Water Prairie Chronicles Podcast

Show Notes: In this episode, we take a tour of the new location for Gigi's Playhouse Raleigh, a non-profit organization that provides support, resources, and programs for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. We speak with volunteers and staff to learn more about the impact Gigi's Playhouse has on the Down syndrome community. Additionally, we sit down with Michelle and Matthew Schwab,...

Show Notes: In today's episode, your host, Tonya Wollum, interviews Amit Chawla, a software product manager and founder of a financial planning company. Chawla has two sons, one of whom is autistic, which led him to become a certified financial planner and chartered special needs consultant. Throughout the interview, Chawla shares his experiences of raising his son on the severe side of the autism...

Show Notes: In this video, we sit down with Stacey Short, a mother who has raised a medically fragile child and found herself losing her sense of self as she took on the responsibility of caring for her son with Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID). Stacey shares her experiences, insights, and struggles as a parent of a medically fragile child, including how she coped with the stress, uncertai...

Show Notes: In this episode, Tonya continues her conversation from Episode 52 with Amanda Owen, author of the Owen the Wonderer book series and founder of the non-profit, Puzzle Pieces. Owen is the main character of the children's book series, which includes real people from Amanda's life. The series aims to start conversations about inclusion and acceptance of individuals with disabilities, and e...

Show Notes: In this episode of the Water Prairie Chronicles podcast, host Tonya Wollum interviews Amanda Owen, founder of the nonprofit organization Puzzle Pieces. Amanda shares her personal journey of growing up as a sibling to a brother with a rare disability and how it has impacted her life. She talks about the emotional impact of having a sibling with a disability, the challenges and joys that...

Show Notes: Join us on a journey to the heart of the North Carolina State Fair where we witnessed something truly special. In this episode of Water Prairie Chronicles, we explore Access ABILITY Day, an event that's all about creating a sensory-friendly event that provided inclusion for special needs families. Hear from families who took part in the event and learn about the Chill Out Zone, a speci...

Show Notes: Imagine not being able to tell time, count money, or do basic math in your head. For people with dyscalculia, these everyday tasks can be a real challenge. In this video, we're going to take a deep dive into dyscalculia and explore its causes, symptoms, and potential solutions. Michelle Steiner joins Tonya to talk about her experiences with dyscalculia and other invisible disabilities...

Show Notes: This is the second half of my recent conversation with Felicia Aquilo, the mother of two young boys who were born profoundly deaf. She and her husband, Steve, have faced the challenge of giving their boys the gift of sound; equipping them with cochlear implants, teaching them to speak as well as sign language, and helping them appreciate music and other sounds. Join us as we hear from...

Meet Felicia Aquilo, a mother of two boys who were born profoundly deaf. With loving guidance and unwavering support, Felicia and her husband embarked on an amazing journey to bring their boys the gift of sound through cochlear implants. What started out as an uphill battle is now a turning point - Felicia's sons are thriving in their new life with sound, learning to speak, and harnessing the powe...

Meet Lenora Edwards, Chief Knowledge Officer for Better Speech - a revolutionary online speech therapy company dedicated to helping children use language effectively! Lenora has years of experience when it comes to analyzing the differences between analytic language processors and gestalt language processors. In this interview, she reveals her expertise on the matter, as well as a fascinating look...

Show Notes: Feeling overwhelmed by the costs of managing your child’s disability? Do you ever worry about how your child might have enough savings when they’re older? You're not alone! The NC ABLE program is making it easier for people with disabilities to achieve financial independence. Learn how your child can benefit from this awesome opportunity during this episode of the podcast. Kristen Merr...

Show Notes: Join us as we learn more about how Virtual Reality rooms in schools can help children overcome challenges with social and emotional struggles. Ange Anderson has worked in the field of special education and used virtual reality with many children to help them overcome fears and help them feel more comfortable in everyday situations. Connect with Us: https://linktr.ee/waterprairie Suppor...

Show Notes: Do you know what training is needed to get a guide dog? What’s the difference between a guide dog and a service dog, and how does a guide dog know where to go if their person is blind? Tonya and Ed McDaniel discuss these questions and many more as Ed shares his story of adopting Serina, his guide dog, and what he’s learned over the past year since he adopted her. Ed is a runner, and th...

Books on Disability and Inclusion Show Notes: This special collaboration of children’s literature authors features childrens books about disabilities and inclusion. This collection of books about disabilities for kids will be a great asset to any child’s personal library, but it is also a wonderful list of books to give to teachers for their classroom library. Connect with Us: https://linktr.ee/wa...

How does NF2 change your life? Show Notes: Peter Burton joins the podcast today to discuss how neurofibromatosis type 2 has changed his life. Peter openly shares his advice for someone going deaf as he talks about what happens when you go deaf. This honest conversation covers questions such as should you disclose you are deaf on a job applications, deaf accommodations at work, and what tools help...

Show Notes: Did you know your premature baby can communicate with you? How do you know if your toddler should be talking yet? Do only young children develop a stutter? Why would a speech-language pathologist work with an adult? In this episode of the Water Prairie Chronicles, Tonya interviews Jackie Gradnigo, a Speech-Language Pathologist in Louisiana, about her job as an SLP and how she works wit...

Show Notes: Ariel was a 6th-grade student who began to show signs of struggling with her schoolwork. When her mother took her to be evaluated for learning differences, she was told her daughter would not be able to complete regular school graduation and to plan for her to follow an alternative educational path. In today’s episode of the Water Prairie Chronicles, Ariel tells her own story of how Dy...

Show Notes: The state fair is always a fun time no matter what state you live in, but for families with children with disabilities, it isn’t always an option. The NC State Fair has created a special day where they have created a more sensory-friendly environment for fairgoers called their Access ABILITY Day where they’ve modified some of the noise and lights as well as provided space for quieter a...

Show Notes: Parents of deaf and hard of hearing children have concerns about their children’s safety both when they are young and when they’re older. Cindy and Heather Phillips join us again in this episode to talk about life after high school. They both share advice for deaf students, parents of deaf children, and teachers who work with deaf students. If you missed the first part of the interview...

Show Notes: If you’ve been following the podcast, you met Cindy and Heather Phillips in episode #36, and we’ll continue their interview in episode #38. If you’re new to the podcast, welcome! I wanted to share a story about what happened after I interviewed Cindy and Heather. I don’t want to give away the rest of their story, but Heather shared something during the 2nd half of the interview that ma...

Show Notes: Do you know how to tell if your baby is deaf? Do you know what questions you should be asking your doctor? Our guests today are a mother-daughter duo, Cindy and Heather Phillips, who join us to talk about how Cindy and her husband have raised 2 deaf children and some of the decisions they’ve made to help their children become successful adults. This is the first of a 2-part interview....

Show Notes: September 22 is World Narcolepsy Day Let's join together and celebrate World Narcolepsy Day by learning a little about what narcolepsy is and how it affects those who live with it. After having the opportunity of interviewing 3 different people with narcolepsy this year, I've learned a lot about it and some of the challenges it presents. If you haven't heard those interviews, I'll list...

What does a child with autism do after high school? Show Notes: Have you ever wondered what activities are available for a child with autism? Our guest today has a 20-year-old son with autism. Katia shares her journey of learning to parent a child with autism and how she made decisions throughout her son’s childhood starting with a disagreement with the doctor about a diagnosis and her son’s need...

Show Notes: Our guest during this interview is Kenya Gradnigo, a social worker and a member of the board for Project Sleep. Kenya shared information about being diagnosed with narcolepsy as a young child and some of the lessons she’s learned on how to manage life with narcolepsy. Contact Project Sleep: Kenya's Instagram: @unapologetically_ken Project Sleep Website: https://project-sleep.com Naviga...

Disability Awareness Show Notes: Do you have a child with a disability? Have you ever thought about how others might view a disability? Can you tell your child how to explain their disability to their friends? Our guest for this episode is Gabriella Tiberio, a teenager who has created what may be the best representation of disabilities we've seen! She may be young, but she understands what it mean...