The Lucky Few

Dr. Karyn Harvey is a psychologist, author, trainer, speaker, and EXPERT in the field of psychology, intellectual disability, and trauma. Have you ever thought of the trauma that individuals with intellectual disabilities face each day? The examples are endless.. a negative diagnosis experience, being excluded, or even being placed in an institution. Today Dr. Karyn Harvey is on the show to teach...

Last week we had an important conversation with Dr. Michael Rafii all about the link between DS and Alzheimer’s disease. If you’re still processing everything you learned from that interview, that’s okay. Sit down with the three of us + our good friend Kandi Pickard (CEO of the National DS Society) and we’ll talk through it together! How do we confront medical discrimination? Where can we get invo...

As we continue this season on brain health, its time to dive deep into the link between Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome. It’s not an easy topic.. and that’s why we are so grateful to have Dr. Michael Rafii with us. He’s a physician-scientist whose research focuses on developing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, including a genetic form that occurs in people with Down syndrome. Dr. Rafii is...

Last week, we heard from motor planning expert, Brooke Poston, so today the three of us are diving deep into our experiences of apraxia with our own children! Here’s what we’re chatting about: When are children aren’t cooperating, is it actually a behavior problem or an apraxia challenge? Do they need ABA therapy or motor coaching? How can we implement these motor planning techniques all day every...

Have you ever found yourself asking your child to do the same thing over and over again? Why won’t they just stand up and put their shoes on? Why do they hit so often for what seems like no reason? Today is your crash course in motor planning and apraxia, where we’re diving deep into how the brain + body connection impacts behavior. We have Brooke Poston (Clinic Director and Spellers Method Practi...

Ellie Goldstein is the first person with Down syndrome to ever be on the cover of British Vogue. She’s also the first person with DS to ever be on the show, “Strictly Come Dancing” — basically UK’s equivalent of “Dancing With The Stars!” Naturally, the internet has A LOT of opinions about it. Today we’re diving into a Facebook post full of ableist comments disguised as empathy. And we’re wondering...

Welcome to a new season of the podcast and happy Down Syndrome Awareness Month! Or should we say DS Acceptance Month?! The advocacy language has definitely changed over the years. Lets talk about it. Here’s what you can expect this week: How did DSAM become a thing? (Huge shout out to all the advocates who blazed a trail back in the 80s!) What are we doing to celebrate this month? (Hint: not much!...

Today we’re talking about the people and places where we can keep our shoulders down and know that our children with Down syndrome will be accepted no matter what. Join us as we chat about: Our stories of how we first connected with the DS community Online connections vs in-person connections (Why does this one feel so much harder sometimes?) Why is it important to build relationships with other f...

Having a child with Down syndrome means you’re always learning about something new! And today’s topic is: oral facial myofunctional therapy.. a technique used to improve the way our mouth and face muscles work! We have Irene Iskander (dental hygienist + lucky mama) on the show today to answer all of our questions: Why is mouth breathing so common amongst individuals with DS? What are the long term...

Friends! Have you listened to The Telepathy Tapes Podcast? In this show, creator and host Ky Dickens explores the “profound abilities of non-speakers with autism - individuals who have long been misunderstood and underestimated.” Let’s talk about it: Have we experienced a shared consciousness with our own children? Is telepathy possible? Why are people having such a hard time believing the stories...

Sid Ghosh is 18 (going on 81) years old and he just published his first full length book of poems with a major poetry company. He’s been given extraordinary praise from renowned authors, and us too of course! Here’s what we’re talking about today: Sid’s poems about his profound experience the world, as an autistic adult who has Down syndrome and uses a communication board (Spellers style!) Why it’...

Oxford Dictionary defines ableism as: “discrimination in favor of able-bodied people.” And on today’s episode, we’re defining ableism with our own examples: When someone is shocked by our child’s capabilities When someone is suprised by our strong connection to our children When someone volunteers for a disabilities organization believing they’re a hero A lot of ableism is just actions and systems...

After so many years in the Down syndrome community, we’ve had our fair share of surprising and even disappointing experiences with other advocates. The more we put ourselves out there, the more opportunity there is for disagreement. So what happens when there’s division amongst mothers in the Down syndrome community? Join us for a chat about: Unwritten rules and competition.. what happened to coll...

Summer isolation for our kids with disabilities.. It’s not fun to talk about.. which means we probably should. Lets unpack it: Why is no one reaching out to our children to hang out over the summer? What happens when full inclusion during the school year still doesn’t foster meaningful friendships for your child? What do we do with these feelings of loneliness? How do we talk to our kids about thi...

In this current political climate, one of our goals is to keep you all up to date on the legislature that impacts our community. So friends, its time to talk about the “Big, Beautiful Bill” and how it will affect individuals with Down syndrome. We are SO grateful for an incredible guest to help us out. Sean Feely is the new Director of Advocacy and Policy at the National Down Syndrome Society and...

We’re talking about a not-so-fun part of summer today.. summer school! Specifically, extended school year (ESY) for our children with Down syndrome. What is extended school year? Is it necessary? Are our kids in ESY this summer? Will our kids regress if they don’t go to summer school? Or is traveling/playing throughout the summer also a beneficial learning opportunity? This is an interesting conve...

Welcome to a new season of The Lucky Few Podcast! We’re starting off strong with an episode all about… diversity, equity, and inclusion. Because these are more than just buzz words, friends. Let’s talk about it: What is DEI? What is it NOT? Recent changes to DEI standards.. have we seen these changes in our own lives? The intersection of race and disability We’re also introducing our guest host fo...

What happens when you mix a fierce sibling bond, a deep love for storytelling, writing, advocacy and a chicken named Rosemary? You get today’s episode of The Lucky Few Podcast! We’re joined by the incredible Melissa Hart , author, educator, journalist and big sister to Mark, her brother who has Down syndrome. This episode is full of heart, humor, and hope—plus a reminder that inclusion starts at h...

It’s 2025 and there are a few things we know are true… The world is chaotic. And we NEED more compliments. That’s why our very own Heather Avis wrote her new children’s book, “I Like You So Much: Celebrating What Makes You, You!” We’re chatting all about the inspiration for this book and more today! What’s the difference between saying “I like you” and “I love you?” When’s the last time you gave a...

Well friends, we’re 300 episodes into the podcast and we finally figured out a way to keep track of just how long we’ve been doing this.. and no its not our neck wrinkles! Lets go behind the scenes today as we reflect on the last 7 years. We’re chatting about: What has changed in our lives (and the world) since starting the podcast? What have we learned (and unlearned) along the way? What are our...

If you’re a parent, you’ve likely wondered.. Should I let my child use this public restroom on their own? Is my child able to handle these kitchen tools? Can I let my child attend this sleepover? And if you’re a parent to a child with a disability, you might have even more fears around these risky activities. It’s time for a conversation about reasonable risks for our kids with Down syndrome. Here...

Overwhelmed by all the news lately? Us too. That’s why Ashley Barlow (@thecollaborativeiep) is back on the show today to breakdown all of the changes to the Department of Education and the impact on students with disabilities. Here’s what we’re discussing today: ​Budget cuts and the impact on early learning for students with disabilities (no more Head Start program in 2026?!) ​Pros and cons of sch...

Picture this: your child with Down syndrome tells you they want to play a sport. You sign them up for the local team, drop them off at practice, and pick them up without any difficulties. Everything goes smoothly… But that’s not always reality is it? Lets break down the complexities of extracurricular activities today: How to ask for accommodations that promote safety, respect, and inclusion Separ...

The Avises are back from an 18-day European vacation with tips, tricks, and travel stories for all of us. So Heather and Josh are here today to answer all the questions: How do you “lean in” to surprising (and sometimes frustrating!) moments with your kids? What to do when your family vacation doesn’t look like other families? What are your major tips for traveling with kids/teens who have Down sy...

How many nights per week would you say your child (with or without a diagnosis) sleeps well? We asked our audience and discovered that sleep is a struggle for a LOT of us! So if you’re feeling like you’ve already tried all the online hacks but your child still wakes you up at the same time each night, this episode might have a new tip for you! Here’s what we’re covering today: What’s the biggest s...