The Lucky Few

Alright friends, you asked for it.. and now it’s time to talk about potty training! And who better to learn from than Dr. Lina Patel? (Psychologist, DS expert, and author of Potty Time for Kids with Down Syndrome: Lose the Diapers, Not Your Patience). She’s breaking it all down for us today.. because there’s more to potty training than we even realize (hint: medical challenges, cognition, language...

Alright friends, it’s time to talk SOCIAL STORIES, those magical little books that help our kiddos with Down syndrome understand what’s expected of them in a new environment. Social stories are game changers when it comes to managing behaviors and transitions.. but don’t just take it from us. We have a social story expert on the show today! Dr. Lina Patel is a speaker, consultant, researcher, prof...

Whether you’re a few weeks or a few days into #BACKTOSCHOOL season, you might be feeling it. And by ‘it’ we mean allll the feelings and stress that you’re child is experiencing as they get used to their new classroom.  We know we are. That’s why today we’re giving you a (very real) update on how our kids (and us) are doing. We’re talking non-negotiables for our child’s education, how other ki...

We talk a LOT about inclusion. But why? Why is it important to us to fight for it? Does it actually make a difference in our kids lives? In the lives of their peers? (Yes!) Today we have an inclusion expert.. former teacher + mother to 4 (and all around education rockstar) Kristin Enriquez, back on the show! She’s giving us practical tips to “create a level playing field” at your next IEP meeting,...

Looking for practical tips to prepare for this school year?! Look no further. Ashley Barlow is a lawyer, former teacher, member of federal and state DS advocacy boards, and basically an expert in all things IEPS and special education. She’s here today with 3 practical ways to prepare for the school year.. that you can do while watching TV (yay!). Plus she’s sharing her wisdom on least restrictive...

Well friends it’s officially #BACKTOSCHOOL season and we’re here with your (unofficial) guide to all things inclusion, IEPS, + more! But first, we’re kicking things off with a Q & A featuring questions from all of you! We’re chatting about covid safety measures, talking to your child’s classroom about DS, and what to do when you don’t feel confident in your decisions.. like at all. With our di...

After over a year of social distancing, many of us have finally started traveling again! But when it comes to vacationing with kiddos who have Down syndrome, there’s so much more to consider! After Mercedes’ daughter Sunny took an emergency trip to the hospital, we figured what better time to have a conversation about keeping our children safe and healthy while traveling.. and WHO better than Dr....

We’ve all felt that sense of anxiety as we prepare to bring our children with DS to a new activity. How much can we expect the people in charge to support them? Are staff members prepared to support a child with a disability? Is the parent responsible for sticking around and teaching everyone else how to interact with their child? How can inclusive spaces work if the adults in charge aren’t equipp...

Meet Sara and Sabrina. They are mothers raising children with Down syndrome who have made it their mission to use social media to educate fellow lucky mamas on feeding strategies. They run the account Able Appetites that focuses on “resources and community for parents feeding kiddos with DS. Support in transition from breast, bottle, or tube feeding to solid foods.” And today, they’re here to answ...

The last thing Wendy Lacey thought she would do is open a general store in the middle of downtown Montclair, New Jersey. But after raising her daughter with Down syndrome and realizing that “once you finish high school, there’s a cliff to fall off” for students with disabilities, she knew she needed to create an inclusive space for employment. And that’s how Cornerstone General Store came to be. I...

If you’re like us, you may have felt the need to take control and schedule ALL the therapies once you received your child’s DS diagnosis. Suddenly, you’re spending most of your time driving to different appointments and constantly wondering how you can give your child all the opportunities they need.  But, it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s another way to parent your kiddos with Down syn...

Friends! We are so excited to introduce you to Johanne Meyer! She’s an adult woman with Down syndrome, mentor at a community college, and (maybe most importantly) a dog mom! When she’s not spending time educating and encouraging college students with disabilities, she’s volunteering at a dog rescue, or recording episodes for her own podcast: Inclusive Views! We’re so grateful she joined us today t...

Have you ever gone to a birthday party,  a summer BBQ, or a coffee shop and just felt your shoulders up the entire time? Maybe you even noticed that your child has their shoulders up too.. But have you ever been to a meet-up with other families who have kids with Down syndrome? Have you felt the sense of peace come over when you realize everyone will understand if your child takes off one too...

When Jeremy’s family realized that he needed a place to live at age 22, they visited a few local group homes, and soon realized, this model just wasn’t the right fit. Jeremy’s older brother Nathaniel had a vision of his younger brother with DS living like he always had.. included, supported, and autonomous. After being mainstreamed in school his whole life, the thought of Jeremy being secluded in...

“Scoot closer in and sit next to me while I tell you the story of my friend Macy..” Friends! “Different— A Great Thing To Be” by Heather Avis is out right NOW, and we’re celebrating with a very special interview featuring none other than the entire Avis crew! That’s right, Heather is joined by her husband Josh and their three kiddos, including Macy— the star of the book (who also happens to be tur...

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there shouting the worth of your kiddos! We’re here today with a very special episode from a couple of our favorite fathers (but we might be biased) - Josh and Chris! That’s right, Micha and Heather’s husbands are taking over to chat about all things fatherhood.  And they’re not holding back! They’re here to share advice for new dads, how they support th...

You might have seen the popular social media trend where people describe a relatable situation and others know exactly what they’re talking about - or at least that’s what we think it means.. So we’re here with a fun game of “tell me you’re raising a child with Down syndrome without telling me you’re raising a child with Down syndrome.” If you are parenting a kiddo w/DS, you might relate to the en...

Elana Meyers Taylor is a three time Olympic medalist and a two time women’s world champion (woah!) in bobsledding. She also happens to have the cutest little training buddy.. her son Nico, who has Down syndrome! Elana gave birth as the pandemic began and between receiving Nico’s diagnosis and raising a baby in the middle of quarantine (all while continuing to train for the Olympics) her journey ha...

We love our friends with Down syndrome (many of whom have been on this show) who are doing BIG things in the world! Representation is important and we are cheering them on! But what about the people with DS who aren’t running marathons or starring in movies? Does society see them as important too? Or does our world only see people with DS as valuable when they accomplish something big? There is a...

When Oliver and Hilda Bernier began filming what they thought would be a documentary about inclusive education, they couldn’t have predicted the end result. Now, their film “Forget Me Not”  just premiered as the headliner of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York, and for good reason. “Forget Me Not” is the incredible story about the rights of disabled students in New York's public...

If you’re anything like us, then the thought of your child’s financial future might be a little (okay a LOT) scary. But it doesn’t have to be, thanks to Catherine Beck and the MANY parents who advocated for The ABLE Act for over 10 years before it was finally passed into Congress. The ABLE Act ensures that people with disabilities can save money in a tax advantage account for necessary supports su...

If you have a loved one with Down syndrome, you’ve probably heard about low muscle tone, gross motor skills, physical therapy, and more.. but what does it all mean!? Do all children with DS need physical therapy? When do we start? When do we stop? So many questions! That’s why we are so grateful to be joined by Dr. Emily Heisey, a pediatric physical therapist, and the owner of kinesiokids.com ! Sh...

Hello and happy (early) mother’s day to you all! We are celebrating with a very special treat.. our OWN mamas have joined us for this episode to chat all about being grandparents to children with Down syndrome. They’re sharing their initial reactions to learning of the DS diagnosis/adoptions, what they wish they knew in the beginning, and what they’ve learned so many years later. We’re sending lov...

“There’s not a right way to have worth.. you just have worth.” - Heather Avis. We’re honored to chat once again with Gail Williamson who has been showing the media the worth of actors with Down syndrome for many years! It all started when her son Blair auditioned for a running commercial.. he’s built quite the acting career since and so has Gail - but in a much different way! She developed the chi...

Friends! It’s April and you know what that means.. Autism Acceptance Month! So we sat down with our very own Micha Boyett to discuss the last 18 months after receiving her son Ace’s ASD diagnosis. We’re also asking tons of questions about ABA therapy.. Should we do it? What will the impact be? And most importantly, WHY do we put our children in therapies at all? Plus, we’re sharing some recommenda...