Shows
LOMAH Disability PodcastA New Way to Find and Fund Adult ServicesMost adult supports are chosen via eligible providers on HCBS waiver lists. However, some states have been toying with a new method that offers more flexibility and choice. In this conversation we explore what families have and have not liked about the newly rolled out Self Determination Program and why our family has decided to move away from provider lists and into this new option of funding supports. About the Guest: Sonni Charness, Founder of Guidelight Group Sonni Bendetson Charness brings over a decade of experience serving teens and adults with developmental disabilities and is a...2022-03-0855 minLOMAH Disability PodcastConservatorship vs Supported Decision MakingConservatorship has long been the route to providing supports to disabled individuals with they turn 18. However, a new option called supported decision is an alternative that supports the person in making their own decisions rather than giving up rights through the conservatorship option. About the Guest: Lauren Butterworth, Esquire PLLC received her Bachelor of Science from Penn State in education and was a teacher prior to returning to school for her law degree. She now owns her own law firm specializing in guardianship, powers of attorney, estate planning, trusts, and educational advocacy. Mentioned L...2022-03-0151 minLOMAH Disability PodcastThe ABA DebateDoctors tell parents of autistic kids not just to do ABA therapy but a lot of ABA therapy and as early as possible. Meanwhile, autistic self advocates are loudly saying under no circumstances should ABA be a therapy option. Who is right? About the Guest: Brian Middleton, M.Ed, BCBA, LBA Brian Middleton started Bearded Behaviorist as an effort to make understanding behavior fun and interesting. Dedicated to open-source education, Brian is a founding member of the Open-Source Educational Resources special interest group of ABAI. His social media pages and website are dedicated to dissemination o...2021-10-2647 minLOMAH Disability Podcast5 Episodes That Changed Us (#5)Kim picked 5 episodes that have had the greatest influence on her approach to disability and future plans. Listen to this republished episode from season 2 where a new friendship was formed that has continued to present day. While not the topic of this episode, the conversation opened Kim’s eyes to a gaping hole in her circle of friends. **Special Note** The next series will begin late January or early February of 2021. To ensure these episodes find their way to you, tap subscribe on your podcast app and follow @journey2lomah on instagram2020-11-1741 min
Brave Together Parenting: a podcast for parenting disabilities and unique needs.How to Not Freak Out About the Future with Kim AlbrechtJessica Patay and Kim Albrecht from the LOMAH podcast discuss the “Future” for special needs children and their parents. What happens when carers and parents can no longer be around for their growing children? What can we do to control the future, if anything? How can we prepare? How can we silence our fear and find the peace we need to plan for our children well? Kim’s energy, optimism and practical advice is full of the encouragement for special needs moms out there who are asking any of these questions. You can find Kim on Instagram @journey2lomah, or on...2020-11-1134 min
LOMAH Disability PodcastComplicated Behaviors: Hyperphagia (food obsessions)Hyperphagia is a common characteristic of Prader-Willi Syndrome and is an extreme, unsatisfied, drive to consume food to the point of being life threatening. This episode discusses the best ways to provide food security for those with hyperphagia such as what to put in the IEP, navigating social gatherings, food schedules, and tips for storing food. About the Guest Jessica Patay is a mother, wife, and advocate/cheerleader for Special Needs Mothers. She has been married to her husband, Chris, for 23 years and they reside in the Palos Verdes area in Southern California. They have t...2020-08-1848 min
LOMAH Disability PodcastComplicated Behaviors: Moving From What to WhySelf injury, aggression, elopement, scripting, and other behaviors can be complicated to support and move beyond. We hear how one family, with 2 autistic men in their 20’s, learned to shift focus from what the behavior is to why it exists to how to best provide successful support strategies. About the Guest: Dr. Tara Regan is the founder and president of the non profit , Autism Grown Up. Autism Grown Up has a website with an extensive library of free downloadable resources and paid downloadable resources that you can start using today as well as a podcast focu...2020-07-2146 min
LOMAH Disability PodcastHow to Get Assistive Technology in the IEPAssistive 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...2019-10-2933 minLOMAH Disability PodcastBetter Dental Visits for Patients with Special NeedsThere 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...2019-07-1644 minLOMAH Disability PodcastNEW Listener? Start Here.What information will you find on the LOMAH Special Needs Podcast and who is on the other side of your speakers? This quick episode answers these questions. Show notes with helpful links of each episode can be found on the LOMAH website under the Podcast tab. 2019-01-0716 minLOMAH Disability PodcastPep Talks & Twitter ChatsEffectively utilizing assistive technology for individuals with special needs requires more than access to the latest gadgets, apps, and tools. More important is the process leading to the correct gadget, app, and tool. Mike Marotta is an assistive technology support specialist with an extensive resume spanning 30 years with the special needs population. In this episode, Mike shares the process he uses and gives us the confidence to do so as well. He points us to places our questions can be answered (hint: hashtag!). Be sure to check out Mike's podcast called Assistive Tech f...2018-11-1337 min
Design You PodcastEP 032 – Submit, Not Surrender with Kim AlbrechtKim Albrecht is finding joy in the midst of the messy. She cares for her family including a teenager daughter with significant disabilities that require around the clock care and also her mother who is in the middle stages of Alzheimer’s and moved into the family home after her husband, Kim's dad, died suddenly behind the wheel of his car. After a season of trying to "force a joyful heart", she finally submitted and allowed the transformation.The result is a filled heart with a mission bigger than herself or her capabilities to bring inspiration and information to families who...2018-06-1235 minLOMAH Disability Podcast5 Things to Do Before the IEP for Your Special Needs StudentStudents with special needs are entitled to a fair and appropriate education, commonly called FAPE. Sometimes parents idea of FAPE differ from the school district and can be met with resistance. In today's episode, we share 5 steps to take before presenting your idea to the IEP team. We also veer off topic to discuss: The importance of being age appropriate with our special needs teens & adults Peers and cultivating friendships (for more on this topic listen to episode #06) Use the show notes or www.lomah.org/podcast/34 to schedule: A consultation with An...2018-03-2739 minLOMAH Disability PodcastHomeschooling with a Twist for Special Needs LearnersAnnette Musso began an alternative form of education for her son with autism during the elementary school years that is a twist on homeschooling. We cover this “homeschooling twist” in two episodes. Episode #33 reveals what it is and how it came to be, and in episode #34 we go into practical tips in partnering with the school district to craft a unique plan for your learner with disabilities. Links to items mentioned, including Matteo's poetry and books can be found by clicking here or visiting www.lomah.org/podcast/33.2018-03-2036 minLOMAH Disability PodcastIndividualized Transition Planning to Guide IEP Goals in Special Needs Education"Falling off the cliff" refers to what happens to young adults with special needs upon exiting the school system and losing services that were once readily available. One of the most important things that can be done to prepare for the shift in services is focus on the Individualized Transition Plan which is a federally mandated document guiding IEP goals beginning at the age of 14 or 16. Dana Lattin, project coordinator of the Transition Coalition, will talk with us about : What we need to be exposing our special needs kids to and thinking about now in ord...2018-03-0632 minLOMAH Disability PodcastLegal Rights After the Age of 18 for Students with Special NeedsAt 18, parents no longer have legal access to educational information. IEP consent, requests for assessments, and information from educators are just a few rights that transfer from the parent to the student. Today’s guest, a special needs attorney, offers insight on how to prepare and how to protect the rights of our adult child while at the same time offering supports s/he may still need. Our focus will be on education. The first half of the episode focuses on students with special needs who plan on attending college. The second half of the episode focuses on students wit...2018-02-2037 minLOMAH Disability PodcastTAP Program for Students with Special Needs and/or DisabilitiesThe Transition and Access Program (TAP) at the University of Cincinnati is an example of a program offering opportunities for college students with disabilities as discussed in episode #25. Diane Clouse, director of TAP, answers our tough questions: Do the benefits of these programs outweigh the cost? When does Vocational Rehabilitation come into the picture? Will out of state students loose benefit eligibility from their home state? How can college be funded? Access the show notes with links to items discussed in this episode by visiting www.lomah.org/podcast/262018-01-3036 minLOMAH Disability PodcastAdvancement and Transition Services for Individuals with Special Needs at the University of Cincinnati3 programs for individuals w special needs exist on the campus of the University of Cincinnati collectively known as Advancement and Transition Services (ATS). The 3 programs serve a wide range of ages, from 14 to mid-adulthood, and also a wide range of abilities from minimal supports to high support needs. Christina Carnahan, director of ATS joins us to discuss: CEES - A program for high school students age 14-21 to develop vocational and social skills for increased independence IMPACT INNOVATION - A year-round program for adults with higher support needs which focuses on lifelong learning, health & wellness...2018-01-2336 minLOMAH Disability PodcastCollege & High School for Students with DisabilitesThink College is funded by the US Department of Education as a national coordinator for transition and post-secondary options for students with intellectual disabilities. Cate Weir is the program director of the organization and will discuss college as a transition option for individuals with special needs as well as who is and is not eligible, program curriculum, on campus supports, IEP goals to prepare for college, and where to find resources. Shownotes with links to resources mentioned in the episode can be found by clicking www.lomah.org/podcast/252018-01-1635 minLOMAH Disability PodcastCollege & High School for Special Needs Students: IntroductionHigh school and college education for teens and young adults with special needs and/or disabilities will be the focus of the next several episodes. Experts will be answering questions regarding options, supports, and what we should be doing to prepare for the transition from high school to college and/or employment. This introductory episode gives the backstory of why Kim is asking a lot of questions on the topic and 3 action plans for her daughter. Show notes can be found at www.lomah.org/podcast/242018-01-0921 minLOMAH Disability PodcastHousing: Creating a Housing Community for Adults with Disabilities / Special NeedsDesiree Kameka from the Madison House Autism Foundation joins us again this week with inspiring stories of special needs housing communities that have formed and are forming as well as tools for YOU to use should you want to create something similar. Links to items mentioned in this episode are available on the show notes at www.lomah.org/podcast/222017-11-1430 minLOMAH Disability PodcastHousing: Family Home Model for Adults with Disabilities / Special NeedsThe Family Home is the most common housing model for adults with disabilities. Often this model "happens" rather than being chosen and planned. However, intentionally choosing the Family Home Model and putting forth the same amount of planning and work as any other model can make it a highly desirable option. Today we are speaking with John and Susan Nadworny, who have spent several active decades in the special needs world bringing about policy change and creating opportunities for teens and adults with disabilities. John and Susan have chosen the family model and have put in a lot of...2017-10-3136 min