Dr. Karyn Harvey is a psychologist, author, trainer, speaker, and EXPERT in the field of psychology, intellectual disability, and trauma. Have you ever thought of the trauma that individuals with intellectual disabilities face each day? The examples are endless.. a negative diagnosis experience, being excluded, or even being placed in an institution. Today Dr. Karyn Harvey is on the show to teach us:

We’re also breaking down a few real-life examples of incidents in our child’s lives. This episode is full of wisdom for all of us who wish to support individuals with disabilities and their mental health.

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Last week we had an important conversation with Dr. Michael Rafii all about the link between DS and Alzheimer’s disease. If you’re still processing everything you learned from that interview, that’s okay. Sit down with the three of us + our good friend Kandi Pickard (CEO of the National DS Society) and we’ll talk through it together!

We know this isn’t an easy topic but this episode is full of hope. Remember, there are medical experts (like Dr. Rafii) and organizations (like NDSS) doing all that they can to improve the future for your loved one with Down syndrome.

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As we continue this season on brain health, its time to dive deep into the link between Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome. It’s not an easy topic.. and that’s why we are so grateful to have Dr. Michael Rafii with us. He’s a physician-scientist whose research focuses on developing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, including a genetic form that occurs in people with Down syndrome. Dr. Rafii is breaking down these topics today:

Take some notes, friends. This is an important one.

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Sign up for Enable SNP Today HERE.

Last week, we heard from motor planning expert, Brooke Poston, so today the three of us are diving deep into our experiences of apraxia with our own children! Here’s what we’re chatting about:

Make sure you listen to last week’s episode with Brooke first so you understand the basics of motor planning and apraxia before we dive into our personal examples!

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Have you ever found yourself asking your child to do the same thing over and over again? Why won’t they just stand up and put their shoes on? Why do they hit so often for what seems like no reason? Today is your crash course in motor planning and apraxia, where we’re diving deep into how the brain + body connection impacts behavior. We have Brooke Poston (Clinic Director and Spellers Method Practitioner) on the show to answer all of our questions:

• What is the difference between apraxia, incompetence, and defiance?

• How can a parent implement motor coaching techniques for children with DS? (hint: Start with the eyes! Use the motor coaching formula)

• What should we do when our kids “flop and drop?”

• How do we respond to injurious and out of control behaviors?

Get ready to take notes and pass this one along!

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Ellie Goldstein is the first person with Down syndrome to ever be on the cover of British Vogue. She’s also the first person with DS to ever be on the show, “Strictly Come Dancing” — basically UK’s equivalent of “Dancing With The Stars!” Naturally, the internet has A LOT of opinions about it. Today we’re diving into a Facebook post full of ableist comments disguised as empathy. And we’re wondering:

This is a good one, friends! We’d love to hear what you think!

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JOIN THE LUCKY CREW

Join us in celebrating and supporting The Lucky Few Podcast! For just $4.99 a month, you can help us continue shouting worth and shifting narratives for people with Down syndrome. Enjoy bonus episodes where we dive deeper into the most controversial issues, shop discounts, and more! Become an essential part of The Lucky Few movement today! 

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Welcome to a new season of the podcast and happy Down Syndrome Awareness Month! Or should we say DS Acceptance Month?! The advocacy language has definitely changed over the years. Lets talk about it. Here’s what you can expect this week:

How did DSAM become a thing? (Huge shout out to all the advocates who blazed a trail back in the 80s!)

What are we doing to celebrate this month? (Hint: not much!)

What is the difference between wanting to improve our kids lives and wanting to take their diagnoses away?

What are our advocacy goals for this month?

No matter how you’re celebrating (or not!) this month, we are cheering you on! Remember that your existence is your advocacy. And we are cheering for you!

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JOIN THE LUCKY CREW

Join us in celebrating and supporting The Lucky Few Podcast! For just $4.99 a month, you can help us continue shouting worth and shifting narratives for people with Down syndrome. Enjoy bonus episodes where we dive deeper into the most controversial issues, shop discounts, and more! Become an essential part of The Lucky Few movement today! 

DISCOUNT CODE

Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code PODCAST for 10% off!

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Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email [email protected] for more information!

LET’S CHAT

Email [email protected] with your questions and Good News or Shout Outs for future episodes.

Today we’re talking about the people and places where we can keep our shoulders down and know that our children with Down syndrome will be accepted no matter what. Join us as we chat about:

We’re so grateful for organizations like the Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network (DSDN) who make connections between families based on age, location, culture, and more. If you’re searching for community, let the DSDN app be your first step.

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Rods Heroes

Having a child with Down syndrome means you’re always learning about something new! And today’s topic is: oral facial myofunctional therapy.. a technique used to improve the way our mouth and face muscles work! We have Irene Iskander (dental hygienist + lucky mama) on the show today to answer all of our questions:

• Why is mouth breathing so common amongst individuals with DS? What are the long term effects of mouth breathing?

• What can we do at each age to strengthen mouth and facial muscles?

• How is myofunctional therapy different than speech therapy or feeding therapy?

We didn’t realize how important this information was until we chatted with Irene! So tune in and take notes, friends!

SHOW NOTES

Follow Irene @fityourface_ on Instagram

Listen to 28 Reasons to Nasal Breathe from Ask The Dentist podcast

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National Down Syndrome Society

iCanShine Programs

Down for Greens

Rods Heroes

JOIN THE LUCKY CREW

Join us in celebrating and supporting The Lucky Few Podcast! For just $4.99 a month, you can help us continue shouting worth and shifting narratives for people with Down syndrome. Enjoy bonus episodes where we dive deeper into the most controversial issues, shop discounts, and more!  Become an essential part of The Lucky Few movement today! 

Friends! Have you listened to The Telepathy Tapes Podcast? In this show, creator and host Ky Dickens explores the “profound abilities of non-speakers with autism - individuals who have long been misunderstood and underestimated.”

Let’s talk about it:

Have we experienced a shared consciousness with our own children? Is telepathy possible?

Why are people having such a hard time believing the stories from the autistic individuals and their families who claim to communicate with telepathy?

How has the disability community responded to the show?

We don’t know a lot for certain, but we do know this: Our children have shifted our paradigm and opened us up in ways we cannot explain. And we value the stories of non-speaking autistic individuals who communicate with OR without telepathy. Go ahead and listen to The Telepathy Tapes and let us know what you think!

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SPONSORS

JOIN THE LUCKY CREW

Join us in celebrating and supporting The Lucky Few Podcast! For just $4.99 a month, you can help us continue shouting worth and shifting narratives for people with Down syndrome. Enjoy bonus episodes where we dive deeper into the most controversial issues, shop discounts, and more! Become an essential part of The Lucky Few movement today!