The Post Secondary Transition Conversation

Back in 2023, we had the opportunity to talk with Mary Cardle for her T21Mom Podcast . Mary was kind enough to let us share out this episode as we are polishing off Q1 of the 2026-27 school year. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we had in talking with her. Do NOT forget to check out Mary's podcast as its a wealth of information and great discussions in support of the Down syndro...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) talk with podcast host and advocate Hunter DeMarcy about his work on A Talk of Carroll Podcast , where he connects with people in the neurodivergent community to promote understanding, advocacy, and inclusion. Hunter, who has autism, shares his experiences in Target Community’s day program, living independently in an apartment, and helping create a pa...

This week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue their talk with podcast host and advocate Hunter DeMarcy. Hunter speaks about his participation in Target Community’s day program, independent living in an apartment, and helping to create a participant committee to improve services & represent neurodivergent voices. Hunter also shares about his love of sports, his ideas for th...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) have a discussion with Hunter DeMarcy about his work as host of A Talk of Carroll Podcast , where he speaks with people connected to the neurodivergent community to foster understanding, advocacy, and inclusion. Hunter, who has autism, shares about his advocacy for better participant experiences through his day program and independent living expereinc...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) have an in-depth conversation with Lavonne Smith, a parent of an adult with special needs. Ms. Lavonne shares her son Thomas’s journey from exploring different work experiences in high school to securing long-term employment at Weis Markets . She reflects on how supportive managers, community involvement, and opportunities tailored to Thomas’s strengt...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) kick off Season 5 with Thomas Smith, a former student and adult with special needs who has worked at Weis Markets for 16 years. Thomas discusses on his various roles, customer interactions, and experiences training new employees. He also shares stories about his favorite coworkers, his Special Olympics adventures, and the upcoming events he’s most exc...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) speak with Beth Brady, director of admissions and student services at Sunflower Bakery, about the organization’s programs for young adults with disabilities. Beth explains how students build soft skills and technical expertise through culinary arts, pastry arts, hospitality training, and immersive commercial-kitchen experiences. Drawing on her backgro...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) finish the second part of their discussion with Beth Brady from Sunflower Bakery. Beth explains the individualized support provided to students, including behavioral strategies and progress charts. Drawing from her education background, Beth also highlights the importance of simplifying expectations, providing visual aids for inclusive employment and...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss the Sunflower Bakery program with Beth Brady, their director of admissions and student services. Established in 2009, the bakery serves young adults with disabilities through culinary arts, pastry arts, and hospitality programs. With a background in behavioral intervention, Beth walks through the program's structure including the imporata...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are joined by special needs financial planner Betsy Larson for a discussion on financial and estate planning for families of individuals with disabilities. Betsy explains the importance of planning for a "three-person" retirement, using tax-efficient strategies, trusts, ABLE accounts, and her "bucket plan" to provide long-term fina...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue their discussion with special needs financial planner Betsy Larson. This weeks discussion focuses on views on guardianship and emphasizing the need for individualized approaches. Betsy stresses the importance of the letter of intent, which includes financial, medical, and personal details, to ease transitions. Betsy also highlights the role o...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are joined by Betsy Larson, a financial planner for families with special needs. Betsy emphasizes the importance of planning for a "three-person" retirement, considering the needs of both parents and their child with disabilities. Betsy talks about her "bucket plan," (categorizing funds into now, soon, and later) to manage finances...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss Endorsements (new in the state of Maryland) for students who are presently on the certificate track. The duo talk about how endorsements include community and citizenship, career and work readiness, post-secondary education and how competencies can be documented through various sources like IEPs, classroom assessments, and work evaluations. Me...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) revisit earlier discussions and chart the transition planning process across all four years of high school, highlighting how supports, planning, and responsibilities evolve for students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and their families. Beginning with freshman year, they discuss understanding the IEP process, learning transition-related...

This week, Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are in "teacher-mode," putting the finishing touches to their quarterly progress notes. So this week, their posting a "throwback" discussion (from 2023 with some updated audio). They sat down with Liz Burley, a transition consultant and retired teacher/transition coordinator with 40 years of experience, to explore her path int...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) have a discussion with Travis Anderson, an electrician with 20+ years of experience and currently an adjunct professor at a local college. Travis emphasizes the importance of high expectations for students with disabilities and the need to dispel the stigma around trades jobs. Travis highlights the significant earning potential in trades, and also dis...

For this weeks conversation, Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss special needs planning. They emphasize the importance of updating wills, highlight the complexities of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). They also cover some of the basic differences between special needs trusts and ABLE accounts, stressing that both are essential f...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are joined by Support Broker Jamie Brodnax to examine the far-reaching impact of proposed Medicaid budget cuts on self-directed services. The discussion explores potential policy changes, including potential caps on Person-Centered Plan funding, significant wage reductions, elimination of wage exceptions, and shifts that may minimize key roles like th...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue to discuss the impact of proposed budget cuts on self-direction services with friend-of-the-pod and Support Broker Jamie Brodnax. The trio cover how the Day-to-Day Administrator role may be minimized due to unexpected service growth and funding shortfalls. The conversation highlights the challenges families face in understanding and adapting...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are joined by friend-of-the-pod and Support Broker Jamie Brodnax. Together, they discuss the potential impact of Medicaid budget cuts on self-directed services. Jamie explains the possible reduction for the coming fiscal year, which could limit services and wages. Jamie talks about some proposed changes that include a cap on Person Centered Plan-appro...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) revisit a Season 2 parent interview with Jane Plapinger, improving the audio and combining the two parts into one conversation. Jane shares her experiences supporting her son David, who has autism, as he transitions into adulthood. The conversation covers helpful resources, challenges the family faced, and the small victories along the way. Jane also...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss the complexities of guardianship; they highlight the importance of understanding legal capacity and exploring alternatives like supported decision-making. They note that voting rights exist under guardianship and also cover reasonable accommodations, such as having a support person in court, and the role of Medicaid-authorized representatives....

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) take a few minutes to reflect on their journey, now in the fourth season, and the diverse topics they've covered, including interviews, info sessions, and timelines. They celebrate reaching 94 episodes and 5,000 downloads (noting that most podcasts don't even go past 7 episodes). They express gratitude for their global audience, mentioning d...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss summer opportunities for students with disabilities, emphasizing the importance of considering alternatives to Extended School Year (ESY) programs. They highlight the benefits of work and volunteer experiences, mentioning resources like DORS and local workforce development programs; they even discuss sleep-away camps as a way to foster indepen...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) speak with Kelly Nelson about ABLE accounts, highlighting how they allow individuals with disabilities to save money without affecting SSI, Social Security, or Medicaid eligibility. The conversation covers key features such as tax advantages, online setup, gifting options, prepaid cards, and financial literacy tools, as well as the importance of openi...