If you want to see Self Determination in action, this is the episode you need! Today you’ll meet Steve Ober, who works at the University of Cincinnati. Steve also invited his brother, Patrick (who’s been on the podcast once already!), and his mom, Karen, to our interview. Steve, Patrick, and Karen model Self Determination as we learn about Steve’s experiences in employment, independent living, transportation, and more. This episode will pull you closer to tools needed to drive Self Determination, including systems of support in families, work places, communities, homes, and more! 

Today we welcome the incredible Stephanie Bare to the podcast. Stephanie is an outpatient Speech Language Pathologist who also works as the Young Adult Coordinator at the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati and is the sibling to an adult with cerebral palsy. Together, we walk through several topics with Stephanie, including the impact of language skills on Self Determination, how assistive technology can assist with self advocacy, and what strategies exist to yield better engagement and buy in from self advocates and to infuse Self Determination into planning for independent living. Stephanie’s work is innovative, hands on, and timely, making this a can’t-miss episode. 

Sara Bitter is the mom of two children who have disabilities, an attorney, a school board member, and an all-around extraordinary advocate. Join us in this episode where we talk with Sara about her own Self Determination journey, which includes a healthy dose of resiliency and grit, and which deliberately influences that way she parents. We talk about how experiences, exposure, relationships, and so many other factors weigh into Self Determination. Then, we switch gears and dive deep into Inclusion, a topic that Sara has spent a lot of time researching, as well as how to effectively advocate for more inclusive opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Sara gives us so many real-life examples of how Self Determination has influenced her own life and those of her sons. 

“The support system around someone is the reason why someone can determine those Self Determination skills and embrace Self Determination. I make the direct connection to my brother, Steve, who has autism.” Today we talk with Patrick Ober, Director of Programs and Operations at Stepping Stones, a Cincinnati non-profit organization that provides programming and supports to people with disabilities.  Patrick walks us through his own Self Determination journey, comparing it to Steve’s Self Determination, as deliberately fostered by his family. He talks candidly about the struggles and stretches that his family and others experience and gives such beautiful insight into the many benefits of that commitment. 

“The only way you can help someone else be Self Determined is to understand your own Self Determination.” Today we talk about being vulnerable with our own experiences in self determination (and so much more) with Mary Helen Richer, the CEO of Autism Connections in Cincinnati, Ohio. Your hosts and Mary Helen sort through how our own Self Determination and our identities as “helpers” intersect with our ability to support others in their Self Determination journeys. This important episode brings a healthy dose of introspection and self help to our conversation. 

Dr. Song Ju is on the faculty at the University of Cincinnati and has done considerable research on transition issues, including employment, independent living, and Self Determination. In this episode we get into some of the finer details of teaching, modeling, and celebrating Self Determination in working with students. Dr. Ju gives a lot of examples of goals we can set for students and details some of the exciting successes, particularly as they relate to self-awareness. 

Today we meet Dr. Steve Kroeger, Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Kroeger has been researching and exploring concepts of Self Determination for years and shares his experiences with us in this episode. We hear his definition of Self Determination and a couple of amazing examples of individuals exhibiting Self Determination in their community; and we learn about an impactful and effective teaching strategy to facilitate self determination in students. 

This episode features Amy Szymanski, the Secondary Transition and Workforce Development Consultant at an Ohio Educational Service Center. Amy has been in the field of special education for many years and shares her perspectives on issues that impact adults with disabilities as they transition to adulthood through the lens of Self Determination.  Amy helps to support her brother-in-law, who has autism, and shares her personal experiences in supporting him and observing his adult experience, tying these lessons into our discussion on Self Determination. 

“Watching these [students] master these concepts and begin to make truly educated choices for themselves sand articulating and communicating what they want and … need has been a very unique experience. And our goal is to take everything that we’ve learned and start expanding into our local districts.” Cadi Dart, Director of High School Programming, teaches goal-setting and self-monitoring to students with disabilities through transition and employment opportunities at the University of Cincinnati, and in this episode she shares how impactful that work has been for herself, her students, and pre-service teachers. 

You know executive functioning is a hot topic right now, but have you thought about the executive functions through the lens of Self Determination? In this episode, we introduce you to Dr. Amie Duncan, a clinical psychologist and faculty member at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, whose work primarily focuses on facilitating transition to adulthood in autistic students. Amie takes us on a deep dive on the foundational skills that people need in order to achieve independence like planning and prioritization and has suggestions to caregivers on how to facilitate this developmental growth. It’s a can’t miss episode!