Beyond the Spectrum.. every age, every need

October 28, 2020 | Episode  10  On this episode 

Shawn Francis & Brian Altounian talk with Jim & Cathy Gott.  

Jim and Cathy Gott have been married 30 years and have 6 children – two of whom have autism.  They live in the Marina Del Rey, California and own & operate two facilities serving those affected with autism and their families.  Education Spectrum opened in 1997 and provides social skills classes and community integration for children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Danny’s Farm opened in 2007 and employs adults with developmental differences while serving children with or without special needs at their inclusive petting farm.  

Jim enjoyed a 19-year career in professional baseball.  He pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, and Toronto Blue Jays.  After a career ending shoulder injury in 1995, Jim hosted KABC “Sports Talk” and was the pitching instructor for Dennis Quaid in the movie “The Rookie.”  He has been coaching for 10 years and is currently the bullpen coach for the Philadelphia Phillies.  

Cathy earned her master’s degree in public administration and busies herself in the offices of both Education Spectrum and Danny’s Farm.  Providing meaningful employment opportunities to this population is among her most rewarding experiences.  She serves on the LA County Commission on Disabilities and consults for several organizations serving adults with developmental differences. as a board member of cornerstone housing, she is actively developing an inclusive apartment community, The Village, in west LA.  Education Spectrum was recently awarded a grant to guide families through the self-determination program, and she is enthusiastically assisting to inform families about this new service delivery model.

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#justTwoDads #specialneedsparenting #EducationSpectrum #DannysFarm

October 21, 2020 | Episode 9  

In this episode Shawn Francis has a candid conversation with Rebecca Campol.  

Rebecca Campol is a Canadian Autism/ Parent Blogger, from the Okanagan, BC.  Her blog, https://www.meohmy.ca/ is a place where she provides readers an intimate and honest look at her family’s life with autism.  Rebecca’s husband and 2 children are all on the autism spectrum.    

Rebecca states:   

“I am navigating this family adventure in all its glory.  Our lives are filled with love, hilarity, and stressful chaos, which I would not change for the world. With a lack of verbal filters and a surplus of sensory irritants, there is never a dull moment in my comical household.  I have surrendered and conformed to a very structured lifestyle.  I am the family coach, advocate, and referee.  In the words of my family, I am a thoughtful, caring person with obsessive tendencies and a love for everything cozy.  It is true- I am a track-pant-wearing, bra-less preferring, medicated warrior. This is my life, my typical life in a very untypical world.”   

Follow and join Rebecca for a dash-cam view of some of her best (and worst) moments with some tips, tricks, experience, and products along the way.  Are you with an online media platform, print publication or community organization? Rebecca would love to work with you! She is available for: Podcasts, Interviews, Writing, Speaking Engagements and Product Reviews.  

You can also find her at:   

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#justtwodads #autismspectrum #parentingchildrenwithspecialneeds

October 14, 2020 | Episode 8  

A review of our past guests

1. Income replacement

2.Debt management/elimination

3.Building a strong financial foundation

4.Asset accumulation

NONE of these things matter as much as people & they never will.

But because people matter most, especially the ones that we know & love.. including ourselves, then these things are important.

Some more than others, depending on where you are in life. But if you earn a dollar & pay  taxes, vote Democrat or Republican, these are valuable.

Take a look at the flier attached, let me know which of these you might want to attend, & I’ll make sure to get you the link & save you a spot. Blessings #soldieroflove #agentofchange #money #dreams #servantleasership #maxout--

October 7, 2020 | Episode  7  

Brian Altounian & Shawn Francis are joined by their guest, estate planning Attorney Glen Wagstaff. They discuss the value of estate planning, what happens without it, and what it means in particular to families who have members with special needs.

September 30, 2020 | Episode  6  

Our guest for this show is special education law Attorney, Georgiana Junco-Kelman. Georgianna was born in Cuba and immigrated to the US at the age of 10.   She has been practicing law for 22 years, initially in the area of criminal defense until the birth of her son Brandon, who was born with a congenital brain disorder, and her personal journey with him ultimately led to the founding of her special education law practice in 2009.  She experienced first-hand, the difficulty of navigating the special education system and the ongoing struggle of securing appropriate placement and services.  Her journey with Brandon who is almost 18 (and whose services have been provided by Mcrory Ped services since he was 6 months old!) inspired her special education career path determined to help as many families traversing similarly daunting, scary and frustrating roads.   Ms. Kelman developed a passion for fundraising and charity work.  An active participant in the disabilities non-profit world, she has served a combined 15 years in the Southern California Autism Speaks and Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration Boards of Directors, chairing each organizations’ annual signature galas.  Georgianna has appeared as an expert guest on various national networks from CNN to Univision as well local news networks.  A leading attorney in her field, her reputation as a passionate fighter for her clients precedes her. http://www.losangelesspecialedattorney.com/

September 23, 2020 | Episode  5  

Our guest is Layla Luna. She’s an Olympic trained gymnast, internationally acclaimed dancer & mom to three children, one of which is her 12-year-old son who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). She is the creator of a non-profit organization called Just Bee the change (www.justbeethechange.org) that among other things, trains businesses & their employees how to socially interact with people on the autism spectrum. Her story & the incident which happened “for her” that planted the seed for her nonprofit is amazing.

September 16, 2020 | Episode  4  

In this episode Shawn Francis & Brian Altounian discuss how it takes a village to raise  children of special needs. When you become a parent of a child with special needs, you immediately become a member of a village that for many can be daunting. Shawn & Brian provide an inside look for those who are facing this incredible calling.

September 9, 2020 | Episode 3

September 2, 2020 | Episode  2

Shawn Francis & Brian Altounian talk about the importance of proper life insurance coverage for children with special needs.