We are still here, and we have both missed you all.  

Christina Adams, journalist, writer, disability advocate, and camel milk investigator, shares with us her powerful early intervention story of her son with autism and how she was able to help him through diet and camels. She outlines what she calls her “crazy camel journey” and how her research and travels to Isreal took her to a place of healing. She shares her website with us as a resource that details how camel’s milk can help several conditions, from allergies and gut issues to neurodevelopmental issues. Join us as we learn about the amazing qualities of camels and how their milk can be a part of your healing journey! 

Join us as we talk to Hannah Lowe, founder of the L-CMD Foundation and mother to Austin, who has LMNA-related congenital muscular dystrophy. Like many rare disease families we've talked to, her son's condition was caused by a random genetic mutation. There is no treatment or cure, and given how rare it is, they are unsure about his prognosis or life expectancy, making the mission even more urgent. The L-CMD Foundation she started inspires hope for a stronger tomorrow by seeking treatments and, ultimately, a cure. We talk about balancing grief with action, and Hannah exemplifies this in her graceful and determined approach to saving her son. 

If you’ve ever worried about what adulthood might look like after high school or you’ve ever been inspired to create a meaningful space for your child to spend adulthood, tune in to our interview with critically acclaimed author, Cammie McGovern. 

Cammie McGovern was awarded a creative writing fellowship at Stanford University, and has received numerous prizes for her short fiction. Her stories have appeared in many magazines including Glamour, Ladies Home Journal, Redbook and Seventeen , and she is the author of another novel, The Art of Seeing. She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts with her husband and three children, the eldest of whom is autistic. She is one of the founders of Whole Children, a resource center that runs after-school classes and programs for children with special needs.

This week we chat with Leylani Cardoso, warrior parent, and mother of Sophia, her daughter with Down Syndrome. Leylani and her family helped Sophia bring her passion for food and entertaining to life by creating the YouTube Channel Cheeky Sassy Me

For this episode, we share with you another Maryland parent and fellow autism mom, Lia McCabe, who started AutismWish.org which seeks to fulfill the wish lists of families across the country without all of the red tape of government programs. She and her husband also host a podcast called Embracing Autism, which is child focus and helps parents to understand and embrace their neurodiverse children. Give it a listen, follow, and subscribe to support their mission of helping families in the face of fear and the unknown. 

We talk about:

Neurodivergent parenting

Empathizing with sensory needs

The formation of Autism Wish and the Embracing Autism Podcast

Accepting behaviors that are harmless

How IQ testing is not designed for children who are non-verbal

Maintaining a positive perspective

Growing to understand that a diagnosis doesn't mean future dreams are gone

Lia’s website

Autism Wish

Autism Wish Facebook Page

Lia’s Recommended Books

More Than Words: A Parents Guide to Building Interaction and Language Skills for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Social Communication Difficulties by Fern Sussman

The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

Other books mentioned

Autism Breakthrough by Raun K. Kaufman

An Early Start for Your Child with Autism: Using Everyday Activities to Help Kids Connect, Communicate and Learn by Sally Rogers

This episode is all about taking care of the caregiver. Rory Lawrence, mother of a child with complex medical needs and staff member with David’s Refuge, talks with us about the organization she works for that pours into parents turned caregivers, and how she and her husband have found meaningful respite. We also talk about practical ways to weave in self-care that don’t require a sitter but can actually make a difference. 

Links

Sensory Pathway Booklet

The Intentional Family:  Simple Rituals to Strengthen Family Ties

Mae Bae Fan Club - Unique Apparel for Special Kids and Those Who Care for Them

David's Refuge

Rory’s Email - [email protected] 

David's Refuge Private Facebook Page

Despite ending the year on a turbulent note for our families, we are ending season two of the podcast with our awesome finds that brought us joy this year! We share with you gift ideas, sanity savers and problem solvers that we hope will bring a little joy and make your life a tad easier. 

Best wishes for a healthy, uneventful holiday season free from meltdowns and a bright new year sans trips to the ER and calls from your child’s school! 

XO XO

Angie & Meg

NillyNoggin Caps - To Improve the EEG Experience

Compression Sheet

Buzzy Personal Vibrating Ice Pack for painless injections

Therapy Sensory Silk Swing

Hand Tally Counter - Best Fidget Ever! 

Movement Sensory Sox 

Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser Necklace

Hex Lights 

Curtain String Lights

Floor Lamp

Plant Therapy Kid Safe Oils - Tummy All Better

Migraine Stick

Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock and Bed Shaker

The Libby App - listen to books for free!

Books Angie loved this year

Beach Read by Emily Henry

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes  

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Books Angie didn’t love, but a lot of other people did, so you might!

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett  

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

90 degree Lightning Cable

90 degree USB Type C Cable

90 degree Micro USB Cable

And if you can only read one book, read this one - Underestimated - An Autism Miracle by J.B Handley and Jamison Handley

In case you’re interested, here’s more info on Spelling to Communicate

Chore Slap Bracelets

Family Devotional - Angie’s weekly ritual and current version of Sunday worship

Foundations - 12 Biblical Truths to Shape a Family

Zenni Optical Affordable Glasses

Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine - Not the Nest - that's an entirely different device we also love

Microwave Omelet Maker

 Microwave Egg Poacher

 Microwave Cookware Set

Olive and June - The Winter Collection 

YUMILashes Keratin Lash Lift

TUSHY Classic Bidet

Sleep Training Clock

 Gel Nail Polish Set

 Bidet

Have you ever seen the meme about a special needs parent who fell in a hole? Well, that's where Meg and I find ourselves. When we started this podcast journey our mission was to highlight families with disabilities doing innovative things but to also share the reality of the ups and downs of raising children with disabilities, so this episode is a life update and a peek into where we are in the metaphorical Holland. We hope this brings someone some comfort who may also be in a hole.

We continued our chat about smearing with our guest, Jennifer Sheppard, who created an adaptive clothing line out of a dire need for an alternative to wet suits for her own son who struggles with the behavior. We also shared a bit more of our chat with Genevieve, and our own lessons learned from dealing with poo. 

We talk about:

• How we've become desensitized
• What we've found to be helpful in the aftermath
• Ways to clean up the mess
• Specific products and strategies that have been helpful
• Finding adaptive clothing solutions for when you can’t watch your child 24/7

Jennifer’s Adaptive Clothing Line - The Wild End of the Spectrum

Life on the Wilder End of the Spectrum 

FB page - The Wilder End of the Spectrum 

Products We Reference (not sponsored or affiliate links, just products we’ve purchased and found helpful)

Ruggable - Washable Rugs

Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaners

Bissell Pro Heat Pet Carpet Cleaner

Book

What to Do about Smearing