on transition for students with disabilities (and their families). They aim for 15-minute bi-weekly episodes featuring discussions on various topics related to preparing students for life after high school. Meghan, with 18 years of experience in the education system, shares her background, including her sister's journey through special education and her own educational path. From her story, Meg...
Aug 01, 2022•11 min•Season 1Ep. 1
