A Special Hope

Sarah and Sarah discuss what self-care for special needs parents, specifically moms, looks like and how those who love them can support them. (Hint: it's not about naps and bubble baths!) Stick around at the end for a fun conversation about comma placement and parentheses grammar.

Sandra's Books

Self-Care Podcast

Family Resources

Church Resources

Sandra's story is built on the foundation of being a special-needs sibling to her sister Syble with Down Syndrome who passed away in July 2022. We'd like to share Sandra's words about her sister in this post. Our hearts are grieved by this loss, but we look forward to the hope we have in Christ to be reunited with our loves ones in heaven, where all things will be made new.

Sarah talks through the hope of Easter with a reading of Anne Steele's poem, Redeeming Love. Easter might look different this year, but we can still celebrate the Resurrection of Christ, all things new, and the hope of glory.

Read more about Anne Steele at Hymnary or on the Indelible Grace website. I highly recommend the book, Refuge of My Weary Soul, Selected Works by Anne Steele edited by Alex Webster.

“We have to build a new vision for what life will be going forward - grieving what isn’t anymore, and building A NEW vision…”

Sarah Broady talks with Jonathan and Sarah McGuire about their ministry organization, Hope Anew, and the new online community that launches October 1, 2019. They share their story as autism parents, the isolation they experienced, the drought of rest Sarah went through, and how their family coped and handled those struggles.

Through everything, they’ve created a ministry to parents of children with unique needs and disability in their writing, speaking, podcasting, and are launching A NEW ministry specific to creating community. I’m so excited to introduce the McGuires to you if you don’t know them already, and I highly encourage you to check out the incredible resources on their website, Hope Anew.

You can connect with them on Facebook and on Twitter. Find their 5 Minute Vacations on their website via pop up, or watch the video on the show notes page. 

Sarah talks with autism dad and children’s pastor, Jared Kennedy, about creating inclusive classroom environments for children’s ministry. They discuss tools and strategies leaders and teachers can use with individuals with unique needs in their classes, as well as boundaries if a teacher suspects a diagnosis, but the parent has not provided any diagnosis, or there hasn’t been any testing yet. They talk through the books Jared has written and the free resources available on his website, Gospel Centered Family.

In addition to practical ideas and steps for ministry leaders and teachers to use with families, Sarah and Jared also talk through how spouses grieve differently, and the encouragement of hope we have in Christ as our High Priest who empathizes with us in our suffering.

Jared is the author of "The Beginner's Gospel Story Bible," fifty-two Bible stories retold in a simple and compelling way for toddlers and preschoolers. and "Before the Lord, Before the Church," a book on planning a child dedication service.

As a special needs parent, have you felt fear about your child’s future? Do you struggle with doubts about decisions you’ve made, grief over the fact that you even had to make those very decisions? Do you feel guilty for either how you’ve handled a situation, or even your own emotions?

Sarah Broady talks with Deb Abbs about “the other ‘R’ word,” as Deb puts it, Residential, through their family’s story of transitioning their teenage son Luke from home to a residential boarding school for children with disabilities. They talk through the all-encompassing fear, grief, and guilt that Deb's family faced as special needs parents and the hope they have held onto throughout it all.

Jolene Philo and Dr. Gary Chapman have co-authored a book on the 5 love languages just for special needs families and it is finally here! Sharing Love Abundantly in Special Needs Families: The 5 Love Languages® for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities is available for purchase through Jolene's website, or on Amazon. 

Host Sarah Broady talks with Jolene about the book, how it came into being, all the ideas for families to use the 5 love languages with their families - with spouses, typical siblings, and children with disabilities, and the hope Jolene has to share through it all. So many books written for parents, while excellent resources, can't really be put to use by special needs families for a vast variety of reasons. This book has been requested time and time again, and providentially, Jolene Philo is answering the call and addressing these specific needs for special needs families. Thank you Jolene for the work and heart you poured into this, and thank you especially to Dr. Gary Chapman for saying yes to this book! 

Lorna Bradley's research focuses on how churches can provide a holistic welcome to families raising children with special needs by meeting the emotional and spiritual needs within the entire family. She is the author of Special Needs Parenting: From Coping to Thriving, has led parent support groups for seven years and worked in welcoming ministries for ten years. Sarah and Lorna discuss specific ways churches can minister to *and with* special needs families and share stories of hope as families are welcomed into true community within the church.

As a special needs parent, sometimes there are just some things we can't share. What if people don't understand? Some things are too private and would be embarrassing to our child if we talked about it. But it's still something we as a parent are experiencing and need to process. How do we talk about the really hard things without really talking about it? Is that even possible? 

This is a solo episode by host Sarah Broady as she talks through reasons we can't talk about hard things, and what we can do about it.

Get the show notes here! 

Make sure to follow A Special Hope Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram for updates. Subscribe for podcast updates on the Hope in Autism website.

This special Father's Day episode is dedicated to the memory of Jeff Davidson. Becky talks through their story and the genesis of Rising Above Ministries, as well as the beautiful but heart-breaking story of how Jeff's last legacy, Common Man, Extraordinary Call-Thriving as a Dad of a Child with Special Needs, came into being two years after his passing. Today's story is one of beauty mixed with grief encased in hope. Stay tuned for a message from Jeff and a shout out to dads, especially special needs fathers, everywhere. Happy Father's Day!

Where is God when your child is hurting? How do we pray for them? How do we cope in the face of crisis and chronic illness? Evana Sandusky talks about her children's medical complexities, stories of their life, how her faith was challenged, and how she overcame doubts about God. 

Evana is a God-fearing wife and mother of two children. Her daughter has Down syndrome and a complex medical history. Professionally, Evana is a pediatric speech-language pathologist in private practice.

Read the show notes on Hope in Autism.

Find Evana on Facebook, Twitter, and her website.