Advocate Like a Mother Podcast

Today on the show we have Larkin O'Leary and Harmony Harvell from the Non Profit, Common Ground Society. They are both former educators and are both raising a child with a disability. We love the work these ladies are doing and we know you will too! CONNECT WITH LARKIN & HARMONY COMMON GROUND SOCIETY CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Guest host Amanda Garzon, Chief Operations Officer of the Hydrocephalus Association, is joined by Eileen Rodger and Melenie Dailey, mothers of young-adult children living with hydrocephalus. Bringing twenty years of their shared experiences navigating the medical system with their medically complex children, Amanda, Eileen and Melenie share stories and lessons learned on advocating effectively with doctors and in the hospital setting. CONNECT WITH AMANDA HYDRACEPHALUS ASSOCIATION CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Today we have Jayci Dalrymple who is advocating for people with Down Syndrome to be able to receive Organ Transplants. She lives in Montana with her family and on Feb. 8, a bill nicknamed “Griffin's Law” passed the Montana Senate 50-0. The bill is named for Griffin Dalrymple, whose mom, Jayci, right, campaigned for legislation that would ban physicians from denying an organ transplant based solely on a patient's disability. Read More here: https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/push-is-on-for-states-to-ban-organ-transplant-discrimination/article_f481ad1c-6755-5368-a876-73451c4f50df.html CONNECT WITH JAYCI JAYCI ON INSTAGRAM CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Today on the show we have Allison Hertog, an attorney and former special ed teacher, is passionate about advocating for students with disabilities because she was once one, herself. before becoming a lawyer, she earned a masters degree in special education and taught children with varying special needs. Allison's experiences as a special needs student and as a teacher make her a highly unique lawyer in the field or special education. She's won or settled every case she's filed. Allison shares about her diagnosis journey, she offers us plenty of advise for navigating assessments whether your child is a part of the public school system or charter homeschool and much more. Also, California parents can sign up for a free consultation at MakingSchoolWork.com, so check that out. CONNECT WITH ALLISON OFFICIAL WEBSITE CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Today on the show I sit down with Rachel who goes by Raya Horcher. She is a mother of two, a certified holistic resilience coach, and advocate for the rare Elhers-Danlos Syndrome, and her mission is to walk with, educate and provide resources as people journey into and through their vulnerabilities and find their own light and joy to live a life that feels good. You can learn all about her and more at www.rayalife.life In our conversation we talk about her families rare diagnosis, how she makes herself available as a safe space to process through the dark times and hard seasons, and she reminds us of how life takes place one breath at a time as we navigate the challenges and uncertain when raising a person with a disability. CONNECT WITH RAYA OFFICIAL WEBSITE RAYA ON INSTAGRAM CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Lindsey Strickland of Worth the Conversation joins us this month in observation of Child Abuse Awareness month. Lindsey spends her time with us sharing abuse prevention tools and strategies, the type of circumstances we should avoid and be aware of, and the types of questions we should be asking caretakers or organizations when placing our kids in their care. Lindsey is an adopted mother to her child Ben who has Down Syndrome and raises her family in Washington. LITTLEST WARRIOR | www.littlestwarrior.com Say it loud with our inclusive Tee's! PROMO CODE: ADVOCATE - CONNECT WITH LINDSEY WORTH THE CONVERSATION WEBSITE LINDSEY ON INSTAGRAM CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Today we have Breggett Rideau, who is a mom to her son Terrance, grammy nominated vocal Jazz artist, and pioneered legislation in Texas to add cameras to the classroom. Breggett Rideau had been lobbying the Texas Legislature for several years to require school districts around the state to install and operate video cameras in some special education classrooms if requested by parents, a trustee or a staff member. Connect with Breggett directly at breggett@yahoo.com. Also, check out the Cameras in Special Needs Classrooms Facebook Group here: https://www.facebook.com/CamerasInSpecialNeedsClassrooms CONNECT WITH BREGGETT EMAIL BREGGETT CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Today on the podcast we are joined by mother and advocate, Elisabeth Parker. Elisabeth lives with her family in Portland as a Noonan Syndrome Advocate, she is a yoga instructor, and also the founder of @Move2Advocate that provides Rare Disease Mamas, Advocates and Friends with inspiration, accountability, and empowerment for self-care through all things movement. CONNECT WITH ELISABETH ELISABETH PARKER OFFICIAL ELISABETH ON INSTAGRAM MOVE 2 ADVOCATE CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Ben and Laura are the founders of Jonas Paul Eyewear and join me for a conversation about raising their son Jonas who was born blind, a result of a rare eye condition called Peters anomaly. We discuss life before and after diagnosis, how community changes with family changes, and they offer some advice if you're thinking about starting an organization or company in response to your child's diagnosis. In addition, Jonas himself takes a moment to join us on the show and you don't want to miss what he has to share with us! A couple house keeping items, for those of you that have submitted to be guests on the show, hang tight, we are actually still catching up as we've received a TON of requests. We will be in contact in the next couple weeks to get you scheduled. IF you are a company or a business who is looking to partner with a podcast to showcase your product or brand, please head over to our website to inquire. This week's episode is sponsored by Littlest Warrior. Use Promo code: "Advocate" at checkout for a discount! www.littlestwarrior.com CONNECT WITH BEN & LAURA JONAS PAUL EYEWEAR JONAS PAUL INSTAGRAM CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Host of the Finding Happy Podcast, Sinead Quinn and Author of Special, Melanie Dimmett, take over the show today for our Guest Hosted episode this month! They discuss the dynamics of grief, how vulnerability plays a part in the early stages of parenting, and how they continue to find motivation in their ongoing advocacy efforts. **THIS WEEK'S SPONSOR | MINILAND DOLLS Children's toys and products made for a more open, inclusive and diverse world. Buy now on Amazon! CONNECT WITH SINEAD & MELANIE SINEAD ON INSTAGRAM MELANIE ON INSTAGRAM SINEAD OFFICIAL MELANIE OFFICIAL CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Today we offer you a special bonus episode that requires your attention. We speak with Julie Payne Neward and Marisol Rubio who have proposed to very important legal resolution for legislative consideration including 1) For increasing Caregiver support and 2) Exposing disability sexual assault history within state and federal funded organizations by means of releases 10 years of secret settlement lawsuit details. SIGN CAREGIVER RESOLUTION HERE SIGN SECRET SETTLEMENT TRANSPARENCY RESOLUTION HERE LEARN MORE or to sign as an elected official or political leader at www.marisolandjulieadvocate.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

We're celebrating Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day this week on March 25th, and we're so excited to share that occasion this week with Nicole La Ha Zwiercan. Nicole is Mrs. USA Universe 2018, a parent advocate to her daughter with Cerebral Palsy, blogger at Its Simple to Be Kind and more. In this episode, Ileana De Sosa and Nicole share a conversation about life and mind transition once becoming a parent to a child with Cerebral Palsy, how they celebrate when grocery stores and parks provide proper equipment, and they discuss how every space needs efforts for inclusion and advocacy & much more. **Thank you to our sponsor for this episode, Hertog Education Law at http://www.makeschoolwork.com. Schedule your free consultation if you live in CA. You can also reach out to Allison directly via phone at 213-290-3137** CONNECT WITH NICOLE NICOLE ON INSTAGRAM ITS SIMPLE TO BE KIND BLOG CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Welcome to our first branded content episode, paid for and presented by Miniland Educational. These episodes are curated and designed by the brand to bring you a conversational experience to hear about their company and products. We invite you to check out what our sponsors are all about, as they keep our show on the airwaves! Check out Miniland Dolls and their other products at https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/C24D59BB-8CB8-46ED-A7D6-6DD6CA840EC4. Learn more about sponsoring Advocate Like a Mother Podcast and creating your own branded episode like this one at: www.advocatelikeamother.org/sponsor --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

As we approach World Down Syndrome Day at the end of this week (3/21/21), we are joined by the first woman with Down Syndrome to complete the Austin Half Marathon, Kayleigh Williamson and her mother Sandy. Since then, Kayleigh has completed many half marathons and will attempt her first full marathon this year. She is also the author of the children's book, It's cool to be me. In our conversation we discuss her health and life before becoming a running athlete, the people in her life that continue to motivate her toward her goals, and Sandy offers advise for parents supporting and raising their person with Down Syndrome. **SHOW SPONSORS >>> Allison Hertog, ESQ - Make School Work Schedule your free consultation if you live in CA. You can also reach out to Allison directly via phone at 213-290-3137. http://www.makeschoolwork.com Miniland Dolls Children's toys and products made for a more open, inclusive and diverse world. Buy now on Amazon! CONNECT WITH KAYLEIGH KAYLEIGH ON INSTAGRAM ITS COOL TO BE ME BOOK ITS COOL TO BE ME FACEBOOK CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Today on the show Marine wife and mother, Valli Gideons. Valli Gideons is the author of the children's book, Now Hear This and writer at MyBattleCall.com and parent to two deaf teenagers. Valli spends her time writing about navigating through the fog of raising kids with cochlear implants and other things from the heart. We chat about her diagnosis story and experience as a hearing parent to deaf kids, the home dynamics of raising children with cochlear implants, and she offers me (Andy) advise on how to emotional engage language as a parent to a child who is not deaf, but on a lifelong journey to overcoming her speech delay. **Thank you to our sponsor for this episode, Hertog Education Law at http://www.makeschoolwork.com. Schedule your free consultation if you live in CA. You can also reach out to Allison directly via phone at 213-290-3137** CONNECT WITH VALLI GIDEONS MY BATTLE CALL VALLI ON FACEBOOK BOOKS AND RESOURCES CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Today we are joined by our friend, Megan DeJarnett. Megan is the founder of No Such Thing, a company with a mission to help others redefine purpose by removing defining labels. As an author, she is currently producing a series of children's books including No Such Thing as Normal. Megan was diagnosed at the age of 2 with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). With a tremendous faith in God and the love and support of her family, Megan lives life determined to experience life to the fullest and choose joy over despair. In addition to being an author, Megan is a speaker, a wife, a mother and was crowned Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee. **Thank you to our sponsor for this episode, Hertog Education Law at http://www.makeschoolwork.com. Schedule your free consultation if you live in CA.** CONNECT WITH MEGAN DEJARNETT NO SUCH THING WEBSITE MEGAN ON INSTAGRAM CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

We are excited to release our first Guest Hosted Episode! In this episode, our hosts will take a back seat and pass the mic to one of our beloved members of the Down Syndrome community. On today's show Liz Plachta, founder of Ruby's Rainbow, interviews Kelle Hampton, author of New York Time bestseller Bloom: Finding Beauty In the Unexpected and fellow Vice President of Ruby's Rainbow. They share the touching stories of their experiences on the road together, the transition from surviving as a parent to a child with a disability to advocating in their everyday lives, and they discuss profound simple realities of the small steps they took toward making a difference in their lives, that then effected others in positive and beautiful ways. Want to become a Guest Host? Sign Up Here CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org CONNECT WITH LIZ & KELLE RUBY'S RAINBOW KELLE HAMPTON OFFICIAL LIZ INSTAGRAM KELLE INSTAGRAM --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Our friend Tameka Diaz spends some time with us on the show sharing about her experiences with grief and how important it is to develop a self care regiment. She goes into detail about a never before shared experience in her own life that stopped her in her tracks before things could have gone terribly wrong. Tameka's conversation is filled with grace and space for those who've hit rock bottom and need that empathy to cry, scream, and shout out the hurt. And, there's hope on the other side. Tameka Diaz is a mother to three girls: Luna, Evely and Skye. At birth Evely was diagnosed with bilateral anophthalmia meaning she was born with no eyes. Evely also has an undiagnosed genetic condition. - CONNECT WITH TAMEKA OFFICIAL WEBSITE TAMEKA ON INSTAGRAM CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org PATREON | Patreon.com/advocatelikeamother --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Today on the show, Sarah Dhooge shares with us about her experience as an SLP and her unique approach to her clients, industry in B.C., and how it effects her day to day life with her 3 boys. Sarah is a paediatric Speech-Language Pathologist who specializes in naturalistic developmental interventions to help support the communication development of children with speech and language delays. Currently living in the Okanagan Valley with her Craft Beer enthusiast husband, Sarah is a mother to three {wild} boys and a retired-therapy dog named Bear. CONNECT WITH SARAH DHOOGE OFFICIAL WEBSITE SARAH ON INSTAGRAM CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org PATREON | Patreon.com/advocatelikeamother --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Amy Webb joins the podcast today and spends some time sharing her journey toward speaking up for inclusion for her daughter "Lamp" (Not her real name) who was born with a condition called microgastria and limb reduction complex. In addition, we revisit some blog content she previously wrote as a way to look at what's changed in her life and how we can observe that as a mirror to see our own prejudice and we talk about the practice of anti-ableism by looking at the work accomplished in advocating against racism. CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org CONNECT WITH AMY WEBB OFFICIAL WEBSITE AMY ON INSTAGRAM --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Kenny Clutch joins us on the podcast today to discuss his story as “The Dancing Dad”, thoughts on positive parenting, and he keeps it real sharing with us a bit about his life before his positive reformation and what keeps him inspired. CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | @advocatelikeamother TWITTER | @advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org CONNECT KENNY CLUTCH OFFICIAL WEBSITE KENNY ON INSTAGRAM --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

After a hiatus the show is back and will official return in 2021. Enjoy this trailer episode where we share about some format changes and our new team members! Also head over to Instagram today for a special giveaway, head over to the website and sign up to be a guest or even be a guest co-host on the show! Instagram Giveaway Official Website | Guest Sign Up --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Hey everyone! Thank you for joining us for our Season Finale LIVE Show with Ileana Sosa and Kendall Renee. We had such an amazing time together at Bella Blooms, sharing our journeys together and meeting many of you face to face. This has been such an incredible first season, and as I mentioned early on in this journey I really never imagined doing a podcast, but felt so deeply called to share my story and journey with you all. It has been so encouraging to see you support the show and own your advocacy. Sign up for the email list on the website for news on season 2 and other updates from us along the way. Again, thank you to so many of you that made this show happen. This season's co-host Ashley and entire The Montano family, my husband Eric and my kids for being so supportive, all of our sponsors; The Glory Days, Speech Blubs, Delivering Fancy, and Functional Formulas. And of course, our producer, editor and engineer, Andy Lara with http://www.andylikeswords.com for making all of the technical things happen. See you all next time! - Michelle Sullivan http://www.advocatelikeamother.org - This week's Sponsor is brought to you by Speech Blubs! SPEECH BLUBS WEBSITE : https://speechblubs.com Download the App Here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/speech-blubs-language-therapy/id1239522573?mt=8

Hey Everyone! Today’s episode is all about representation in advertising. We sat down with Katie Driscoll, founder of Changing The Face of Beauty. Katie has 6 kids - she had 5 boys and then her daughter Grace came along. Grace has a magical extra chromosome and Grace is also the inspiration behind Changing The Face of Beauty. Katie shares with us how she stared this amazing organization from the ground up. Katie continues to advocate for change in advertising because 1 out 5 people has a disability, but that number is not represented in ads/media. Let’s help change that! If you see a company including people of all abilities in their ads, will you let them know you notice and that you appreciate it? If you are a talent agency, please hire people of all abilities so everyone is represented.

Today’s episode is part two of a series all about abuse in the disability community. On today's episode we sat down with Natalie Weaver. Natalie's daughter Sophia has a facial difference and has endured an unspeakable amount of hate online. Natalie has even received death threats.  Natalie shares with us how she used to hide at home with Sophia and what happened in her life that turned her into the advocate she is today.  Natalie is a powerhouse advocate and does not back down. She stood up to Twitter along with an army behind her and was able to get them to include disability in their abuse reporting tool, in response to the many hateful and violent comments she has gotten when she posts photos of Sophia.  She is now standing up to Instagram. Natalie said that the abuse she and Sophia has received on Instagram is 3x what she has received on Facebook and Twitter combined. And she's only been on Instagram less than a year. When she reported a comment that said "drown her," Instagram responded that the comment doesn't violate community guidelines.  Will you stand with Natalie? Let's join her in this fight. Follow her on Instagram @nataliecweaver and tag @instagram along with @zuck and @mosseri and ask them to include disabilities in their abuse reporting tool until they can't ignore us any longer.  To any parent who's child has experienced abuse, you are not alone. We are here to help encourage you, and to help find your community. Michelle CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | www.instagram.com/advocatelikeamother TWITTER | www.twitter.com/advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org PATREON | www.patreon.com/advocatelikeamother

Today's episode is part one of a two part series all about abuse in the disability community. On today's episode I sat down with Kasey Murphy. Kasey's son Owen was in a SD classroom at Berkeley Heights Elementary in Martinsburg, West Virginia. A secret recording caught eight hours of the teacher and two aides verbally abusing and threatening the 4 kids in the class. Here is a sample of just a few of the things the kids endured: Owen, are you gonna jerk off in the chair? Adriana, gonna vomit on me today, unibrow? I'm gonna beat your butt. Elasia, I don't know if I trust you- you're a cannibal- you gonna murder me? As soon as she stops crying, I am going to put her hands right back inside these scissors. I ought to backhand you right in your teeth. You're not getting anything to eat. I'll punch you in your face. I'm going to pull your hair until you start crying. Don't throw it, you animal. You wench. You're like a Pygmy. I'm gonna knock you out. Kasey shared with us the shocking details of how law enforcement and the school district has completely dropped the ball and let these kids down. Justice has not been served, but we are hopeful that this will go to court and criminal charges will come. Please call Berkley County Prosecutor Katherine Delegate: 304-264-1971 and let her know that you think it's disgusting that she found no criminal wrongdoing. Please let her know that she should press criminal charges against the teacher, aides and all other school personnel who knew of the recording and failed to report the abuse. To any parent who's child has experienced abuse, you are not alone. We are here to help encourage you, and to help find your community. Mini Voice Recorder on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/EVIDA-Compatible-Dictaphone-Recording-Rechargeable/dp/B07F8RVJJK/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=small+recording+device&qid=1552681242&s=gateway&sr=8-1 Follow Owen's Army: https://www.facebook.com/Owens-Army-157936894362881/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Hey Everyone! Today's episode is part two of a two part series all about feeding.  On today's episode I sat down with my friend Jamie Keller who is a speech and feeding therapist. Jamie shares with us all of her wisdom about what could be causing feeding issues in kids. We discussed nutrition, sensory issues, the social part of eating, talk tools, and what to look for in a feeding therapist, plus tips and tricks for feeding. CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW http://www.instagram.com/advocatelikeamother http://twitter.com/advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org PATREON | http://www.patreon.com/advocatelikeamother --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Hey Friends! Today's episode is part one of a two part series all about feeding.  On this episode I sat down with recording artist Kendall Renee and her mom Kim Hollinger.  Kendall has had a feeding tube since the age of four. We got Kim's perspective as her mom and we got Kendall's perspective on growing up with a feeding tube and feeling different. Kendall explains how her feeding tube became a source of strength for her and how it inspired her song “Original” which she performs for us.  To any parent struggling with any diagnosis, you are not alone. We are here to help encourage you, and to help find your community. Watch her performance of "Original" on the podcast here: https://youtu.be/ScpdSi0eG6Y Michelle CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | www.instagram.com/advocatelikeamother TWITTER | www.twitter.com/advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org PATREON | www.patreon.com/advocatelikeamother --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Welcome friends, On today's episode of Advocate like a Mother Podcast™ we talk all about diagnosis. Michelle and I got together to chat with Jen Jacob, author, co-founder, and executive director of Down syndrome diagnosis network the DSDN. Jen graciously shared her diagnosis story with us today. You know when the doctor looks at your different? Or when they say the words “these are difficult ultrasounds to go over.”? You immediately go into that outer-body experience. When your child gets a diagnosis it totally changes your life, as Jen told us. Jen's nonprofit, Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network, launched in 2014. Their biggest effort is to inform, connect, and support new families. Pregnancy - 3 years or age are their main focus right now. They also have small private birth club groups where you can connect and find others. “They also provide resources for doctors. Local organizations and medical professionals have so much power so when we all work together, magic happens.” Here are some quotes from parents the DSDN website:  “A doctor had said Your son has a long life to look forward to. The only limitations they will have are the ones you set for him so make sure not to set any.”  “It's your job to love her and enjoy the ride.”  “They only thing they won't be able to do is scuba dive.” (from a Cardiologist.) And the best one, “I can't tell you what they won't be able to do I can't do that with any baby.” That is a quote from a doctor with the right mindset for parents making a huge difference. When you get that diagnosis and your in a daze or feeling hopeless. This episode is all for you.  To any parent struggling with a child that has any diagnosis, you are not alone. We are here to help encourage you, and to help find your community. Michelle & Ashley CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | www.instagram.com/advocatelikeamother TWITTER | www.twitter.com/advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org PATREON | www.patreon.com/advocatelikeamother --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Welcome friends. On today's episode of Advocate like a Mother Podcast, Michelle and I get together to chat with Rebecca Kuntz. Rebecca has a daughter named Ellie who has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and microcephaly.  We talked all about inclusive playgrounds. An inclusive playground is a playground accessible to wheel chairs, canes, walkers, sensory challenges, deafness and blindness. Parks in the U.S. are typically non-inclusive, meaning children with disabilities don't have all of the special accommodations needed in order to be as safe as possible. When creating play environments that allow all children and their families to play, in addition to ensuring access, we must ensure inclusion. Kids need to play together, regardless of their abilities. Accessibility is not enough. Simply getting a child with limited mobility onto the playground doesn't necessarily enhance their play experience. Nor does it take into consideration children with sensory deficits and other developmental issues.The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) made play areas and parks accessible to all children, but this doesn't necessarily mean they're built so that kids with different types of disabilities can play equally. New federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act are changing the landscape for public playgrounds, requiring them to include equipment, materials, and designs that provide children with disabilities the same play opportunities as typical children. Parents and advocates are making the real difference — not the federal government. To have statistics you need researchers to be viewing the information, but there's no funding for them. That and nobody is researching it so we have no statistics - This is a HUGE issue right here. If you don't have a universally-designed playground in your community, there are a number of steps you can take to get the plan in action: Speak with local chapters of disability organizations about sponsorship and funding, such as the United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), Easter Seals, and United Way. Reach out to the parks and recreation department in your area and inquire if there's a way for citizens to help raise funds for an inclusive playground. Get the local media interested, which can help spread awareness Talk to officials at your city's town hall (be sure to be prepared to educate them as much as possible about the benefits of an inclusive playground). Speak with school officials, particularly if there are large numbers of children with special needs. Start a fundraiser (Note: Having funds will help you in your missions, but it often takes a lot of time and can be taxing. Getting non-profit support will make things a bit easier). To any parent struggling with inclusion , you are not alone. We are here to help encourage you, and to help find your community. Michelle & Ashley CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | www.instagram.com/advocatelikeamother TWITTER | www.twitter.com/advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Welcome friends, On today's episode of ”Advocate like a Mother™ Podcast,” Michelle and Ashley chat with the Sandi Ames. Sandi is the director of Parents CAN which stands for Collaborate, Advocate, Navigate. Parents CAN is a non profit that provides education and support to individuals with disabilities, their families, and those that serve them. She is an incredible child advocate and parent mentor. We sat around Michelle's kitchen table with Sandi to discuss IEP's (individual educational plan). We discuss goals and the actual assessment in our first part of this two part series. Sandi is a powerhouse advocate when it comes to IEPs and the school, she's been in the field since the mid 80s! On this second part of this episode we discussed the actual meeting itself. Sandi is working hard on giving the educators the resources that they need. Going into the IEP meeting make sure you know this is not a us vs. them, We need to all work together. You should review the assessment, and the proposed goals, make sure you have a vision for your child. Come prepared with your talking points. Keep in mind we want to build a strong relationship and help build this foundation for our kids. Be proactive not reactive. Don't feel overwhelmed when you feel emotionally charged during the meeting, take a break, take a deep breathe, and come back. There's so many approaches. You can always bring someone with you to take some notes. You have a voice in this, you can ask for them to explain their abbreviations and district terms. It's your meeting, we are equal members of the team. To make it a little less stressful we have included a checklist you can bring in alongside your brag sheet! To any parent struggling with a child that has an IEP, you are not alone. We are here to help encourage you, and to help find your community. Michelle & Ashley Check out the IEP checklist here: https://www.advocatelikeamother.org/podcast/s01ep3-iep-sandiames-pt2 CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | http://www.instagram.com/advocatelikeamother TWITTER | http://www.twitter.com/advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Welcome friends, On today's episode of Advocate like a Mother Podcast™, Michelle and I got to chat with the Sandi Ames. Sandi is the director of CAN which stands for Collaborate, Advocate, Navigate. CAN is a non-profit that provides education and support to individuals with disabilities, their families and those that serve them. She is an incredible child advocate and parent mentor. We sat around Michelle's kitchen table with Sandi and talked all about IEP's -if you don't know what an IEP it stands for “individual educational program”. We discuss goals and the actual assessment in our first part of this two part series. Sandi is a powerhouse advocate when it comes to IEPs and the school. She has been working in the field since the mid 80s! Having a child in “special education” means you need a lot of prayer and prep. She has a “house” metaphor that explains a great program for a student with a disability. In the “house” metaphor, first you need a foundation, or an assessment where everyone is in agreement. Second, you have your walls, which are the goals. The areas where your focus to help improve the child. Then you have the roof, which is the services. The amount of time each service gets. Then you have the neighborhood where they would be best placed. To any parent struggling with a child that has an IEP, you are not alone. We are here to help encourage you, and to help find your community. SHOW LINKS > Michelle mentioned that she wrote a blog post all about Eli's first IEP and a guide for other parents on how to be prepared for their child's first IEP. Read her article here >> https://www.littlestwarrior.com/blogs/news/a-guide-to-your-childs-first-iep > And our friend Tiffany Stafford (if you want to link to her, here is her FB link: https://www.facebook.com/tiffany.n.stafford ) made a great template for brag sheets or as she calls them, vision statements. You can find the template on her blog here >> https://our3lilbirds.blogspot.com/2017/05/how-to-make-one-page-profile-ellie-style.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR02VrGa0ZyYW-Tls2PSEm6aKgbxjvoNKfFRrFf-bcxXYUaxiFW5R8P-Qy4 > 18 TOOLS FOR INCLUSIVE UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT WORKSHEET > https://advocatelikeamother.squarespace.com/s/18-Tools-for-Inclusive-Understanding-and-Support.pdf Email Sandi Ames: parentscanoc@yahoo.com Michelle & Ashley CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | www.instagram.com/advocatelikeamother TWITTER | www.twitter.com/advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Welcome friends, On tonight's episode of Advocate like a Mother Podcast, Michelle and I got together to chat with the Rachel Coleman. Rachel is an American producer and actress who is known for creating with her sister Emilie de Azevedo Brown, they created together the Signing Time! It's a video series to teach children basic American Sign Language (ASL), which was broadcasted on public television and Nick Junior. She produces, directs, and stars in the series. On top of handling much of its operations as co-founder of Two Little Hands Productions, she is also executive director of the American Society for Deaf Children. We sat around Michelle's kitchen table with Rachel. We had the best conversation discussing American Sign Language, and Singing Time! We talked about the diagnoses process of her sweet girls Leah and Lucy, which she learned always trust your mom gut. What an inspiration she is in the ASL & special needs community. She changed her entire focus from her musical background to something that was not only life changing for her daughters, but for so many other families. She has made such an impact helping teach others how to communicate. We love that this is a family production, it shows what such a product of love she created. Sometimes after you have kids that's when you truly find your place in this world. Diagnoses are so hard, from the phone call, the stress, and the pressure but when you look over at that shinning light, and see their little souls telling you, “I'm fine guys, nothing is wrong here. Don't be sad.” Us parents maybe need to learn some new things, and that's not bad! To any parent struggling with a child that is deaf, you are not alone. We are here to help encourage you, and to help find your community. Michelle & Ashley Read the Show Transcript here: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5bad5607d7819e296d684673/t/5befa1361ae6cf7a6947c89a/1542431031748/S01+Episode+1+-+American+Sign+Language+...+Coleman+of+Signing+Time+-+Google+Docs.pdf CONNECT WITH OUR SHOW INSTAGRAM | www.instagram.com/advocatelikeamother TWITTER | www.twitter.com/advocatelikeamom EMAIL | Hello@advocatelikeamother.org WEBSITE | www.advocatelikeamother.org CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST RACHEL COLEMAN WEBSITE | https://www.signingtime.com INSTAGRAM | www.instagram.com/signing_time OTHER LINKS CHIME INSTITUTE | http://www.chimeinstitute.org/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Welcome to the Advocate Like a Mother Podcast! The official launch of Season 1 kicks off this fall and today Michelle and Ashley spend some time sharing about their journey and what this show is all about! In the meantime, sign up for our email list at http://www.advocatelikeamother.org to get notified when the show launches! Also, please subscribe on iTunes or Google Play and leave us a review! Thanks! *Follow us on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/advocatelikeamother --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message

Welcome to the Official Advocate Like a Mother™ Podcast! This fall, get excited for our official launch of the show with Michelle Sullivan, owner and CEO of Littlest Warrior and her co-host, Ashley Montano. We are excited to host stories, education, and in formation around all things advocacy related to people with special needs, disabilities, or different abilities, whichever you prefer. Michelle and Ashley are passionate about helping mothers and parents learn how to find their voice in a social space filled with opposition and inequality. Join us this fall, and subscribe today! http://www.advocatelikeamother.org http://instagram.com/advocatelikeamother Production by Portable Podcast with Andy Lara http://www.andylikeswords.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/advocatelikeamother/message