ABCs of Disability Planning

NuroLux is a movement to restore hope for families impacted by Autism by providing them with the team, clinical and educational technology tools, and a plan to light the path ahead. Their Logo & Alliance As reflected by the three hands protecting the heart in their logo, they believe a balanced Alliance between (1) the family, (2) the multi-disciplinary professional team, and (3) the community...

Around the world, children with Down syndrome are routinely abandoned and institutionalized for life. This widespread problem seems overwhelming, but there is hope. RODS Heroes wholeheartedly believe that when you become actively engaged in good work, whether that be adopting a child or helping create opportunities for others to adopt, you will witness miracles. People will help you, partnerships...

The Special Abilities Network (SAN) is a team of financial planners who are members of the special needs community professionally and/or personally. They’ve made it their life’s work to empower families in the special needs community because they understand what it means to wake up in the middle of the night with fears of the future.  The founders of SAN prefer the term “special abilities” ra...

What is FD/MAS?  The name of this condition, Fibrous Dysplasia/McCune-Albright syndrome (FD/MAS), can sometimes be confusing. Some people only have affected bones, in which case it might be called FD. When bones and other tissues are affected, it is called MAS. Since both FD and MAS are caused by the exact same gene mutation, and since many people with FD also have other tissues involved, the...

Nolu is a new kind of dating app specifically designed for people living with disabilities providing a fun, safe, and inclusive community for dating. It's a cultural movement, an equal opportunity for romance, love, and companionship. Nolu is open to all and welcomes everyone looking for emotional inclusion! It was designed to cater primarily, but not exclusively, to the needs of people with d...

Dr. Susan Bernstein is a Certified Divorce Coach and Certified High Conflict Divorce Coach with a specialty in Post Divorce Recovery and Transition and Post Separation Abuse, she will help you go through the changes of divorce with ease. She helps clients achieve their goals and get to where they want to be.  Susan helps many clients who want to get out of toxic relationships get what they need an...

zPods - "Dream, Play, Sleep" zPods is the first U.S.-based company to provide kids with a customizable, sensory-friendly sleeping pod. These regenerative spaces come jam-packed with intelligent lighting control, white noise generation, Bluetooth speakers, and more. zPods believes children can find better sleep with these tools, helping parents sleep better. The American Academy of Family Physician...

" Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse " Dawn M. Barclay is an award-winning author who has spent a career working in different aspects of the travel industry. She started as an agent with her parents’ firms, Barclay Travel Ltd and Barclay International Group Short-Term Apartment Rentals, and then branched out into travel trade r...

Stephen Beard is a Real Estate Agent, Accessibility Specialist, and host of the " Accessible Housing Matters " podcast. We talk about the challenges individuals face with disabilities when trying to find not only affordable but accessible housing. If you're interested in more episodes about housing, I have links to several of Stephen's shows we mentioned below. How Tennessee integrates enabling te...

Koolway Sports designs and manufactures outerwear for individuals with disabilities, enabling them to achieve their maximum level of independence in all aspects of their life! Learn more:  Website: https://koolwaysports.com/ Facebook: @Koolwaysports Twitter: @Koolwaysports Email: info@koolwaysports.com Phone: 905-493-3188 Lori's Voice - https://www.lorisvoice.org/ Runway of Dreams - https://w...

Debra Ruh is a Master when it comes to Disability and Inclusion. Her accomplishments are many and varied. They include:   - Working as a consultant for UN ILO Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN)  - Partner with ztudium and citiesABC  - Expert Partner with The Valuable 500  - Global Speaker for the US State Dept  - Expert technologist and communications inclusion expert   She's author...

Autism Doesn’t Need To Mean Loneliness. Live The Social Life You Deserve. Jeremy Hamburgh invites you to learn more about My Best Social Life - https://mybestsociallife.com/  Most social strategies just don’t work for people with autism. Dating sites. Social networks. Online forums. There are millions of options. And yet 91% of people on the spectrum will never find someone special. Jeremy teaches...

Unicorn Children's Foundation is an international non-profit organization dedicated to children and young adults with developmental, communication, and learning disorders through education, awareness, and research so that they have every opportunity to lead productive and fulfilling lives. They are dedicated to cradle-to-career pathways for kids and young adults with developmental differences...

My PowerPak is a community-based digital platform that empowers you to give and receive extraordinary support when life throws a curveball. It provides a one-stop, holistic tool kit with more of the resources necessary to grow, engage and coordinate with your care community in one simple and secure place by bringing the caregivers (Guardians), care-receivers (Champions), and supporters together in...

We all stress about work, relationships, health, and other daily life struggles, but we don't always have someone to talk to or someone who understands and is willing to listen. That's what led to the creation of Supportiv. Supportiv is a live chat 24/7 where you get matched with others facing similar struggles in a small group, making it easier than ever to talk to people who can relate t...

Judie Holleman, APRM, PCNP-BC, CPNP-AC, CCRN, is a Nurse Practitioner for the Margaret Hackett Family Program. During this interview, we explore what the Margaret Hackett Family Program (MHFP) does and how families can advocate for themselves. I feel it's important to stress this program is available to ANYONE from ANYWHERE in the country.  Through a generous donation from the Margaret Hackett...

Robin Matusow served Florida's students for over 30 years. She collaborated extensively with government agencies at the local, state, and national levels. Her experience includes designing and administrating Career Technical Education programs that put people with disabilities to work, assisting both private and public systems with issues of compliance and increased profitability. She specializes...

Phil Vetrano ("Coach Phil") started Planning & Vision to help families and students optimize their investment in College and give them a career planning competitive edge. He uses strategic and data-driven methods to identify each prospective student's best college fit. The place they can thrive academically and socially while keeping to the family budget.  Planning & Vision delivers e...

The company's Founders, Chris Olmanson and Marissa "Missy" Pittard, have personally and professionally witnessed the challenges families face when trying to find providers and services. Their Mission is simple, but not easy. "Create a world in which every parent can sleep well at night knowing they’re doing all they can to set their child up for a happy and healthy life." Beaming Health wants to b...

As an SLP and BCBA, Rose has focused exclusively on autistic learners for more than 20 years in both public school settings and private clinics. Seeing a need for tools to help families, she created The Action Builder Cards and Double Up Life Skills Game . In addition to working within the Ohio school system, she offers consultations to families and professionals. She hosts The Autism Outreach pod...

Many of our children are served by nonprofits, but who is helping those who help us?  " There is a Leadership Crisis in the developmental disabilities field that is a result of increasing demand for high quality, responsive, services for adults with developmental disabilities occurring at the same time as the leaders of organizations and programs dedicated to the provision of those services a...

Kim Martin is a trusts and estates attorney based in Georgia whose practice focuses on estate planning for families with a special needs family member. Her areas of expertise also include guardianship, divorce settlement agreements in cases that involve a special needs child, and tax planning. Our conversation focuses on the dangers of using conventional child support and life insurance provisions...

Officer Laurie Reyes and Jenn Lynn join me to talk about how to interact with Law Enforcement when your child has an intellectual and/or developmental disability. It's important to introduce your children to your local officers and make sure they know your child's characteristics. Unfortunately, there may be departments that have not been trained. This doesn't mean they are out for you...

Kim Albrecht is the host of the award-winning disability podcast LOMAH. Like many parents of children with disabilities, she and her husband, Tom, had questions about Miranda’s (their oldest daughter) future. Some of those questions include “where will she live”, “who will care for her”, and “where will she find her joy”? Over the years she has shared their journey openly through the LOMAH podcast...

Maxwell Ivey is an inspirational and motivational personal coach who also runs a business buying and selling carnival equipment and amusement park rides. A native Texan, Max loves to sing and spend time with his unique and crazy dog, a “Greymation” named Penny (half Greyhound, half Dalmatian). Reading, singing, and blogging are among Max’s favorite things to do. He especially enjoys helping others...