Navigating Neurodiversity

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and we're celebrating it by sharing real stories of inclusive hiring.

A job can offer more than a paycheck for someone with an intellectual or developmental disability. Christian shares how working at Cracker Barrel has helped him learn new skills, build confidence and pursue greater independence. Families and caregivers will also hear an employer’s perspective on finding the right fit, offering a brief look at how training and workplace support can help people with IDD grow.

How can setting personal goals help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) build greater independence? Through the story of Larry Mills, who worked and saved for months to take a trip to the Bahamas, this episode explores how families, caregivers and direct support professionals (DSPs) can encourage meaningful goals, provide the right support and help people with IDD become more independent.

Managing medication for someone with intellectual or developmental disabilities can be complicated. Knowing what to look for is extraordinarily important. Kristi Torres of Tarrytown Expocare Pharmacy shares what families, caregivers and direct support professionals (DSPs) should understand about medication management — from recognizing changes after a new medication to asking questions and advocating when something doesn't seem right.

“My son is not a tragedy.” … For writer, journalist and autism caregiver Kelley Colihan Robertson, supporting her 24-year-old autistic son has meant challenging assumptions about intelligence, communication and capability. She shares what she's learned about presuming competence, finding ways for nonspeaking or limited-speech autistic people to communicate, and focusing on what individuals can do rather than what others assume they can't.

Sarah and Ed Escowitz weren’t afraid to make trouble. That’s why they made history. In Part 2 of our conversation, Sarah reflects on their work building The Arc in Calvert County, fighting for better special education and helping parents use IEPs in schools to advocate for their children.

Sarah and host Rita Rich discuss the challenges of securing local special education and services, their move and continued advocacy in Virginia, and the lasting recognition of their work through an ARC volunteer award in their name.

Sarah Eskowitz recounts raising her son with significant disabilities in 1970s Calvert County, noticing developmental delays and rejecting institutional care in favor of community-based, family-sized homes.

She and other parents successfully advocated to shift funding and policy toward smaller supported homes; today her son lives in a supportive group home, socially engaged and well cared for, illustrating how grassroots advocacy transformed services for people with disabilities in Southern Maryland.

Host Rita Rich interviews Jim Vail, co-creator of My25, about using a meal-planning platform to improve nutrition and health for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They discuss practical tools like videos, smart grocery lists, plate rebalancing, and moderation over deprivation, plus measurable outcomes such as improved BMI and reduced medication needs.

Learn how My25 saves staff time, supports healthier choices in group homes, and where to find the platform and ARC Southern Chesapeake resources.

See Me, See My Ability is the podcast of the ARC Southern Chesapeake. In this episode, Rita Rich celebrates summertime activities while spotlighting the work supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The episode explains the Olmstead Supreme Court decision and a recent Department of Justice opinion that could weaken community living protections, featuring warnings from disability advocates about the potential consequences for home and community‑based services.

ARC Southern Chesapeake affirms that disability rights are human rights, shares how advocates are monitoring these threats, and invites listeners to find the podcast at arcsoch.org and consider supporting their work.

Citations:

See Me, See My Ability presents a look inside the ARC Southern Maryland’s new sensory room in Lexington Park with Beth Wolfe, the director of nursing. In this episode Beth describes the room’s calming features — subdued lighting, music, a lava lamp, a chalkboard mural by a program participant, and flexible seating — designed to offer quiet and choice.

The episode highlights hands-on activities like shaving cream play, weighted blankets, music stations, therapy balls and gentle stretching that help reduce anxiety and support sensory needs. Staff explain how the room is used by day program participants and residential individuals, and how simple tools make relaxation and therapy feel fun.

The sensory room’s growth is driven by donations and grants; the episode thanks supporters and shows how small comforts can make a big difference in daily quality of life.

Kayla Carter, director of ARC Southern Maryland’s Waldorf day programs, describes how she creates community partnerships, meaningful volunteer opportunities, and a lively activity calendar to help clients gain skills and independence.

The episode covers outreach to local businesses, hands-on learning (money management, languages, Zumba, knitting), family feedback as a measure of progress, and the importance of a sensory room for calming and self‑regulation.