Podcasts about sfn

Our guest this week is Peter Gerhardt of Rich Hill Park, NJ who is executive director at EPIC Schools located in Paramus, NJ, author of dozens of publications and books, an internationally recognized Autism expert and outspoken advocate for the disability community.Peter has three degrees from Rutgers University: a BA in Psychology, an EdM in Special Education, and a PhD in Education Psychology and Special Education. He has dedicated his life to researching Autism and serving the disability community.  He has developed workshops and given hundreds of presentations domestically and internationally.  Some of his publications include: Make it Meaningful: Creating Programs that Matter into Adulthood for Learners with Autism and Related Disorders (2024).Handbook of Quality of Life for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series (2022).Transition to Adulthood for Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism: Can We Improve Outcomes? (2022) Social Skill and Adaptive Behavior Intervention with Learners with Autism (2013). Peter also served as a consultant for the widely respected documentary In A Different Key (2021) co-producers: Caren Zucker, John Donovan & Ray Conley with music by Wynston Marsalis.Given the scope of Peter's work we decided to split his interview into two parts. This is part #2. Show Links:Phone – (210) 576-0600Email – PGerhardt@epicschool.orgLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-gerhardt-112a4b29/Website - https://www.epicschool.org/Organization for Autism Research (OAR) - https://researchautism.org/Books – - Make it Meaningful: Creating Programs that Matter into Adulthood for Learners with Autism and Related Disorders - Handbook of Quality of Life for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series - Publication- Transition to Adulthood for Adolescents and Young Adults  with Autism: Can We Improve Outcomes?. Movie – https://www.inadifferentkeythemovie.com/Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  SFN Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/

Our guest this week is Peter Gerhardt of Rich Hill Park, NJ who is executive director at EPIC Schools located in Paramus, NJ, author of dozens of publications and books, an internationally recognized Autism expert and outspoken advocate for the disability community.Peter has three degrees from Rutgers University: a BA in Psychology, an EdM in Special Education, and a PhD in Education Psychology and Special Education. He has dedicated his life to researching Autism and serving the disability community.  He has developed workshops and given hundreds of presentations domestically and internationally.  Some of his publications include: Make it Meaningful: Creating Programs that Matter into Adulthood for Learners with Autism and Related Disorders (2024).Handbook of Quality of Life for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series (2022).Transition to Adulthood for Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism: Can We Improve Outcomes? (2022) Social Skill and Adaptive Behavior Intervention with Learners with Autism (2013). Peter also served as a consultant for the widely respected documentary In A Different Key (2021) co-producers: Caren Zucker, John Donovan & Ray Conley with music by Wynston Marsalis.Given the scope of Peter's work we decided to split his interview into two parts. This is part #1. Show Links:Phone – (210) 576-0600Email – PGerhardt@epicschool.orgLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-gerhardt-112a4b29/Website - https://www.epicschool.org/Organization for Autism Research (OAR) - https://researchautism.org/Books – - Make it Meaningful: Creating Programs that Matter into Adulthood for Learners with Autism and Related Disorders - Handbook of Quality of Life for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series - Publication- Transition to Adulthood for Adolescents and Young Adults  with Autism: Can We Improve Outcomes?. Movie – https://www.inadifferentkeythemovie.com/Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  SFN Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/

Our guest this week is Rick Bolle of Naperville, IL founding pastor of the newly formed Front Porch Church, father of two and retired businessman. Rick and his wife, Alinda, have been married for 32 years and are the proud parents of two adult children.  Shortly after retiring from Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2022, where he was a Senior Safety Specialist, Rick felt a calling to start or plant Front Porch Church.   Established in 2023, Front Porch Church helps people of all ability find their way back to God.  FPC is specifically designed to welcome individuals with special needs and their families.  Weekly services offer a worship experience that embraces all expressions and all movements, ensuring that everyone feels included, valued, safe and loved.It's an illuminating conversation and we'll hear it on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (630) 442-4031Email – rickbolle2@icloud.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-bolle-6955b150/Website - https://kidsmatter2us.org/front-porch-church/Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/groups/962219779455651Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  SFN Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/

Our guest this week is Spencer Doman of Philadelphia, PA, who is president and CEO of the Doman International Institute, where they empower parents with knowledge and tools to help their children with special needs thrive and teach parents how to create a loving, stimulating and healthy home so that their child can reach their fullest potential.Spencer and his wife, Melissa, have been married for 15 years.Spencer's grandfather, Glenn Doman, created the The Doman Method, and dedicated his life to helping kids with special needs.  Doman International Institute was founded by Glenn's son, Douglas Doman, and four other members of the Doman family.  Spencer is the 3rd generation leader of DII.  Over the past 70 years they have served more than 40K families in eight countries.  Their research based results indicate 2X faster development for children after starting treatment.  The DII website has a robust level of resources including books, articles and various trainings for parents and caregivers. Show LinksPhone – (267)270-6657Email – spencer@domaninternational.orgLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-doman-05957523/Website - https://www.domaninternational.org/Books – The Doman Method: From Special Needs To Wellness -  https://tinyurl.com/3eutfh7yAnswering Autism: The Doman Method Plan for Autism, ADD and Neurodevelopmental Delays - https://tinyurl.com/yvefnbbvFrom Immobility To Walking: The Doman Method Pln To Teach A Special Needs Child To Talk & Run -  https://tinyurl.com/bddy3uye Fit Baby, Smart Baby, Your Baby!: From Birth To Age Six - https://tinyurl.com/bdf57ytySpecial Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  SFN Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/

Amy Griffin, SuHyeong Kim, Anna Klintsova, and Hailey Rosenblum discuss their paper, “Choice Behaviors and Prefrontal–Hippocampal Coupling Are Disrupted in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders,” published in Vol. 45, Issue 10 of JNeurosci, with Editor-in-Chief Sabine Kastner. Find our upcoming webinar schedule here. With special guests: Amy Griffin, SuHyeong Kim, Anna Klintsova, and Hailey Rosenblum Hosted by: Sabine Kastner On Neuro Current, we delve into the stories and conversations surrounding research published in the journals of the Society for Neuroscience. Through its publications, JNeurosci, eNeuro, and the History of Neuroscience in Autobiography, SfN promotes discussion, debate, and reflection on the nature of scientific discovery, to advance the understanding of the brain and the nervous system.  Find out more about SfN and connect with us on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  

Our guest this week is Rebekah Taussig of Shawnee, KS who is a mother, wife, author, podcast host, outspoken advocate for those with disability and who, herself is a paraplegic.  Rebekah and her husband, Micah have been married for seven years and are the proud parents of Otto, who is typical five year old. Rebekah was diagnosed with spine cancer at age one and due to multiple surgeries lost her ability to walk at age four.  She was the youngest of six children and despite her disability, still slept on the top bunk upstairs in her family home.  She credits much of her success and resilience to her parents and siblings, who didn't treat her any differently.  Prior to Otto's birth, Rebekah was a high school English and Literature teacher.  Rebekah combined her PhD in Creative Non-Fiction & Disability Studies from University of Kansas, with her passion for writing to author Sitting Pretty: The View From My Ordinary, Resilient Disabled Body (2020). and more recently, a children's book entitled: We Are the Scrappy Ones (2025).More recently Rebekah has partnered with Caitlin Metz to host the Scratch That: Parenting & Re-Parenting Off Script Podcast, now with more than 50 episodes. It's an uplifting story about family and a woman's resilience all on this episode of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast. Show Notes -Phone – (913) 940-1714Email – rebekahgracetaussig@gmail.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekah-g-taussig-458668139/Website - https://www.rebekahtaussig.com/Books - Sitting Pretty: The View From My Ordinary, Resilient Disabled Body - https://tinyurl.com/mv4nc9tkWe Are The Scrappy Ones - https://tinyurl.com/49h7rdb4Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  SFN Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/

Our guest this week is Leon Logothetis of Los Angeles, a British-born adventurer, author, and television host renowned for promoting global kindness.  Formerly a London-based broker, he left finance to explore human connection through travel. Leon created and starred in the docuseries Amazing Adventures of a Nobody (2006–2008), journeying across the U.S., U.K., and Europe on minimal daily budgets.  His acclaimed Netflix series The Kindness Diaries (2017–2019) chronicled his travels relying solely on strangers' generosity, offering life-changing gifts in return.Leon has authored several books, including The Kindness Diaries and Live, Love Explore, inspiring audiences to embrace empathy and adventure.  His work underscores the transformative power of compassion in everyday life.Show LinksInstagram - @thekindnessguy Email – leon@createdbywinston.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonlogothetis/ Website - https://www.leonlogothetis.com/Website - https://gobekind.org/Books –The Kindness Diaries: One Man's Quest To Ignite Goodwill & Transform Lives Around The World. (2015) https://tinyurl.com/3m6m8hjcLive, Love, Explore: Discover The Way Of The Traveler A Roadmap To The Life You Were Meant To         Live. (2016) - https://tinyurl.com/5bd2zdtuGo Be Kind (2019) https://tinyurl.com/mrxf67r3Go Be Brave 23 ¾ Adventures For A Fearless, Wiser, & Truly Magnificent Life (2023) https://tinyurl.com/mswdm4hpAmazon Prime Movie – The Kindness Within: A Journey To Freedom (2024) https://tinyurl.com/bdfdvnd3Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  SFN Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/

Our guest this week is Jim Littlefield-Dalmares of Louisville, KY who is Director of Market Development at BNI Middle Tennessee, author, podcast host, founder of Seeing Ability and perhaps most importantly, father of two including a child with Cerebral Palsy. Jim and his wife, LeAnn, have been married for 27 years and are the proud parents of two: Peter (21) and Sophia (25) who was born very prematurely, diagnosed early on with Spina Bifida and who has Cerberal Palsy.  Professionally, Jim is the Director of Market Development at BNI of Middle Tennessee.  He is also author of the book: Seeing Ability: Finding Your Path In Parenting A Child With Special Needs and host of the Seeing Ability Podcast.  More recently, Jim has also created the Seeing Ability Foundation.We'll hear Jim's life story and all about the Seeing Ability book, podcast and foudnation all on this episode of the SFN.Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone – (502) 528-0894Email – jimld858@aol.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimld/Website – https://seeingability.com/Book – Seeing Ability: Finding Your Path In Parenting A Child With Special Needs - https://tinyurl.com/2fpfw4vpPodcast - https://seeingability.com/podcast/Register for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Dr. Patrick Schwarz, of Highland Park, IL who is CEO of Creative Culture Consulting, a public speaker, author of numerous books and an outspoken advocate for inclusive education for people of all abilities.Dr. Schwarz earned his BS, MS and PhD in special education from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.  Dr. Schwarz is a dynamic professor, author, and motivational speaker renowned for his leadership in inclusive education, special education, and educational leadership.Dr. Schwarz has dedicated his career to transforming educational practices to better serve students with diverse support needs.  His seminal work, From Disability to Possibility, advocates for inclusive classrooms that recognize and nurture the potential of every learner.Collaborating with Dr. Paula Kluth, he co-authored influential titles such as You're Welcome, Just Give Him the Whale!, and Pedro's Whale.Through global presentations and consultations, Dr. Schwarz continues to inspire educators to create environments where all students can thrive.  And you can hear his story on this episode of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast. Show Notes - Phone – (708) 912-9994Email – PSchwarz@nl.eduLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-schwarz-55770717/Website - https://www.patrickschwarz.com/Books – From Disability to Possibility, (2006) https://tinyurl.com/mtxhphuu You're Welcome: 30 Innovative Ideas for the Inclusive Classroom (2007) https://tinyurl.com/3hbevvjmJust Give Him The Whale: 20 Ways To Use Fascinations, Areas of Expertise and Strengths to Support Students With Autism. (2008) https://tinyurl.com/mrw3sjj9Pedro's Whale (2010) https://tinyurl.com/49sfd8f4From Possibility to Success (2013) https://tinyurl.com/yeya7hsnHoward Gardner Multiple Intelligences - https://www.simplypsychology.org/multiple-intelligences.htmlRegister for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Tim Spellman discusses his paper, “An Open-Source 3D-Printable Platform for Testing Head-Fixed Cognitive Flexibility in Rodents,” with Reviewing Editor Mark Laubach. Spellman and Laubach also discuss the bigger picture benefits of sharing open-source tools and data for reproducibility and for cost-effective solutions that any lab can use. Find our upcoming webinar schedule here. With special guest: Tim Spellman Hosted by: Mark Laubach On Neuro Current, we delve into the stories and conversations surrounding research published in the journals of the Society for Neuroscience. Through its publications, JNeurosci, eNeuro, and the History of Neuroscience in Autobiography, SfN promotes discussion, debate, and reflection on the nature of scientific discovery, to advance the understanding of the brain and the nervous system.  Find out more about SfN and connect with us on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn. 

Our guest this week is Jamiel Owens, of Hatfield, PA who is a volunteer firefighter, advocate for those with disability, founder of Ausomeness Inc. and a father of two, including a son who is autistic.Jamiel and his wife, Marta Santa, have been married for 5 years and you are the proud father of two children: Alejandro (3) and Shane (16), who is Autistic.With little more than a GED, Jamiel has become a disability advocate and role model for others raising children with disability.  Through Ausomeness, Inc. Jamiel has created a social enterprise that provides education, empowerment, engagement, and support to families of children with autism.We also learn about Jamiel's faith, his overcoming the issue of father absence in his youth and how that has informed him about the importance of being present. All on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (445) 247-2071Email – owensjd@chop.eduLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiel-owens-75a985213/Website - https://ausomenessinc.com/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ausomenessinc/Register for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Eli Pierce of Aurora, CO who is a customer service representative at Silk Trade, a UK based software company.  Eli is the father of four children, including one who is a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy and epilepsy.  Eli, and his wife, Cassidy, have been married for 5 years and he is the proud father of four children: Evelyn (14), Elias (11), adopted daughter Annabelle (6) and Ettison (13) who is spastic quadriplegic with Cerebral Palsy and epilepsy. For many years, Eli was a single dad with full custody of his three children from his first marriage.  Eli's an overcomer dad.  He's overcome a challenging upbringing, a challenging first marriage and the ongoing challenges of fathering four children, including one with profound disability.  Eli's commitment to his family is second to none and he serves as a great role model to those within and outside the disability community.  More recently Eli has joined the Denver SFN Mastermind Group and is thriving. Learn this and more on the current episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (719) 639-1782Email – elishapierce88@gmail.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/elishapierce/Developmental Pathways in Denver https://www.dpcolo.orgColorado Springs Resource Exchange  https://www.tre.orgChildren's of Hospital Colorado https://www.childrenscolorado.orgRegister for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Michael our guest this week is Michael Pereira of Miami, FL who a financial representative, the father of two and founder of the The Autism Voyage. Michael and his wife, Elizeth, have been married for 9 years and you are the proud parents of two children: Amanda Sophia (3) and Christian Omar (7) who is Autistic.  Michael is also the founder of Autism Voyage, offering financial planning assistance to parents of kids with special needs.  Michael has made it his mission to share specialized knowledge in financial planning and support for special needs families, driven by his firsthand understanding and commitment to aiding similar families navigate their unique challenges. We'll hear about Michael's journey, about his faith, growing up in Puerto Rico, being raised by a single mom and going on to be a very committed husband and father all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone – (786) 387-7522Email – michael@theautismvoyage.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpereirafl/Website - https://theautismvoyage.com/Register for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Jason Bechtold of Cary, IL. a director of IT services and an executive coach at Bain as well as the father of three who have a variety of neurological, psychological and intellectual challenges.Jason and his wife, Lori Hermann, have been married for 8 years and he is the proud father of three children: Jordyn (24), Tyler (20), and Jessica (18), who between them have experienced: brain cancer, Asperger's, ADHD and very sadly sexual assault.   Jason is a former weapons specialist with the U.S. Army Natiaonl Guard.  For the past 20+ years he has worked in Chicago at Bain, the international consulting firm, where he serves as director of IT and as an executive coach.  Separate from his work there, Jason also does leadership coaching for men.  Jason reflects on his spirituality and growing up as one of three boys with a father who was a pastor, owner of Christian book stores, a chaplain for the local police and fire departments as well as a long-time social worker in Cook County.  We'll hear Jason's story and about his mission to be help men to become the best version of themselves all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links -Phone – (312) 593-2808Email – jason.bechtold@gmail.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbechtold/Website - https://waycocoaching.com/Register for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Jen Lumanlan of Berkeley, CA wife, mother, researcher, parenting coach, author, curator of the Your Parenting Mojo website and host of the Your Parenting Mojo Podcast.  Jen and her husband, Alvin, have been married for 15 years and are the proud parents of daughter, Carys, who is 10 years old.Jen was born and raised in England.  She has a bachelors degree: English & Forestry from U.C. Berkeley, a masters degree in environmental management from Yale and a masters degree in psychology (child development) & education.  As a result of becoming a parent, frustrated by the lack of suitable parenting resources and informed by her masters in psychology & education, Jen redirected her energies into doing research and creating the Your Parenting Mojo podcast to fill that gap.  That lead to creating the Parenting Mojo website and doing parent coaching.Jen is the author of Parenting Beyond Power: How To Use Connection & Collaboration To Transform Your Family & The World, which is a must read for all parents.Jen has also been self-diagnosed with Autism, which she credits with informing her about many of the challenges she experienced as a youth.  More recently Jen has woven her understanding of: white supremacy, patriarchy, and racism into her work.  Her dedication to research, attention to detail and her straight foward ability to communicate sets her apart from many others in the parent coaching field.All on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Email – jen@yourparentingmojo.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-lumanlan-b5b115192/Website - https://yourparentingmojo.com/Your Parenting Mojo Quiz - https://yourparentingmojo.com/quiz/Your Parenting Mojo Podcast episodes referenced in this interview:#94 – Using Nonviolent Communication To Parent More Peacefully: https://yourparentingmojo.com/?s=non+violent+communication#129 – The Physical Reasons You Yell At Your Kids: https://yourparentingmojo.com/?s=129#175 – I'll Be Me, Can You Be You: https://yourparentingmojo.com/?s=175#232 – What Dog Trainers Know:  https://yourparentingmojo.com/?s=232 #238 – Feeling Exhausted & Overwhelmed?  Tools To Help You Cope: https://yourparentingmojo.com/?s=238Register for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Rady Johnson of Westport, CT, a recently retired senior executive at Pfizer and a father of three including one with intellectual disabilities.Rady and his wife, Diane, have been married for 38 years and are the proud parents of three children: Katherine (36), Bridget (30) and Michael (34) who was adopted from Romania as a one year old and who has intellectual disabilities.Despite a wide range of challenges, Michael has lead a pretty remarkable life.  Through organizations like Special Olympics, Best Buddies and church youth groups, Michael has grown and developed.  Remarkably, Michael holds down three jobs; one as an office aid a Tauck, the world-wide travel agency, another on the maintenance crew at a Long Island beach, and a third at Marshall's the department store.  The Johnson family story is a shing example about commitment and the importance of communityall on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (917) 545-3090Email – Rady.Johnson@outlook.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rady-johnson-0ab46a7/MIRA Usa Guide Dogs For The Blind https://www.mirausa.orgRegister for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Kirby Rabalais of Glenview, IL the Director of Strategic Growth at Truce Software, father of two including one with Pitt Hopkins Syndrome and more recently the founder of 4TITUDE an online community created to support dads raising children with special healthcare needs.    Kirby and his wife, Chelsea, have been married for 8 years and are the proud parents of two boys: Porter (4) and Harley (6), who has Pitt Hopkins Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes developmental, intellectual and physical changes in children.Informed by the experience of being a special needs dad and empowered by the benefits he's experienced from others, Kirby has created 4TITUDE, a community whose motto is: "Finding Strength in Every Challenge."  They understand the emotional journey and unique challenges that come with raising a child with disabilities. The 4TITUDE mission is: "to provide empathetic support, guidance, and resources to help fathers navigate this path with strength and resilience."Kirby is also a member of the Chicago SFN Mastermind Group that meets on Thursdays at 10:30am CT.This is a story about faith, family and commitment to service, all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (312) 718-4098Email – hello@got4titude.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirby-rabalais/Website - https://pitthopkins.org/Website - https://www.got4titude.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/got4titudeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565609293661Napa Center Austin https://napacenter.org/about-austin/Book a FREE discovery coaching call to receive a 50% discount on the Foundation or Momentum 4titude coaching packages. Use code DAD2DAD upon checkout of packages.Book your FREE DISCOVERY CALL NOWRegister for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Tim Kane of Ridgewood, NJ a former Senior Director of Broadcasting for the NBA, board member at the Epic School Foundation and father of three children including an autistic son. Tim and his wife, Laurie, have been married for 28 years and are the proud parents of three children: Katie (27), Caroline (21) and Jack (24) who is Autistic. Tim reflects on his storied career that began at ESPN in the early days and with the NBA for more than 30 years as well as a long list of NBA A-listers who have showed an extraordinary level of compassion for the Kane family and especially their son.  Tim also talks about his faith and shares with gratitude some of the organizations that have had an influential role in their lives, including:       EPIC School Foundation      Autism NJ, and      Kennedy KriegerAll on this episode of he SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links - Phone – (201) 673-2750Email – tkane41@verizon.netLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-kane-09aa304/Kennedy Krieger Institute https://www.kennedykrieger.orgEpic School https://www.epicschool.orgAutism New Jersey https://www.epicschool.orgRegister for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  Special thanks to Amgen for there ongoing an generous support.  https://www.amgen.com/  

Our guest this week is Sebastien Pelletier of Montreal, Canada a financial professional and father of four, three of whom were diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa.  The Pelletier family was also featured in the National Geographic documentary BLINK.Sebastien and his wife, Edith Lemay, have been married for 14 years and are the proud parents of four children: Mia (13), Leo (11), Colin (9) and Laurent (7).  Mia, Colin and Laurent have been diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare genetic disorder also known as Inherited Retinal Dystrophy (IRD) that causes loss of vision.  There is no known cure for IRD that will eventually lead to complete blindness.  In lieu of just providing their children with images, videos and movies to bolster their visual memories, the family embarked on an 18 month, 15 country journey around the world, which became the subject of the 2024 National Geographic documentary BLINK.  BLINK is more than a beautifully filmed travelogue to once-in-a-lifetime destinations, it's about the family's love, resilience and unshakeable sense of wonder to ensure that their uncertain future does not define their present.Today's episode is also a touching reflection about a couple's commitment to family and adventure, all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links - LinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastien-p-62840b/Quebec Foundation for Visually Impaired – https://fondationdesaveugles.org/en/Blink Documentary Official Website - https://films.nationalgeographic.com/blinkEdith's Book - https://www.amazon.ca/Plein-leurs-yeux-gardent-m%C3%A9moire-ebook/dp/B0DGLLRD2KAQPEHV: https://www.aqpehv.qc.ca/ Mira: https://www.mira.ca/en/Fighting blindness: https://www.fightingblindness.org/MiraUSA Guide Dogs https://www.mirausa.orgRegister for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is James Burch, of Georgetown, Grand Cayman, who is a corporate law partner at Walkers, amateur boxer and single father of three young boys, including one with global developmental delays.James was born and raised in Chelton, England.  After obtaining his educaiton and becoming a lawyer he has worked overseas in Hong Kong and Grand Cayman. James and his x-wife, Gemma, were married for 9 years before divorcing seven years ago and are the proud parents of three boys: Charlie (10), Harry (12) and Archie (14), who suffered brain damage at the time of his birth and who has global developmental delays.There were complications with Archie's birth that required he be medievacked to Miami for emergency surgery, so on a moments notice, James joined Archie on the flight to Miami and didn't return to Grand Cayman for three years. James' is one of those stories, that "in the blink of an eye" life as you know is over.  It was a surreal experience and fortunately Archie is a miracle child. We also learn about James' interest in boxing, which is leading to his first professional fight in Columbia, in May at age 48.It's an inspiring story about a father's commitment to his children and overcoming adversity all on this week's episode SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone/WhatsApp – 1-345-926-9588Email – James.Burch@walkersglobal.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-burch-42041510/Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children - https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/Register for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Isaac Jean Paul of Los Angeles, CA. who is a father and U.S. Paralympic track and field champion who just happens to be legally blind.Isaac and his significant other, Myra Harris, are the proud parents of two year old daughter Shylah. Isaac was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago.  In high school he was a track & field star.  As he began to lose his sight he didn't want to be treated any differently than everyone else.  A friend suggested he compete in adaptive athletics, which led to training and qualifying for the U.S. Paralympic Team.  He's won national championships and represented the U.S. Paralympic Team in Tokyo and Paris, where he is a two time medalist in the long jump. Isaac is also the author of a children's book entitled: Mya's Marvelous Day At The Games , which was published in July 2024.  Isaac will be inducted into the Lewis University Athletic Hall of Fame in March 2025, just as his mom was 20+ years ago.   Isaac is an engaging fellow and we'll hear his thoughts on success and life on this week's episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone – (847) 800-0376Email – isaaccjeanpaul@gmail.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-jean-paul-9a1078160/Website - https://www.isaacjeanpaul.com/Instagram – IJP_IAMONERegister for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Alfred Niwagaba, of Kampala, Uganda who is the director of the Little Angels School in Wakiso and father of four children including a son with Down Syndrome.  Alfred and his wife, Rosemary Nambooze, have been married for 16 years and are the proud parents of four children: Benjamin (5), Beroil (9), Abigale (15) and Abryl (14), who has Down Syndrome and has some hearing deficits.Alfred runs The Little Angels School, with over 600 students.  Alfred and Rosemary also run Angel's Center For Children With Special Needs, a NGO that serves families raising children with special needs. It's a fascinating story and we'll hear it on this week's episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links -Phone – +256-788-887077 WhatsAppEmail – niwaalfred@gmail.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/niwagaba-alfred-357ba814a/Angel's Center For Children With Special Needs https://angelscentre.orgRegister for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Jason Tuttle of Atlanta, GA, a former physical education and special education teacher, a stay at home parent and father to two children with multiple physical and cognitive disabilities.Jason and his wife, Jennifer, have been married for 21 years and are the proud parents of two children: Samantha (16) who is non-verbal, epileptic, wheelchair bound and has severe neuro developmental delays, and Zachary who, very sadly, passed away in January 2022, at age 15, who was diagnosed with Eagle Barrett Syndrome, was non-verbal, epileptic and had severe development delays. Since Zachary's passing, Jason has dedicated his energies to writing and sharing his feelings about grief with the aim of helping other men in similar situations.  We learn about Bert's Big Adventure, an organization that had a profound impact on Zachary, Letters To Zachary and the Letters To Zachary Coloring Book.  Jason's story is one of tragedy and heartbreak as well as purpose and fulfillment all on this week's episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (770) 823-6867Email – letterstozachary2022@gmail.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-tuttle-4264112a7/Website - https://letterstozachary.com/?trk=public_post-textFacebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552174684952Letters To Zachary Coloring Book - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DC5GSFZKRegister for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Michael McManus of Barrington, IL, Vice President of Captive Resources, co-proprietor of Jigsaw Farms and father of two adult sons, including one with Autism.  Michael and his wife Stacie have been married for 33 years and are the proud parents of two boys:  Matt (30) and Jake (29) who is Autistic.  Jake has benefited from a host of programs, including: Cure Autism Now (CAN), now known as Autsim Speaks,Brave Hearts, and Cowboy DreamsMichael & Stacie purchased a 50 acre working horse farm in Woodstock, IL and renamed it Jigsaw Farms.  In addition to their own horses, the farm currently boards 40 horses, includes three full time staff all with separate residences.  They also rebuilt a house which would be suitable for Jake to live in, along with space for a caregiver.We'll hear about that and more on this week's episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (847) 460-8792Email – mmcmanus@captiveresources.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mcmanus-21a12932/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jigsawfarms/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Sulfurophane and health - It is clear now that SFN stands out as a powerhouse phytochemical with profound effects on human health through the pathway of nurclear factor erythroid related 2 (NRF2). It is found abundantly in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, broccolini, kale, and brussels sprouts. SFN is a bioactive compound with impressive clinical potential for preventing chronic disease and optimizing cellular health, especially in oxidant impaired/overloaded states. At its core, SFN is a sulfur-rich molecule derived from glucoraphanin, a glucosinolate precursor. The transformation occurs when the enzyme myrosinase, released during the chopping or chewing of cruciferous vegetables, catalyzes the reaction. Interestingly, this enzymatic activation can also be achieved via gut microbiota when raw vegetables are absent from the diet, emphasizing the remarkable adaptability of our biology to source essential nutrients as needed for survival. (Ali et. al. 2023) Nrf2 is a master regulator of cellular defense, orchestrating the production of detoxification enzymes, antioxidants, and other cytoprotective proteins. By activating Nrf2, sulforaphane enhances the body's resilience to oxidative stress, a key contributor to aging, inflammation, and the development of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Studies reveal that sulforaphane also induces Phase II detoxification enzymes, such as glutathione S-transferase, which play a vital role in neutralizing and excreting harmful toxins.

Karl Herrup, Michelle Jin, and James Noble share their perspectives on evaluating the clinical impacts of emerging treatments for Alzheimer's Disease with eNeuro Editor-in-Chief Christophe Bernard. Find our upcoming webinar schedule here. With special guests: Karl Herrup, Michelle Jin, and James Noble Hosted by: Christophe Bernard On Neuro Current, we delve into the stories and conversations surrounding research published in the journals of the Society for Neuroscience. Through its publications, JNeurosci, eNeuro, and the History of Neuroscience in Autobiography, SfN promotes discussion, debate, and reflection on the nature of scientific discovery, to advance the understanding of the brain and the nervous system.  Find out more about SfN and connect with us on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  

Our guest this week is Scott MacGregor of Fishers, IN who is Executive Director of Content and Storytelling at Eli Lilly and Company and father of three including one with Down Syndrome.Scott and his wife, Sara, have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of three living children: Ainsley (16), Jack (18) and Abby (21) who has Down Syndrome.  Very sadly, their son Owen who had Trisomy 13, was still born in 2011. We learn about a wide range of organizations Abby has benefited from, including: Gigi's Playhouse,, Unified Track, Kids Dance Outreach and First Steps as well as DADS (Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome).Scott supported his wife Sara as she co-founded Same As U, a nonprofit organization, located in Noblesville, IN established in 2019 to serve young adults with developmental disabilities and to help them live the life they imagine.  Same As U is filling a need for more meaningful activities and programming that often stop upon leaving the traditional school system.We'll hear all about that school, Scott's gift of story telling and his commitment to family all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (317) 440-4699Email – jsmacgregor@lilly.comLinkedIn –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jscottmacgregor/Website - https://www.sameasu.org/Same As U - Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/957878602DADS. Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome  https://www.dadsnational.org Gigi's Playhouse https://gigisplayhouse.org Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Jessica Ronne of Holland, MI, author, speaker, podcast host, founder & executive director of the Lucas Project and perhaps most importantly, wife and the mother of eight, including one with special needs.Jess and her second husband, Ryan, have been married for 14 years and between them are the proud parents of eight children: four from her first marriage: Caleb, Lucas, Mable and Joshua, three from Ryan's first marriage: Tate, Mia, and Jada and Annabelle (9) who they had together.  Their son Lucas suffered a stroke in vitro at 20 months; has global developmental delays, is non-verbal, has hydrocephalous, severe Autism, scoliosis, and low muscle tone.Very sadly Jess' first husband Jason, died of brain cancer in 2010.  And Ryan's first wife, Kaci, also passed away from cancer in 2010.  The couple met through some mutual acquaintances and married after a brief courtship to go on to have their 8th child, Annabelle.  Jess is a prolific author having published four books: -- Sunlight Burning At Midnight (2013) a memoir-- Lovin' With Grit & Grace (2017) reprinted in 2023-- Blended With Grit & Grace (2021)-- Caregiving With Grit & Grace (2024)Jess is also the founder and executive director of The Lucas Project, a nonprofit organization, whose mission is "to provide recognition, respite and resources to family caregivers of those with special needs."She also hosts the Coffee With Caregivers Podcast and a blog that goes by the name: Jess Plus The Mess.   Jess is the oldest of 12 children, a dynamo and caregiver extraoridInaire.  We'll hear all about Jess' journey, her deep faith and her wonderful sense of humor on this week's SFN Dad To Dad Podcast.Show NotesPhone – (616) 617-9077Email – jess@thelucasproject.orgLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-ronne-4b412670/Podcast Coffee With Caregivers -  https://anchor.fm/jess-ronneWebsite – https://www.jessplusthemess.com/Website:   https://www.thelucasproject.org/Documentary Unseen - https://caregiverdoc.com/ .Books –       Sunlight Burning At Midnight - https://tinyurl.com/3fsrekay      Blended With Grit & Grace - https://tinyurl.com/mr25k2rm       Lovin' With Grit & Grace - https://tinyurl.com/3janr2sv      Caregiving With Grit & Grace - https://tinyurl.com/bdhted3vFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jessplusthemess Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessplusthemessPinterest:  pinterest.com/jessplusthemess/Twitter:      twitter.com/jessplusthemessSpecial Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Emma Livingstone of London, England who is the mother of three typical kids, a self-advocate with Cerebral Palsy and founder & CEO of UP - The Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement. Emma and her husband, Derrick, have been married for 17 years and are the proud parents of three typical children ages 11-16.  She is the one who has cerebral palsy, which has propelled her to become one of England's most outspoken advocates for adults with CP.   Emma is founder and CEO of UP - The Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement, a non-profit whose mission is to help all members of the adult Cerebral Palsy community to live their best lives. It's an uplifting story about family, perseverance and service all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Notes -Phone/WhatsApp – 44-07-951-019-508Email –  emma@upmovement.org.ukLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-livingstone-080967a4/Website - https://upmovement.org.uk/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Craig Parks of San Diego, CA who is a professional musician, band leader, camp director, author and father of two including one with special healthcare needs.Craig and his wife, Rachel, have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of two children: Nashaman (10) and Jonah (20) who has multiple issues, including: anxiety, attention issues and Autism.Craig has a real passion for working with youth.  He has combined his love of music and talent as a musician with his commitment to serving youth in a variety of ways including serving as a camp director and band leader.More recently Craig authored an e-Book entitled: "Stress Less & Have Fun With Your Kids". He also created a curriculum the "Parenting A to E Course" available at: https://www.parentingharmony.com/ We'll hear Craig's story and about his musical and special needs journey on this week's Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links - Phone – (760) 505-3099Email –  craigparks@parentingharmony.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-parks-6038756/Website - https://www.parentingharmony.com/North County JCC Camp – https://jcca.org/find-a-jcc/lawrence-family-jcc-of-san-diego-county-jacobs-family-campus/eBook – Stress Less & Have More Fun With Your Kids – https://craigparksmusic.samcart.com/products/stress-less--have-more-fun-with-your-kids    Parks Party Central Episode 1 March 29,2020 (youtube.com)Parks Party Central Episode 19 (youtube.com)  Parks & Pals: Tequila (youtube.com)Urban Plates - 12 under $12 - core - eat well (youtube.com)  Here's a bonus video of his son at 6 years old playing the drums with Criag and a couple of the teens he was working with: Long Live Rock.mpg (youtube.com)  Here is a video from Autism's Got Talent with Jonah in 2020.  He ended up winning the competition that year.   J the King - Autism's Got Talent - YouTubeParenting A to E - From Stress To Smiles Turning The mundane Into The Memorable - Enroll now at:   https://parentingharmony.com/products/parenting-a-to-e?fbclid=IwY2xjawHO4_FleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVTpd8dvVA6oGnGhjp4mA6lsq2ii8VvRokknzaxNn1wFwJ0zJZRagsM_Mw_aem__SD5vUvTcsNCFek5EJgsVgMiracle League of San Diego https://www.miracleleagueofsandiego.orgSan Diego Chill Ice Hockey for kids with special needs   https://sandiegochill.orgThe San Marcos Shooting Stars Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/p/SMYBB-Shooting-Stars-100057535536242/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Tieal Bishop, of Walkerton, IN, mother to six including a medical fragile son and founder of A Rosie Place For Children.Tieal and her husband,Travis, have been married for eight years and between them they are the proud parents of six children: Max (25), Sam (22) and Gigi (20) and triplet 21 year old girls, Madeline, Abby and Kate.   Her oldest son, Max, had a precarious entry into the world.  Diagnosed with RSV, he required a G-Tube for feeding, a Trach for breathing and seven month in the PICU, which resulted in the family staying at the local Ronald McDonald House for seven months. Despite the early challenges, Max is thriving as a young adult.  Tieal is founder of A Rosie Place for Children, a state of the art, nurse-staffed specialty hospital for medically fragile children and respite for their parents, based in South Bend, IN. Tieal has a zest for life and a passion for service.  You'll hear her uplifting story on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone – (574) 315-6283Email - tieal@arosieplace.orgLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tieal-bishop-b821237/A Rosie Place For Children- https://arosieplace.org/Children's Respite Homes of America - https://childrensrespitehomes.org/National Center for Pediatric Palliative Care Homes (NCPPCH) - https://www.ncppch.org/She's All Set (a short film by The Grotto Network at the University of Notre Dame) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNgD2wdUv-s&t=2sSpecial Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Phillip Koontz of Monument, CO a retired U.S. Navy Seal, combat veteran, a former pastor, co-founder of Buffalo Leadership Academy, owner of an e-commerce business, author and perhaps most importantly, the father to five children.Phillip and his third wife, Suzanna, have been married for 6 1/2 years and between them are the proud parents of five children: Briah (11), Robert (13), Zadak (13), Madeline (16) and Jacob (18), who is Autistic.   Phillip served for more than five years on Seal Team 10 and is a combat veteran, during which time Danielle, his first wife was diagnosed with stage four metastatic breast cancer and died four years later.  His second marriage produced two children: Zadak and Briah. Phillip is also the author of The Truth Behind My Trident, which provides a fascinating look into the U.S. Navy Seals program and some hard truths about the sacrifices made by those who serve.  He is also a principal of Buffalo Leadership Academy and owner of Karambit.com and e-commerce business that sells high end knives.  It's a fascinating story and you'll hear it on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.  Show LinksPhone – 479-806-7445Email – koontzspeaker@gmail.comWebsite - http://www.philkoontz.com/Website - https://karambit.com/LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/philkoontz/The Trurth Behind My Trident - https://tinyurl.com/46kj4pwzSpecial Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Dennis Watkins of Oak Park, IL who is a professional magician and father of two adopted children, including a son who is Autistic. Dennis and his husband, Sean Kelly, have been married for seven years and are the proud parents of two adopted children: Magnolia (15 months) and Henry (5), who is Autistic.  Dennis hails from Dallas and a long line of family magicians.  His grandfather, Ed Watkins, was a leader amongst magicians in Texas who had.a national reputation. After taking a BFA from Southern Methodist University, Dennis pursued a career in theatre.  Working his way up from a performer to being a director, Dennis is proprietor of The Magic Parlour, located in downtown Chicago, now in it's 15th season, where he performs six shows a week, which according to Trip Advisor is the #1 show in Chicago.  Dennis has quite a story to tell and we'll hear it on this week's episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone – (312) 300-6803Email – dennis@denniswatkins.netWebsite - https://denniswatkins.net/Website - http://www.themagicparlourchicago.com/LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisrwatkins/Adoption Center of Illinois – https://www.adoptioncenterofillinois.org/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

In August, the SFN team--Steve, Gerry, and Lex--recorded live from Henderson Brewing in Toronto for Rush Day 2024. In the first of 3 episodes from Henderson Brewing, we talk with owner Steve Himel about the event and Rush lighting director Howard Ungerleider, and hear some Rush Origin Stories from fans Phil from Hilton Head, South Carolina; Melissa from Orange County, California; Ray from Whitby, Ontario; Doug from Burlington, Ontario; and John from Seattle, Washington. Follow us on Instagram: @therushcast Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): @RushFanCast Email us at: therushcast@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yizhou Lyu, Zishan Su, and Yuan Chang Leong discuss their paper, “Hostile Attribution Bias Shapes Neural Synchrony in the Left Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex during Ambiguous Social Narratives,” published in Vol. 44, Issue 9 of JNeurosci, with JNeurosci Reviewing Editor Daniela Schiller. Find our upcoming webinar schedule here. With special guests: Yizhou Lyu, Zishan Su, and Yuan Chang Leong Hosted by: Daniela Schiller On Neuro Current, we delve into the stories and conversations surrounding research published in the journals of the Society for Neuroscience. Through its publications, JNeurosci, eNeuro, and the History of Neuroscience in Autobiography, SfN promotes discussion, debate, and reflection on the nature of scientific discovery, to advance the understanding of the brain and the nervous system.  Find out more about SfN and connect with us on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  

Our guest this week is Tom Parro of Grayslake, IL, president of MERK Capital and father of three including a daughter with a rare disease.  Tom and his wife, Janice, have been married for 27 years and are the proud parents of three children: Erin (24), Matthew (20) and Megan (22) who has Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) a condition that causes a number of symptoms when you transition from lying down to standing up, such as a fast heart rate, dizziness and fatigue. With a degree in accounting and MBA in finance Tom has enjoyed a career in finance leading, 27 years ago, to founding MERK Capital, a boutique investment private equity firm.  We learn about the Parro family, their faith and commitment to one another all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (847) 867-9793Email – tomparro@MERKcapital.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-parro-405396/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Todd Evans of Brentwood, TN who is a business owner, author and father of two chidlren with disability.  Todd and his wife, Kristin, have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of two children: an 18 year old who was born with a metabolic disorder and 14 year old who has Cri du chat syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by a deletion of the short arm of chromosome 5.Together Kristin & Todd maintain the website: DisabilityParenting.com, dedicated to empowering parents of kids with all kinds of disabilities.They are also co-authors of the book, How To Build a Thriving Marriage As You Care For Children with Disabilities.  Todd is also a member of the Nashville SFN Mastermind Group.Theirs is a story about faith, marriage overcoming adversity and service to others all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (731) 202-1112Email – mauddib6@gmail.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-evans-a35744137/Website - https://disabilityparenting.com/Book - https://tinyurl.com/3urefxprSpecial Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guests this week are father and daughter, Wayne Friedman of Louisville, KY and Reena Friedman Watts of Houston, TX. Wayne and his wife, Maureen, have been married for 45 years and are the proud parents of three daughters: Reena, Jessica and Stephanie, who between them have 13 children, Wayne and Maureen's grandchildren.  A unique factoid is that Jessica and Stephanie live and work in Israel. Wayne ran a successful multi-generation family owned business for decades before retiring.  Reena and her husband, Will, have been married for 17 years and are the proud parents of four children ages five to 16.  Reena previously worked for decades as a producer of the Jerry Springer Show, based in Chicago.In addition to being a successful TV producer, Reena now hosts the Better Call Daddy Podcast. At the end of each episode, Wayne leans in and provides his insights and pearls of wisdom.  The podcasts are; creative, interesting and always enlightening.We'll hear from and about this father-daughter duo on this SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links - Reena – (310) 895-4032Wayne – (502) 533-0697  Reena - reenareena@gmail.comWayne - unclewaynefantasy@yahoo.com  Reena – https://www.linkedin.com/in/reenafriedmanwatts/ Better Call Daddy Podcast – https://bettercalldaddy.comBCD Episode #377 (6/14/24) featuring David Hirsch - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/377-pedaling-through-parenthood-special-fathers-network/id1525296416?i=1000659078645The Better Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/bettercalldaddypodcast/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bettercalldaddypodcast/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Dana Lange, of Denver, CO who does business development for Tuff Shed, is co-founder and CFO of Bright Life Connections, a non-profit and father of two including a daughter with a rare genetic disease.Dana and his wife, Dana, have been married for 34 years and are the proud parents of two daughters: Sarah (28) and Victoria (26) who has Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by developmental delay, moderate to severe intellectual disability, among other challenges.The Langes are also co-founders of Bright Life Connections a non-profit that helps loved ones effectively manage disability services in the Denver metro area.  They provide resources coordination to enable independence and personal growth for persons with disabilities, and to create opportunities for persons with disabilities to connect in the community to achieve their brightest life.Dana is also a member of the new SFN Mastermind Group in Denver that meets on Monday evenings and he attended the SFN Matermind Group Retreat held in Chicago in September 2024. We'll hear Dana's story on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Link - Phone – (303) 591-6833Email – danajlange@gmail.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/danajlange/Bright Life Connections – https://www.brightlifeconnections.com/Massachusetts Familly For Change. https://thearcofmass.orgSpecial Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Andrew Bustamante of Colorado Springs, CO a former covert CIA intelligence officer, U.S. Air Force combat veteran, business consultant, host of the Everyday Espionage Podcast, a self-proclaimed improvement junkie and perhaps most important of all, father of two adolescent children.Andrew and his wife, Jihi, who is also a former CIA intelligence officer, have been married for 14 years and are the proud parents of two adolescent children.In addition to doing business consulting, Andrew is host of the Everyday Espionage Podcast, where he interviews some fascinating guests as well and banters with his wife about their CIA days and how the lessons learned translate into everyday life. We'll hear Andrew's facsinating story on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links:Email - andy@everydayspy.comLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bustamante-mba-89812a10b/Everyday Spy – https://everydayspy.com/?homepage=cED Jackal Deep Cover Part I - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/edjackal-deep-cover-part-i/id1441789630?i=1000459839014Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Mike Abramowitz of St. Augustine, FL, an entrepreneur, co-founder of Better Than Rich, speaker, author and transformational coach as well as father of two young children.Mike and his wife, Lindsay, have been married for seven years and are the proud parents of two children: daughter Ella (1) and son James (3), who was born at 26 weeks, weighing 1 pound four ounces, which caused severe bronchial pulmonary challenges, necessitating a trachea, ventilator and feeding tube.  Their route to becoming parents also included; IVF, a series of miscarrIages and a still birth.  Mike was born and raised in New Jersey and is the youngest of eight siblings.  His dad fought in two Israel wars, which revealed some very positive and enlightening aspects of his dad's personality, which helped shape his world view and impacted his commitment to fathering.  At heart Mike is an entrepreneur with a drive and commitment to serve.  We learn about Vector Marketing and the Cutco Mafia, GRAB Tomorrow, PB&J for Tampa, Front Row Dads, and Better Than Rich, a virtual assistant platform, which allows users to leverage their time and accelerate growth.We'll hear Mike's incredible story on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (732) 687-8688Email – mike@betterthanrich.com LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeabramowitz1/Personal Website - https://mikeabramowitz.com/about/Better Than Rich - https://www.betterthanrich.com/PB&J for Tampa – https://mikeabramowitz.com/programs/pbj/G.R.A.B. (Grow. Re-Evaluate.  Appreciate. Believe.) - https://mikeabramowitz.com/programs/grab/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Tony Bombacino of Chesterton, IN, co-founder of Real Food Blends and father of two, including one with multiple disabilities. Tony and his wife, Julie, have been married for 18 years and are the proud parents of two children: daughter Luca (15) and son AJ (13) who has multiple disabilities. Tony and Julie founded Real Food Blends in response to seeking wholesome foods suitable for AJ, who is tube fed.  Real Food Blends was acquired by Nutricia, part of Danone S.A..  Subsequent to the sale Tony & Julie founded CINO United, LLC, working with and guiding B2C/B2B companies through all stages of growth.  Areas of expertise and work include: creating and/or evolving digital (and overall) marketing, brand, sales, product, business development, partnership, transportation/warehousing and capital raising strategies to help turn vision into reality.Tony's story is a series of overcoming some of life's greatest challenges, including losing his mom when he was a teenager, the death of his older brother Scott at 40 and during the past 13 years, parenting a son with severe disabilities, who is unable to talk or walk.  Along the fatherhood journey, Tony also found time and some value in sharing his thoughts and experiences through a blog reflecting on various issues related to being a father of a child with disability.  We also learn about a number of organizations that have played in instrumental role for the Bombacinos, including: A Rosie Place For Children and Jacob's Ladder.  Tony is also a member of the new Chicago SFN Mastermind Group, a group of like-minded dads that meet virtually on a weekly basis to: share weekly wins and heartfelt experiences as well as read & reflect on six books a year and meet with the authors.  It's an inspiring story about: faith, a father's love for his family, overcoming adversity and commitment to service, all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links - Phone – (708) 359-1626Email - tonybombacino@gmail.comLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonybombacino/details/experience/A Rosie Place For Children - https://arosieplace.org/Jacob's Ladder - https://www.jacobskids.org/  Tony's Blog posts connected with Special Needs Dads -   https://www.realfoodblends.com/special-needs-dad-the-role-that-everything-and-nothing-prepared-me-for/  https://www.realfoodblends.com/special-needs-dad-strong-2/  https://www.realfoodblends.com/best-fathers-day-gift-special-needs-dad-can-give/   https://www.realfoodblends.com/keep-going-special-needs-dad/   https://www.realfoodblends.com/bouncing-back/  https://www.realfoodblends.com/happy-almost-10th-anniversary-to-me/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Chris Hunter of Orlando, FL a father and grandfather, who has devoted much of his career to serving families with special needs, to help plan their financial future.  Chris and his wife, Jane, have been married for 40 years and are the proud parents of an adult daughter and four grandchildren. Chris is from Canada.  He has a civil engineering degree from New Brunswick University and a MBA from York University.  For 15 years, Chris worked for LafargeHolcim as a professional engineer.  The next 15 years he worked as a financial advisor for Merrill Lynch.  Since 2009 he has been a financial advisor, vice president & investment officer at Wells Fargo Advisors.Chris has been very intentional about serving families touched by disability in a way that separates him from most of the advisor community. His is story of compassion and care.  And we'll hear his story on this week's episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (407) 592-4939Email - Chris.Hunter@wellsfargoadvisors.comLinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrishunterorlando/Website - https://fa.wellsfargoadvisors.com/chris-hunter/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

In this episode, Cody Sanchez sits down with billionaire entrepreneur Joe Lonsdale. Co-founder of Palantir and numerous billion-dollar companies, Joe shares insights on building massive enterprises, investing in revolutionary ideas, and creating meaningful impact. They discuss everything from the roots of Palantir, leadership in tough times, the future of the U.S. economy, to the importance of bold action in politics and policy. Whether you agree with his politics or not, Joe's perspective on entrepreneurship and building in the face of challenges is one you won't want to miss. 00:00 START 02:45 Building Billion-Dollar Companies 06:36 The Importance of Entrepreneurship 10:18 Finding and Nurturing Talent 14:04 Navigating Political Divisions 18:17 Understand Economic Policies 22:30 The Decline of Meritocracy 28:41 Preparing for Economic Changes 32:31 Overcoming Challenges in Startups 36:14 The Role of Founders in Business 40:01 Philosophy and Business Leadership 46:14 The Role of Billionaires in Society 51:52 The Dangers of Unrealized 57:35 Creating a New University 01:01:42 The Importance of First Principles Thinking 01:05:00 The Future of AI and Society 01:09:33 The Battle of Good vs. Evil

Our guest this week is Chris Mallette of Chicago, IL, father of four and director of community engagement and head football coach at Chicago Hope Academy. Chris also does violence prevention consulting.Chris and his wife, Kendall, have been married for 28 years and are the proud parents of four: Luke (26), Zion (24), Judah (19) and Levi (16).  Their family has been touched by mental health challenges, including; severe anxiety, depression, OCD and bi-polar.  Chicago Hope Academy is a Christian College Prep High School with an average class size of 15 students.  275 students attend Chicago Hope with about 70 students in each grade level.  Perhaps most impressively, 100% of the graduates are accepted into collegeChris earned a BA in history from Princeton University, a law degree from University of Pennsylvania and was a public interest scholar.In addition to being the director of community engagement, Chris is the varsity football coach and has lead the team to many championships.  While proud of the teams' successes, he is most proud of his student/players who are overcoming the circumstances of their birth place.  His mentorship to his students and players goes well beyond the playing field.  It's a uplifting story about faith, family, perseverance and serving others all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone – (773) 991-7101Email - cmallette@chicagohopeacademy.orgLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-mallette-837b6741/Chicago Hope Academy - https://chicagohopeacademy.org/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Nate Plasman of Lombard, IL, a vice president at family owned Monroe Transportation and father of three, including a son with a rare genetic disease.Nate and his wife, Sara, have been married for 20 years and are the proud parents of three children: Grace (15), Jackson (12) and Andrew (10) who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a progressive and severe muscle-wasting condition that typically results in premature death.Duchenne impacts around 15,000 individuals in the United States, predominantly males, and over 300,000 globally. It is a condition that transcends cultural, economic, and social lines, affecting families worldwide.We learn about a host of organizations seeking cures and improving the lives of those living with muscular dystrophy, including; Parent Project MD, Cure Duchenne and Serepta Therapeutics. It'a an uplifting story about faith, family and overcoming adversity all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast. Show NotesPhone – (630) 248-3220Email - nate@monroe-trans.comLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-plasman-0a050149/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nathan.plasman/friendsMonroe Transportation – https://monroe-trans.com/Parent Project MD - https://www.parentprojectmd.org/Cure Duchenne - https://cureduchenne.org/Serepta Therapeutics - https://www.sarepta.com/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Bill Walters of Collinswood, NJ, father of two and founder of Perfectly Imperfect Families.Bill is the proud father of two children: Jake (21) and Tammy (23), who between the two of them have had a variety of challenges including; hearing impairment, development delays, IBS, ADHD and endometriosis.  Bill has been a single father for much of his children's lives.  Professionally, Bill is a financial advisor who offers insurance and financial guidance for perfectly imperfect families. Through faith and perseverance, Bill has been able to overcome a lot of adversity and show others how to do the same. We'll hear Bill's story and more on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Notes - Phone – (267) 278-5062Email - bill@perfectlyimperfectfamilies.comLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/billjwalters/Website -   https://www.perfectlyimperfectfamilies.com Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is Jonathan Polin of Jerusalem, Israel who is a serial entrepreneur, father of three, including son, Hersh, who very tragically was taken hostage on October 7, 2023, during the Hamas led attacks on Israel.    This episode was recorded on August 29, 2024, day #328 since Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 (mostly civilians from 23 countries) and taking more than 220 hostages, including Hersh Goldberg-Polin. Jonathan and his wife, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, both born and raised in Chicago, have been married for 27 years and are the proud parents of two daughters: Leebi and Orly as well as Hersh (23), who shockingly lost his left hand and forearm in a grenade explosion during the October 7th attacks. Quite tragically, Hersh's best friend, Aner Shapira, lost his life on October 7th protecting fellow concert goers, by deflecting seven Hamas grenades thrown into an above ground bomb shelter, before he was shot and killed.Jon and Rachel have become outspoken advocates on behalf of all the hostages and thrust into the lime-light, meeting with members of the United Nations in Geneva, meeting with Pope Francis as well as U.S. President Joe Biden and more recently, they appeared on stage, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 21st.  Days after this interview was recorded, we learned that the IDF recovered the bodies of six hostages, including Hersh, who had been executed within the past 24-48 hours. On September 2nd, while eulogizing Hersh, at his funeral, Jonathan said “We failed you, we all failed you.  Maybe your death is the stone, the fuel, that will bring home the 101 other hostages.”The Goldberg-Polin story is about and an ordinary American-Israeli family swept up into the most recent chapter of the Middle-East conflict and how through grit and steadfast determination they conducted themselves, to rescue their son and all the October 7th hostages. Email – jonpolin@gmail.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-polin-9824571/Personal Website - https://www.theimpactguy.com/Israeli Network for Life Enhancing Technologies (INLET) – https://www.inlet.co.il/DNC Speech From August, 21, 2024 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PleW3qZSxQHamas Released Video Hersh Goldberg-Polin May 2024 -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJeOoeCDgKwYouTube - Anderson Cooper's Connection To Hersh Goldberg-Polin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEW8H34zEGwHostage & Missing Families Forum - https://stories.bringthemhomenow.net/Shalva – https://www.shalva.org/Parent Circle - https://www.theparentscircle.org/en/homepage-en/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/  

Our guest this week is DeAndrae Hinton of Houston, TX educator, special education chair at the Houston Independent School District, author and father of two including an Autistic son. DeAndrae and his x-wife, Chaquita Frazier, are the proud parents of Daja (19) and Dillon (16) who has Autism. DeAndrae is the special education chair at the Houston Independent School Disctrict.  He's also written a book entitled: My Favorite Mistakes, Lessons Learned Through Accountability.He is also a leader with the Autism Dads Social Club. He has quite a story to tell and we'll hear it on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Links - Phone – (832) 523-7759Email - deandrae0315@gmail.comLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/deandrae-hinton-27772571/Book - https://tinyurl.com/yjwryr6wAutism Dads Social Club - https://autismdadssocialclub.org/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/ 

Our guest this week is Mazi Keyghobadi of Houston, TX, a father and outspoken advocate for those with disabilities. Mazi, who was born and raised in Iran, emigrated to the U.S. as a teenager with his parents and brothers in 2000. Mazi and his x-wife, Dunia, were married for nine years, before divorcing in 2021 and are the proud parents of son, Luka (7) who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.Mazi has also formed Hope For Luka, a non-profit dedicated to funding Muscular Dystrophy research with the objective of finding a cure as well as advanced therapies for those impacted by Muscular Dystrophy. It's a an uplifting story about overcoming adversity, a father's commitment to his son, and advocacy for others.  All on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast. Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.  There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/