Beyond the Spectrum.. every age, every need

What is an accredited investor & why should it matter to families that consist of caregivers, the neurodivergent, or the elderly? In the first of a series of episodes on money & special needs, Shawn & Brian discuss the current definition of an accredited investor, the pending legislation that could change that definition, & why or how that can affect underserved or marginalized com...

A life coach for special needs families, Susanna Peace Lovell returns to the show for the first episode of 2024 to discuss with Shawn & Brian, her new book, "Your True Self is Enough; Lessons Learned on my Journey Parenting a Child with Autism" which is available NOW on Amazon. https://www.susannapeacelovell.com/ Book: Your True Self is Enough: https://amzn.to/47FnaRW — eMail:wearejust...

Wife, Mother, Warrior, & Author, Kelley Coleman returns to the show to discuss the publishing of her first book, "Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child", which is EXACTLY what it sounds like!! All the things we wish we knew prior to diagnosis & all the things we wish to pass on to families who are new to the ever growing village. One that anyone who is blesse...

Larry Humphreys has over 20 years of experience in working with neurodivergent individuals. He found his love for working in this field as a co-teacher for a special education classroom at Julian Singer School in West LA. He obtained his Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and Master's Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from National University. Upon becoming...

You may know Greg Grunberg as an actor from his roles on TV  shows like Felicity,  Alias, & Heroes. Or you may know him from Star Wars films like The Force Awakens or  The Rise of Skywalker, or A Star is Born, or Steven Speilberg's The Fablemans. But more than that, Greg is a husband & a father to three. One of which is his son, Jake who was diagnosed with epilepsy. Greg is a caregiver...

To say that Fiona Gonzalez is a teacher, is like saying that a pterodactyl is a bird.. it's SOO much bigger than that!!!!!  How so? First of all, she's a moderate/Severe High School/Adult Transition teacher, with a Master's in education. She's also served as a vocational Program Specialist. Prior to that, she served as a special education paraeducator for various age groups. But sh...

Ryan Sheedy & Bret Koncak join Shawn & Brian to discuss their individual stories as well as what led them to create Mejo (https://www.mymejo.com/)...short for "Me journal", a web app that simplifies organizing, managing, & sharing medical & care information. Mejo is a platform that allows caregivers to share their child's journey beyond their diagnosis. Want to create l...

Tamara Mark is a single mother to two adult men on the autism spectrum. Along with her love, Marc Olson & Director Thiago Dadalt, she visits with Shawn & Brian to discuss her journey as a single mom, her return to love, & their powerful, new documentary film that tells it all, entitled…Beyond. Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/450...

Hasna Nada is a mother of 4, including a 6 & a 16-year-old son each diagnosed with Autism. She has been a passionate advocate for the last decade, bringing attention to the need for adequate services, inclusion, & acceptance of those with Autism, in Qatar & abroad. She is the founder of Child Development Center, the first multidisciplinary therapy center for children diagnosed with Aut...

Sara Kaufman & Natally Raisin visit with Shawn & Brian to discuss the passion they have for serving the underserved & how it led to the creation of Willowcrest School. Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/4505255944912896 Website: https://www.willowcrestschool.com/ — eMail:wearejusttwodads@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.c...

Shawn & Brian discuss the importance of self-care for caregivers on this week's episode. Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/4505255944912896 Mentioned: https://snnla.org/ https://www.yicunity.org/ Self-Care Tips: https://www.wearebravetogether.org/blog/caregiving-h32wf-hdpe3 Events:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sumday-is-today-tickets...

Michelle Wagner is a full-time realtor, mom, and award-winning author who dedicates her time and energy to charities and events supporting children with hearing loss. Michelle takes pride in assisting families as they work through the different approaches to raising a special needs child in a typical environment. She is the author of the bestselling, award-winning Mickey on the Move series. Want t...

In part II of our Back to School series, Frank Zankich joins Shawn & Brian. Frank is a kind man with a warrior's heart who, as an education Attorney, helps students with special needs fight for their educational rights. Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/4505255944912896 Website: https://zankichlaw.com/ — eMail:wearejusttwodads@gmail.c...

Bilingual Educational Advocate & warrior extraordinaire, Sandy Santeiro returns to visit with Shawn & Brian as the first of many guests in a two part "Back to School" series. What kind of things do I need to do to prepare my child & myself for the coming school year? How do I go about making changes to their IEP? Whether you're new to an IEP, attending a new school, or what...

Bret Lieberman returns as a guest to give us an update on Yes I Can Unity Through Music & Education's (https://www.yicunity.org/) program and upcoming Music and Arts festival in Santa Clarita, California called the Good Karma Festival in November. Want to create live streams like this? Check out StreamYard: https://streamyard.com/pal/d/4505255944912896 Event: https://www.goodkarmafest.com/...

Jessica Patay, wife, mother, & founder of the amazing non profit organization, We Are Brave Together, returns to the show to discuss among other things, membership having grown to over 2,000 moms in 50 states and 22 countries, their upcoming fundraiser, why caregivers need support and so much more. Website: https://www.wearebravetogether.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearebravetoge...

Life Coach for Special Needs Families, mother to a daughter diagnosed with autism, & friend of the show, Susanna Peace Lovell returns for a visit. Susanna, Shawn, & Brian discuss grief and emotions related to it as well as the manner in which our loved ones, as well as us, process, express, these feelings. Website: https://www.susannapeacelovell.com/ — eMail:wearejusttwodads@gmail.com Inst...

Jada Golden  visits with Shawn & Brian. She's a dynamic educator from Boston, Massachusetts who has recently established her independent practice here in Los Angeles, Educator at Large, INC, since January 2023. She is a licensed early childhood, ESL, and special educator with nationally certification in dyslexia intervention and parent advocacy. Her first love is classroom teaching but she...

Charmaine Carter & Nicole Hampton are the co-founders of Pace Run For a Cause (https://www.pacerunforacause.org/),a 501C3 non-profit organization, based in Southern California, who's mission is to create awareness & opportunities for those with disabilities. Charmaine, who serves as CEO has a passion to serve the underserved, and is herself, an inspirational example of purpose over tri...

She’ll NEVER drive a car. She WON'T live on her own. She’ll be DEPENDENT ON YOU AS HER PARENTS FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE. Sound familiar?  These are the words given to Brian Altounian & his then wife, when their daughter, Jordan “Jo” Quinones was diagnosed with a disability at the age of three. Why does she have a different last name? Because getting married is just ONE OF THE MANY things s...

Billy Dinnerstein & Rosemary "Roe" Brush, visit with Shawn & Brian to talk about their Barbershop in New Jersey called Your Kind of Cuts. The shop caters to those with sensory & special needs. Billy grew up in the foster care system, quitting school at the age of 16. At the age of 39, he got his GED & decided to attend beauty school, eventually holding various positions bef...

Sylvia Lopez, her home, & spirit are all a bastion of inclusion. Much of the credit goes to the home her parents provided and raised her & her siblings in. It’s also why she’s such a staunch advocate for the marginalized and underserved. She’s a wife and mother of four adult children which includes one daughter who is neurotypical & 3 boys who are each on the autism spectrum. Sylvia &a...

Shawn & Brian discuss the following: how do we address the birds & the bees with our children who have special needs, dating & being a single parent to a child with special needs, and transitioning from an adolescent to a teen, then a teen to an adult…on this edition of Just Two Dads. — eMail:wearejusttwodads@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/just_two_dads/ Podcast: https:...

Shawn & Brian discuss life, death, grief, & everything in between. How does a diagnosis affect life expectancy? How does that affect the way we live versus die? Today.. on Just Two Dads. — eMail:wearejusttwodads@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/just_two_dads/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/justtwodads LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justtwodads Facebook: https://www.faceboo...

Kyle Jetsel is the father of six children, two of which have been diagnosed with Autism. For years, Kyle & his now deceased wife Shelly, struggled with raising their sons on the spectrum. It was like they were being asked to take a test they knew nothing about, for a class they never took, on a subject for which there was no guide. If they failed the test, they felt they failed their children....