In today's episode Mary shares this year's IEP experience, which went pretty well!  She also talks about Ainsley's new EA, how keen he is, and how he wants to make things more inclusive for Ainsley.  Plus she has an update about Ainsley's palette expander (it's not good news), what she is doing for Rocktober, plans for Halloween, and a little story about how her advocating has really resonated with another mom.

On today’s episode Mary talks with Patrick Cadigan and Megan Smallwood of the Post Secondary Transition podcast. They discuss the role of a Transition Coordinator, how to involve your child in these decisions, and the complexities of the post secondary transition.

Check out their websites at Postsecondarytransition.com and p2transition.com. 

Mary shares her thoughts on the coming school year and how she is hopefull and optimistic despite all the changes. She also talks about how pleasantly surprised she was, when they all went out for the afternoon and Ainsley walked for hours with no complaint!

Mary chats with Dorothy Gazzola about how to prepare for your child to transition out of high school-it can be overwhelming! Dorothy is a wealth of information and talks about the different steps to take so that parents and your child are prepared. It’s never to early to start! As Dorothy was going through the whole transition with her daughter, Faith, what she wasn’t prepared for was the emotional side of it. Check out the notes below to learn what you need to do at different ages for you and your child to have a successful transition from high school onto their next journey. 

Transitions Timeline

Mary chats about how back to school this year is different.

Mary talks about Ainsley's palette expansion and the challenges they are facing. Also, Ainsley had her first "official" salon visit and how that all went down!

On today's episode, Mary talks about her recent vacation and how it was so successful. Hint - it involves a large water slide. She shares some of the other fun and adapted activities that they did.  She also talks about how she is creating her own Down syndrome community by hosting a BBQ for her  parent support group that included a water fight, a cookie buffet and fun in the pool!

Mary talks with returning guest, Christine Wiebe, about homeschooling kids with Down syndrome.  Christine believes that anyone can homeschool their child, you just have to have the desire and motivation to do so.  They talk about the myth that homeschoolers lack socialization, the benefits of homeschooling and lots of tips and tricks to get you started or to help you on your journey. Several links were talked about during the podcast and you can find them here:

Homeschooling regulations in Canada Homeschooling regulations in Canada 

Homeschooling regulations in the USA  Homeschooling regulations in the USA 

DSRF learn at home resources  DSRF Learn at Home Resources

Homeschooling and Down syndrome Facebook group  Homeschooling and Down syndrome Facebook group 

Homeschooling Support and Down Syndrome (DSDN) Facebook group Homeschooling and Down syndrome Facebook group 

Handwriting Without Tears  Handwriting Without Tears

Teaching Reading to Children with Down Syndrome

In this episode Mary talks about her grief and some recent challenging times. She shares some of the tips she is using for self-care, including flowers and knitting. She admits she is not a fabulous knitter, but enjoys it anyways. And she chats about her upcoming getaway that includes wine.

Although the isolation is real, know you are not alone.

Mary talks with Rocking Mom, Stephanie, about Childhood Apraxia of Speech, also known as apraxia.  Stephanie shares her journey about her son Odin, who likely has the diagnosis of apraxia of speech and how she has had to fight for services for her son. Stephanie talks about what to look for if you suspect your child has apraxia, and the different types of therapies her son needs.

For more information go to ASHA.org.  

If you would like your own Characteristics of Down Syndrome picture, please contact Stephanie on Facebook at Advocate, Celebrate, Educate: Down Syndrome Awareness.