Independent Living – Isaac's Autism in the Wild

Saturday, March 11

9am -1pm | Open House

4004 E Boone Ave. Spokane, WA 99202

Are you or someone you know living with a disability?

Are you confused about employment options, benefits, or finances?

Attend this event for answers! We will have on-site solutions from:

visit this link to learn more and register!

https://bit.ly/3ZqZOwP

Also, referenced in this podcast is Deb Skalabrin and her amazing online group called Parenting Beyond Defiance. Go check them out at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3095960987308432

Usually, Caleb counts down the days leading up to his birthday with excitment. This year, he woke up on his 15th birthday with debilitating anxiety about the prospect of getting one year closer to adulthood. In this podcast, Caleb talks about his anxieties related to all the elements of becoming an adult and strategies we can utilize to overcome some of his stressors.

After a long hiatis, Holly and her partner in crime, Maria, get back in the saddle to talk about a new DDA service opportunity that is made available with all DDA waivers. These changes rolled out in 2020, but since we were all busy staying healthy, learning how to Zoom, and educating our children through online school, WE MISSED IT!

Holly and Maria talk about DDA eligibility requirements, process for being approved, and various benefits provided by the different waivers. While some of ISAAC Foundation’s programs have a small fee for participation, the Clubhouse and Studio programs are DDA approved. In addition, Specialized Habilitation Services is a new opportunity that will be rolling out in the months to come. Don’t worry, if your like Holly and her son Caleb, you might find that you child is not DDA eligible. We have a plan to provide these services to these children as well.

Application here: https://www.dshs.wa.gov/dda/service-and-information-request

We dug through the vault and pulled out an interview from earlier this fall with Holly’s son Caleb. In this podcast (over dinner), Holly and Caleb reflect on areas of growth Caleb has experienced over the years.

In this episode, Holly sits with well known Spokane self-advocate, John Lemus to learn more about his childhood, teen years, and adult life on the autism spectrum. He shares about profound lessons he has learned, and even opens up about his experiences dating.

References within podcast:

Anger Management at Fulcrum Institute: www.fulcrumdispute.com/angermanagement.jsp

Dating Apps to consider:

Hinge

Hiki for individuals on the autism spectrum

In this episode of ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild we are joined again by our friend Becky Gardner of “A Life of My Own” Executive Function Coaching. Several parents have also joined us to ask her questions about executive function as it relates to their own children.  Listen in and learn along with our parents, some strategies to help launch our children successfully!

In this episode we are joined by Desiree Kameka Galloway of The Autism Housing Network. Holly had first learned of their work as well as the Madison House Autism Foundation a few years back while attending a conference about “Life After High School.” Holly was so impressed with Desiree’s presentation and has used their site as a reference to our families for years.  The ISAAC Foundation has been receiving more and more calls from parents regarding concerns for long term living situations for their adult children in recent years so we reached out to Desiree to see if she could explain some of the housing options that exist and what the Autism Housing Network can do to help families as they determine the long term plans for their loved ones.

Contact Info:

Madison House Autism Foundation

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This week on ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild our host Holly is joined by Sydney. Sydney is a 27 year old self advocate that just relocated to Spokane from Alaska.  We cover it all in this episode: from her diagnosis as a child, to her career in Alaska, and now how she is settling in to life in Spokane. Sydney is an ambitious young woman with a strong sense of self and will be a great ambassador for self advocates in Spokane, we are happy to have met with her and look forward to collaborating with her again soon!

Today we are very excited to introduce our listeners to a truly inspirational self advocate, Tracey Cohen.  Tracey reached out to us to share her resources with the intent to educate and inspire individuals, families, professionals, and anyone willing to learn about Asperger syndrome/autism. She wants to share her story to prevent others from the hardships and pitfalls of her past. We asked her to be on our podcast and share her story and we are so glad to have made this connection. Listen in, and we are sure you will be just as captivated with her and her story as we are!

About Tracey:

There have been many misunderstandings in Tracey’s life. The most impactful misunderstanding was learning she was on the Autism Spectrum at the age of 39. A lifetime of feeling unheard and misunderstood suddenly had a name and a reason. Since her diagnosis Tracey has continued to study and learn about her diagnosis and how it influenced the choices that were made for her growing up.

Tracey currently helps facilitate a non-profit meetup group for adults on the spectrum, this group is based out of Michigan, however, all events are currently online so are available for anyone on the spectrum to take part in.

She has also written and published three books, all which can be purchased in print or audio/kindle.

Finally she is featured on the website: Growing Up Autistic where she shares her story, accolades, and links to her work.

To reach Tracey directly please email: [email protected]