Parenting comes with joys and challenges. And for parents of children with disabilities, those joys and challenges look…. well, different. Whether your child is neurodivergent, has a chronic medical condition, or lives with another form of disability, you know that the journey with your child has additional twists and turns than that of other parents or caregivers. Many of those discrepancies became even more apparent throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This episode is the first in a two-part series examining the intersection between parenting and disability. Dr. Amanda Zelechoski and our producer Carmen Vincent talk with Jennifer, a mother of an 8-year old and a 4-year-old who, in her words, happens to have nonverbal autism; and Nisha, a mother of twin 7-year-olds and a 3-year-old who is battling a complex congenital heart disease.

Included in this episode with parents of children with disabilities:

- Deciding when to advocate and educate others as a parent with a child with a disability

- Self-care tips for parents with a child with a disability

- Coping with uncertainty during tests, diagnoses, and treatments

- The challenges working parents face in caring for their child with a disability

Children’s Books About Disability

Rainbows & Storms written by Dr. Jennifer Jackson and Nisha Jaime, illustrated by Anna Sheckel

Disability and Autism (Social Justice Books)

60 Books about Disabilities and Differences for Kids (Mrs. D’s Corner)

Children's Books About Disability (American Psychological Association)

Children’s Book List - Instagram Highlight (Disability Reframed)

Resources for Parents of Children with Disabilities

Advice for Caregivers of Children With Disabilities In the Era of COVID-19 (American Psychological Association)

10 Resources for Families of Children with Special Needs by Nicole Fabian-Weber (Care.com)

New to Disability? (Center for Parent Information & Resources)

50 Great Websites for Parents of Children with Special Needs (Children’s Educational Services)

Services for Children with Disabilities (Childcare.gov)

Support for Families of Children with Disabilities

Special Education Resource Guide (National PTA)

A Crash Course in Disability Education for Kids - Instagram Post (Disability Reframed and Big Little Feelings)

Meet Our Guests

Jennifer Neumeister is a mother of an 8-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son who happens to have nonverbal autism. In her daily life, she empowers her children to be their best selves in their own contexts, opens others’ minds by sharing her experiences as a parent with an autistic child, and finds joy in watching her children experience life unfold in front of them. 

Nisha Gutierrez-Jaime is a mother to twin 7-year-old boys who were born premature at 27 weeks, and a 3-year-old daughter who is battling a complex congenital heart disease. She is also a veteran Los Angeles-based journalist and, most recently, published her first children’s book, Rainbows & Storms, in April 2021. Like many in the Covid-era, Nisha is striving hard to find balance between parenting, advocacy, career, and enjoying all the little moments in between.