Shows
The Expanding Worlds Podcast212 The Question We All Want An Answer To with Debra Caldow In this episode, host Debra Caldow addresses the critical question of what happens to our children, when we are no longer around. She outlines some of the challenges family members may face if they are expected or were to assume taking over the role of main support. She also discusses how and why less traditional support models like micro-boards can also offer a personalized and holistic support system. Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-07-2309 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast211 Transforming Care With Shared Values with Tom Roberts from the Brighton and Hove Care Co-operative In this episode, Debra Caldow continues her conversation with Tom Roberts from the Brighton and Hove Care Co-operative discussing some of the reasons why the cooperative approach isn’t as popular as it should be. He also talks about the benefits of cooperative care including greater job satisfaction and a more engaged, person-centered approach. Tom also discusses the issues around having a diverse membership and balancing viability as an organization with maintaining the cooperative ethos. https://bhcarecoop.co.uk/ Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-07-1616 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast210 The Future of Care? A Cooperative Approach with Tom Roberts from the Brighton and Hove Care Co-operative In this episode, Debra Caldow talks to Tom Roberts, Chair of the Brighton and Hove Care Co-operative, about how the cooperative model offers an alternative approach to providing care and support. He explains the concept of care cooperatives as organizations that are owned and run by both care providers and receivers. Tom also discusses how this model contrasts with traditional charities and for-profit care providers with an emphasis on transparency, participation, and reinvestment of profits. https://bhcarecoop.co.uk/ Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-07-0914 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast209 A Model Approach To Building Independence with Debra Caldow In this episode, host Debra Caldow explores the impact we can have as role models for our children with additional needs. She talks about the importance of consistent behavior modeling and why it is so effective in teaching a variety of skills. Debra also shares some practical strategies like breaking down tasks, using visual aids, and video modeling to build on what we show them and to support their independent learning. Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-07-0208 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast208 Shifting The Focus From Difference To Uniqueness with Alison Thomas from Unique & Loved In this episode, Debra Caldow continues her conversation with Alison Thomas from Unique & Loved talking about uniqueness. Alison discusses the pressure to conform and the societal tendency to highlight differences rather than uniqueness. She talks about some strategies for fostering self-acceptance and suggests practical steps for understanding and celebrating individuality. Alison also discusses how celebrating each of our unique attributes helps to promote inclusion and understanding. https://uniqueandloved.co.uk/ Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-06-2525 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast207 Embracing Our Uniqueness with Alison Thomas from Unique & Loved In this episode, Debra Caldow’s guest is Alison Thomas from Unique & Loved, who shares her journey as a parent. She discusses the challenges of feeling isolated and the societal fears surrounding children with additional needs and why embracing uniqueness has become so fundamental in how she supports her son. Alison also talks about the importance of recognizing the individuality in everyone and why both children and adults need to embrace their uniqueness to help create a more inclusive environment for everyone. https://uniqueandloved.co.uk/ Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Cou...
2025-06-1816 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast206 Myths Versus Reality: A Guide for Employers with Debra Caldow In this episode, host Debra Caldow discusses some of the myths around employing young people with additional needs. She discusses why the language we use can often reinforce negative perceptions and employer misconceptions. She also talks about the myths around the concept of 'reasonable adjustments' in the workplace, and the reality that these adjustments are often simple and low cost. Debra also explains the role we can all play advocating for our children and fighting for employment opportunities as well as changing societal attitudes. Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly...
2025-06-1110 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast205 What Does A Job Coach Actually Do? with Laura Hutt from The Sand Project In this episode, host Debra Caldow talks to Laura Hutt from the Sand Project about what a job coach does. She discusses the misconceptions, rewards, and challenges the role brings. Laura explains the importance of job matching and vocational profiling, and why one of the key job coach roles is to work with employers to address any apprehensions they might have. https://www.thesandproject.co.uk/ Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-06-0412 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast204 Opening Doors & Educating Employers with Katie Shephard from The Sand Project In this episode, host Debra Caldow’s guest is Katie Shephard, the Work Engagement lead at the Sand Project. She discusses her role encouraging businesses to employ more people with additional needs. Katie talks about how her role encompasses connecting with organizations and working to break down common misconceptions to highlight the positive impact that hiring Sand Project trainees can have on workplace culture, breaking down fears and stereotypes. Katie explains why testimonies, from businesses already employing their trainees, plays a crucial role in building these connections and changing employer attitudes. https://www.thesandproject.co.uk/ ...
2025-05-2816 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast203 Behind the Scenes of ArtiSAND: Empowering Creativity and Entrepreneurship with Nicki Rugman from The Sand Project In this episode, host Debra Caldow talks to Nicki Rugman from the ArtiSAND Creative Goods Store, part of the Sand Project, about how this enterprise shop and business helps young people build both their creative and business skills. Nicki explains the importance of balancing creativity with market needs and how that guides the shop's product and promotional strategies. She talks about the importance of trainees understanding all facets of the business and shares some success stories of trainees developing their own products. Nicki also talks about the potential for expanding the business, including online sales and trainee led workshops.
2025-05-2115 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast202 How to Run a Cafe: Building Independence with Every Order at the East Toast Cafe with Carol Noble from The Sand Project In this episode, host Debra Caldow talks to Carol Noble from the East Toast Cafe, part of the Sand Project, about why working in a café offers young people opportunities to enhance communication, self-esteem, and practical work skills. She also highlights the importance of a structured routine and adaptable tasks to ensure that every student can always participate and remain part of the team. Carol also talks about the positive impact this has on the students, both in the cafe and at home. https://www.thesandproject.co.uk/ Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Cou...
2025-05-1415 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast201 Learning By Doing: Transforming Lives at The Sand Project with Marita Bianco In this episode, host Debra Caldow talks to Marita Bianco from The Sand Project about how the project started and why it has evolved into a multi pathway enterprise-based organization. Marita discusses how the project supports trainees preparing them for employment and independent living using an experiential approach. She also explains the importance of tailored support including family support which recognizes the individual challenges people may face. https://www.thesandproject.co.uk/ Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-05-0722 minThe Expanding Worlds PodcastCelebrating 200 Episodes: The Power of Sharing Stories and Solutions with Debra Caldow In this milestone episode, host Debra Caldow celebrates the 200th episode of the podcast by focusing on the importance of sharing stories and solutions that support the futures of children with additional needs. Reflecting on the podcast's journey since 2017, Debra talks about the need for letting go of limiting beliefs and building on existing solutions rather than starting from scratch. She discusses the incredible power of shared experiences in creating meaningful change. Debra advocates for a more structured approach to the sharing of knowledge to build a better future for all our children. Check out our Independent...
2025-04-3012 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast199 Why Do We Need Hope? with Debra Caldow In this episode, host Debra Caldow discusses the concept of hope. She examines the four types of hope: realistic, utopian, chosen, and transcendent. She explores the role hope plays in motivating action and fostering resilience. Debra also talks about the need to have a more active approach to hope, transforming it from passive wishfulness into a driving force for positive change. Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-04-2308 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast198 Building Inclusive Communities for the Future with Laura Wells from HOPE North Carolina In this episode, host Debra Caldow talks to Laura Wells from Hope North Carolina about the innovative housing model they use that integrates people with and without disabilities. Laura discusses how Hope NC fosters a sense of belonging through their community facilitator role and various community projects. Laura also touches upon the future directions for creating affordable and inclusive housing that responds to a constantly changing external environment. https://www.hopenorthcarolina.org/ Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-04-1623 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast197 Building A Community On The Pillars Of Support And Inclusion with Ginny Dropkin from HOPE North Carolina In this episode, host Debra Caldow talks to Ginny Dropkin from Hope North Carolina about the emotional and logistical challenges of ensuring a good life for our children, even after we're no longer around. Ginny explains why this has been a central issue in her life and how she’s become involved in various organizations to address the problems. Ginny talks about how she with two other parents founded Hope North Carolina, which has the central goal of helping address this critical issue of ‘what comes next?’ https://www.hopenorthcarolina.org/ Check out our Ind...
2025-04-0926 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast196 Creating a New Reality: The Role of Mindset in Success with Debra Caldow In this episode, host Debra Caldow discusses the importance of developing a positive and growth-oriented mindset for us and our children. She explains the practical steps that can lead to developing a positive mindset, including self-talk, embracing challenges, and surrounding ourselves with supportive influences. Debra also talks about how developing a positive mindset requires time and persistence and why it is so fundamental in helping our children unlock their potential to ensure they lead successful and fulfilling lives. Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-04-0209 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast195 Believe In and Know Your Young Person Has Strengths, with Katherine Jennick from What’s Your StrengthIn this episode, host Debra Caldow talks to Katherine Jennick from What’s Your Strength about how a positive self-perception can have a genuine impact on young people with additional needs. Katherine offers practical strategies that you can adapt at home, and she argues we need more inclusive interview practices and better career discussions rather than focusing on just traditional academic achievements. https://whatsyourstrength.co.uk/ Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-03-2617 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast194 From Self-Awareness to Success with Katherine Jennick from What’s Your Strength In this episode, host Debra Caldow talks to Katherine Jennick from What’s Your Strength about the project she has developed to help young people translate their life experiences into strengths. She discusses how this evolved into packs of cards which are used by both families and professionals. Katherine also talks about why project-based learning is more effective and why everyone has a role to play in preparing young people for their futures in work. https://whatsyourstrength.co.uk/ Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-03-1916 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast193 Why Making Choices Is A Skill Worth Building with Debra CaldowIn this episode, host Debra Caldow explores the crucial role of choice in the lives of young people with additional needs. She discusses the barriers that exist, such as low expectations, inadequate funding, and social policies that limit young people's choices. Debra also talks about the importance of family support and practical strategies to foster decision-making skills, supporting the shift from making decisions for young people to empowering them to make their own choices. Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course - https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-03-1208 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast192 Sharing Ideas and Plans with Students from Brighton Forward In this episode, host Debra Caldow shares conversations she had with students from Brighton Forward. This is the chance to hear first-hand from the young people Brighton Forward works with about the support they receive, what skills they find valuable as well as their individual plans they have for the future. https://brightonforward.co.uk/ Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course - https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-03-0515 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast191 How Providing More Choices Leads To Better Outcomes with Laura Vallone from Brighton Forward In this episode, host Debra Caldow talks to Laura Vallone from Brighton Forward about how this project provides a nurturing and secure environment for young people who may have struggled elsewhere. She explains how their 3-year program works by focusing both on personal development and work skills. Laura also discusses the need for policy changes and highlights the significance of using the 'language of work' to encourage young people to aspire for more. https://brightonforward.co.uk/ Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course - https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-02-2613 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast190 Social Isolation: Barriers and Solutions with Debra Caldow In this episode, host Debra Caldow discusses the social isolation challenges faced by young people with additional needs. Debra explores the barriers that exist, including lack of confidence and lack of social skills, alongside external barriers such as geographic limitations and societal attitudes. She also talks about possible solutions, like the role of paid work and the importance of empowering young people to advocate for themselves so they become active in finding those social connections that work for them and reduce their social isolation. Find out more about Stay Up Late Check out our Independent...
2025-02-1911 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast189 Unlocking Potential: The Benefits of Social and Professional Skills with Bob Etzel from iSocial In this episode, host Debra Caldow continues her conversation with Bob Etzel from iSocial. Bob explains the different motivators for going on the program as well as the importance of having supportive peers and role models who reflect your experiences. He also talks about how iSocial provides a framework that enables individuals to leverage their unique strengths within a workplace. Bob also discusses why integrating neurodiverse individuals into an organisation can be beneficial not only for the bottom line but also provide a strategic advantage to the business. https://www.isocialskills.com/ Check out...
2025-02-1215 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast188 Creating Connections: The iSocial Approach with Bob Etzel In this episode, host Debra Caldow talks to Bob Etzel about how the iSocial program works, using a structured approach and the role of moderators in fostering confidence and social skills. He details the transformation of iSocial from a research program using avatars to a Zoom-based, real-world community. Bob also talks about the importance of matching people with common interests to lead to lasting connections and mutual support. https://www.isocialskills.com/ Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-02-0517 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast187 Why Supporting Someone on a Supported Internship Means Trusting the Process and Stepping Back with Debra CaldowIn this episode, host Debra Caldow discusses her experience of supporting her daughter while she was on a supported internship. Debra explains the importance of trusting the internship process and why focusing on creating a supportive home environment provides the support a young person needs. She also talks about the challenge of letting go and learning to respect and trust the young person's growing independence. Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-01-2907 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast186 Preparing for A Supported Internship – Four Tips with Debra Caldow In this episode, host Debra Caldow shares four tips for getting your young person ready for going on a supported internship. Debra talks about the the importance of talking about work early, doing thorough research, building essential skills and attitudes at home, and seeking out work experiences. Check out our Independent Cooking Made Easy Course https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-01-2212 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast185 Creating Inclusive Workplaces and Engaging Employers with Ellie Hedley-Dent from Team DomenicaIn this episode, host Debra Caldow talks to Ellie Hedley-Dent about the approach Team Domenica takes in engaging with employers to hire young people with additional needs. She discusses the importance of understanding employer preconceptions, maintaining an open conversation, and sharing other employer stories. Ellie also explains the importance of providing bespoke training and providing ongoing support. https://teamdomenica.com/ https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-01-1516 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast184 Unlocking Potential: Team Domenica's Path to Employment with Ellie Hedley-DentIn this episode, host Debra Caldow talks to Ellie Hedley Dent, the Employer Partnership Manager at Team Domenica, about their employment program. Ellie explains their initial focus is on building foundational skills and providing work experience to prepare their candidates to move into a Supported Internship. Using an holistic approach, Team Domenica equips young people with the tools they need to succeed in their careers and beyond. https://teamdomenica.com/ https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2025-01-0814 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast183 Why Both Attitude And Ability Determine What Happens Next with Debra CaldowIn this episode, host Debra Caldow talks about the importance of helping our young people to develop the abilities and the skills they need in life. She emphasizes they must also develop those attitudes that make their success in whatever they choose to do much more likely. She also talks about how the type and level of support we give to our children will evolve as we give them the space they need to live their own lives. https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2024-12-1810 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast182 Reflecting On The Transition Out Of School: Planning & Research with Debra CaldowIn this episode, host Debra Caldow reflects on the challenges faced when supporting young people with additional needs to transition from school to the next stages of life. She discusses two key lessons she learned during the process: the need to plan far ahead beyond the immediate steps and staying open to various options by continuously researching. https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2024-12-1109 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast181 From An Idea to Reality: A Housing Journey with Kay LaidlerIn this episode with parent Kay Laidler, Debra Caldow discusses how Kay is working with other families to create a housing solution for their young people. She discusses the ongoing process, why natural friendships between housemates are important, and the challenges they are facing in terms of finding the right funding and support. Kay also talks about the importance of planning and persistence in pursuing their housing objectives. https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2024-12-0417 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast179 Why This Podcast Talks to People From All Over The Globe with Debra CaldowKnowledge is built on the sharing of ideas. That’s certainly something I believe in strongly, and in this week’s episode, I talk about why I share ideas from wherever in the world I find them. By listening to others we can quickly identify what’s worked, and what hasn’t, and ensure we don’t make the same mistakes. By doing that we can accelerate progress in so many areas like employment, housing, and inclusive communities. https://www.youtube.com/@RedGiraffeSolutions
2024-11-2007 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast176 Why Independence Starts With Choice with Debra CaldowIn this episode, I’m talking about the importance of giving young people with additional needs more choices to foster independence. We already know about the lack of choice in areas like employment, housing, and care, and the impact that has. But often there are missed opportunities around choice and I’m sharing my personal experiences on how to encourage choice-making at home, and why it is part of the gradual process of letting go and allowing our young people to learn from the choices they make so that they develop the skills they will need in the future.
2024-10-3008 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast173 Independent Cooking – Our Successful Solution with Debra CaldowIn this episode, I’m talking about our approach to supporting our daughter to learn to cook for herself without the need for any support or supervision. Our solution involved discarding conventional cooking techniques that didn't work and looking for new options. In our case, it’s meant using an air fryer a slow cooker, and five-ingredient recipes. By adapting recipes for the food she wanted to make, this approach has enabled her to cook independently. To find out more about the course we have developed based on our experiences visit https://bit.ly/independentcooking
2024-10-0910 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast168 From Fear to Trust: My Bumpy Journey with Debra CaldowIn this episode, I share my journey of navigating parental fears and learning to trust my daughter's abilities. Despite her successful year in her job, my unspoken concerns about her future surfaced, impacting her more than I realized. This episode reflects on how difficult it is not to let our fears limit our children’s potential. I also talk about the importance of giving my daughter the dignity of risk, respecting her independence, and planning for a future where she can thrive, even when I’m not around.
2024-09-0407 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast163 Planning A Better Future For Our Children with Debra Caldow In this episode, I’m talking about the importance of structured planning for children with additional needs and having short, medium and long-term plans for various aspects of their life around daily living, purpose, relationships, and finance. This ensures not only continuous progress but is also better preparation for their futures. A good plan has clear targets actionable steps, and a realistic timeline. I talk about each of these and how to use the Red Giraffe Route map and the VOCAL method (Vision, Options, Create, Assess, Legacy) to put together a plan that not only supports their future but gi...
2024-07-3112 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast158 From Daily Living to Personal Growth with Debra Caldow In this solo episode, I discuss what independence really means for young people like my daughter. Is it just about having the skills to do more for herself or are there other things that she should have the opportunities to consider? I discuss this using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory as a way to structure my thoughts on whether or not it's enough to just focus on those daily living skills and relationships for our young people or whether there are more things to consider when it comes to supporting our young people to be truly independent in th...
2024-06-2607 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast153 Great Expectations And Why They Matter with Debra CaldowIt's a solo episode this week and I'm talking about the role that expectations have in the way we support and inspire our young people to achieve all they are capable of. Our expectations of them guide their expectations of themselves and can also help them to ignore the low expectations of others.
2024-05-2206 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast148 Why Habits Are The Foundation Of Independence with Debra CaldowEvery day we all do the same things the same way because it’s these habits that make it easier to live our lives. Habits are just skills we have that we use over and over again and for my daughter with additional needs, all the skills she has built over time are now habits that allow her to live more independently. Those skills she has like cooking going to her job or managing her money, the things she does the same way each time are all her habits. In this episode, I’m talking about some of the ideas...
2024-04-1715 min
The Expanding Worlds Podcast141 Financial Future Series - Using a Gradual Financial Independence Approach with Graham CaldowIn this final episode of this Finance Future series, I’m talking to Graham Caldow about the value of giving financial independence gradually and building financial skills over time. We discuss the things that have worked for our family including multiple accounts and tracking spending. Finance is just one part of our legacy to our daughter but in lots of ways it’s the foundation of all the other things she will do in her life. Graham's Book: What's Possible - Plan A Better Future For Your Young Adult With Additional Needs
2024-01-1713 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast137 Financial Future Series - Questions To Consider with Debra CaldowThe financial future for young people with additional needs can be challenging. They are more likely to have lower incomes, less likely to be employed full time and government assistance can be difficult to get and even more difficult to keep. So planning ahead to create a solid financial platform is essential in this new series - Financial Future I’ll be exploring the challenges, what solutions are out there, and how to plan ahead so that future financial security is achievable. In this episode, I’m starting by talking about some of the questions to consider like who shou...
2023-10-2510 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast128 Planning The Journey Series - Using the VOCAL Method with Debra CaldowPlanning the future for our children with additional needs is not only challenging, it's crucial. In this final episode of the Planning the Journey series, I’m talking about how to navigate each of the four lines Daily Living Relationships, Purpose and Financial using the VOCAL method. VOCAL stands for Vision, Options, Create, Assess and Legacy. Using this model helps identify the end goaI, identify the options available, create a plan that gets you started, assess over time what might need changing and, finally, leave a legacy of confidence, ability and self-worth. Building a life plan isn't easy but th...
2023-06-0716 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast127 Planning The Journey Series - Financial Security - Why Enough Is Enough with Debra CaldowProviding financial security for our children with additional needs when we are no longer around is one of our greatest challenges. In this episode I talk about why it is achievable once we decide how much is enough. I also discuss the levels of control to consider, the tools available and the factors to consider when thinking about who will support them after you. I also look at some strategies I’ve used to help my own daughter develop money skills so she can control her day-to-day financial life. By providing our children with a financial foundation we create for...
2023-05-2411 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast126 Planning The Journey Series - Why Presumption of Purpose Matters with Debra CaldowHaving a purpose provides meaning and direction to our lives. In this episode I talk about ways to support our children to find purpose and the importance of a Presumption of Purpose. I also discuss the role of mindset in developing a presumption of purpose for both ourselves and our children. When we support our children to find purpose, paid or unpaid, we are helping them develop their sense of identity, which helps them live a more meaningful and satisfying life. Visit the podcast website https://expandingworlds.com/ Podcasts on...
2023-05-1013 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast124 Planning The Journey Series - Building Daily Living Skills with Debra CaldowIn this series I will be focusing on exploring in more depth the 4 core topics that the podcast has always focused around: daily living, relationships, purpose and financial. In this episode the focus is daily living skills. I will be sharing some techniques I used to successfully support my own daughter to build these skills. These techniques, which include scaffolding and habit stacking, can be invaluable in helping support young people to build those daily living skills they need as they journey towards greater independence. Follow us on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook @ex...
2023-03-2913 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast100 Celebrating the 100th Episode and the stops on the journey so farTime for a celebration and to reflect on the journey so far. It all started out with an idea that there had to be more out there for my daughter. I saw that she and other children, with additional needs, need extra support, in specific areas, to build the skills that will enable them to live more independently as adults. This became our Route Map, and the topics of the podcast. There are 4 lines on the Route Map: Purpose, Daily Living, Relationships and Financial Independence. Each line needs to be travelled along but where to stop along the way...
2022-01-1217 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast97 Ways Into Work – Perceptions and Parents: Why Both Matter So Much with Debra CaldowIn this the final episode of this Ways into Work series I’m doing a solo episode to talk about my learnings from the past 8 episodes. It’s definitely not a recap of the previous episodes but more my ideas around the two things I see as being pivotal in enabling many more young people to get into paid employment. Firstly perceptions, if we change these we change everything. The soft bigotry of low expectations is there for young people with additional needs and through employment and helping employers understand so many of their perceptions are wrong the w...
2021-06-3008 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast81 Changing Attitudes At WAVEBy changing attitudes we change behaviour, and this is something the guests on this week’s episode are part of making happen. Celia and Maya from WAVE talk about the ethos behind WAVE, and how it aims to bring people together, and by doing that helps change the way they think and their attitudes. Celia explains why she started the organisation, what kind of support it provides and how it is grown. WAVE stands for Were All Valued Equally, and Celia explains the importance of this as a value and the way that they break down barriers and r...
2020-06-0119 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast80 Developing Transferable SkillsThe average person has between 12-15 jobs in their work life. This makes developing transferable skills an essential part of any employability training. A great example of how to make this happen comes from Sunflower Bakery. This week’s guest Sara Portman Milner, co-founder of Sunflower Bakery, shares their story as well as offering advice to anyone thinking of starting a similar enterprise. Sara details what Sunflower Bakery does to help young people with additional needs develop transferable skills which they can use to help them gain employment once they finish their training. She explains exactly how the...
2020-05-0419 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast79 Providing A Compass with Kerrie HighcockSometimes we need to change direction quickly and find the right information so that we can make an informed decision as to which road we need to take. This week’s guest Kerrie Highcock helps provide that information. Kerrie is the Family Development Manager at North East Autism Society, and her role is not only to provide support but to help people identify where to find information that is useful for their particular situation. Kerrie talks about the importance for anyone who has been diagnosed with autism, and their families, recognising that they need support; but it does...
2020-03-2316 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast78 Creative Community at the CO/LAB Theater Group with Becky LiefmanWhen we go to the theatre we see a different world than the one we live in. Theatre can broaden our horizons challenge our perceptions and this is exactly what the CO/LAB Theater Group aims to do. CO/LAB provides, people with additional needs, a space to be creative and along the way change their perceptions of themselves as well as the perceptions of the communities they live in. This week guests are Becky Liefman Co-founder of CO/LAB and Liz one of the CO/LAB actors. Becky discusses why and how CO/LAB came about, th...
2020-03-0916 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast77 Presumption Of Employment with Alison Thwaite from WorkFitWhen we’re young we think we can do anything, be anyone, achieve everything. But as many of us get older we learn to fit into the box of expectations. For young people with additional needs this box can be small, with many assuming that they will not be entering the employment market any time soon. This week’s guest Alison Thwaite, the Employment Development Manager of the Workfit programme run by the Down's Syndrome Association, does not agree. She offers a much better model of presumed employment. Presumed employment comes from the angle that employ...
2020-02-2419 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast76 Getting Ready For Work with Dr Michael ReiterFor many young people with additional needs finding a job can be incredibly challenging. It takes planning and for most requires them to go way outside their comfort zone. This week’s guest Dr Michael Reiter runs work readiness workshops and he talks us through the three areas he focuses on to help the emerging adults in the group find and keep a job. Michael talks about the importance of setting goals and making sure these are SMART as well as identifying the types of jobs a young person might like to do but also has the req...
2020-02-1020 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast75 Planning A Future Without You with Carol Wakeford from HeartventureIf not now when? Planning for the future can be scary for anyone but it’s especially hard when that planning is for a young person who we know will face any number of challenges as they navigate towards their ideal life. In this episode Carol Wakeford from Heartventure shares her story about how she and husband have planned and then worked towards providing an independent future for their son. Carol talks about the original idea she had of starting a dating agency and why that original model didn’t work and how it has now transformed into a...
2020-01-2720 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast74 Managing Mental Health with Kimmy Obongonyinge from KoothWe all appreciate the importance of good mental health but sometimes lack the toolbox and even the support to consistently achieve it. This is often the case for young people, particularly those with an additional need. In this episode, we are talking with Kimmy Obongonyinge from Kooth a UK-based organization offering an innovative way of delivering support when and where young people want it. Kimmy explains what Kooth offers and how it supports young people particularly, at those times where they are not sure who to reach out to. Kimmy also discusses healthy coping strategies that young people can us...
2020-01-1319 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast73 Learning to Relax with Dana Bishop from Relax KidsEmotions are part of being human. But for many of us there are times when we wish we had better tools to manage our emotions. This can be especially true for young people with additional needs who often face extra internal and external emotional triggers. In this episode we hear from Dana Bishop a Relax Kids coach on some of the strategies that can be used to not only manage the way we feel but to harness these feelings and increase our mental health wellbeing. Dana shares the 7 steps model of Relax Kids explaining each step and p...
2019-12-1616 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast72 Attracting The Best Person For The Job At Specialisterne with Thorkil SonneEveryone has unique skills; everyone is a specialist in something. This is something this week’s guest Thorkil Sonne from Specialisterne understands completely. Specialisterne which translates from Danish as “The Specialists” is an organisation focused on helping young people with additional needs find meaningful employment. The focus is on matching the skills of the individual with the role not trying to make the person fit the job. Specialisterne have also developed a unique approach to assessing the skill of individuals in a way that enables them to showcase their individual skills as well as show how they work i...
2019-12-0224 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast71 Flipping The Switch At Spotlight Brewing with Ric WomersleySometimes it’s the small ideas that can have the biggest impact and this is certainly the case with this week’s guest Ric Womersley from Spotlight Brewing. Ric founded Spotlight Brewing to make great beer whilst providing genuine employment opportunities for people with additional needs. Not only is Spotlight Brewing doing this very successfully but through their products they are educating their customers about the challenges people with additional needs can face. In this episode Ric discusses some of the practical issues around setting the brewery up and running it. He also talks about the challenges they...
2019-11-1815 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast70 Promoting Collaboration At Yoocan with Moshe GaonWe sometimes feel that we are alone in our journey but often by simply looking around we realise we are not. The focus of this week’s podcast, Yoocan proves this in the way they provide an online space to share stories and to inspire each other. In this interview Moshe Gaon co-founder of Yoocan explains why Yoocan exists and what its primary aims and objectives are. Moshe also talks about how important collaboration is in advancing the way we do things and helping speed up the pace of change for young people with additional needs. He ex...
2019-11-0419 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast69 Seeing Below The Surface Alis Rowe of The Curly Hair Project.Accepting ourselves by embracing our strengths and understanding our weaknesses is key to our own happiness. How to do this is the theme of this episode with Alis Rowe founder of The Curly Hair Project. Alis talks about her own journey from when she was diagnosed in her early twenties with Asperger syndrome. She explains why she created The Curly Hair Project, what is does, and how it aims to help people on the autism spectrum and their families. Alis also shares some practical ideas that she has implemented to enable her to navigate difficult situations and l...
2019-10-2114 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast68 Stay Up Late with Paul RichardsOne of the best things about becoming an adult is that no one can tell you what to do, when to do it and what time to be home. However, that’s not always the case for young people with additional needs. Often they still have rules in place that don’t apply to their peers. Stay Up Late is all about changing that and making it easy for anyone to stay up late, stay out late and enjoy the social they want on their terms. Paul Richards the founder of Stay Up Late explains where the idea...
2019-10-0719 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast67 Increasing The Options With Scope with Guy ChaudoirDid you know what you wanted to be when you grew up? Most of us didn’t but we figured it out along the way because we were given opportunities for part time work or work experience. For many young people with additional needs this doesn’t happen, meaning they don’t always have a clear idea of their options. In this episode Guy Chaudoir from Scope explains why this shouldn’t be the case, and discusses some ways to help young people increase their options. This includes changing theway they approach applying for jobs and the intervie...
2019-09-2321 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast66 Taking Off The Mask with Kieran Rose - The Autistic AdvocateIt’s fine to be aware and even try and understand autism but actually what matters most is acceptance. This is the view of Kieran Rose, also known as The Autistic Advocate. Kieran has autism so he speaks from personal experiences and explains why he believes that acceptance is what is needed even more than awareness. Kieran shares his personal journey and provides practical advice for both parents and young people with autism on how to manage the challenges they will face. He also discusses the way people with autism are often stereotyped and the impact that ha...
2019-09-0922 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast65 Finding The Right Fit Into Work with Derek Groves from Employment FuturesIt's not only about finding work, but it's also about matching the skills of the person with the job. This is the view of Derek Groves, from Employment Futures, who discusses the idea of vocational matching and the many benefits it brings to a young person with additional needs and employer. He also talks about how employers still have some way to go in terms of being flexible in their employment practices, especially when it comes to the use of a traditional interviewing process which simply does not allow some young people to showcase their strengths. Another i...
2019-07-2214 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast64 The Able Workers with Adeel and AnthonyWhat next? is a question we constantly ask ourselves as we help our young people navigate through the education system. As they get older and age out of the system, this question becomes more urgent and often the answer isn’t as easy to find. This week’s guests Adeel and Anthony asked that exact question and when no answer was obvious they created their own solution: Able Coffee Roasters. Able Coffee Roasters is on a mission to create sustainable paid employment for young people with additional needs. Through the use of innovative techniques like point of view vi...
2019-07-0820 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast63 Like Minded People Who Think Differently with Helen Dyer from CASPAFinding a supportive safe space for our children to have a variety of social experiences is so important. In this episode, we hear about CASPA which is providing that space and doing a whole lot more. Helen Dyer from CASPA explains not only how CASPA came about and what it does in terms of providing social experiences for a range of age groups. Importantly as CASPA has grown and the young people who started with them have gotten older CASPA has realized the needs of its young people are changing. So CASPA is expanding what it does now focusing...
2019-06-2421 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast62 Adding New Dimensions At Spectrum Designs with Patrick Bardsley and Tim Howe from Spectrum DesignsOnly successful organizations can provide sustainable, long term paid employment and expand to provide more job opportunities. This weeks guest Patrick Bardsley and Tim Howe from Spectrum Designs certainly understand this. Spectrum Designs is a social enterprise making custom apparel, such as hats, hoodies, and T-shirts. Spectrum Designs focusses on the enterprise as much as the social, and in doing so continues to expand and create more employment opportunities for young people with autism. Patrick and Tim share the story of Spectrum Designs, how it grew from an idea into a business that now provides custom made a...
2019-06-1021 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast61 Why Reasonable Adjustments Are Just That with Pascal FintoniWe all understand why work is an important step towards independent living, but all to often the employment opportunities are limited for young people with additional needs. This weeks guest Pascal Fintoni is not only helping to create employment opportunities in digital marketing, but he is also having the conversations around reasonable adjustment that will help create a greater number and a wider choice of employment options. Pascal talks about his work with the North East Autism Society, in the UK, around developing an internal marketing program designed and developed by young people with autism...
2019-05-2719 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast60 Building An Integrated Future On Main Street with Jillian CopelandFor most of us being part of a community is essential for our wellbeing and often starts where we live. This week’s guest is Jillian Copeland from Main Street, an organization not just building a community but actually building the space where that community can grow and thrive. However, as Jillian explains, Main Street is much more than about building an apartment block where people with and without additional needs will live. Main Street is about creating opportunities for independent living, for work, for socializing and for learning from each other. The best communities are those wher...
2019-05-1319 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast59 Be More Kind To Yourself with Anna Pinkerton from Kindness IncorporatedAccepting ourselves and being more kind to ourselves are the themes in this episode. Anna Pinkerton from Kindness Incorporated talks about her personal and professional journeys and how she has combined them to help her daughter build the life she wants. Anna shares not only the journey she has been on with her daughter but also how that has crossed over into her professional life. She shares her thoughts around why we aren't kind enough to ourselves and the long term impact that can have on our lives. Anna also suggests ways we can help...
2019-04-2919 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast58 Collaborating For The Future with Katie SweeneyAny journey is made easier by walking with others. That is the focus of this episode - the impact of collaboration with, in this case, the theater as the space where the collaboration starts. In this episode, Katie Sweeney, a parent and board member of the CO/LAB Theater Group in New York, talks about her individual journey and the role musical theater has played not only in her life but also her son's life. Katie talks about CO/LAB and how they help young people with additional needs change the way they see themselves...
2019-04-1520 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast57 Preparation Is Key on A Curious Journey with Lizzie Murphy from A Curious JourneyDays out and going on holiday are an important part of family life, but when a young person has additional needs they can be much more of a challenge. How to make the process easier is the focus of this podcast episode with Lizzie Murphy, from A Curious Journey, offers some tips and ideas on traveling with children who have additional needs. Lizzie talks about the importance of preparation and making sure that everyone understands what is going to happen, and preparing for the unexpected. She suggests some useful tools which can help manage expectations. Lizzie also...
2019-04-0120 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast56 Making Reality Easier Using Virtual Reality - Part 2 with Dr. Nigel NewbuttWhat might be the future uses of virtual reality, and how do we need to manage this to stop potential dependence on technology? These are the main themes of this episode. In part 2 of this interview Dr. Nigel Newbutt, who is researching the uses of virtual reality and virtual worlds, talks about what the future uses of virtual reality might be and how it could be used to help young people with additional needs live more independent lives. He also addresses some of the concerns that have been raised about the use of these types of technologies.
2019-03-1813 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast55 Making Reality Easier Using Virtual Reality - Part 1 with Dr. Nigel NewbuttThe use of virtual reality and virtual worlds can be used to change the future for our young people and just how this is happening is the topic of this episode. My guest this week is Dr. Nigel Newbutt who is researching how virtual reality and virtual worlds can be used to help young people with additional needs access and manage real-world situations that they often find overwhelming. Nigel explains the work he is doing to develop programs which can be used to help develop employment skills, prepare young people for social situations and provide a way to...
2019-03-0416 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast54 Flying High With Pegasus with Sue ClarkAll around us are people working in their local communities to make the lives of young people with additional needs better. This week’s podcast guest Sue Clark is one of these people. Sue talks about her work with Pegasus Playscheme which is located on the south coast of England. Pegasus Playscheme provides activities for young people with additional needs in the summer over a 3 week period. The purpose of this is to help young people experience independent activities where they make new friends. Pegasus also aims to reduce the isolation that many young people can experience when...
2019-02-1812 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast53 People Not Profits At Impacting Lives with Trudy and Darren Dzirasa-Payne from Impacting LivesGetting to know any young person is the essential first step in understanding what they need when it comes to helping them achieve greater independence. This is the core ethos of this week’s podcast guests Trudy and Darren Dzirasa-Payne from Impacting Lives. Impacting Lives provides housing and associated support services for young people with additional needs. What they focus on is providing services that work for the individual and balance this with running what is a business by keeping their costs under control through the use of technology and keeping administration costs low. This combined with cle...
2019-02-0419 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast52 Exploring All The Possibilities With Mike SweeneyRather than waiting until we have to act the better option is to start exploring what is already out there and start actively working towards creating solutions. This is exactly what this week's podcast guest Mike Sweeney is doing. Mike talks about the various projects that he has become involved in as he looks towards finding a community for his son Dustin to live in when he is ready for independent living. Mike talks about how he has moved from thinking of housing as being the most important focus of his efforts to the realization...
2019-01-2122 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast51 The Support Group Experience with Elaine KellyAt some point in all of our journeys, we need support. Some of us find it in family and friends, others look to support groups. In this week's podcast, Elaine Kelly, who runs a support group, talks about how support groups can help when maybe others around you simply don't get it. Elaine explains how her support group is run and what she believes is important to consider to provide a supportive and welcoming environment. She reveals how support groups can help against isolation and also make people aware of organizations and resources they can use.
2019-01-0715 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast50 Celebration EpisodeThis is a celebration episode, celebrating reaching 50 episodes, celebrating all the amazing guests who have been on the podcast and are out there changing the lives of young people and helping ensure that they will have the kind of independent lives they want. In this episode, rather than talk to a guest as I usually do, I share my own key takeaways around Purpose, Relationship, and Daily Living. For resources to support you on your journey visit redgiraffesolutions.com.
2018-12-1719 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast49 Carving Job Opportunities at Pure InnovationsJob carving can help create sustainable employment opportunities according to this week’s podcast guest Neil Willows from Pure Innovations Neil is the Assistant Internship Contract Manager at Pure Innovations which is based in Manchester in the UK. His role is focused on using supported internships to help young people gain work skills and find long-term employment. Neil explains how their supported internship programme works helping to develop real employability skills. They work with local companies to provide a range of work placements and job opportunities for young people. Ongoing support is also provided to the employer an...
2018-11-2619 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast48 Tennis As Therapy With Love Serving AutismTennis, because of its repetitive nature, is an excellent therapeutic tool which can develop not only physical skills but also builds language and social skills, according to this week’s podcast guest Lisa Pugliese, from Love Serving Autism. Lisa is the founder and CEO of Lover Serving Autism and has combined her skills as an ex-professional tennis player and Speech-Language Pathologist to develop an innovative program that uses tennis to help young people on the autism spectrum develop skills. These can include the physical skills around increased fine and gross motor coordination and hand-eye coordination. In addition, ot...
2018-11-1220 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast47 Be The Light With Claire SuttonThe job of a parent is to be there whatever and whenever for your child – those are the rules! That certainly applies to Claire Sutton, this week’s podcast guest. Claire shares her truly inspiring, but sometimes heart-breaking, story. Her daughter Jade, who is now 14 years old, has ADHD. The road to getting Jade diagnosed was drawn out. As Claire put it, Jade “slipped through the cracks of the education system.” Her early school years were a struggle and it wasn’t until year 5 that she was formally diagnosed. Claire and her family moved across the country and enrolled Jade in a...
2018-10-2921 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast46 Invictus Enterprises: Building The Steps Into WorkWhat happens to young people with additional needs when they finish full-time education? How will they find employment? How will they cope on their own throughout adulthood?. One organization helping to provide some of the answers to these questions is Invictus Enterprises based in New York. In this week’s podcast, we hear from Alison Berkely co-founder of Invictus Enterprises about how they are helping young people with autism acquire the work skills they need to get into paid sustainable employment. Alison talks about the challenges of getting the training program started and explains the benefits of ba...
2018-10-1520 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast45 Team Domenica - Supporting Success In The WorkplaceSuccessful sustainable employment opportunities for young people with additional needs comes when support is provided for not just the young person but also for their employer too. This is the message in this week’s podcast with Lisa Campbell-Squires from Team Domenica. Team Domenica is a social enterprise charity with a vision to help people with additional needs reach their full potential in the workplace. Lisa explained how Team Domenica was started by Rosa Monckton in response to her own daughter’s lack of training and employment opportunities. They now operate a café (Café Domenica) as well as tra...
2018-10-0122 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast44 Using Storytelling To Build Self WorthTo truly learn, it has to be caught rather than taught is the mantra of this week’s podcast with Diane King, author and special needs teacher. One way to do this and at the same time develop childrens’ self-worth is through storytelling and creativity. We start with Diane’s own journey which has been an interesting one. As a child Diane was a selective mute and struggled to communicate with the world; that was until her sister introduced her to the magic of storytelling. Diane found that through storytelling she could release the built-up emotions she had ke...
2018-09-1718 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast43 Yes She Can Inc.“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right,” according to Henry Ford: this week's podcast guest Marjorie Madfis clearly believes this to be true. With Yes She Can Inc., Marjorie has not only created employment opportunities for her own daughter, but she has also created a training process which other parents can use to help their children develop better employability skills. In essence, by using the same processes she has used, you too could create a sustainable business to help young people with additional needs to gain work. Marjorie starts off by expla...
2018-09-0319 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast42 Wake Up To SleepDo you need more sleep because your child needs more sleep? Maybe this weeks guest can help.Vicki Dawson is the CEO of The Children’s Sleep Charity and helped write the Children and Young People’s Sleep Manifesto presented to the UK government, which argued among other things for quality sleep support to be available for all families and for sleep to be recognised as a vital component of mental health. Vicki was once a sleep deprived mum who struggled to get enough sleep at night and had no time to take a nap during the day...
2018-08-2014 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast41 Living With DyspraxiaWhat is Dyspraxia? If you don’t know or if you do and want to know more this week’s podcast is for you My guest Christine Draper has written a book called My Friend Josh has Dyspraxia to help more people understand dyspraxia and, more importantly, help more people understand what it means for her son Luke who has dyspraxia. Christine strives to spread awareness about the condition to help people have a better understanding of Dyspraxia. Christine starts by explaining her journey with Luke and the early days of getting a diagnosis. Concerned about her son co...
2018-08-0615 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast40 The Shed - Providing A Space For ChangeEveryone needs a Shed – a place to go, to be. But this Shed is much more than that, it is a space for people with additional needs to build independence and work skills and engage with their local community. On this week’s Podcast, we hear from Clive Harris, the founder of The Shed. The Shed provides a community-based education and training service to help adults with additional needs develop their independent living skills. The Shed also offers a range of clubs and events for people to build social skills. Clive explains how, when The Shed b...
2018-07-2319 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast39 Project Search At The MarriottWork is central to most of our lives. It not only provides a purpose to our day but also makes us feel an integral part of the society we live in. In this week’s podcast we hear about the Project Search program, being run at the Marriott Hotel in Heathrow UK, which provides an innovative approach to help young people with additional needs find paid employment. The people responsible for running the program are Maxine Simpson, course tutor, Sue Stock, job coach and Saimmah Ali, job developer. Maxine explains briefly the history of Project Search, which ori...
2018-07-0924 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast38 Stepping Back - Part 2Friendships and purpose are two of the most important things to have in our lives. For young people with additional needs finding these can sometimes be a challenge. In part 2 of Stepping back Milla Johnson, an Occupational Therapist, and Lisa Campbell, a Speech and Language Therapist, discuss how to manage friendships and access work opportunities. When it comes to friendships Lisa and Milla recommend having conversations to help young people understand that friendship is a two-way street and teaching them how to identify the qualities of a good friendship. They suggest that as a parent, you’re als...
2018-06-2518 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast37 Stepping Back: Part 1The challenge of stepping back and letting our children take risks and make mistakes is never easy. How to deal with this challenge is the theme of this week’s podcast where I speak to Lisa Campbell, a Speech and Language Therapist, and Milla Johnson, an Occupational Therapist. Lisa and Milla discuss why parents/carers should try to step back more to enable their children to develop the skills they will need to live independently. The main focus of our conversation is around how to develop the daily living skills needed to live independently. These include shopping, ind...
2018-06-1121 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast36 Planning AheadPlanning ahead helps us reach our goals, and although we can’t prepare for everything, a plan gives us a general direction to travel and can even help us identify a final destination. In this week’s episode, we hear from Laura who has helped her son Jonathon plan ahead. This planning has enabled him to create a vision for his independent future, as well as prepare for the unexpected. We start Laura’s story with Jonathan at primary school struggling to access education but finally, after a legal fight, he was placed in a school which could p...
2018-05-2817 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast35 Enterprising Ideas At Acceptable EnterprisesA social enterprise must first achieve success as an enterprise before they can deliver on any of their social objectives, that is the message from this week's podcast guest David Hunter. David is the CEO of Acceptable Enterprises Ltd (AEL) who are based in Larne, Northern Ireland and provide employment opportunities for young people with additional needs. AEL do this across a diverse range of industries from manafacturing bottled water to selling products online. The innovative array of industries in which AEL operate in has resulted in a very successful business in terms of both turnover and...
2018-05-1421 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast34 Letting GoThe term ‘letting go’ means different things to different people. Sometimes as parents we have to let go of our own expectations of what our children’s lives will look like.This was the case for this week’s guest Fiona who found that once she let of her own expectations it opened up a new world of possibilities. Originally from the UK but now living in the US Fiona shares her story about why she believes letting go of expectations was the best solution for her family. Fiona has two sons with autism and she starts by talki...
2018-04-3019 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast33 Providing Opportunity Not CharityOne day soon people with additional needs will be valued as contributors to society and not just as passive recipients of social care, this is the vision that Matt and Steve from Skillnet Group share in this episode. Skillnet Group support people with additional needs into employment. They do this through creating projects to develop work related skills and through providing supported internships with employers. Matt is the Chief executive of Skillnet group and Steve is a former client, who is now a Non-Executive Director and acts as a mentor to the young people on internships with e...
2018-04-1616 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast32 Having A Sense Of ControlThe best way to boost the self-esteem of our children is to let them have their say, give them a voice and help them to feel a sense of control, according to Soli Lazarus this week’s podcast guest. Soli has a son with ADHD and so knows some of the struggles parents have first hand, as well as being a teacher for over 30 years. Her consultancy Yellow Sun delivers support and advice to parents of children with additional needs and challenging behaviour. Soli believes one of the biggest issues for children with additional needs is...
2018-04-0218 minThe Expanding Worlds Podcast31 Friendships Matter"We all want friends, a misconception about people on the spectrum is that they don't want friends" Jamie Wheeler tells us in this week’s podcast. Jamie runs Austen's Autistic Adventures, based in Richardson, Texas, a social group where people over the age of 18 can meet friends and engage in fun activities to develop their social skills. Jamie explains that when her daughter graduated from High School, she lost her peer group as people moved on with the next stages of their lives. Where her daughter had once found comfort in the school choir and theatre groups, the...
2018-03-1920 minThe Expanding Worlds PodcastWelcome to the Expanding Worlds PodcastDebra Caldow explains the aims and purpose of the podcast and what she hopes listeners will take away from this podcast. For resources to support you on your journey visit redgiraffesolutions.com.
2017-03-1201 min