The Post Secondary Transition Conversation

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) had challenges around their school schedules, so a full discussion is still forth coming. Not wanting to leave listeners without new content, they have a quick chat about a resource from the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services that is linked to their parent website, www.postsecondarytransition.com. They discu...

Hosts Meghan and Patrick interview Donna Pidel and Adebayo Sodunke from “The Difference 2-17.” The discussion covers the program’s growth, focusing on self-direction, community building, and the importance of independence, relationships, and a supportive environment. They emphasize the program’s focus on personalized care, community inclusion, and giving individuals a voice, with a strong commitme...

This week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue to talk with Donna Pidel and Adebayo (Bayo) Sodunke from "The Difference 2-17." This time, their discussion focuses on The Difference 2-17's emphasis on personalized care, community inclusion, and the importance of giving individuals a voice; they stress the importance of being in the heart of towns for accessibility...

This week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) interview Donna Pidel and Adebayo (Bayo) Sodunke from "The Difference 2-17. Their discussion covers how the program focuses on self-direction and community building; emphasizing the importance of independence, relationships, and a supportive environment. They talk about how the program has grown from a small initiative to multiple site...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) invite Zabrina Kearns to have a discussion with them about what transition looks like for families in her New Jersey district. Zabrina shares out from her extensive background in special education, applied behavior analysis and her current roles as Work-Based Learning supervisor, & transition coordinator. The trio discuss the differences in transi...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue their conversation with educator, supervisor and transition coordinator Zabrina Kearns. They cover the importance of teaching soft skills like professionalism & interactions, the need for students to gain experience in various industries, the complexities of funding and the need for better communication with families about available resou...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) invite Zabrina Kearns to have a discussion with them about what transition looks like for families in her New Jersey district. Zabrina shares out from her extensive background in special education, applied behavior analysis and her current roles as Work-Based Learning supervisor, & transition coordinator. The trio discuss the differences in transi...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are back for Season 3! At the start of the upcoming school year, they continue their discussion of what transition can look like during junior year. They talk about considerations around applying for medical assistance and Social Security, healthcare transitions, the importance of financial planning, career exploration and never forgetting the importa...

As hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue to prep for their upcoming school year, they wanted to share out a conversation from their friend, Mary Cardle of the T21Mom Podcast . In Episode 90 of T21Mom Podcast, Mary talks with author Meeka Caldwell about her " My Friend Anian " book series. Meeka couldn't find any books about down syndrome and a black family, so she...

As hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are on break, they wanted to share out a talk they recently heard from Podcaster/Advocate/Educator & Parent, Ashley Barlow . In this recent talk from her own podcast, Special Education Advocacy with Ashley Barlow , Ashley, a special education attorney in Kentucky, muses on her own experiences with her son, Jack, and thinking about his future. S...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are taking off the month of August to prep for the upcoming season. In the meantime, here is the full discussion with Audri Levering , Transition Program Coordinator at Parents Place of Maryland (PPM). The conversation covers the resources available for families of students with disabilities through PPM and the importance of considering all options av...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue their talk with Audri Levering , Transition Program Coordinator at Parents Place of Maryland (PPM). They discuss options available to families as they consider guardianship. They talk about the need to create opportunities for individuals to make choices, the value of lessons learned from failure and avoid doing things for children with disab...

For Part 1 of a two-part discussion, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) take the opportunity to talk with Audri Levering , Transition Program Coordinator at Parents Place of Maryland (PPM). The conversation covers the resources available for families of students with disabilities through PPM and the importance of considering all options available to families when considering the future...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) shift their focus to the transition planning process as it continues to take shape in sophomore year (of high school). The conversation highlights the importance of opening an ABLE account, attending transition fairs and exploring school-based options such as work programs.  Additionally, they discuss various strategies for supporting diploma-bound an...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) hit #Episode50! Their  discussion involves the changes seen in the IEP over this past school year and focus their attention to the transition planning process as it begins to take shape in freshman year (of high school). The conversation highlights the need for families to explore state-funded agencies, keep track of documentation and familiarizing th...

This week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) have the opportunity to speak with Doug DeHaan, Director of the Hussman Center at Towson University. Together, they discuss the importance of understanding and supporting individuals with autism. They talk about how the Hussman Center offers safe spaces and activities for autistic adults to socialize and build connections, while also acknow...

This week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) jump states to sit down with Tim Markle and discuss the Wisconsin Integrated Transition Planning Project (WITPP). That collaboration brings together self-advocates, family members, and professionals with the goal of improving transition for young adults with disabilities, including advocating for a greater understanding and say in healthcar...

So, hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) had a scheduling challenge around their next discussion, so they'll need some more time 😞 In the interim, they thought it would be a good idea to push an "oldie but goodie." They have re-edited Ep 12 so that you get straight to their discussion about where to begin (starting in a student's freshman year of high school and worki...

Updated Information 12/16/2025! This week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are joined by fellow Transition Coordinator Meredith Gregoire-Cope. The dynamic three-oh discuss the importance of understanding the differences between diploma and certificate programs and creating personalized plans that prioritize the individual's goals and well-being. They cover the difficulties face...

Happy April Fools Day! But, no joke, we have another conversation for your listening ears. Pivoting from their recent parent interview, this week hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss Person Centered Planning (PCP). They'll cover the benefits establishing a Person Centered Plan can bring, clarify some of the roadblocks you might encounter and highlight some of the resources t...

This week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) return to finish their parent interview with Jane Plapinger. For this part of the discussion, Jane ruminates on things she wish she knew ahead of time, the importance of being flexible and her son David building an adult life. Please join in the conversation! Episode Keywords: agency, residential staff, families, experience, working, inform...

This week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) return to their favorite format, the parent interview. For this conversation, the duo welcome Jane Plapinger whose son David has autism and continues to work through the transition process. Jane discusses how she managed to navigate with her son including resources she found most helpful, challenges they faced and the little victories they...

This week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are joined by Occupational Therapist Laura Karp as the trio discuss the presence of functional IEP goals. The conversation covers defining functional goals, examples of what functional IEP goals could be and the role functional goals can play in the transition process for students with disabilities. There is so much more, so please join in...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) tackle another rung of the transition ladder. This week they discuss the role that families can expect a Coordinator of Community Service will play. They cover what happens at around age 18, discuss the "choice letter" and share out tips and tricks that can help families navigate the process of decision. Join the conversation! Episode Keywor...

Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) converse around the discussion of Health Care Transition. They talk about how things change at age 18, differences in adult care versus pediatric care, guardianship as it relates to healthcare and some alternative models that could be helpful. Empower your family with information and let's create a community of support! Episode Keywords: guardian...