Tag Archives: Activities

Special Parents Confidential 65 Growing Roots

Growing Roots.

Growing Roots is a new program in West Michigan that’s introducing therapeutic farming. We al know that getting your hands in the soil can help you relax. You get a feeling of accomplishment and it helps to relieve stress.  The same thing holds true with caring for animals, whether it’s a pet or a farm animal of some kind.

Back To The Farm.

In the past few years more studies are showing that agriculture therapy and animal care therapy can offer tremendous help for people with physical and developmental disabilities. Growing Roots is all about taking these concepts to the next level.

Hands-On Therapy.

Here in West Michigan where we live, two women are trying to create a sustainable therapeutic farming program called Growing Roots. Jessica Roost and Sarah Baker are joining me on this episode to talk about how they’re getting their program started and their goal, which is to have a fully operational farm with a live-in residency program.

Accomplishment and Achievement.

Growing Roots is going to help provide a sense of achievement, accomplishment, and responsibility that will be a tremendous benefit.

Links Mentioned In The Episode

GROWING ROOTS – Link to their main page.

Growing Roots Get Involved – How to help out.

Facebook Page for Growing Roots Kent County, MI  

How Does Nature Impact Our Wellbeing? – Article from the University of Minnesota.

Reminder.

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Special Parents Confidential 56 Parent Stories 01

Special Parents Confidential 56 Parent Stories 01

We begin a new series of episodes dedicated to Parent Stories – real life experiences raising a child with special needs.

When I first started doing these podcast episodes, my goal was to provide two things – answers and advice from experts on many subjects of concern to parents of special needs kids, and stories of experience from other parents of special needs kids. I wanted to re-create some of the support group meetings I’ve attended where we would hear from an expert and the the parents would get to talk. Hearing parent stories can help because we all seem to do better when we know we’re not alone.

Of course, when the episodes started I mostly began finding lots of professionals willing to talk about their areas of expertise that could help all of us with our kids. And the parent stories idea has kind of taken a backseat to those episodes on advice.

We Really Are All In This Together.

Well starting with this episode, we’re going to feature parent stories. We’ll hear from parents who’s kids are either still in school, or recently graduated from school. Parents who have worked for and fought for their kids, parents who have struggled and may still be struggling, or parents who have somehow gotten through. They may not have always gotten exactly the help they wanted for their child, but they were able to get  the best they could and their kids are either on their way toward independence or already there.

We’re giving these episodes the designation, Special Parents Confidential Parent Stories, so that you’ll know that they’re different from the regular episodes. But I think you’ll find yourself learning as much from these stories as you do from our expert interviews.

Welcome Back Carol Lippert.

Our first guest to share her parent story is appropriately enough, Carol Lippert, who was my guest on the very first episode of Special Parents Confidential. In that episode we talked about how she created and organized a support group in her community for parents of children with Autism. In this episode she shares her personal story of how she and her husband David are dealing with raising their son, Wyatt, who is autistic. 

Connect With Us On Facebook!

A great way for you to stay in touch with me and communicate your thoughts on these episodes is on the facebook page for Special Parents Confidential. Use the Facebook button on the right side of this website, or the button at the bottom of this text, or use this link. You can also search Special Parents Confidential on Facebook. It’s also a great way to share our podcast with everyone you know.

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Down Syndrome – Revisiting Special Parents Confidential Episode 34

Down Syndrome.

Recently Gerber Foods announced their first ever “Gerber Baby” who has Down Syndrome. In honor of this great milestone, we are taking a look back at Special Parents Confidential Episode 34. 

Down Syndrome. Myths and Facts.

Down Syndrome is one of the most well known of all disorders and disabilities. The common facial characteristics, along with certain physical challenges make the disorder easy to recognize. Yet, for all the familiarity, most people know very little about it and how it affects those who have the disorder.

“What We Know” Is Likely Wrong

Despite many years of progress and improvements in medical research of it’s causes, most of “what we know” about Down Syndrome is rooted in beliefs that are out of date by many decades. Often, parents who’s child has been given a diagnosis are told to expect a very bleak future, with many medical challenges, along with physical and cognitive difficulties for their child. While that can be true to a certain extent, in most cases the future for someone with it is nowhere near as bad as some people believe.

Factual Information.

Fortunately many organizations across the United States, and around the world, have come out to help parents, families, educators, and even the medical community gain a better understanding of Down Syndrome and how it affects those who have it. One such organization is the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan. 

We’re pleased to interview Meredith Lange, Community Relations Specialist of DSAWM, who talks about the common misconceptions and provides the facts. She also talks about what life is like for children and adults with Down Syndrome and how most of the misunderstandings cause more harm than good. People with Down Syndrome can do well in school, can have successful careers, even becoming business owners and executives.

Links to Websites mentioned in the podcast:

National Down Syndrome Society 

National Down Syndrome Congress 

Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action 

Global Down Syndrome Foundation 

As always a reminder that if you like this episode of Special Parents Confidential or any episode we’ve done, please share our site with your friends, family, and all your connections on social media. You can do this easily with the social media buttons located right below this paragraph. 
Thanks for your support!

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A Sibling’s Perspective – Revisiting SPC Episode 31

A Sibling’s Perspective.

The Holidays always mean family visits, and with that in mind, we thought our episode on a sibling’s perspective would be a good one to repost. This episode is from October of 2015, when we interviewed Aubrey Boerma, who grew up with an older brother who has Autism.

What’s it like growing up with a special needs sibling? Do you have feelings of being ignored by your parents? Do you worry about how your special needs sibling will be treated by society or your friends in particular? Are you frustrated over how often you have to explain why your special needs sibling “acts like that”? 

As hard as it is to be a parent of a special needs child, it can also be just as hard to be a sibling of one. From having to attend numerous medical or therapy appointments, to missing out on school events or social events, many siblings feel like their lives have to take second place to the lives of the special needs child. Even into adulthood, some people carry resentments and anger over their relationships with their special needs siblings. 

There Are Answers.

In this episode of Special Parents Confidential, we talk to Aubrey Boerma, who has a brother with special needs. She also works with sibling youth support groups, helping child siblings learn to cope with their special needs brothers or sisters. Aubrey talks about how not all sibling relationships have to be difficult. For many people, having a sibling with special needs can be an incredible experience. You learn to be a much more patient and tolerant person with great empathy for all kinds of situations. Many siblings of special needs children, including Aubrey, say that their brother or sister are the best thing that happened to them. She also has suggestions for parents on how to help siblings talk about their relationships and their feelings toward their special needs brother or sister.

Links To Websites Mentioned In This Podcast:

The Sibling Support Project – Founded in 1990, the Sibling Support Project is the first national program dedicated to the life-long and ever-changing concerns of millions of brothers and sisters of people with special health, developmental, and mental health concerns. 

Sibling Leadership Network – Providing siblings of individuals with disabilities the information, support, and tools to advocate with their brothers and sisters and to promote the issues important to them and their entire families.

The Sibling Survival Guide – A “How To” guide to being an adult sibling of a special needs person. 

Growing Up With Ben – The Blog Post that Aubrey wrote about her life and relationship with her special needs brother.

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Special Parents Confidential 49 Parenting Concerns

Parenting Concerns.

Having a special needs child always causes tremendous parenting concerns and a lot of work. Many moments can be incredible, exhilarating, and full of amazing wonder. But it can also be extremely stressful. Dealing with schools, social situations, family situations… it can seem like everywhere you turn is another opportunity for more parenting concerns and stress. The other problem is that not everyone understands or even cares about these situations, so many parents can feel isolated in their worries and concerns.

Family Stress

So what can you do to help you deal with all these stresses and keep yourself from coming apart at the seams?  Our guest on this episode has some great advice. Jean Holthaus is a licensed independent social worker with Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services in Pella Iowa. She specializes in dealing with anxiety issues, parenting concerns and family issues, and working with special needs children. You’ll also find out about setting boundaries for special needs children, dealing with emotions including anger in children and adults, and how to deal with school anxiety issues. Jean also talks about great resources for parents to access that can help with numerous situations for schools, home, and social situations.

Links Mentioned in the Podcast

Jean Holthaus’ Page at Pine Rest 

Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education

US Department of Education ED Publications

The American Academy of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry

Support Special Parents Confidential.

You can help us continue to produce this podcast. Please consider contributing to help continue this podcast. Use the Pay Pal link on our home page to contribute any amount you can. Also be sure to share this episode, and any episode you’ve found helpful with all your favorite social media sites. Use the buttons below to quickly access your favorite sites with our podcast. Thanks for your support!

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Special Parents Confidential 46 Sensory Processing Disorder

Sensory Processing Disorder.

Virtually everyone has heard of sensory overload, and sensory issues. People who have problems with loud noises, large crowded areas, tastes, textures, strong smells, bright lights, the list goes on.

Not A Symptom of Something Else.

For decades sensory issues were simply considered a side-effect of whatever the more prevalent disorder was inhibiting the child, whether Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Dyslexia, Multiple Sclerosis, and other disorders. However medical research has proven that this is a separate disorder, called Sensory Processing Disorder.  And there is now a push to have it recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – known as DSM – which is the official medical reference for physicians.

SPD Parent Zone.

My guest for this episode has first hand knowledge of Sensory Processing Disorder. Kelly Jurecko is the President and Co-Founder of SPD Parent Zone, a non-profit organization that offers a website that is full of reliable and credible information on Sensory Processing Disorder. She also hosts a blog and a podcast on the site where she posts articles and interviews experts on SPD and keeps people updated on the latest information.

If your child is having any kind of sensory issues, SPD Parent Zone is a website you need to bookmark and search.

Links Mentioned In The Episode.

SPD Parent Zone

SPD Parent Zone Podcast on iTunes

SPD Foundation – The Star Institute For Sensory Processing Disorder

The Sensory Processing Disorder Resource Center

Support Special Parents Confidential.

If you find this episode helpful, and if you have found other episodes on this site to be helpful as well, please consider investing in supporting Special Parents Confidential. We have a Pay Pal account linked on our home page on the right side below our logo. Or you can click on the “Support SPC” link on our page directory at the top of the site. Any amount you can contribute to help us continue these podcasts is greatly appreciated!

Thanks for listening.

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Special Parents Confidential Episode 36 Mentoring Programs

Mentoring Programs

Mentoring programs for children are some of the most successful social and educational support systems available. 

Many experts on child education will tell you that having someone who can mentor, coach, or demonstrate to kids how to do things outside of school and family is vital. Being able to talk to an adult mentor who can help a child with school goals and career choices can make a huge difference for a child’s confidence and outlook. Significant studies over the years have shown that kids who have been helped through mentoring programs are less likely to get into trouble in school, become more confident about their school performance, and get along better with their friends and families.

Now there’s a mentoring organization just for kids with special needs. Project Ready Set Goal , based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, offers mentoring for children with learning disabilities and physical disabilities. They help kids with academic and career guidance, building leadership skills, and help with social issue strategies and learning how to advocate for themselves. And it’s all done for free.

In this episode we talk with Janine Thomas, executive director of Project Ready Set Goal to find out more about the services and help they provide. She talks about their screening process for mentors, gives examples of how mentoring programs can help kids with school, as well as their future life choices.  Janine also talks about why she wanted to focus on mentoring for special needs children, and how she hopes that her idea will grow across the country.

As always a reminder that if you like this episode of Special Parents Confidential or any episode we’ve done, please share our site with your friends, family, and all your connections on social media. You can do this easily with the social media buttons located right below this paragraph. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, add us on Google Plus, Tumbler, Linked In, Pintrest, Stumble Upon, Reddit, or other social media sites that you prefer. You can also sign up for our email service and have new posts and podcast episodes delivered right to your inbox the moment they’re available online. That form is located to the right of this text. We’re also on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIN, and Poddirectory as a free subscription and if you have a moment, feel free to write a review about our podcast on either of those sites. Anything you can do to help spread the word about Special Parents Confidential will help us be able to continue these podcasts.
Thanks for your support!

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Special Parents Confidential Episode 34 Down Syndrome

Down Syndrome. Myths and Facts.

Down Syndrome is one of the most well known of all disorders and disabilities. The common facial characteristics of Down Syndrome, along with certain physical challenges make the disorder easy to recognize. Yet, for all the familiarity, most people know very little about Down Syndrome and how it affects those who have the disorder.

Despite many years of progress and improvements in medical research of it’s causes, most of “what we know” about Down Syndrome is rooted in beliefs that are out of date by many decades. Often, parents who’s child has been given a diagnosis are told to expect a very bleak future, with many medical challenges, along with physical and cognitive difficulties for their child. While that can be true to a certain extent, in most cases the future for someone with Down Syndrome is nowhere near as bad as some people believe.

Fortunately many organizations across the United States, and around the world, have come out to help parents, families, educators, and even the medical community gain a better understanding of Down Syndrome and how it affects those who have it. One such organization is the Down Syndrome Association of West Michigan. They offer a variety of programs and services to help and inform everyone who has interest in Down Syndrome. 

We’re pleased to interview Meredith Lange, Community Relations Specialist of DSAWM, who talks about the common misconceptions about Down Syndrome and provides the facts. She also talks about what life is like for children and adults with Down Syndrome and how most of the misunderstandings cause more harm than good. People with Down Syndrome can do well in school, can have successful careers, even becoming business owners and executives.

Links to Websites mentioned in the podcast:

National Down Syndrome Society 

National Down Syndrome Congress 

Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action 

Global Down Syndrome Foundation 

As always a reminder that if you like this episode of Special Parents Confidential or any episode we’ve done, please share our site with your friends, family, and all your connections on social media. You can do this easily with the social media buttons located right below this paragraph. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, add us on Google Plus, Tumbler, Linked In, Pintrest, Stumble Upon, Reddit, or other social media sites that you prefer. You can also sign up for our email service and have new posts and podcast episodes delivered right to your inbox the moment they’re available online. That form is located to the right of this text. We’re also on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIN, and Poddirectory as a free subscription and if you have a moment, feel free to write a review about our podcast on either of those sites. Anything you can do to help spread the word about Special Parents Confidential will help us be able to continue these podcasts.
Thanks for your support!

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John Pellegrini Will Speak At The 2016 Kent ISD LEAP Conference

John Pellegrini Will Speak At The 2016 Kent ISD LEAP Conference.

I am very excited to announce that I’ve been invited to give the keynote speech at this year’s Kent Intermediate School District LEAP Conference.

LEAP, which stands for Lead Empower Assist Parents is a day-long six hour conference, scheduled for Saturday, March 12th, 2016, for parents of Special Needs Children in Kent County, Michigan. The workshop is designed for parents and providers of children with special needs to meet with area experts, educators, therapists, and other organizations who work to help children with special needs. Exhibitors, vendors and service providers will be on hand throughout the day to share resources and answer questions.

Many presenters at this year’s LEAP Conference have been guests on Special Parents Confidential and they will be talking in greater depth about their services. For my own Keynote Presentation, I’m going to talk about Special Parents Confidential, why I decided to create the podcast, and what I’ve learned in the three years that I’ve been doing these episodes. You’ll also have a chance to ask questions and I’m interested in hearing your ideas for future episodes.

Some of the breakout sessions during the day include legal planning for a child with disabilities, challenging behaviors: when typical parenting strategies aren’t working, caring for the caregiver, building communications skills through play, aided communication for early childhood, and much more. You’ll also be able to meet the presenters in the vending area. Free childcare will be provided throughout the day by the David D. Hunting YMCA.

There’s still time to register to attend the LEAP Conference. You can find out more information on the Kent ISD LEAP Conference Page, and you can register to attend the conference (cost is $15.00 per person) by Clicking on the LEAP Registration Page. If you live in the West Michigan area, I highly recommend you attend the Kent ISD LEAP Conference. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Kent ISD Leap Conference Page

LEAP Registration Page

LEAP Breakout Session Schedule.

Special Parents Confidential Episode 31 A Sibling’s Perspective

A Sibling’s Perspective.

What’s it like growing up with a special needs sibling? Do you have feelings of being ignored by your parents? Do you worry about how your special needs sibling will be treated by society or your friends in particular? Are you frustrated over how often you have to explain why your special needs sibling “acts like that”?

As hard as it is to be a parent of a special needs child, it can also be just as hard to be a sibling of one. From having to attend numerous medical or therapy appointments, to missing out on school events or social events, many siblings feel like their lives have to take second place to the lives of the special needs child. Even into adulthood, some people carry resentments and anger over their relationships with their special needs siblings. 

In this episode of Special Parents Confidential, we talk to Aubrey Boerma, who has a brother with special needs. She also works with sibling youth support groups, helping child siblings learn to cope with their special needs brothers or sisters. Aubrey talks about how not all sibling relationships have to be difficult. For many people, having a sibling with special needs can be an incredible experience. You learn to be a much more patient and tolerant person with great empathy for all kinds of situations. Many siblings of special needs children, including Aubrey, say that their brother or sister are the best thing that happened to them. She also has suggestions for parents on how to help siblings talk about their relationships and their feelings toward their special needs brother or sister.

Links To Websites Mentioned In This Podcast:

The Sibling Support Project – Founded in 1990, the Sibling Support Project is the first national program dedicated to the life-long and ever-changing concerns of millions of brothers and sisters of people with special health, developmental, and mental health concerns. 

Sibling Leadership Network – Providing siblings of individuals with disabilities the information, support, and tools to advocate with their brothers and sisters and to promote the issues important to them and their entire families.

The Sibling Survival Guide – A “How To” guide to being an adult sibling of a special needs person. 

Growing Up With Ben – The Blog Post that Aubrey wrote about her life and relationship with her special needs brother.

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Announcement From MI Lt. Governor Brian Calley

Announcement From MI Lt. Governor Brian Calley.

Back in June of 2015, we interviewed Michigan Lt. Governor Brian Calley about his concerns on special education, and his efforts to provide better inclusion for parents in the education process. You can listen to that interview by clicking Special Parents Confidential Episode 24 

Today we received the following email update from Lt. Governor Calley:

Good afternoon,

There is no doubt that educating a child with Special Education needs has its own unique challenges for parents and educators. It is important that we work to ensure Michigan’s system is the finest it can be to serve students and parents safely, openly and constructively. For months, I have traveled across Michigan to listen to parents and requested feedback via an online survey. I have made nine listening tour stops to date and heard from nearly 2,000 parents online. 

Now it is time for the next step. On Tuesday, September 8, I will be providing testimony before the state Board of Education regarding what I have heard and learned during this process and how we can all work together to make necessary improvements. The meeting will be at 11:30 a.m., at the John A. Hannah Building, Fourth Floor, 608 West Allegan Street in Lansing.
Please feel free to attend if you’re available. The Department of Education also will be livestreaming the meeting. The link will be available at www.michigan.gov/mde on Tuesday morning.

I have appreciated the input I received from many of you in person and online. Now it’s time to harness all of our efforts and work together to improve special education in Michigan for everyone. 

Sincerely,

Lt. Gov. Brian Calley

*****************

This is the final part of an extraordinary effort on the part of our Lieutenant Governor to help improve Special Education in Michigan. For the full details on why he is making this happen, take a listen to our interview in Episode 24.  

Be sure to view the live-stream coverage of the meeting on Tuesday September 8th at 11:30 am. Use this link to see it live: www.michigan.gov/mde

Special Parents Confidential Is Now On TuneIn

Special Parents Confidential Is Now On TuneIn. 

We are excited to announce that Special Parents Confidential is now available to access for free subscription on TuneIn.

TuneIn is a free media service featuring over 100,000 online radio stations and 4 million podcasts. Over  Fifty Million people have signed up to use TuneIn as their source for music streaming and online audio content. TuneIn has an app available for Android and Google Play listeners, which means you can use it to access Special Parents Confidential on all Android and Google Play devices.

Click on this text link: Special Parents Confidential on TuneIn, or use the TuneIn button located on the right of this post under “Follow Us”. You can also use the Sharing buttons below this entry.

We’re working to provide our listeners with the most accessibility to find and listen to episodes of Special Parents Confidential. Joining TuneIn is one more great avenue to find Special Parents Confidential, along with iTunes, Stitcher

Please share with your friends and family on all social media. Use the buttons below to share this post with any of the social media services listed below. And be sure to check us out on TuneIn.

Special Parents Confidential Episode 28 The Mighty

The Mighty. 

Once in a while you come across a website that is just so compelling, so useful, and so helpful that you have to share it with everyone you know.

Thirty million people have done that with The Mighty. 

After finding out that his daughter had a rare genetic disorder, and his son was born with a health challenge, the founder of The Mighty, Mike Porath, decided to build a website where people could share their emotional struggles and help each other. As he says in his own article on why he started The Mighty, “Stories that inspire people – that can change the path of someone’s day, as my wife says – are a great start, but we are going after much more. Ultimately we want to improve the lives of people facing disease, disorder and disability.”

The Mighty started out as a site where parents of special needs children can vent their frustrations, post their triumphs, and share with each other their experiences. They’ve grown beyond special needs to health challenges, and even posts written by people with special needs and health challenges who offer their own unique perspectives.

In this episode we talk to Mike Porath about The Mighty and how he brought the website together. He also talks about where he hopes to see The Mighty go in the coming years, and what he wants the site to become. It’s a fascinating story and a fascinating interview with a real visionary who just started off by asking a question: “What can we do about this?”

Below are some links to various articles on The Mighty that were mentioned in the podcast.

Mike Porath’s Current Favorite Story On The Mighty

The Mother Who’s Son With Autism Got A Special Invitation To A Party

The Man Who Invented A Font To Help People With Dyslexia

As always a reminder that if you like this episode of Special Parents Confidential or any episode we’ve done, please share our site with your friends, family, and all your connections on social media. You can do this easily with the social media buttons located right below this paragraph. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, add us on Google Plus, Tumbler, Linked In, Pintrest, Stumble Upon, Reddit, or other social media sites that you use. You can also sign up for our email service and have new posts and podcast episodes delivered right to your inbox the moment they’re available online. That form is located to the right of this text. We’re also on iTunes and Stitcher as a free subscription and if you have a moment, feel free to write a review about our podcast on either of those sites. Anything you can do to help spread the word about Special Parents Confidential will help us be able to continue these podcasts.
Thanks for your support!

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Special Parents Confidential Episode 25 Early Intervention

Early Intervention.

There’s probably nothing more nerve-wracking and stressful for any parent than the realization that your new baby, your toddler, your child might have some problems. Whether it’s not speaking, not walking, or not engaging socially like other kids, the hardest question many parents face is, what do I do about this?

Of course friends and relatives will tell you, oh it’s alright, that’s just how some boys or some girls are… and they’ll grow out of it. But that’s not always the best advice, and if  your child does have a developmental delay or a learning disorder, they are simply not going to grow out of it. They need help. And then the question becomes, where do I get that help?

Our guest on this episode of Special Parents Confidential can answer a lot of those questions. Barbara Corbin is the Early On Coordinator with the Kent Intermediate School District in Kent County, Michigan.  She handles Early Intervention, and Early Childhood Special Education with school districts. She helps parents get their first diagnosis and coordinates getting help for children right at the very beginning. Thanks to advances in medical research and therapies, children can be diagnosed very early, and Early On programs can start at age two.

Links to websites mentioned in the podcast:

1800EarlyOn Early Intervention information for Michigan, with links to other States. The website name is also their toll free phone number: 1 800 Early On.

The Arc of Kent County Information resource for people with intellectual and developmental delays.

Center For Disease Control (CDC) Page for Parents and Infants This page has the Milestones and Schedules information to track expected progress for infants and toddlers.

Great Starts Collaborative Early Intervention Page Success Starts Early’s webpage on Early Interventions. The entire site is full of helpful information for all parents.

Pathways.org  Free online resource and tools for parents.

The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center Online resource tools for families of children with special needs.

Michigan Alliance for Families.  Provides information, support, and education for families who have children (birth through 26 years of age) who receive (or may be eligible to receive) special education services.

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The Numbers Are In!

The Numbers Are In!

When I started this podcast a little over two years ago I was hoping to be able to fill a need for parents or relatives or friends of special needs children and adults. I had no idea how many people would be interested, but I thought there would be ‘some’.

Until now I really had no idea how many people have seen the Special Parents Confidential website, or how many people were listening to the podcast episodes. We don’t have a large number of subscribers on iTunes… this is primarily owing to the fact that the file size for each episode is very large. My crazy insistence on having the sound quality as good as any FM radio station is the cause. Due to these large file sizes, it’s my belief that most of the audience is listening directly on the website rather than downloading the episodes.

Well now I have a better idea of just how many people have been checking out this ‘humble little podcast’. My webmaster guru recently ran a site stat report for me, and I wanted to share some of it here. The report contains large numbers of stats including activity, access, visitors, referrers, browsers, and errors (bots trying to gain access to stuff they’re not supposed to have – don’t worry they didn’t get anything). The numbers are in, and very detailed, so I’ll just post the two most important stats: Since we started in in January of 2013 until April 23 of 2015 (the date the report was generated), Special Parents Confidential has been visited 815,493 times; with 600,882 real people hits and 214,611 spider (bot) hits. More impressively, the total bandwidth usage has been 49.45 GBs. In radio terms, that’s (TSL) Time Spent Listening. This number represents both episode downloads and direct listening time.

Pronouncing the words, “I’m shocked” is a major understatement. I think the phrase, ‘my brain did backflips’ is more appropriate. These are far bigger numbers than I ever expected, or thought possible, given that I haven’t really gone out of my way to promote the site.
To everyone who has visited, listens, and continues to do both, thank you so very much! It’s gratifying to know there are so many more of you than I thought. You have my assurances that I’ll continue to produce episodes that cover subjects you want to know about. You should also know that you have a voice in this process too. Please like our Facebook page or Follow us on Twitter so you can comment directly on each episode (we monitor those the most frequently)*. Also feel free to share episodes and the website on your favorite social media sites.
Thanks!

John

PS- if you’re interested in sponsoring or advertising on our podcast or this website, please use our Contact Page, and I’ll send you a more detailed version of the stat report and we can talk things over.

*We use Facebook and Twitter for podcast comments, rather than a webpage ‘comments section’ in order to reduce spammer advertising.

New Episodes Coming Soon

New Episodes Coming Soon.

We’re working on more interviews in the next few weeks. Some of the subjects we’re covering:

Did you know Dyslexia is only recognized in 24 states as a learning disability, with specific definitions and guidelines for special education? We’re doing  two episodes devoted to living with Dyslexia. We will be talking to an elementary school teacher who has Dyslexia to learn how she dealt with Dyslexia while growing up and how she now teaches. We’re also going to talk to a mother and son (the son has Dyslexia) who are working together on trying to get Dyslexia recognized as a learning disability in their state and other states.

We’re also going to talk to an RN with our local health department for medical advice and health issues that are important for special needs children and adults.

Be sure to subscribe to our social media pages, we’re on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Linked In, and others where you can comment and give us suggestions for future episodes! Don’t forget you can subscribe to our email list, and find our podcast on iTunes and Stitcher.

We’re working on some big plans for this year to make Special Parents Confidential even better, so be sure to connect with us for all the news and updates as we go!

Finally, be sure to share our site with your friends and family. You never know who might be interested or have a need to know something we have here. We do these podcasts for you and your help in spreading the word is what keeps us going!

Thank you for your support!

John

SPC One Year Anniversary

SPC Studio

SPC One Year Anniversary.

One year ago this week I posted the first two podcasts on the newly minted Special Parents Confidential website. Fifteen episodes in one year, about three more than I thought I would be able to get produced, which puts me ahead of my expectations. And that’s always a good thing.

What does it take to create a podcast? As far as equipment goes, not much really. A mixer, a microphone, a phone interface, headphones, speakers, a digital recording platform, and some wires to connect it all.

But Special Parents Confidential is far more than the equipment. It’s a lot of people who helped me get started nearly six months before this date last year. Those people and their contributions are listed on the About Us page and I’d like to encourage you to take a look at the links to their own websites because they are some amazing people who do incredible things.

Most importantly I’d like to thank the 15 people who agreed to take time out of their busy schedules to answer questions about what parents of special needs children need to know and what they do to help. Some very graciously took a long time, nearly missing important events or meetings, just to make sure they answered every question.

When I started these interviews my goal was to create an online support group for parents of special needs children who aren’t able to attend support group meetings. Thanks to these first 15 people I can say that the goal has been exceeded

Here’s the list of those fine people and their episode subjects once again. If you haven’t heard all these interviews yet, please take a listen!

1. Carol Lippert – Support Groups

2. Dan Blauw – Legal Issues

3. Cyndi Blair – Playdates

4. Dr. Oren Mason – ADD/ADHD

5. Kindy Segovia – Assistive Technology

6. Kathy Holkeboer – Special Education Advocacy

7. Stacy Burns – One Parent’s Journey

8. Chris Kenward – Social Issues In School

9. Julie Wiseman – Deafness and Hearing Impairment

10. Paula Lancaster – Special Education

11. Rev. Mathew Cockrum – Special Needs and Spiritual Needs

12. Elizabeth Welch-Lykens – School Funding and Special Education

13. Rabbi Tzvi Schectman – The Friendship Circle

14. Gabriella McCall Delgado – We Connect Now

15. Conny Raaymakers – Applied Behavior Analysis

It’s been an amazing journey. I’m looking forward to continuing with more episodes in 2014 and beyond.

To everyone who agreed to be interviewed, to everyone who helped out in making this podcast and website a reality, and most of all, to you for finding my site, taking a listen, and then recommending these episodes to people you know:

A huge   T H A N K   Y O U !!!!

Special Parents Confidential 11. Spiritual Needs and Special Needs

Spiritual Needs and Special Needs.

Religion is an important part of the lives of many people. No matter what your religious beliefs the sense of belonging and community that comes from worship can be a great source of comfort and peace. However being able to attend worship services and learning to fulfill spiritual needs can be a challenge for special needs children. From sensory issues to behavioral problems to feelings of not being accepted many special needs children simply cannot cope with the traditional concepts and behaviors that are considered normal during worship. There can also be problems in religious instruction classes or “Sunday School” (depending on what your faith offers for children) because in many of these classes the instructors are volunteers and don’t always have training in working with special needs children.

How can parents who want their special needs children to participate in their religious traditions find help to work with their clergy to make sure that their special needs children are both accepted and given the help they need to participate and grow in their spiritual needs? How should parents of special needs children approach both their clergy and the lay staff of their place of worship to bring about these goals?

Our guest for this episode has some excellent ideas and advice. The Reverend Mathew Cockrum is an ordained minister in the Unitarian Universalist tradition and was most recently a Chaplain at the University of Michigan Hospitals, and a former Associate Minister at Fountain Street Church in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also now a Transitional Minister at University Unitarian Church in Seattle, WA. He has served as a youth minister and has had a lot of experience in working with families in a wide variety of religious faiths and beliefs. Through these experiences he has some practical advice and great ideas to help families with special needs children find acceptance and fulfillment in their spiritual needs.

Links Mentioned In This Podcast:

There are many websites devoted to this subject, and far too many to narrow down just a few important ones, largely because most religions have their own ideas and methods. As the Reverend Mathew suggests, just do a Google or Bing or Yahoo (or whatever SE you use) search on the words ‘special needs children and religion’ and you’ll find a huge number of articles from all faiths and traditions on how parents and clergy attempt to rectify many of these questions. You can also add in the specific religion that you believe (such as ‘Methodist’ or ‘Catholic’ or ‘Judaism’ or ‘Hinduism’ or which ever is your tradition) to get a more focused answer.

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Updates For June and July

Updates For June and July.

Time goes by quickly when the kids are home instead of being in school. But we wanted to post some updates about what we have coming up in the remaining days of June and in July. We have two podcast episodes recorded and we’ll get them posted in the next couple of weeks.

The next episode, SPC number 11, which we hope to have online very soon, features an interview with the Reverend Mathew Cockrum and we delve into ways in which we can help our special needs children get the best experiences in our places of worship, as well as how to work with ‘Sunday school’ or religious class staff so that our kids can have positive experiences. We also discuss ways to reconcile that sometimes certain religious beliefs can be in conflict with medical or scientific study, and that it is possible to accept both viewpoints, and many other great ideas.

SPC episode number 12, which will be ready after that, is all about education funding. We talk with Elizabeth Welch-Lykins who is an elected official in her local school board, a member of her school district’s legislative committee, and a lawyer. She has experienced the budget crisis in our schools first-hand through having to negotiate cuts in staff and services and she talks in detail about how school districts have had so much trouble and the real reasons why so many of our school districts are in trouble. She also details how budget cuts to public schools are definitely hurting special education programs and the dangers of not paying enough attention to who we vote for in elections.

We have more great interviews planned throughout the summer and into the next school year, so please keep checking back!  Better yet, sign up to get an email subscription to our podcasts so you’ll be notified every time we post something new. Just look over to the right column on our home page and enter your email address where it says “Get Podcast Notifications Via Email”. You’ll get automatic updates and we promise we will never give out your email address to anyone else.

Thanks for your support and don’t forget to help spread the word about us!

 

Special Parents Confidential 08 Social Issues In School

Social Issues In School

When we talk about issues that can cause anxiety for parents of special needs kids,  dealing with social situations in school and elsewhere is probably right at the top of the list.  Will our children be accepted or will they be teased? Will  our kids be able to handle the day to day interactions in the class room, in the cafeteria, or on the playground? What about bullying? And what are we supposed to do when our kids experience problems with these situations?

For many schools the person who can help guide our kids through their day in school is the social worker. They’re also the person who parents can talk to for help with making sure their special needs child can fit into the various social situations and can offer advice that parents can use to reinforce the school’s expectations at home.

Our guest on this episode of Special Parents Confidential is Chris Kenward, an elementary school social worker who has many years of experience dealing with both special needs students and general education students.  Many experts agree, the vast majority of social problems begin early in elementary school so the sooner a child with special needs can get help in dealing with social issues, the better their progress will be throughout their life. The information Chris shares here is going to be vital for every parent of a special needs child, as well as for teachers, special education experts, care givers, and anyone who has a relationship with a special needs kid.

Links Mentioned In The Podcast: 

Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid  The website from the authors of the book.

Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid link to the book’s listing for sale on Amazon

Driven Story – Jon Singer – This is the website of the author of the book, “The Special Needs Parent Handbook”, which you can find on this page.

Views From Our Shoes – The website of the Sibling Support Project, where you can see stories from the book and order a copy.

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Special Parents Confidential 07 One Parent’s Journey

One Parent’s Journey

Parents of special needs children spend most of their time dealing with the present. We tend to think mostly about what our children are doing right now, tomorrow, and maybe next week. If we think of the future, it’s mostly along the lines of, “what is school going to be like for our child next year?” Rarely do we ever consider what our children’s lives will be like ten years from now, fifteen, twenty, beyond.  Perhaps because the reality of special needs children is that so much needs to be taken care of in the present, the future can be hard to visualize.

Predicting the future is, of course, impossible, but sometimes it can be helpful to hear from parents who have older children. Those of us whose children have made it into adulthood and are transitioning from schools to colleges, and even into careers. In many cases these parents have not only seen their children’s lives change, but have had their own lives changed in ways they never expected.

Our guest on this episode of Special Parents Confidential has had just such a journey. Stacy Burns has two sons born with Aspberger’s Syndrome. Her oldest, Devin, is now an adult going to college and beginning a career. Stacy talks about Devin’s life from early childhood to the present and also tells us how his disability wound up giving her opportunities that ultimately lead to a new career in a field she never would have imagined. It’s a story of hardships, frustrations, and setbacks, but it’s also a story of achievements, unexpected changes for the better, and success. In other words, it’s a story of a parent, and a great example that even though our children require special help, they can achieve as much as any child.

Organization mentioned in this podcast: 

MOKA – Muskegon, Ottawa, Kent, & Allegan: We See The Individual In Everyone. Serving individuals and their families throughout Western Michigan.

YAPSS – Young Adults Project for Service and Socialization of West Michigan.

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Special Parents Confidential 03 Playdates

Playdates. Guest: Cyndi Blair. Special Parents Confidential Episode 03.

Playdates. Sleep overs. Parties. Extra-cirricular activities. Friends. Many children have active and highly involved social lives. But that’s not always possible for special needs children who have challenges in social situations. Meeting new friends and having lasting friendships can be difficult for kids with special needs. Disabilities and challenges with social skills can sometimes mean a child might not have any friends of their own.

Our guest on this episode had just such a problem with her special needs child not being able to find friends to have playdates or other social activities. Cyndi Blair is a mom from Muskegon, MI, and has a daughter with autism and cerebral palsy. She also has three other children who don’t have disabilities or special needs. Her special needs child noticed that her siblings were always having playdates, sporting events, parties, sleep-overs, and other activities. But her daughter would become upset because she (in her own words) ‘didn’t have any friends of her own’. So Cyndi decided to do something about it.

We talk with Cyndi about the organization she founded, No More Sidelines, and how it not only helped her special needs child find new friends, but is also helping nearly 300 other special needs children. It’s become so successful she wants to take her organization’s concept to other communities and states around the nation.

As we mentioned in the podcast, here’s the No More Sidelines voice mail number that you can call to listen to their events calendar and leave a message: (231) 724-7142.

Special Parents Confidential

Special Parents Confidential

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