Specialness Pod

We had plans. That sounds simple, but when you are raising a child with profound special needs, plans come with an asterisk. In this episode, we talk about the part of special needs parenting that is hard to explain to people who have never lived it. It is not just that your child’s future changes. Your future changes too. This conversation started with a reel that hit a nerve because so many pare...

When Cason started aging out of pediatric care, we thought the hardest part would be finding new doctors. We were wrong. The harder part was walking into the adult medical world and realizing how different everything felt. For years, pediatric specialists knew Cason, understood his history, and treated him like a whole person. Then suddenly we were in adult offices where the records had not always...

After one of our Instagram reels reached more than 180,000 views, hundreds of parents shared their stories, challenged the statistic, and started one of the most meaningful conversations we've ever had. In this episode, we revisit that viral reel, correct the misinformation, and talk about what the research actually says. More importantly, we talk about what the comments revealed. Special need...

After nearly a year away, we're back. What was supposed to be a simple three-day getaway turned into one of the hardest seasons we've faced as special needs parents. The day before our trip, our son Cason suffered a devastating ankle injury that required surgery and months of recovery. What followed was nine weeks of around-the-clock caregiving, medication complications, mobility challenge...

In this episode, we talk about the emotional aftermath of travel, how even the best vacations can take a toll—and what recovery looks like when you're caring for someone with special needs. From unexpected triggers to the slow return to normal, we share what it's really like behind the scenes.🌟 Special Shoutout:We want to take a moment to thank Special Soul Mama. If you're not already following h...

Buckle up—this is the one where everything went sideways. In this raw, emotional, and at times chaotic episode, Kim and Jeff recount a whirlwind 24 hours that took them from hopeful to heartbroken. What started as a routine trip to Houston turned into a spiral of medication issues, ER visits, and total emotional overload.🎙️ They open up about:* How quickly Cason’s behavior escalated* Their experie...

We’re calling this one Episode 8.5 — a special edition update from Jeff. Life doesn’t always go as planned — especially when you're raising a child with special needs. In this honest solo update, Jeff shares why there was no episode last week and what hit their family all at once:Kim’s melanoma diagnosis and emergency surgeryAnother frustrating Social Security denialA three-hour cardio-pulmona...

"It’s Mental Health Awareness Month… but where is the awareness?"In this powerful episode of Specialness, Kim and Jeff open up about the realities of living with mental illness in the family, especially when your child’s life is shaped by complex diagnoses like bipolar disorder, autism, and schizophrenia spectrum symptoms.💬 In this episode:✔️ Why Mental Health Awareness Month still feels invisibl...

"We’ve done everything right. But that still wasn’t enough."For over two years, Kim and Jeff Kribs have been fighting to secure basic SSI benefits for their son, Cason—who is intellectually disabled, legally under guardianship, and cannot live independently. In this explosive episode of Specialness, they read aloud from the denial letters, dissect inaccurate evaluations from government-appointed d...

"Autism destroys families."That’s what Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said—and we had to respond. In this powerful and emotional episode, Kim and Jeff unpack their reaction to RFK Jr.’s comments about autism, disability, and the value of people who won’t “pay taxes” or “write a poem.”💬 In this episode:✔️ The truth about what life is like for their family and for Cason✔️ Why “destroy” is a dangerous word✔️...

"We were doing everything we could for our special needs son… but what about his brother? "In this heartfelt episode of Specialness, Kim and Jeff open up about the emotional journey of raising their neurotypical son, Jackson, while navigating the chaos of parenting a child with severe special needs. 💬 In this episode: ✔️ How sibling jealousy, resentment, and isolation showed up ✔️ The e...

"When you’re raising a child with special needs, the whole family feels it."In this emotional episode of Specialness, Kim and Jeff open up about what it was like raising their younger son, Jackson, alongside his older brother Cason, who has complex special needs.💬 In this episode:✔️ How guilt shaped their parenting decisions✔️ The trauma Jackson experienced from a young age✔️ The surviv...

🎙 Specialness Podcast – Season 2, Episode 3What keeps a marriage alive when life gets unthinkably hard? For Kim and Jeff Kribs, it’s faith. In this deeply personal episode, they open up about how their belief in God has carried them through some of the darkest moments of parenting a child with special needs. From failed adoptions to brutal hospital nights, and even moments where they feared for th...

"We had dreams for our life, for our child, for our future… then reality hit." In this episode of Specialness , we open up about something every special needs parent feels—but not everyone talks about: grief . Grief for the child you expected, the life you imagined, and the milestones you’ll never experience. 💬 In this episode: ✔️ The moment we realized Cason’s life—and ours—would be di...

"The divorce rate for special needs parents is 87%. Here’s why we’re still standing." Welcome to Season 2 of Specialness ! One of the biggest questions we get is: How have you stayed married for 30 years while raising a special needs child? The truth? It hasn’t been easy. The stress, the unknowns, the financial strain— special needs parenting tests a marriage in ways most people will nev...

"When your special needs child becomes an adult, everything changes—but not in the way you expect." In this episode of Specialness , we’re reflecting on the last five years of Cason’s life—from turning 18 to where he is today at 23. Adulthood brought new challenges we never saw coming, from securing guardianship to transitioning into adult medical care. We’re sharing the realities of what happens...

"When Your Child Turns 18: Guardianship, Medical Battles & The Harsh Reality of Adulthood" "Becoming an adult means freedom—but what if your child will never be able to live independently?" In this episode of Specialness , we take you through one of the biggest transitions in Cason’s life—turning 18. But unlike most teens, Cason wasn’t preparing for college or getting his driver’s license. Ins...

"What do you do when you’re told your child is 1 in 740 million?" In this episode of Specialness , we dive into one of the most pivotal moments in our parenting journey: receiving the results of Cason's genetic testing. The discoveries? A rare chromosomal deletion (15q25.2), unknown mitochondrial mutations, and a list of conditions that left us with more questions than answers. 💡 In this episode:...

“We never imagined we'd be here—new medications, new doctors, and facing words we hoped we'd never hear." In this emotional episode of Specialness , we dive deep into the life-changing moment when our son’s diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder became a reality. As his hallucinations worsened and fear took over his daily life, we were forced to make the difficult decision of trying Clozaril, a pow...

When your child is in crisis, you expect the hospital to step in immediately—but what happens when you’re left waiting? In this episode of Specialness, we recount a terrifying hospitalization where our son Cason faced lithium toxicity, a life-threatening condition. Despite clear symptoms, the stigma of being labeled a ‘psych patient’ delayed his treatment for hours. It was up to us to advocate rel...

What would you do if your child began hallucinating and acting completely unlike themselves? In this episode of Specialness, Kim and Jeff share the raw and emotional journey of navigating their son Cason’s worsening symptoms, from intense fear and hallucinations to a medical crisis that led to his first hospital stay. They reflect on the hard decisions they had to make, the struggles of managing a...

Parenting a child with special needs is a journey unlike any other. In this episode of Specialness, Kim and Jeff recount the emotional rollercoaster of discovering their son Cason’s diagnoses, from ADHD to pediatric onset bipolar disorder. This is a raw, heartfelt account of perseverance, unconditional love, and learning to advocate for your child when the road ahead seems uncertain. 💬 In this ep...

Becoming parents is supposed to be a joyful experience—but what happens when the challenges feel overwhelming? In this episode of Specialness, Kim and Jeff recount the early days of parenting their adopted son, Cason. From the excitement of bringing him home to endless crying, sleepless nights, and navigating behaviors they didn’t understand, their story offers a raw and relatable look at the earl...

How do you move forward when life delivers the unimaginable? In this episode of Specialness, we open up about a tragedy that shaped the rest of our lives. Join us as we share the heartfelt story of how loss brought us together, taught us the power of connection, and prepared us for an even bigger journey ahead. 💬 In this episode: Recognizing the signs of someone struggling Finding connection thro...