Creating Opportunities For Teens & Adults With Special Needs & Disabilities

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? About the Guest Dawn A. Rowe, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the department of Educational Foundations and Special Education at East Tennessee State University. Her research and scholarship are focused on three main areas of research: evidence-based practices and predictors of postschool success for students with disabilities, life skills interventions (e.g., goal setting, self-management, communication skills), and professional development (e.g., families, in-service and pre-service educators). She has over 20 years’ experience working in the adult service system and as a teacher and transition specialist for youth with disabilities in the public-school system. Dr. Rowe serves as the academic editor for the C

School services end when 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? About the Guest: Kelli Crane, Ph.D. is an Assistant Research Professor at the Center for Transition and Career Innovation, University of Maryland, College Park. She bring extensive experience serving in significant leadership roles on research and model demonstration projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, the Social Security Administration and the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. Dr. Crane’s research interests include examining programs and practices to improve post-school outcomes for transition age youth with disabilities. Currently, she is co-principal investigator for Maryland PROMISE and co-director on Way2Work Maryland. Both projects, funded by the U.S. Department of E

When students age out of school services and transition to adult services gaps often emerge. Many of these gaps have simple solutions. What are the gaps and how do we bridge them?   About the Guest: Sonni Charness is the founder of Guidelight Group. She and her team specialize in helping California teens and adults with developmental disabilities and their families plan for and live their their best lives. Sonni has over ten years of professional experience supporting teens and adults with disabilities in their communities, and a Master’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis in transition and employment outcomes for youth with moderate to severe disabilities. Her work on transition-to-adulthood and employment has been published in the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation and in Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities. (Sonni also serves on the Board of Directors for the California chapter of APSE, a national organization whose mission is to promote access for all people with disabil

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 to shift perspective? Our guest discusses 4 key hurdles keeping parents and IEP teams from believing in the possibility of paid employment in a community setting. We acknowledge these hurdles and learn how to clear them. We also learn what to put in the employment section of the transition plan in the IEP to help students move towards paid employment in a community setting. About the Guest Sean Roy is a Research Associate with TransCen Inc.  In this position he works to provide training and technical assistance to states, employment professionals and schools, leading to improved success for individuals with disabilities who are transitioning from school into the workforce and life in the community.  Roy is an experienced curriculum developer, writer, trainer and presenter, often being asked to speak to professionals and families about

Assistive technology is an essential lifeline for many students with differing abilities. How do we get it in the IEP and what additional considerations are important? What happens to technology supports after the student ages out of the school system and enters adult services? This episodes covers: What does federal IDEA says about assistive technology and how you can use the law in your advocacy efforts to get needed technology into the IEP How to stay current on new assistive technology trends Verbiage to use in your request to the school district for an assistive technology evaluation Additional IEP considerations with assistive technology such as who is responsible for damaged euipment, ensuring proper implementation and training of staff, etc. What happens to technology devices belonging to the school systems after the student ages out and enters adult programs Who pays for assistive technology for adults About the Guest: Lisa Lightner is a sought after and trusted resource for parents nav

Clemson University supports one of the first post secondary programs for students with disabilities in the country. There currently are over 200 similar programs across the country and in this episode we use Clemson Life as a framework to give families and IEP teams a vision of a post secondary college program so they can begin considering necessary requirements to qualify for programs such as Clemson Life and thus begin working toward goals in the middle school and high school years. There are 3 parts to today’s conversation. First we learn about the Clemson Life program. Second we will learn what goals should be going into the 3 federally mandated sections of the IEP Transition Plan to set students up for success in post secondary college programs. We will conclude the conversation looking at the four belief statements of the Clemson Life program and how they are applicable regardless if college is an option for our student. About The Guest: Courtney Dukes became involved with the Clemson Life program as a

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? About the Guest Our guest, Ashley Grant is a Supervising Staff Attorney at Advocates for Children of New York, focusing on protecting the rights of middle school and high school students, including students with disabilities, students who are overage and under-credits, and students transitioning out of school. She also coordinates the state-wide Multiple Pathways to a Diploma Coalition and teaches the Special Education Law and Advocacy Field Clinic at Cardozo Law School. Ashley started her career as a special education teacher in Los Angeles. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles; a M.A. in Special Education from California State University; and a J.D. from New York Unive

We hear a lot and think a lot about the inevitable time of transitioning out of special education 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 disabilities? Self Advocate Melissa Crisp-Cooper shares her journey, gives parents a pep talk, and expresses where challenges still exist in her life 20 years later. Links to content mentioned on the show can be found at https://www.lomah.org/podcastseason3/90 About the Guest: Melissa Crisp-Cooper is a writer, adventure seeker, and health advocate. She has cerebral palsy, and navigates the world using a purple power wheelchair. Melissa and her husband Owen live in Oakland, CA with two opinionated black cats. Together, Melissa and Owen love to travel, eat good food, and stretch out in their adaptive yoga class.    Related Episodes: Episodes #86-#97 make up th

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:  Verbal Referencing Separating what is important to the individual from what is important for the individual Reframing likes into social rolls Links to items mentioned in the show are at https://www.lomah.org/podcastseason3/89 About the Guest: Erin Sheldon is mom to Maggie, a 16 year old with severe disabilities. Erin earned her master's degree studying how to support our students with complex needs in the regular classroom. She is CEO of Ontario's parent association for school inclusion (www.inclusionontario.ca). She also works for the assistive technology company, AssistiveWare. Erin has authored articles, book chapters, manuals, online professional learn

When we start considering the future for individuals with differing abilities, the assessment process is an important yet often omitted first step. 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 assess and what are the whens, hows, and whos of the process? Dr. Mary E. Morningstar is faculty in Special Education at Portland State University and Co-Director of the Career and Community Studies program, a fully inclusive transition to postsecondary education for youth with intellectual disability.  She directs the Transition Coalition, a national center offering online, hybrid and in-person professional development and resources for secondary special educators and transition practitioners. Dr. Morningstar teaches us what transition assessment is, when and how is it happening, and who should be performing the assessments. She gives us counsel on how to prompt the district to ini

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? Mary Susan McConnell, Ed.D, shares results and implications of her research which aimed to answer 3 key questions: 1) Actual Post Secondary IDEA Outcomes 2) Identifying the Most Significant Challenges Upon Leaving the System 3) Parental Input on the Effectiveness of Transition Teams and Suggestions for Improvement   Find Mary Susan on her website, Facebook, and Instagram as Mary Susan McConnell. Find Mary Susan's podcast by searching Mama Bear Podcast. It is the show with the Grizzly Bear. Find Kim on Instagram as Journey2Lomah Related LOMAH Podcast Episodes: Episodes 86 - 97: Transition Planning Series Episode 69: Self Determination with Complex Communication Needs Episode 49: Person Centered Planning Episode 31: Transition Planning to Guide IEP Goals Episode 30: Legal Rights After 18 Episode 25: Think College Episodes 22 & 23: Housing - 4 Th

Transition planning sets the stage to get students where they want to be upon aging out of the school system. Depending on the state, transition planning becomes a part of the IEP by the age of 14 or 16. Some school districts take the transition planning process and knock it out of the ballpark. Some school districts barely meet minimum requirements. Regardless of your situation, the more you know, the better you can prepare and advocate for a successful transition into adulthood. The transition series will include episodes on what the research shows regarding transition, utilizing assessments to drive goals, preparing for special needs college programs, putting technology in the IEP as transition supports, self determination, and the roles of parents. Follow Kim on Instagram at journey2lomah for behind the scenes of the creation of her daughter's transition plan.   Related Episodes Episode 69: Self Determination with Complex Communication Needs Episode 53: Is Technology the Caregiving Solution Episode 49: Pe

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?   *Journey with LOMAH over on instagram @journey2lomah   Episodes in the Health Series: #74 - Caregiver Emotional & Mental Health #75 - Obesity in the Disability Community #76 - Caregiver Physical Health #77 - Your Body Your Boundaries #78 - Dignity and Hygiene  #79 - Better Medical Visits for Patients with Special Needs #80 - Winning Insurance Battles #81 - When Your Faith Feels Fragile #82 - Better Dental Exams for Patients with Special Needs #83 - The Thoughtful Use of Medical Cannabis #84 - Menstrual Manipulation and The Pelvic Exam

Many women and teens use hormones to manipulate their menstrual cycle and so it makes sense this can also be an option for women with disabilities. What ethical considerations come into play and what options are available? What about the pelvic exam? Is it a recommended procedure for this population? How can it be performed with the utmost dignity for patients with differing abilities? The first part of the show will cover reasons for menstrual manipulation and the ethics of making that choice. The last half covers options for menstrual manipulation including considerations that may be specific for those with differing abilities. Also discussed is how to support an individual with disabilities through the pelvic exam. To navigate this territory with us is Dr. Michael Policar. Dr. Pollicar is a Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, as well as Clinical Fellow at the National Family Planning and Reproductive Heal

  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? Joining us for the discussion is Dr. David Traver. Dr. Traver is a board certified pediatrician by The American Board of Pediatrics and an award winning Fellow of The American Academy of Pediatrics. He believes strongly in practicing as a member of a diversified health care team for each patient so he collaborates with many different health care practitioners, both in academic centers as well as in private practice.   Dr. Traver spent two years at Stanford University Medical Center’s Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. There, in The Pervasive Developmental Disorder Neuropsychiatry and ADHD Clinics, he became familiar with the treatment and management of individuals with Autism and ADHD utilizing psychopharmacology. Dr. Traver has been directly i

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? Guest Kyle Guerin is the Executive Director of the Pacific Dental Services Foundation. The Pacific Dental Services Foundation improves oral healthcare to four distinct underserved populations, one of which is patients with special needs. They are leading the charge to make oral healthcare more accessible to people with special needs through training, advocacy and the first dental clinic dedicated to providing care to this underserved population. To date, they have trained over 1500 dentists and have opened a clinic in Arizona. In this episode, we learn the clinic’s roots are from a dentist, Dr. Jacob Dent, who has a son with autism. Dr. Dent began to take his knowledge and creativity as an autism dad to transform his practice into one that could effectively and crea

When our faith and beliefs about God take a hit, how should we respond? Our guest, Diane Dokko Kim is a disability ministry consultant, national speaker, and author of Unbroken Faith: Spiritual Recovery for the Special-Needs Parent. As the mother of children with multiple disabilities including autism and ADHD, her two-fold passions include encouraging families, and equipping local churches into becoming inclusive faith communities.  You host, Kim, has read Diane's book three times and her copy is highlighted, underlined, and has margins filled with ink. Diane and Kim chat about swimming upstream in Christian culture and reaccuring faith struggles they both keep trying to shake. They discuss the structure of the book and why and how Diane choose the format. Connect with Diane at dianedokkokim.com where she blogs on being, “wrecked, redeemed and repurposed." Find Kim on Instagram at journey2lomah

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? This episode is one you will want to tag, earmark, and save to revisit again and again. It may require more than one listen to absorb all that you are getting ready to learn about the mystifying and often frustrating world of health insurance. To demystify the world of denied insurance claims and equip us is Karen Fessel, the executive director and founder of the Mental Health and Autism Insurance Project, a nonprofit with a staff of insurance ninjas talking on insurance companies on behalf of the disability community.  In addition to serving as the executive director of MHAIP, Karen co-moderates the ASDinsurancehelp and ASDMedi-Cal Yahoo users groups. Karen holds a doctorate in public health from UC Berkeley. Her prior work experience includes developing technology assessments and treatment guidel

Patients with disabilities are often misdiagnosed and sent for diagnostic tests that can not be preformed. Operation House Call is a program that trains the medical field to better treat patients with disabilities. Operation House Call is part of the curriculum at the Yale School of Nursing, Boston University Medical School, UMass Medical School, Tufts University, and Simmons University. As of May, 2019 Operation House Call is available nationally for medical programs wishing to offer the curriculum. On the show today is the director of Operation House Call, Maura Sullivan. She is going to share with us the impact the program is having on medical students and nurses who are educated via the 5 components of the curriculum which include an orientation led by self advocates, website courses, a 2 hour immersive visit to the home of a family who has a member with an intellectual or developmental disability, a reflection stage, and feedback from the host family. In addition to discussing operation house call, Maura

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 it matters and our loved one is worth it.  Geege Tayor is widely known in the autism community as a mother who places high standards on the way her son is presented to the world. Geege goes the mile as her son’s dignity surrogate and has several hygiene tips and tricks she has refined over the last 16 years. The first half of the conversation is a discussion about going the extra mile to ensure our loved ones are presented to the world with dignity and why it matters. The second half covers Geege’s tips and tricks for dental hygiene, fashion, acne, shaving, showering, and haircuts.  Watch Geege and Pootie on their reality TV show by searching Planet Poot on Youtube or on Instagram @geegetaylor Kim is on Instagram as @journey2lomah Related Episodes: #10 Dignity and Disability with Nicole Feeney