Raising Kellan

In this episode of the podcast with catch up with our friends Dana Kramer and Levi Ervin (mom and son) from Georgia and Drake Box from the podcast, The Box Factor. We chat about what Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day means from the perspective of lived experience and what has been going on since we last talked two years ago on Episode 12 of the Raising Kellan Podcast. An edited transcript is available at www.raisingkellan.org #GoGreen4CP

Mike Poole of Walk This Way Oxford is well known as The Coach for children with Cerebral Palsy. In today's episode topics covered and timeframes are: 02:00 Expectations 04:00 Mindset 07:00 Massage and Manual Therapy 09:00 Training, Therapy, and Emotional Responses. 12:00 Teaching kids how to fail 13:00 Mike's Background 20:00 St Louis Children's Hospital 25:00 Time Spent in Therapy 28:00 Accountability 32:00 Different Providers, Different Opinions  An edited transcript is available on www.raisingkellan.org March 25, 2023, is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day

In today's episode, we chat with Katrina VanBuren Ed.S and Annette Graves, MEd, MACR from Arc Tennessee, Family Engagement Project.  Timeline:  Introduction to Annette Graves and Katrina VanBuren 03:40   What is an IEP and 504 plan and how are they similar/different? 10:14   Abbreviations commonly used in Special Education: FAPE, LRE, PLEP, accommodation vs modification. 15:49  Tests for eligibility determination of placement. 17:51   How to reach a resolution amidst disagreement. 22:00 Upcoming Events 23:40 Words of encouragement An edited transcript is available at www.raisingkellan.org Bio: Annette Graves, MEd, MACR, wife, Mom, and grandmother. Former 35-year educator in regular and special education inclusion classes. Currently employed with the Arc. Tn. as a Regional Family Engagement Specialist serving in the Northwest Region in Tennessee. Katrina VanBuren, Ed.S,  Regional Family Engagement Specialist for the Southwest region of TN.  Licensed Educator, and Licensed Administrator for the state of Tennessee and Mississippi   

John Shouse and his wife Janet are parents to 3 adult children, Emma Shouse Garton, and twin boys Evan and Brendan who are now 27.    Evan is on the autism spectrum.   John has been involved at the local, state, and national levels in the disability advocacy community, including stints as presidents of both Autism TN, and The Arc TN.  He was on the national board of The Autism Society of America. He co-authored the book "The Autism Checklist - a Guide for Parents and Educators".   John has a special interest in helping fathers of children and adults with disabilities discover how to be active and engaged parents, and how to find joy in the midst of the challenges of living a full life. Timeline 03:29  The origins of John and his family's advocacy work in the disability community. 06:00 Evan's diagnosis. 11:50  Partners in Policymaking Program 16:40  Tennessee Day on the Hill (3/8/23) 19:00 The importance of telling your story to policymakers. 21:50 Autism Tennessee 25:17. John's advice on self-care. 28:00 Resources: TheVeryStuff.com, "You Gonna Love that Kid" by Paula Kluth, Autism Checklist Guide for Parents and Educators by Paula Kluth and John Shouse,  32:00 Middle Tennessee Dads MeetUp. John can be contacted at jmshouse@bellsouth.net An edited transcript can be located at www.raisingkellan.org

In today's episode, I chat with Jeff Strand who is the Coordinator of Government and External Affairs at the Tennessee Disability Coalition. The Tennessee Disability Coalition is an alliance of organizations and individuals joined to promote the full and equal participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of life. This year TDC will be hosting an in-person event Disability Day on the Hill on March 8, 2023, in Nashville TN. This is a chance to gather as a community and take part in the legislative process. The priority Bills on the table this year include:  1)The ABLE Estate Recovery- "This bill would prohibit the state from seeking estate recovery (clawback) of funds in an ABLE account following the death of a beneficiary, beyond what is required by federal law."(Source TDC Newsletter) 2) Right to Repair- "This bill would prohibit insurance companies from requiring a prior authorization for the repair of power wheelchairs and some durable medical equipment"(Source TDC Newsletter) Timeline:  2:47  The workings of the State General Assembly 9:10  How to get an Idea to the Hill. 9:56  Priority Bills for TDC 2023 10:42 Bills of Interest: Corporal Punishment, Paid FML, Mechanical Restraints, Third Grade Retention 21:00 Tennessee Disability Day on the Hill Events: 2023 VIRTUAL EVENTS Webinar with Legislators 1pm CT - Thursday, March 2nd, 2023 Disability Advocacy Day Saturday, March 11th, 2023 IN-PERSON EVENTS TDC Community Party 5-7pm CT - Tuesday, March 7th, 2023 Disability Day on the Hill 9am-2pm CT - Wednesday, March 8th, 2023 Here are some ways to participate: Hashtag #MyTennesseeLife for social media posts related to the event You can email jeff_s@tndisability.com to receive weekly updates on the above-mentioned Bills You can also join the Facebook Group: Tennessee Disability Advocates Group An edited transcript of this podcast can be found at www.raisingkellan.org             

Pete Hixon of Woodstock GA has been married to his wife Hollie for 25 years. They have 2 girls - Addie, a freshman at Samford University, and Hope, in her second year at Shepherds College. By occupation, Pete is a speaker and business coach. By passion and as a parent, he is an advocate for the special needs community. Pete and his wife lead an organization to build residential communities for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities called Beyond Communities. Timeline: 04:00  Pete Hixson's background 06:00  Impetus for Beyond Communities 09:20  Vision for the Beyond Communities 14:00  Mixed-Use Development 19:00 Pathways to access housing options at Beyond Communities 22:00 Assessment process for application to rent in the Beyond Community Model 23:41. Words of Encouragement 27:00 Pete can be reached at pete@beyondcommunties.org  Pete's Call to Action: I want to educate listeners on the fact that we will see far more potential when we create more environments designed specifically for each “ability” category within this community. My call to action is to get involved with someone doing this or start your own and invite others to join you. Link to an edited transcript of this podcast.

In this episode, we chat with Lia Stoll of DisabilityWriter.com. Lia is a mom, wife, writer, co-founder of Lara Guide Dog in Greece and founder of Disability Writer, a boutique writing studio voicing accessibility and inclusion for disabled people. Timeline:  00:14  Introduction 04:16  What is the origin story of DisabilityWriter.com 06:57 Lia's connection with Lara Guide Dog School 12:58  How long has the Guide Dog School been in operation? 13:14  What is your responsibility at the Guide? 14:11  How does the process of training a guide dog work? 17:05 Tell us about DisabilityWriter.com. 19:33 How do we and why do we need to move towards digital accessibility? 21:09  Your top two blog posts? 23:06 You can contact Lia at info@disabilitywriter.com A transcript of this podcast episode is available at www.raisingkellan.org 

Ange Anderson M.Ed opened and led an innovative specialist school in North Wales for 10 years, introducing over 25 different therapeutic/technological interventions to support pupils with learning differences. She’s written a number of books focused on SEN (Special Educational Needs) on therapeutic and technological interventions including VR, AR & AI in SEN; Trampolining for Children & Young People with SEN; Music, Sound and Vibration in SEN; and Learning through Play for SEN, all published by Routledge. Ange also presents internationally on topics related to special education. Timeline: 02:30  What is Neurodiversity?  03:54 What is Virtual versus Augmented Reality? 05:32. What led you to use VR to support your students with learning differences? 10:30. What are some of the benefits of VR? 13:30 How does VR help develop social skills? 16:17. Ange goes on to explain that VR does not mean headsets but rather transmitters /receivers that are used to give a room a 360-degree immersive experience 20:53. What would you say to those who believe that VR is an expensive gimmick in its educational application? 22:15 Best way to contact Ange Anderson? https://angeandersontherapeutic.co.uk/ An edited transcript is available at www.raisingkellan.org Disclaimer: The use of VR/AR described in this podcast includes rooms designed with transmitters and receivers and does not include the use of headsets. Please consult a trained healthcare provider in your location before the use of technology as a rehabilitation tool.

The Spirit of Volunteerism is an indelible part of being part of community and belonging. In todays episode 2 friends with similars hearts but different missions meet up on the podcast to tell about the organizations and events were they volunteer. Rachel Talks about Paws to Care and the Dyersburg Dyer County Humane Society Ms Sara talks about Addi's Haunted Trail which happens next Saturday, October 22, 2022.  Transcript 

In today's episode, I chat with David Hirsh of the Special Fathers Network, a dad-to-dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs as well as host of the Dad To Dad Podcast.  David was raised by his mother, a Chicago Public School Teacher after his parents divorced. He is grateful to both his mother and maternal grandfather Sam Solomon for positively impacting his and his brother's lives.  David married his high school sweetheart Peggy and after the birth of their fifth child, he began to feel pressure at work but mostly on the home front as he sought to become a good role model to his kids and not replicate his early life experience. Concurrently during this time, David committed to a three-year Kellogg Fellow Program and he came across some astonishing statistics. There are 24 million kids growing up in America in father-absent homes, which accounts for 4 in 10 households(Source).  This began David's journey to break the cycle of father absence and to advocate for dads to be present: physically, emotionally, and spiritually, while also meeting our financial obligations. Resources: https://www.4dads.org/ https://21stcenturydads.org/ Transcript to this episode

In this episode, we chat with Waverly Ann Harris who has worked with individuals with developmental disabilities and their families for over 15 years. She has been the CEO of Friends Life Community since 2016 where she has developed programs that provide opportunities to adults with IDD to grow personally, develop socially, and be actively involved in the community.  She is a sociologist with a Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis and enjoys solving systemic issues and collaborating with others to create meaningful change. 00:00-2:10 Intro 02:10-4:15 What is Friends Life Community? 04:15-4:45 What role does Waverly play? 04:45-6:57 FLC Community Events 06:57-10-10:12 The creative process. 10:13-11:36 Orignal Works of Art 11:37-14:17 Treat truck 14:17-15:15 Contacting FLC 15:15-16:30 Volunteers 16:30-17:42 November 10th FLC will be at TPAC 17:42-19:22 Outro Link to transcript

In today's episode, I chat with Chrissy Beasley Hood. Chrissy is a Governor-appointed member of the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities, Co-chapter Lead for Changing Spaces TN, and founder of Connecting the Journey: Special Needs Support Group. She and her husband Kevin live in Pulaski TN.  They are parents to three daughters including Alaina, the youngest who has complex medical needs. Chrissy was instrumental in leading the movement to get legislation passed to install powdered height-adjustable adult changing tables in the State of Tennessee. A detailed bio of this story of parental advocacy can be found at www.raisingkellan.org  in the transcript Timeline: 00:00 - 02:15:  Intro 02:15 - 03:30:  Chrissy and Alaina's Story 03:30 - 06:45:  What was the motivation for the advocacy to get the adult changing tables installed throughout Tennessee?  06:45 - 08:39:  What is Changing Spaces TN? 08:39 - 09:57:  Grant and funding opportunities for adult changing tables in Tennessee. 09:58 - 11:13:  Who is able to apply for the grant? Link to Application. 11:14 - 12:46:  Partners in Policy Making Program 13:04 - 14:20:  Marshall the Mascot from the Tennessee Disability Coalition 14:20 - 16:07: Chrissy can be contacted at connectingthejourney@gmail.com 17:17 - 19:00:  Outro Resources: Chrissy and Alaina's Story https://youtu.be/HCSHn50_JV0

Emily Ladau is a passionate disability rights activist, writer, storyteller, and digital communications consultant whose career began at the age of 10, when she appeared on several episodes of Sesame Street to educate children about her life with a physical disability. Her writing has been published in outlets including The New York Times, SELF, Salon, Vice, and HuffPost. Her first book, Demystifying Disability, was published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in September 2021. Emily has spoken before numerous audiences, from the U.S. Department of Education to the United Nations. Central to all of her work is a focus on and harnessing the power of storytelling as a tool for people to become engaged in disability and social justice issues. Timeline of the podcast: 00:10 - 01:24  Intro 01:25 - 03:00  Emily Ladau’s background 03:05 - 05:02  Emily’s definition of disability and concept of ableism 05:03 - 08:00  Language of Disability 08:01 - 10:17  Language of Disability 10:25 - 13:40  Intersectionality as it relates to disability discussion 13:45 - 15:12  Role of parents 15:15 - 16:30  What is infantilization? 16:35 -17:37  Current concerns in the community? 17:40 -18:35  Closing Remarks Emily’s call to action: “Disability is not negative or shameful and allyship is action. This podcast was produced by Marsh Naidoo, Makendra Ezell, and Tanya Sierra. Melissa Mittelstaedt provided captioning and transcription at https://www.melissamitt.com/uaccess Link to transcript Related resources on the podcast and blog: https://www.raisingkellan.org/the-models-and-language-of-disability/

Ashley Barlow graduated Magna Cum Laude from Miami University with a BS in German Education (K-12) and received her JD from Salmon P. Chase College of Law in 2006. In a former life, she was a German teacher in Jefferson County Public Schools and Cincinnati Public Schools, having taught nearly every grade from K to 12.  She also taught Real Estate and Business Law at Miami University. Her areas of practice now include special education, family law, estate planning, and probate. Ashley practices statewide in Kentucky and Ohio and also operates a business to empower and inspire parents and advocates in special education, which can be found at www.ashleybarlowco.com. When not working, she is normally at the pool with her husband and two sons, one of whom has Down syndrome. Timeline 2:00 Who is Ashley Barlow and the origins of Ashley Barlow Company? 4:45 Parental emotion vs the I.E.P 8:07 Ashley's recommended advocacy resources including Wrights Law 10:35 Ashley's parental tips and strategies: communication and compartmentalization. 15:00 Transition planning and the continuum of care (your child's employment preferences vs profiles, 5 areas of life that parents need to consider when planning their child's future, supported decision making) 26:00 Closing remarks and contact information. Transcript

In this episode, we chat with Tom Woodard who together with his brothers Matt and John have created a unique workplace in Nashville TN that specifically employs persons with disabilities.   On the Avenue is located in the Gulch. It is part distribution center that provides drug testing kits to the State of Tennessee and part advertising studio where the participants known as "citizens"  have the opportunity to produce branded content including artwork, videos, podcasts, etc.  Tom Woodard states: " citizens can come to a safe place to build community and confidence."    Check out the work being done at On the Avenue Timeline:   00:00-01:56 Intro  02:15-04:54  Origin Story  04:54-07:36 Workplace/ Creativity at the "On the Avenue"   07:38-10:07 How to enroll   10:20-13:13 A "On the Avenue" marketplace   13:15-14:53 Community and Business Partners   15:00-15:20 Website and Shoutout   16:25-17:50 Thanks and outro   July is Disability Pride Month and Judy Huemann does an amazing job describing what disability pride means to her as well as sharing the voice of other individuals throughout the world who identify as persons with disabilities. Be sure to check out her podcast the Huemann Perspective on Apple and Spotify Transcript

In this episode, we chat with Ali Manning: food scientist, food educator, author, and founder of Umami Food Consulting. With over ten years in the food industry, she utilizes her passion for food, science, and community to help food entrepreneurs tackle issues  beyond the kitchen. Ali is the Program Consultant for Project Green Fork and the creator of Food Science 4 Kids, a program that teaches grade-school children food science. She recently published her first children’s book, entitled “Can I Play with my Food?” a book that  explores food and science through the eyes of two sisters, Nema and Lexi. Ali is a graduate of Alabama A&M University and a Huntsville, AL native, but after being a transplant for nearly 12 years, she truly considers  Memphis is her home. Aside from her day-to-day businesses, she loves to skate with her “Memphis Skate Hotties” community, explore the Memphis food scene, travel, and create content with her husband and personal photographer Brian Manning  (@photos.bybe). Learn more about her passion for food science, and all things creative at Ali-Manning.com Timeline: 00:00 - 1:41 Intro of episode 1:42 - 2:39 Intro of Makendra Ezell our summer intern 2:40 - 3:29 Who is Ali Manning? 3:30 - 4:59 What inspired Ali to write " Can I play with my Food?" 5:00 - 6:54 The story behind the book 6:55 - 7:54 What had driven you to become the successful woman you are today? 7:55 - 8:49 Ali gives advice to young people... 8:50 - 11:06 Ali talks about her hobbies 11:07 - 12:19 What does a food scientist do? 12:20 - 13:22 How to pursue being a food scientist? 13:23 - 14:41 Ali gives advice on how to be a motivational speaker 14:42- 15:59 Message for listeners 16:00 - 16:59 Closing with Ali 17:00 - 17:39 Ali social media handlers 17:40 Outro and give away Website: Ali-manning.com IG: aliglad_carpediem Email: info@umamifcc.com Transcript

Sergio Calderon is the founder of Valiant Fitness. He provides an all-inclusive functional training program for individuals of all abilities. His program was created after awareness that community-based fitness programs were not available to serve individuals with IDD and Mental Health needs. Sergio lives in Murfreesboro, TN but grew up in a small town named Fillmore in Southern California.  Sergio says: " I always wanted to work with people to help them be the healthiest version of themselves. While I wasn't sure how that would look, I had a passion for helping people. I began my schooling by majoring in Kinesiology. At that time, I worked at a physical therapy clinic."  "Unfortunately, during my time in college, I had an accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury along with several broken throughout my body. This re-routed my life completely. In one night, my goals changed to fighting for my life, finding the strength to overcome the physical and mental limitations that I now faced, and learning to walk, talk, and live a functional life again."  "After many months of therapy of all kinds, I began to see myself again, I was able to think about the dreams that I once had and found ways to pursue them. I know now, more than ever, that I wanted to help people. I had a new sense of compassion and understanding after living with so many limitations. After that, I enrolled back in school. I received my Bachelor's in Kinesiology shortly after. I worked with the community through many different facets when I was finally introduced to the field I am currently in. I worked as a coach with the special needs population at another local gym back home. In my time there, I was able to really grow as a person and as a coach." " I furthered my experience and truly fell in love with the public in this capacity. I had known for years that I wanted to create my own Fitness Program. In fact, I knew what the name would be shortly after my accident. When life finally led me to a place where I could make that dream a reality. Valiant Fitness was born. To be Valiant means to show courage and determination, which is a trait that I see in my students every single day." Timeline:  1:30 Sergio's Intro 2:00 Origin Story of Valiant Fitness 5:12 Tell us about your program 6:30 Who are the clients that you primarily serve? 7:40 Your from CA > TN 11:30 What is generally involved in a workout session with you? 13: 00 Advise to parents: Believe in your child's ability to do more than what they have been told.  My call to action is to provide the right support system in order for your child to excel in their physical abilities. Sergio can be contacted at sergio.valiantfitness@gmail.com and reached Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valiantfitnessscv/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValiantFitnessSCV/ Transcript 

Colleen and Max Starkloff founded the Starkloff Disability Institute in STL, MO.  Do yourself a favor and check out the work being done here to empower students and young adults with disabilities to think creatively and proactively about their future.  Colleen chats with us on a wide range of topics including the Disability Rights Movement and History, ADA, Universal Design as well as the innovative programs offered at the Institute. Timeline: 2:15 The Institutes Mission. We discussed the Origin Story and the programs offered by the Institute including The Dream Big Camp and  Access U. 11:13 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and educating Corporate America. 15:00 Affecting change in societal disability perspectives. 23:00 Disability Rights Movement within the context of Human Rights. Transcript

BIO: Dr. Alyssa Walz, PT, DPT is a pediatric PT born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the Professional Development Director at Tender Ones Therapy Services where she has worked for the last 7.5 years. Dr. Steve Doran and Dr. Alyssa started the Stand Up Paddle Boarding Aquatic Therapy program in 2015, and co-founded the Paddle Boarding PT/OT Camp with OT Nilka Clayton. Alyssa works PRN at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Integrated Therapy doing aquatic therapy with children and adults. Alyssa is on the race team for the Kyle Pease Foundation which creates awareness and raises funds to promote success for persons with disabilities by providing assistance to meet their individual needs through sports. Alyssa loves to paddle board, hike, do yoga, run, travel, teach and share her love for life with the world. Timeline:  2:00 Who is Alyssa Walz, PT, DPT? 4:00 How did you get the SUP program set up? 9:27 Line up for the Summer? 10:30 Dates for the Camp 11:30 Volunteers 13:00 Why Paddle Boarding? Alyssa's Takeaway: "Don't be afraid to try something new" Transcript

As the mother and primary caregiver of a special needs child, Carla Christensen has spent over 20 years navigating the world of special education and medical advocacy. She's brought that hands-on experience to her role as Marketing Director for MAX-Ability, where she relishes the opportunity to work with groups like Changing Spaces, Universal Changing Places, Love Hope & Autism, The On-Air Advocate, and now Raising Kellan to increase awareness of a variety of special needs, particularly restroom accommodation for all. Carla's Takeaway: "Accessibility is NOT accommodation. We all benefit when everyone can get out and about to lead their fullest lives, and that means accommodating the person, not the wheelchair." Timeline:  2:00 Grass roots advocacy for adult changing tables in Tennessee SB 0602/HB1686 3:00 Origin of MAX-Ability 5:00 Why adult sized changing tables? 7:00 Funding and possible solutions for small businesses 10:00 Carla's Backstory 14:00 Where would you like to see adult sized changing tables? Why are adult sized changing tables valuable? This is a video of Chrissy advocating for an adult sized changing table for her daughter https://youtu.be/HCSHn50_JV0 Thank you to We Rock the Spectrum Gym in Franklin Tennessee for sponsoring this episode. You can learn more about WRST on Episode 54 of the Raising Kellan Podcast Transcript

Hillary Sussman has been a physical therapist for 24 years, she is a mother of three, and a dog mom to Roxy; the inspiration for her new inclusive children's book series- The Adventures of Roxy 1:00  Hillary Sussman, PT and the Adventures of Roxy 2:30 April is Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month 3:20 Theme of the Amputee Coalition: "Your Ordinary is Extraordinary" 6:15 The Adventures of Roxy 9:40 Inclusive Children's Book.  Call to Action: My hope is that Roxy and her life lessons can be shared with ALL children, specifically those who are living with any physical, learning, or emotional challenge, to help them gain confidence; while also educating ALL children to be more inclusive and accepting of differences. My goal is to get Roxy and her educational activities into all elementary schools, to start this dialogue early and hopefully mitigate bullying.   My call to action is to educate your children EARLY about differences, using inclusive books, to share them in your schools, libraries, and communities, to create a more accepting environment for all kids, especially those living with limb and other differences. Transcript

Cynthia Slomowitz is an experienced Pediatric Physical Therapist and an expert in the treatment of autism including generalizing skills during gross motor play. She graduated from Temple University with Doctorate in Physical Therapy and is presently a Ph.D. student working with mentors Dr. Briano Di Rezze & Dr. Melissa Tovin on an independent study on ASD. Cyndi is also a mom to 5 wonderful adults!  She has an amazing course offering written from a parentphysical therapist perspective titled: Setting the Stage for Success in the Treatment of Children with Autism. Follow along on our chat. 2:00 Cyndi's background and course offering. 3:00 How did you come to pediatrics? 5:30 What is Autism and how does it manifest? (RRBs, speech and motor delay, sensory processing, socialization) 9:30 Treatment Strategies for parents therapist collaboration {antecedent, redirecting (first and next), blocking} 17:08 Foundations to therapy for children on the spectrum {play, generalization of skills, prompting and scripting} 21:48 How much is too much? 24:44 Sensory Processing( upregulation/downregulation), Sensory Diets and the Challenge of obesity with adults on the spectrum. 28:00 Parent takeaways Check out the following Raising Kellan Podcasts related to Autism.  https://anchor.fm/marsh-naidoo/episodes/Episode-3-Parents-open-fast-food-restaurant-to-give-daughter-with-Autism-purpose-e9gajp https://anchor.fm/marsh-naidoo/episodes/Episode-54--Steven-Komarnitsky-Owner-of-We-Rock-The-Spectrum-Gym-in-Franklin--Tennessee-e1arerc Transcript

In this episode, we chat with Julie Jones. Julie is mom to Braeden, a 26-year-old young man who lives with cerebral palsy and is a wheelchair user. Julie loves sharing her family's travels with Braeden on her blog Have Wheelchair Will Travel and is the co-founder of the world's first disability-specific travel magazine, Travel Without Limits. To find out more about Julie and her family you can also hop over to https://www.raisingkellan.org/ In today's episode we discuss: 2:30 Introduction to the blog 4:13  Julie'scareer as a travel agent 5:13 Tell us about BJ 6:33 Standout travel destination 10:00 Beach Trips 11:34 Travel Tips 13:50 Air Travel and Luggage Allowances 15:00 Fear of damaged mobility devices with travel 17:00 Accessible air travel and "All Wheels Up" 18:47 Travel Without Limits: The World's first disability-specific travel magazine 21:45 Call to Action: Mini Steps to Travel and Start Local 25:00 Contact Julie Transcript

In today's episode, I chat with Cathlyn Smith and Emma Shouse of the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disability about the work done at the Council as well as the free upcoming leadership program "Partners in Policymaking".  The deadline for the application to join the program is March 31 and the goal of the program is to educate and empower persons with disabilities and their families on how to advocate for their needs and community. Learn more and apply at https://www.tn.gov/cdd/engage-with-us/partners-in-policymaking.html 2:30 What is the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disability 4:40 How is the Council different from other State agencies 6:35 What is the "Partners in Policy Making Program"  11:32 Details of the program 13:34 TABS ( Tennessee Adult Brothers and Sisters) A Chapter of the Sibling Leadership Network 15:00 Resources for the parents raising children with disabilities(TN): Tennessee Disability Pathfinder, Transitions Tennessee and ARC 18:00 Cathlyn (Cat) and Emma's Story 24:00 Closing Remarks Bios: Cathlyn Smith lives in Clarksville (since 2018). She lives in Nashville but grew up in a rural farming community in Arkansas.  She went to undergraduate school in AR and graduate school in TN.  She is the mother of a daughter who has a congenital and degenerative eye disease and is legally blind.  Her daughter is a graduate of the Metro Nashville School System and a college graduate - she lives independently and is employed.  She is also a classically trained vocalist. Emma Shouse lives in Nashville, TN, and works for the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities as their Public Information Specialist. She has been with the Council since 2011 and supports the Council’s communications and outreach efforts. She also leads the Tennessee Adult Brothers and Sisters (TABS) statewide sibling support network (and the State chapter of the Sibling Leadership Network), launched by the Council and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center over a decade ago. She is passionate about this work because she has two younger brothers, one of whom has autism and other disabilities. Transcript

I chat with Carol Westlake and Jeff Strand of the Tennessee Disability Coalition. TDC is a group of 40+ organizations that come together to support the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of life. The 4 domains that make up TDC are public policy, brain links, family voices, and small grants.  Bio of Carol Westlake: "I am the founding director of the Tennessee Disability Coalition, a position I have held for 32 years. My background and training are in special education, disability and public policy.  I have helped start a number of not-for-profit advocacy organizations and enjoy serving the community through volunteer work. I hope that listeners learn that disability is a natural part of the human experience. My call to action is to inclusion - to make sure that everything we do is accessible, inclusive, and supportive of people with disabilities." Bio of Jeff Strand: Jeff is the Coordinator of Government and External Affairs at the Tennessee Disability Coalition. In that role, he is responsible for monitoring state policy, developing content related to TDC policy efforts and working with advocates and self-advocates to support their policy and advocacy work. Jeff received a Bachelor's in History from the University of Minnesota, a Master's in Special Education from Augsburg University, and a Master's in Community Development from Vanderbilt University. He lives in East Nashville with his wife, recently turned-one-year-old daughter, and dog, where they enjoy going for walks, cooking and gardening." I want listeners to develop and feel a sense of power as an advocate for their given and chosen communities. I hope they can walk away with some tangible steps they can take toward envisioning and moving toward the type of world they want to live in." Timeline 1:00 What is the Tennessee Disability Coalition? 2:37 What is Advocacy? 3:40 Reform for Public School Funding in Tennessee. 9:50 TEIS 12:30 Tennessee Disability Virtual Day on the Hill #DDH2022 15:45 Message from Carol/Jeff. In this segment, a reference is made to Chrissy's Story. Here is the link https://youtu.be/HCSHn50_JV0 18:41 Closing remarks Transcript

"Ten years ago, I established Therapeutic Focus (TF). TF is my heart: a passionate, outpatient pediatric therapy clinic located in West Memphis, Arkansas. TF provides occupational, physical, and speech therapy services to predominantly impoverished children with disabilities while focusing on improving their overall functional performance in the areas of fine and gross motor skills and speech" - LaTeasha Gaither Davis, OT/Owner of TF LaTeasha grew up in rural Arkansas and as a child received speech therapy services. Years later she returned as a qualified occupational therapist to provide much-needed therapy services in her hometown and then COVID - 19 happened. Listen to how LaTeasha pivoted... 01:15 What does Therapeutic Focus do? 02:00 What put you on the trajectory of being an occupational therapist? 05:00 How did the evolution to OT school happen? 07:25 What are some of the services offered by Therapeutic Focus? How do you encourage parent engagement? Pivoting during COVID-19? 10:00 Parent Support Group 12:30 School-based vs Outpatient based Therapy 14:25 Future plans for TF 16:00 Summer Camp 17:00 Closing Remarks Transcripts

The podcast focus for 2022 will be TECHNOLOGY. This episode with Bradley Metrock, CEO of Project Voice highlights how we can utilize voice to access technology. Metrock heads Project Voice and his mission is to accelerate the growth of voice tech across all domains. An unbelievable conversation that leads me to think: The Future is NOW!  1:30 What is Project Voice? 3:00 Application of Voice Tech in everyday life? 7:20 Universal Design Evolution 8:00  Voice in Education 9:30  Voice in Healthcare 15:30 Audiobooks and Synthetic Voice 18:40 Gatekeepers to StoryTelling (https://www.ivow.ai/) 23:00 Bradleys book: More than just the Weather and Music: 200 ways to use Alexa is currently being updated and will be available Christmas 2022 26:00 WHat is Bradley excited about? The Future of AI. Future of Work.  29:00 Project Voice #1 Voice Tech Event in Chattanooga, TN 25-28 April 2022. Transcript

Briefing: Knowledge has power and controls access to opportunity and advancement. During this time, Liz Persaud will explore and share the collective role each of us plays in promoting successful independent living beyond the everyday “typical” environments for individuals with disabilities by recognizing and adapting to diversity, inclusion, awareness, and the powerful role of Assistive Technology (AT).  As a professional in the AT community with personal experiences that have structured and informed everyday living, Liz will spend this time to reflect back, look forward, and share her incredible life journey along with some valuable lessons learned. Diagnosed at the age of 9 months old with Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2, Liz was not expected to live beyond the age of 2.  Medical advice focused on institutionalization and stated that survival would not include access to education, socialization, and employment. Using hope as a catalyst for survival, Liz has and continues to defy all medical expectations. Now at the age of 42, Liz is a college graduate, married, and recognized on an international level for her work to promote independence and disability awareness through assistive technology. She is a nationally recognized public speaker and advocates for addressing the need to build bridges and solidify the gaps between individuals living with and without disabilities.  Liz currently serves as the Program and Outreach Manager for Tools for Life, Georgia’s Assistive Technology Act Program, at the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation within the College of Design at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Liz also serves on the Board of Directors at NMD United, Inc., a non-profit organization composed of adults living with neuromuscular disabilities and provides outreach and raises disability awareness to numerous groups and organizations across the globe.  Her passion lies within education about generations of adults growing up and living independently and successfully with childhood neuromuscular diseases. Liz is sought-after for her influential storytelling, shedding light on the power of assistive technology and its impact on the lives of individuals living with disabilities and their support circles and by educating on self-determination and advocacy with a focus on technology and disabilities.  During Liz's time with you she will shed more light on disability culture, share information about attitudinal barriers faced by people living with disabilities, along with helpful tips, strategies, and solutions on how to overcome these barriers using tools like education, understanding and moving beyond tolerance towards acceptance. Join Liz as she shares positive outcomes that can occur when thoughtful communication, inclusion and awareness are integrated into the lives of each and every one of us in a collective community. Transcript

Commissioner Brad Turner is head of the Department of Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities (DIDD) and part of the executive branch of government that oversees the administration, operation, and policy in the State of Tennessee. In today's episode, I chat with Commissioner Turner and Cara Kumari, Communications Director at DIDD. 0:46 What is DIDD? 2:29 What is the passion that drives you to serve this community? 4:30 What is the Katie Beckett Waiver in terms of the Tennessee context? 9:30 Eligibility Criteria to apply for the Waiver 11:30 Why is financial disclosure needed to apply for the waiver if a parent's income is not a criterion for eligibility? 14:20 Tennessee Early Intervention Service (TEIS) 18:00 Person First Language 21:00 Healthcare equity for persons with disability through the continuum of care 27:00 Tennessee Beliefs and the post-secondary education program 31:00 Closing Remarks Resources: Local Katie Beckett Regional offices West Tennessee Regional Office: (866) 372-5709 Middle Tennessee Regional Office: (800) 654-4839 East Tennessee Regional Office: (888) 531-9876 To learn more about Commissioner Turner pop over to www.raisingkellan.org Thank you Jessica Harrison of Shelter Insurance Dyersburg for sponsoring this podcast episode. Transcript

Dr. Karen Bowyer is indeed a Legend! She will retire on December 31, 2021, after 50 years of devoted service to Leadership in Education. She holds many honors including:   The first female and third President of Dyersburg State Community College serving 37 years.  The longest-serving Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) President. TBR is a collective of 40 community and technical colleges serving 400 programs in the State of Tennessee.  In today's episode, we chat about her past, present, and future. So grab your cup of coffee and join us for an enlightening conversation. 1:00 The Early Years  3:00 Sport of Choice  4:00 Teacher Role Model: Mr. Taylor  8:00 Trajectory of your Career: Love of Mathematics, The Russians and Sputnik...   16:08 The Columbian Adventure   18:31 Marriage and Memphis   19:13 Move to Dyersburg   29:00 Understanding People   32:00 Innovation and the Future of Education   41:00 Advice for Emerging Leaders   43:00 Core Values   43:00 Future Plans   53:00 Reflection

In this episode, we chat with Steven Komarnitsky, gym owner of We Rock The Spectrum Gym that is slated to open in Franklin, Tennessee in 2022. 02:30  An Introduction of the concept behind "We Rock The Spectrum". 06:18  Steven's Story. 10:00 Timeline for the Gym to Open 10:47  Layout of the Gym 11:09  Staffing at the Gym 15:00  Accessibility !6:31  Continuum of Care/Service Approach 18:25  My Brother Rocks the Spectrum Foundation 20:00 Conclusion For more information about the gym check out https://werockthespectrumfranklintn.com/ and Steven can be contacted at stevenkomarnitsky@gmail.com This episode is brought to you by Jessica Harrison Shelter Insurance in Dyersburg, TN Transcript

Emily Bruce is the CEO and Founder of Determinism, LLC, the developer of the platform PeerKnect. She is a Board Certified and licensed Behavior Analyst (BCBA, LBA) in the State of Tennessee with an M.S., in Psychology. She joins us today to talk about PeerKnect, an app that builds friendships and connections for children with special needs by bridging the gap between parents, caretakers, and therapists using smartphone technology. 1:50   What is PeerKnect? 3:45   Safety and HIPPA compliance? 10:20 Who could subscribe to the app? 11:30 Features of the app? 15:00 Cost of subscription?  Individual users can subscribe through the App Store and clinics would need to enroll through the website. 19:00 Emily's background? 20:44 Future plans? You can reach Emily Bruce at emily@peerknect.com or check out the website at https://www.peerknect.com/ Transcript

Penny Johnson is the Program Director at the Tennessee Center for Decision-Making Support. This virtual resource center is a collaboration between the Arc Tennessee, Tennessee’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, and Disability Rights Tennessee and its function is to provide decision-making tools and resources. Penny and I chat about:  2:00 What does the program provide? 5:45  What is a conservatorship? 9:30 What are the areas of decision-making ability assessed? [Resource: The LifeCourse Decision-Making Support Tool developed by The Charting the LifeCourse Nexus] This tool determines support needed in the integral domains of daily living including Daily Life and Employment; Health Living; Social and Spirituality; Safety and Security; Community Living; Advocacy & Engagement. The tool is available at https://www.tndecisionmaking.org/  20:00 What is an ABLE account? 22:00 Difference between Power of Attorney and Durable Power of Attorney 23:00 Special Needs Trust 24:00 Healthcare Agent and Medical Directives  Takeaway Gem: Penny suggests looking at the LifeCourse Tool not only when your child transitions at age 14 or at the age of majority(18 years old) but also for the younger kids.  It allows parents to intentionally help their kids build capacity for understanding choices, providing opportunity, and making-communicating decisions. This episode is sponsored by Green Mountain Support Services in Vermont, USA. Transcript

This was one of the most interesting conversations on the podcast as Dara and I talked about: What is The Arc? (2:00min) Dara's story that shaped her decision to join the organization (4:00min) What does it mean to advocate and how do we advocate? (7:00min) How does The Arc "keep an eye" on what's happening as far as policy affecting the disability community? (12:00min) Programs sponsored by The Arc that help individuals through the continuum of care (14:30min) Digital Accessibility(17:30min) How do we learn about parental advocacy opportunities? (20:00min) Investment needed by parents to take action (22:00min) Dara's takeaways (24:00min) Resources: https://thearctn.org/ https://thearc.org/ (National Chapter) www.tndecisionmaking.org https://familyengagementtn.com/ Transcript This episode is sponsored by Green Mountain Support Services of Vermont who will be hosting the Cerebral Palsy Conference on Oct 1-2, 2021

Joshua Smith, Executive Director of Green Mountain Support Services based in Vermont, chats to us about the upcoming virtual cerebral palsy conference. The 6th Annual New England Cerebral Palsy Conference will be held on October 1 and 2, 2021, and is free to attend. Its primary focus is to provide a networking opportunity for individuals with cerebral palsy and the family/ health professionals who provide their care. You can find out more by checking out www.cerebralpalsyconference.org and listening to this short podcast episode I recorded with Josh.  Enjoy! Transcript

Healing Horses is, once again, excited to host the 5th Annual Farm2Table Dinner. Even more exciting is this year’s event will take place at the Main Street Dyersburg Farmers Market on Thursday, September 23rd beginning at 6:30 p.m. As is tradition, guests will enjoy a multi-course meal consisting of ingredients sourced from local growers while local talent provides music and entertainment for the evening’s event. In today's episode Sonya Burks, Healing Horses Founder and Executive Director provides a brief overview of how funds raised from Farm2Table are used to continue the program’s mission and how the success of therapeutic horseback riding continues to have with children and family members.  This episode is sponsored by Healing Horses, Inc. 

Linda Frease is a creative and experienced occupational therapist from St Petersburg, Florida(USA). She is a member of the American Hippotherapy Association and provides us with some clarification between hippotherapy vs adaptive/therapeutic riding and the benefits of equine assisted therapy... Get your cuppa and sit down to enjoy this informative conversation including: 02:14 What put you on the trajectory to become an OT? 05:00 Experiences that cemented your decision to pursue OT? 08:30 What is Hippotherapy? What is Adaptive/therapeutic Riding? 10:00 History of Hippotherapy: The Story of Lis Hartel. 13:20 Therapy and the Benefits of Horse Riding. 23:00 Advice to parents and resources (AHA and PATH) This episode is sponsored by Healing Horses Inc. A Path certified riding center in Dyersburg, TN. For more info check out www.raisingkellan.org

Ashley Schilling, PT joins us for an exciting conversation that spans how she got into physical therapy, the origin story of Music City Trykes, Wired on Development, benefits of cycling for children with disabilities, and an upcoming course on August 21 geared towards physical therapists wanting to know about how to access and find the right adaptive bike for a child.  01:28 What put you on the trajectory to become a physical therapist? 04:30 Clinical Rotation in Pediatric Physical Therapy "Kids are not little adults" 05:46 How to seek pediatric clinical placement. 10:06 Advocacy and Networking for a physical therapy student. 10:30 Wired on Development 12:50 What is Ambucs? 15:37 How did Muscle City Trykes start? 18:00 Recycling Trykes. 21:50  Funding Sources. 27:00 Recreational vs Therapeutic Riding. 30:00 Try before you Buy. 31:40 Volunteering. 32:30 Conclusion and the Power of Kindness.  Transcript

Alex Farrell is a marketing and communication specialist at Child Care WAGE$ Tennessee and a co-host of the “Lean Into You” Podcast. In a recent interview with Alex Farrell we talked about: How did you come to work at Signal Centers? What is Child Care WAGE$ Tennessee? Tell us about the “Disability Accessibility Summit” hosted at Signal Centers. What is Digital Accessibility? Can you make a case for the universal design of websites and digital products? Tell us about “Lean Into You” the podcast you co-host with Wesley Mayes from Tennessee Child Care Resource and Referral Network? for transcript and to learn more about Signal Centers go to https://www.raisingkellan.org/

"What makes special needs, special?" This question is asked and answered during today's episode which is centered on the models and language of disability. The forum includes Dr. Cara Whalen Smith, PT DPT a public health physical therapist from Ohio who works to improve health equity for people with disabilities; Rebecca Renfro, PT a pediatric physical therapist; Drake Box; host of the Box Factor Podcast and Marsh Naidoo, PT and parent raising a disabled child.  02:40  Cara delves into the Models of Disability that shape our biases and perceptions. She talks primarily about the Charity and Human Rights Model 10:00 Disability as seen from the parent's perspective.  15:00 The Balancing Act 19:00 Drake Box talks about his experience of Cerebral Palsy. 21:00 "Nothing about us without us" The Human Rights Model calls for the full participation of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of human life and calls for disability to be seen as a demographic of human identity.  25:00 Language of Disability: person first vs identity first. 30:00 The use of clear-cut language to facilitate awareness and inclusion #say the word movement. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed today are solely those of the individuals. As a warning, some of the conversations on this podcast may be difficult for both parents and healthcare providers however we hope that it ignites meaningful conversation around disability and inclusion.  The resources and references highlighted by Dr. Cara Whalen Smith PT, DPT  and transcript will be housed at https://www.raisingkellan.org/blog/the-models-and-language-of-disability This episode is sponsored by Move Up Physical Therapy

Alex Lopiccolo a/k/a Mr. Alex is an experienced Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Consultant. Alex is well known as The King of Swings. When he is not treating as a full time Sensory Integration Therapy practitioner he travels around the world sharing his knowledge of sensorimotor therapy with OT's and students at pediatric clinics and universities. He especially enjoys designing home sensory gyms to help his young clients at home... you can learn more about Alex https://www.sensorydigest.com/ 01:50: What put you on the trajectory to become a therapist? 02:32: What is sensory integration? 04:21: What lead you to add "swings" to your therapy toolbox? 05:32: What are the requirements to set up a home sensory gym? 08:00: What makes up a swing? 09:00: Swinging alone or in combination with other activities? 12:00: Benefits of swinging? 14:00: How does Alex help clinics with their clinic design? 15: 48: Recommended resources to learn more about sensory integration? 17:15: What is a sensory diet? 19: Alex offering and how can he be contacted @ https://www.sensorydigest.com/ Transcript

Jessica Moxham is an architect who lives in London. In March 2021 her book, The Cracks That Let the Light In, was published and it talks about the lessons learned from being Ben, her disabled son's, mother. The family lives in a house that Jessica designed to be accessible for Ben. You can read more about Jessica at https://www.raisingkellan.org/the-cracks-that-let-the-light-in-by-jessica-moxham/ 0:00 - 2:45: Tell us a little about your backstory Jess? 2:48 - 4:00: Co-parenting with the medical staff during the early years. The initial shock of parenting your first child vs the initial shock of parenting a child with complex medical needs. 4:40 Developing your confidence as a parent of a child with complex medical needs 6:40 - 10:00: Tube Feeding for Ben. 10:00 - 12:25: Traveling as a Family and Mindset Changes as your child grows. 13:00 - 16:31: Tell us about your writing journey from blog to book and how that has evolved. 16:32 - 19:43: What challenges did you face transitioning from Ben's primary caregiver to a working mom? 19:43 - 24:00: Disability is often described as a barrier to accessing the environment. Can you talk about how you found your home and then went about adapting it to make it work for your family? 24:00 - 31:13: The Language of Disability Jessica blogs at https://son-stories.com/ and can be contacted via Twitter and Instagram at jessmoxham. Transcript

Rose Reif is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Board Certified in providing Telemental Health. She primarily works with "disabled adults, special needs parents, and spousal caregivers coping with anxiety, depression, and other challenges".  She visited with us on the podcast last year when COVID 19 initially hit and provided us with some Mental Health Strategies on Episode 17.  Today Rose sits down and chats about: 04:00   What is Anxiety and Depression? 06:00   Acknowledging your symptoms:  "Powering through It" vs "Naming it to Tame it" 09:00   When is it time to seek help? 09:30   Evolution of Emotions faced by a parent of a child with developmental delay and/or disability. Discussion of Attachment Theory. 15:00   Working with your child to develop their self-esteem. 20:00   How much help to give or not to give your child? 23:00   How to communicate regarding your child's disability? 25:00  How to respond "When people say mean things about your child". Here is the link to the resource article on Rose's website which she references https://rosereif.com/someone-says-something-mean-about-your-child/ This episode is brought to you by First Citizens National Bank. Transcript 

It's May Day 2021 and Marsh and Rachel catch up to chat. We talked about Raising Kellan, the digital platform for special needs parenting resources, and the mission and vision of the nonprofit. We also discuss our search for community sponsors to partner and grow with us to sustain the platform and what sponsorship looks like. Rachel also gave us input regarding the upcoming Relay for Life Event scheduled for June 13, 2021 in Dyersburg TN. Stay tuned for more details! https://www.raisingkellan.org/

In Episode 41 Christine Robenhalt, PT educates listeners about signs and symptoms of dyslexia and ADHD and things parents can do to help while figuring out how to get testing and resources. She also discusses the Sensory System which she uses as a foundation to talk about Dyslexia, ADHD, and Executive Function. 02:00 Why is Christine passionate about the Sensory System? 04:19 The 10 Senses and the how this system relates to ADHD and Dyslexia. Anxiety, Self Regulation, and Executive Function. 13: 14 What is ADHD? Question from Parent  21:46 "I have heard that diagnoses such as ADHD are actually anxiety responses. The sensory overload glitches, the attention span, reasoning, impulses...I have seen this with kids doing the flight or fight... If you are seeing more of an anxiety issue perpetuating this cornucopia... What are some techniques to calm a fighter? Techniques to build self-esteem in a negative thinker?  36 min: What is Dyslexia? 44 min: Christine's Podcasts are Dyslexically Successful and Sparkler Parents and she can be reached at info@sweetpeapediatricwellness.com Transcript

Billy Price together with his business partner Darin Donaldson founded an innovative footwear company based on a signature universal designed shoe. In this episode, Billy walks us through the origin story, product development, and going to market...  - 00:00 The origin story of BILLY Footwear.     - 04:00 The significance of the Logo.      - 06:50 The Vision for the Company.        - 08:25 A typical day like for Billy Price.     -12:00  The future of fashion (Univeral Design and Adaptive Wear).   -14:48  Building a brand based on Relationships!        - 16:00  Billy's Take!   For more information on BILLY Footwear,  10% COUPON on your BILLY Footwear, shoes using the code Kellan_10.  The video from this recording is available on youtube at https://youtu.be/W3RaKAqI18g Transcript

Jennifer Miros is a pediatric physical therapist affiliated with St Louis Children's Hospital and a supervisor at the Carol and Paul Hatfield Cerebral Palsy Sports Program. She directs Camp Independence and the Tri My Best Triathlon which is an adaptive triathlon. In today's episode, we chat about: 1) What put her on the trajectory of becoming a pediatric physical therapist?           2) What is Camp Independence?           3) What is Tri My Best Triathlon?           4) Benefits of mobility/mindset for children with different abilities from a physical therapist standpoint? The transcript of this episode can be found at  www.raisingkellan.org

In this installment of the Small Business Mini Podcast, we interview Donna Hilliard the charismatic owner of Sunflower Health Food who chats about the mission of her hometown business centered on "offering you the advantage to be a better you". As we head towards Thanksgiving I am grateful for this conversation as she guides us through the rocky inception, the struggles, and the joy of owning her business. Donna operates from a place of abundance and offers such value as she provides you with invaluable advice on how to potentially boost your immune systems naturally as we head towards winter. Thank you, Donna!

Sandra Pruitt exemplifies a servant leader heart. As a retired nurse  works tirelessly with her Board of volunteer members to manage the Salvation Army, a non profit organization that serves the of citizens of Dyer County. The Salvation Army runs a number of local social service programs such as the soup kitchen; the thrift store; and assistance to families in times of crisis.  What is the Salvation Army? It is a charitable organization and evangelical church founded by William and Catherine Booth in the London’s East End in 1865. It spread to the United States 120 years ago and can be found in 130 countries worldwide. “It mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination” You can read more about the “Army of Compassion” at https://www.salvationarmy.org/ Ms Sandra shares that the nonprofit  this year is challenged with serving an ever increasing list of families in need while resources and contributions have dwindled. As we head into the festive season we would like to highlight a few but meaningful ways you can contribute to  the legacy of this ministry. Christmas Toy Drive for children from infants to age 14. Toys can be dropped off at through December 12 at the Salvation Army at 318 West Market, Dyersburg, TN on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8am to noon. Ms Sandra would like to appeal to members of the community that are able to volunteer as bellringers for their only fundraising campaign. These funds are used to keep the kitchen going. If you would like to volunteer please call Ms Sandra at (731)589 1745.

Smallcakes is a cupcakery here in Dyersburg, TN. Dynamic owner Whitley Snyder sits down to chat about all things "CUPCAKE" . Her and her team make custom cakes, cupcakes and more for all kinds of special occasions and love helping their customers celebrate with something sweet. In Whitley's words: "One thing that sets us apart from other bakeries in my opinion is the large selection of sweets we have available for walk-in customers each day. At Smallcakes Dyersburg we offer 18 + different flavors of gourmet cupcakes on our stands everyday, along with cookie sandwiches, half baked brownies, pupcakes for your dogs, cake slices and macarons! You can come in Monday-Saturday 11-8pm and select from the many cupcakes and treats we have on the stands to fill a little pink Smallcakes box!" You can check out more about smallcakes at their website www.smallcakesdyersburg.com

Geraldine’s Flowers and Gifts has been in business for 30+ years and is a full service florist that specializes in custom designs silk and fresh. They also partner with local vendors that make handcrafted gift items. Kathryn McGuire and Mark Maupin purchased and are co-owners of Geraldine's since February of 2020. Mark is the nephew to John and Geraldine Proud.  Kathryn says: "Our flower designs are made customary for the recipient. We  have laughed, cried and prayed with our customers by phone and in  person. This business is part of a mission field that encompasses traditions, happiness, sympathy, honor and thoughtfulness. What a blessing to have an emotional connection with the customers through the services offered by the shop." Their Christmas Open House is scheduled for Nov 14 with a potential a bow making workshop. Mark & Kathryn would like to thank everyone in the community for their patronage to Geraldine’s Florist and Gift over the years. They are committed to carrying on the relationships made with the long term loyal customers as well as building new relationships for years to come.  They can be contacted at geraldinesflowers@yahoo.com or their website. 

Part 1: Lindsay Ennis of The Mustard Seed in Dyersburg, TN will be holding a Holiday Open House this coming weekend Nov 6 and 7 from 10-6 and November 8 from 12-6. Stop by for some refreshments and help with that Christmas shopping  list! As always shop local and support the small businesses in your community https://themustardseedtn.com/ Next week features Kathryn McGuire and Mark Maupin new co-owners of Geraldine's Florist who will be holding their Holiday Open House on Saturday Nov 14. 

We are taking a detour from our regular programming for the next 5 weeks. Like many communities, our hometown has faced upheaval and jarring change in 2020. As we move toward the festive season, we advocate for small businesses that are the "bloodline of the community"(SBA.gov). Dyersburg has a thriving community of entrepreneurs and this podcast mini series highlights 4 such local owned business as well as a faith based nonprofit. We are proud to feature: Episode 34: Lindsay Ennis of the Mustard Seed Episode 35: Kathryn McGuire and Mark Maupin of Geraldine's Florist Episode 36: Whitley Synder of Smallcakes Episode 37: Sandra Pruitt of the Salvation Army Episode 38: Donna Hilliard of Sunflower Health Foods Credit for the Podcast Series must be shared with Thomas Coronado co owner of Jordan's Grab and Go who you can listen to on Episode 30 of the Raising Kellan Podcast.

In this episode, we chat with Crady Schneider co-owner of Memphis Mom Collective, an online parenting resource. Dig in and enjoy this insightful talk that covers some diverse topics. Check out Crady's blog to complement this podcast episode at www. raising kellan.org Time Stamps 2:30  What is the Memphis Mom Collective 3:30  A Day in Crady's Life 6:00  Raising multiple kids. Neurotypical vs Atypical. 7:02  What does advocacy mean to you? 9:53  Communication vs Language 10:55  Hammock Swing 11:11  Break 12: 06 What is happening with the Katie Beckett Waiver in Tennessee?    17: 40 Accessibility and "Disability is Diversity" 21:00 Conclusion Transcript of this podcast

October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month and today we chat with Keli Gooch who is a licensed mental health professional, author, and special-needs mom to Tayler her 18-year-old daughter with a dual diagnosis of Down Syndrome and Autism.  Keli is a gifted writer and I encouraged you to check out her blog https://www.keligooch.com/blog as well as her book titled "Watering the Soul: A 91-Day Purposeful Self Care Journal for caregivers". Often as a caregiver, it is difficult to find a resource that offers actionable steps to manage burn out and Keli's book serves that need.  Jennifer Barham has also contributed a blog piece educating us on Down Syndrome.  This resource may be found at www.raisingkellan.org including the transcript of the interview with Keli Gooch Enjoy the chat and please leave a comment!

Jordan's Grab 'n Go is a mom-and-pop convenience store that specializes in GOOD FOOD FAST. Thomas Coronado the co-owner/manager is the big brother to Jordan, a young adult on the Autism spectrum. This family business serves up unique and tantalizing dishes however the diversity here extends beyond its creative menu as Jordan's evolves into an inclusive workplace for several individuals with special needs.  Listen in, to an amazing chat!  0 - 2:00: The concept behind Jordan's 2 - 2:30: How has the pandemic affected the business? 2:30- 5:46: Family history and the diversity of the menu at Jordan's 5:46 - 6:47: Shout out! 6:47 -8:12: Purpose of business 8:12 - 9:00: Vision for Jordan's 9:00 - 10:00: How we met! 10:45 - 11:20: Advice to special needs siblings 11:20 - 15:20: Halloween and the Symbol of the Blue Pumpkin 15:20 - 19:00 ****Future giveaway in the works!*** 19:00 - 21:00: The Ins/Out of a business and a podcast Check out our Interview with Christine Coronado (Tommy's mom and co owner of Jordan's) in Episode 3 and Jessica Leving (Special Siblings Podcast) in Episode 7. The transcript Link can be found at https://www.raisingkellan.org/blog/interview-with-thomas-coronado-of-jordans-grab-n-go-in-dyersburg-tn

Amanda Dickinson is a professor, writer, and founder of the Mighty Miracles Foundation. This is a nonprofit that sends free care packages to current NICU families across the country. Their care packages include several different things including two books Amanda authored: The World of the NICU and Our NICU Story (a Children’s Book). Listen to this engaging podcast to find Amanda's motivation and inspiration... This episode honors Kaleb, Amanda's Mighty Miracle.  To learn more about Amanda, Kaleb, and the Foundation hop over to https://www.raisingkellan.org/, and here is the link to the Mighty Miracles Foundation webpage. 

Awesome conversation with my friend journalist Rachel Townsend as we chat about World Cerebral Palsy Day scheduled for October 6, 2020. We also talk about the nonprofit  "Raising Kellan"  and how you can help.  Learn how you can show support and advocacy for those individuals with cerebral palsy, their families, and the organizations that serve them by visiting https://worldcpday.org/ Rachel Townsend will be writing an upcoming article for the State Gazette https://www.stategazette.com/ 

I can't believe it's our 1st BIRTHDAY!  Celebrate with us by taking a walk down memory lane. In this episode Marsh Naidoo co-hosts with Drake Box to chat about our origin story, our favorite episodes, transforming from a self-funded project to a nonprofit organization, and writing the book "What I Wish I knew Back Then" to help sustain Raising Kellan, Inc mission which you can learn more about at https://www.raisingkellan.org/ A BIG BIRTHDAY WISH is for you to please leave us a review and five-star rating on your podcast provider. Thank you!

Jerusha Mather is a Ph.D. student in the Medical Sciences at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. Jerusha presents with athetoid cerebral palsy and this is the motivation for her research work. This bright young woman has so much to offer the world, so open those ears and heart to receive Jerusha's pearls of wisdom! To learn more about Jerusha pop over to www.raisingkellan.org  You can reach out to Jerusha on Instagram @jerushamather. 

What a treat to talk with Emily Glasser and discover the history of Achilles International. Achilles International has become a global organization whose mission is to transform the lives of people with disabilities through athletic programs and social connections. They operate as chapters and have served over 150 000 athletes with disabilities of all ages to participate in endurance activities by providing education, training opportunities, and community. During the COVID 19 Pandemic,  Achilles International has gone virtual to serve its mission and leaves its footprint in the world at large. As we head into the 2020-2021 school year here in the United States there are so many unknowns. Whether you choose to homeschool or send your kids to school I would encourage you to look at the website https://www.achillesinternational.org/ It offers an abundance of virtual exercise programs ranging from yoga to learning how to run. Not to mention, they also offer the Freedom Program to wounded veterans and you can access the resources on their website whether you are a teacher, student, or parent. So hop on and get moving...

Genesis A. Emery is a social entrepreneur, speaker, global philanthropist, and the host & producer of “Mamas Making Money Mondays.” She is also the founder of “The Little Dapper Collection”- a children’s bow tie company that grooms little boys into dapper young gentlemen while raising awareness and giving back a percentage of proceeds to children with special needs. Genesis is the founder of a non-profit organization for Chicago’s underprivileged youth called “The Little Dapper Project” and the founder of “The Amour Genesis Project” which provides essential items and resources for residents in underserved communities across Chicago. In addition to this, she is an advocate for children with special needs and unique medical challenges, as well as the Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Agency Prolific- an integrated digital marketing and advertising agency. She is a highly-respected, inspirational voice for positive change and a trailblazing game changer for female entrepreneurs and single mothers. And she’s also the mother of her 5-year old son, Noah! https://amourgenesis.com/ http://amourgenesis.com/everything-you-need-to-start-a-business/ http://amourgenesis.com/digital-marketing-checkout/

Todd Williams, DPT describes his traveling physical therapy assignments, running the NYC Marathon with Achilles International, spasticity and chronic pain and so much more. Don't forget to review this podcast episode and rate it.  You can find a write up on Todd at https://www.raisingkellan.org/todd-williams-dpt-is-the-face-of-www-ptwithcp-com/ And you can follow him on Instagram @ ptwithcp.t or www.ptwithcp.com

Hannah Webster, DPT chats to us about her experience with the Go Baby Go program at the University of Central Florida.  We delved into the origin of the program, the theory, the benefit, and Hannah provides a list of resources to direct parents investigating the program for their child. You can find this list at the following link: https://www.raisingkellan.org/blog/2990

Wesley J Page is an Occupational Therapist with Cerebral Palsy and 17 years of pediatric experience at Shrine School in Memphis, TN. He provides nuggets of information including how he navigated school and university as well as his energy conservation techniques.  Pop over to www.raisingkellan.org where Wesley has written a handcrafted letter to parents raising kiddos with different abilities. 

Nicole Luongo is an author, disability advocate, and writer. She is well known in the cerebral palsy community for being an advocate for selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgery, which is a procedure she underwent as an adult. In this episode, Nicole does a poetry recital from her book "Naked Desires." You can read Nicole's Fact File @ https://www.raisingkellan.org/blog/nicole-luongo-author-poet-and-disability-advocate You can contact Nicole @ https://nicoleluongo.com/

Misha Davydov is an early childhood educator at "A New Leaf" Preschool in Nashville, Tennessee.  Misha delivers 45 minutes of power packed conversation that include: 1) What is the Reggio Emilia Approach?  2) How do Children Learn. 3) The Biology of why we need to be outdoors. 4) What does the current research show?  5) Misha's pandemic parent takeaways.  This is the final installment of this series. Enjoy! Misha blogs at https://withoutwindows.com/ The preschool he works at is http://www.anewleafnashville.org/ For the research referenced in this podcast go to https://www.raisingkellan.org/quarantine-strategy-series-part-3-the-restorative-power-of-nature/

Pediatric Occupational Therapist, Maddison Balk of Let’s Yoga Perth, focus is on improving a child’s emotional regulation, motor development and social skills through adaptive yoga. She teaches parents and children strategies they can apply at home, in the community and school to feel calm, accepted, emotionally/sensory regulated, confident and develop/sustain friendships. You can hop over to https://www.raisingkellan.org/quarantine-strategy-series-part-2-exercise-yoga-and-relaxation/ for more details on how to contact Maddison at Let's Yoga Perth. Also check out the previous episode of this series which is dedicated to Mental Health. 

Rose Reif is a licensed clinical mental health counselor, located in Cary, NC.  She provides invaluable strategies on how to mentally cope during the coronavirus pandemic. Rose discusses her approach to explaining the pandemic to children and offers some key takeaways. As always as part of keeping it real, we did have a gatecrasher :) during the podcast! Rose's advice from the podcast is transcribed in part, to the blog.  Here is the link https://www.raisingkellan.org/quarantine-strategy-series-part-1-mental-health/ I also recommend that you read her Mental Wellness and Disability Blog at https://reifpsychservices.com/

Chris Meyer from Siegburg, Germany has some awesome self tested strategies on the positive mindset that he believes will help other parents raising children with disabilities.  You can find his blog post on the Raising Kellan Blog at www.raisingkellan.org

Lauren Taylor shares her and husband Jason's vision for opening Nevada Brew Works.  This artisan microbrewery creates a family-styled space in Las Vegas, Nevada that benefits the special needs community.  Hear their story at www.raisingkellan.org

March 25 is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day and it honors our warriors that work twice as hard at everyday life.  Join Levi, Drake, Dana, Marsh and Kellan on this catch up during the coronavirus quarantine. #raising_kellan#levis_cp_life#drakeb42 www.raisingkellan.org

We heading back to Tennessee after a physically and emotionally gruelling week.  No time to stop, so this podcast was recorded on the final day  at St Louis Children's Hospital heading down South on I-55.  This is the link to the accompanying podcast: https://www.raisingkellan.org/blog/day-5-st-louis-childrens-hospital-therapy-intensive

Today I sat down and worked with Matthew Ryan of Audius Prime.  Matthew is the audio guy who patiently taught me the building blocks of producing a podcast. His passion for teaching is reflected in this interview so without further ado, check it out! www.raisingkellan.org

It St Patrick's Day and besides wearing green today I want to share an inspirational quote by an unknown author:  "I say Luck is when an opportunity comes along and you're prepared for it." Happy St Paddy's Day!  www.riaingkellan.org

It's Monday,  3/16/2020 and its not business as usual.  It's an uncertain time, an uncertain world, and uncharted territory.   There is  comfort in knowing that you are not alone and as always stay compassionate and kind.   I am reminded of my childhood hero Nelson Mandela who continues to inspire many, long after his passing, with his timeless wisdom.  My favorite go to is: " I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it."  Stay well friends and as always Get to the Top of Your Mountain.  Link to www.raisingkellan.org

This is Kellan's first podcast so please give him a thumbs up, and leave a review.  We are heading to St Louis next week for another therapy intensive, taking all precautions needed.   We are joined on this short episode by Savannah Pham, who traveled with us to St Louis last year.  We are also joined by Drake Box who some exciting news, so stay tuned. This episode is an introduction to my interview with Aaron Schlein from Family Travel Radio. Aaron chats to me about our mutual love of travel and how we hope to create that legacy for our children.  The episode is titled:  Embracing the Unexpected and Facing the Unknown.  Hit the link below to take you on a trip.  Lets go!  https://www.raisingkellan.org/blog/travel-blog-embracing-the-unexpected-and-facing-the-unknown

March honors our CP Warriors! Levi Ervin a 8 year old from Watkinsville, Georgia defines all the important ingredients of living your best life with cerebral palsy.  Levi together with his mom, Dana touch on his experiences at school, sports, and so much more... Levi's Blog can be found at https://www.raisingkellan.org/blog/levi-levinator-ervin-cerebral-palsy?rq=levi

March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month.  We feature Levi "Levinator" Ervin and his mom Dana Kramer who continue to break the rules and challenge perceptions.  This young man has all kinds of goodies to share with us.  Here is a snippet from our technical run this evening...

These students are the future of physical therapy and they are passionate about pediatrics.  Listen as Marina Wright, Jackie Butch and Hannah Webster share their enthusiasm for working with kids and their future work plans. Their blog post link https://www.raisingkellan.org/blog/american-physical-therapy-conference-denvercolorado-february-2020 Enjoy!

Aspen wears many hats!  She is a wife, mother, physical therapist and founder/owner of Joy of Movement, LLC in Wichita, KS.  In this podcast she narrates the story of the early arrival of her twins, her daughter Tenley's diagnosis and the subsequent path that lead from diagnosis, botox, baclofen and ultimately a surgery called selective dorsal rhizotomy.   Link to Aspen's Raising Kellan Blog Disclaimer:  As always the material on this podcast and blog is intended for educational purposes and is not a substitute for consultation with your medical provider.

Karen Pryor, Phd, PT, DPT is an experienced physical therapist who uses a common sense approach to help children reach their milestones.  You will enjoy this straight talk.. As always the topics discussed are for educational purposes and must be discussed with your medical provider in the state, region or country you reside in before consideration. Please Rate, Review and Subscribe to the podcast if you are encouraged and informed by what you hear so that we can continue this spirit of sharing and collaboration for the common good of our children. Link to raising kellan blog https://www.raisingkellan.org/blog/neuroplasticity-for-children-by-karen-pryor-dpt?rq=neuroplasticity

Kathryn McBride,  Director of McIvers Grant Public Library gives us some nuggets of information on why we should read along with and to our kids.  We chat about who is responsible for early literacy, AR reading and reading vs comprehension...Enjoy!  You can find her tips for early reading success at  https://www.raisingkellan.org/love-those-books-tips-for-reading-success/

Marsh and Drake chat with author Jessica Leving about her book, upcoming podcast and her brother Billy who is autistic. Jessica contributed to the Raising Kellan Blog.  Here is the link:https://www.raisingkellan.org/blog/supporting-special-needs-siblings Links to the referenced resources: 1. Special Siblings web site: supportingspecialsiblings.com 2. Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Special-Siblings-Growing-sibling-special/dp/1686677324/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1570154209&sr=8-1 3. Special Siblings page on Facebook: facebook.com/supportingspecialsiblings 4. Adult sibling group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SibNet/

This is where PT's and OT's passionate about pediatrics go to for current research on evidence based practice.   Parents, you can access some of research by joining the WiredONdevelopment Facebook page and group at https://www.facebook.com/WiredOnDevelopment/ WiredONdevelopment Podcasts are open to therapists and parents at https://www.wiredondevelopment.com/  The link to Raising Kellan blog featuring this resource is https://www.raisingkellan.org/blog/wired-on-development-a-knowledge-hub-for-parents-and-professionals

Jae and Ant Puente of the podcast Let's Discuss It, sit down to discuss the male perspective of raising a child with complex medical needs.  This episode was followed by the brothers interviewing Marsh Naidoo and that episode will be aired shortly.  So subscribe for latest updates @ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-discuss-it-w-jae-ant/id1482589539  Thank you for listening and be sure to read Jae Puente's  honest and heartwarming blog at https://www.raisingkellan.org/

Marsh chats with Sonya Burks of Healing Horses, Inc to discuss the benefits of equine-assisted therapy.  This is the link describing our experience with therapeutic horsemanship https://www.raisingkellan.org/blog/is-horse-riding-an-effective-therapy-tool Sonya Burks can be contacted through Facebook @healinghorsesinc, healinghorsesinc@gmail.com or 731 589 3000 For an equine center near you check out https://www.pathintl.org/

Christine Coronado expresses her concern about what to do with her child with special needs once she reached adulthood and what indeed she did! For further information check out: www.raisingkellan.org

Angie Brasher is a Speech and Language Pathologist.  She breaks down language development in an easy format.  She talks about the importance of early intervention in promoting language development and what parents can do to help kiddos build on this skill.  Angie's blog post on Augmentative and Alternative Communication Devices(AAC) can be accessed at this link https://www.raisingkellan.org/what-are-augmentative-and-alternative-communication-aac-devices/

In this interview with Drake Box we chat about growing up with cerebral palsy.  I met Drake at a local grocery store and later at the outpatient physical therapy clinic I work at.  I believe that Drake's experiences will help inspire and motivate parents and provide valuable insight into raising a child with a disability.  https://www.raisingkellan.org/blog/my-first-19-years-with-cerebral-palsy