It’s the 100th episode and Kim’s husband, Tom, joins the conversation as they take a look back at the most popular shows and how what they are learning from guests on the show are changing the way they approach planning the future for their daughter. They also look at the most popular episodes and have guest updates.
Parents often take a significant role in planning the future for their child with disabilities. It is not feasible to take on every role and task so how can parents identify and prioritize their roles in transition planning? What are the most important aspects in which to devote energy and attention?
School services end where adult services begin, but there is opportunity for overlap during the teen years to increase chances of a smooth transition via interagency collaboration. How can this opportunity be maximized?
When student age out of school services and transition to adult services gaps often emerge. Many of these gaps have simple solutions. What are these gaps and how do we bridge them?
For individuals with differing abilities to have paid employment in community settings, there needs to be a culture that believes they are capable. What hurdles must be overcome for us to shift perspective?
How do we get assistive technology in the IEP and what considerations are important other than technology itself?
There are more than 200 college programs for students with disabilities in the United States. What goals should students be working toward in middle school and high school to open the door to this post secondary option? If it is long shot for our student, are there still similar goals we should consider, regardless?
Most students in special education are tracked to age out of the school system without a degree or direct pathway to employment. What if we believe expectations can be higher for our student? What are the options for exiting the school system and where does each option lead? Who is making these choices?
We hear a lot and think a lot about the inevitable time of transitioning out of school services and into adult services. It has been coined “when the bus stops coming” or “falling off the cliff’ What does this time of life feel like from the perspective of the person actually going through it? From the perspective of the individual with differing abilities?
Individuals with disabilities have the right to make choices for themselves and for those choices to be honored, but what if it is hard for us to understand what those choices, likes, and dislikes are because of complex communication needs? How do we begin teaching and honoring self determination at a young age?
This episodes explores 3 strategies:
Ongoing formal and informal assessments, specifically those identifying strengths and interests, should be the drivers of transition IEP goals. How can we encourage school districts to do assessments and what are the whens, hows, and whos of the process?
Transition planning begins during the teen years and becomes part of the IEP between the ages of 14 - 16. Does the process work? Are we focusing on the right areas?
The health series included 3 episodes focusing on caregivers and 9 episodes focusing on individuals with special needs. What did you miss? What’s coming next?
Many women and teens use hormones to manipulate their menstrual cycle and so it makes sense that this can also be an option for women with disabilities. What ethical considerations come into play and what options are available? And what about the pelvic exam? Is it a recommended procedure for this population? How can it be performed with the utmost dignity for the patient with differing abilities?
Cannabis has been used as a medical treatment since ancient times yet still has an attached stigma. Laws are inconsistent from state to state and regulatory gaps with distribution and use exist. How do we responsibly approach this agent as a medical option?
There are over 52 million people with disabilities in the U.S. and only 10 percent of dental professionals are prepared to treat them. What is being done about this and is there anything care providers can be doing to better support dental health?
When our faith and beliefs about God take a hit, how should we respond? Diane Dokko Kim is the mom of a teenage boy with autism and shares how working through her questions and doubts cemented an unbroken faith.
When you enter the world of differing abilities you also enter the not so pleasant world of insurance. What are the tips and tricks to ease the pain of this experience and most importantly, get your claim approved?
Patients with disabilities are often misdiagnosed and sent for diagnostic tests that can not be preformed. Operation House Call is a program training the medical field how to better treat patients with disabilities.
Many individuals with disabilities are dependent on caregivers to present them to society with the dignity they deserve. Some hygiene and care will require creativity, persistence, and continual reminders that it matters and our loved one is worth it. This episode contains several hygiene tips and tricks.
Individuals with disabilities are 7 times more likely to be victims of sexual assault, yet they typically are not taught about their bodies nor boundaries for themselves and others. How can we begin these much needed conversations?
Caregiver health is much more important and complicated both physically and emotionally than for the general population. How should we be approaching this important aspect of our role?
Maintaining healthy fitness levels is challenging enough for the general population and can be even more complicated for those with disabilities. What can we do about some of the common barriers so our loved one with differing abilities is on a path toward health?
We know caregiver self care is important but we don’t do it. Why? What is the missing link between knowing what we should be doing and actually doing it?
Ongoing formal and informal assessments, specifically those identifying strengths and interests, should be the drivers of transition IEP goals. How can we encourage school districts to do assessments and what are the whens, hows, and whos of the process?
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