Picture this: your child with Down syndrome tells you they want to play a sport. You sign them up for the local team, drop them off at practice, and pick them up without any difficulties. Everything goes smoothly… But that’s not always reality is it? Lets break down the complexities of extracurricular activities today:

• How to ask for accommodations that promote safety, respect, and inclusion

• Separate programs designed for people with disabilities.. and what to do when they’re not as inclusive as they seem

• How to manage our own expectations of our children and their activities

Here’s what we’ve learned: the attitude of the people in charge really matters. And if we can find programs with inclusive-minded leaders who understand our kids with DS, then that’s where we need to be. Join us today as we dive into our personal experiences (both positive and negative) with musical theater, gymnastics, and swim. And don’t forget that any program is lucky to have your child!

SPONSORS

• Learn more about Jack’s Basket.

• Learn more about Enable Special Needs Planning.

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! 

HEATHER’S NEW BOOK

Pre-order Heather’s newest children’s book: I Like You So Much!

DISCOUNT CODE

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

The Avises are back from an 18-day European vacation with tips, tricks, and travel stories for all of us. So Heather and Josh are here today to answer all the questions:

• How do you “lean in” to surprising (and sometimes frustrating!) moments with your kids?

• What to do when your family vacation doesn’t look like other families?

• What are your major tips for traveling with kids/teens who have Down syndrome?

There are so many travel resources out there.. disability discounts, wheelchairs, free transportation, + more! We’re excited to share with you just how we used them. So take some notes then start planning your next trip!

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SHOW NOTES

• SHOUT OUT: Check out Cafe Joyeux on instagram and their website

• Watch 47, a short film produced by Cafe Joyeux

SPONSORS

• Learn more about Jack’s Basket.

• Learn more about Enable Special Needs Planning.

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! 

How many nights per week would you say your child (with or without a diagnosis) sleeps well? We asked our audience and discovered that sleep is a struggle for a LOT of us! So if you’re feeling like you’ve already tried all the online hacks but your child still wakes you up at the same time each night, this episode might have a new tip for you! Here’s what we’re covering today:

• What’s the biggest sleep challenge for our kids with Down syndrome? And our kids with a dual diagnosis of DS and autism?

• Micha’s sleep journey with her son Ace... Does a gluten-free, dairy-free, additive-free diet actually work? What medications have or have not been effective? What is a sensory diet and does it really help? How has an ADHD diagnosis affected Ace and his sleep?

• Audience input! We’ve crowdsourced the best tips from all of you! Learn how other parents have changed their children's rooms and bedtime routines to promote better sleep.

But before we dive into sleep, we’re chatting briefly about the change from Autism Awareness Month to Autism Acceptance Month + the importance of centering Autistic voices in this conversation. For now, wherever you’re at in your sleep journey, we hope this episode helps! You’re not alone out there!

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SHOW NOTES

• SHOUT OUT: Follow Nicole Adler (@nicole_for_love), a speaker and advocate for the disability and LGBTQ communities.

  
  

SPONSORS

• Learn more about Jack’s Basket.

• Learn more about Enable Special Needs Planning.

  
  

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! 

When we saw this headline, “CRISPR Snips Away Extra Chromosomes, Offering New Hope for Down Syndrome Treatment,” we knew we had to discuss this article together. So that’s what we’re doing today. Here’s what we’re covering in this episode:

• The ethics of gene editing - What about other conditions with serious life-threatening effects?

• Why do some people assume that we need to “cure” Down syndrome?

• What would we do to alleviate some of the medical challenges in the DS community?

• The problem with not including disabled people in this conversation

We are really digging deep today! And we invite you to read the article (linked here) and join us for this important conversation.

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SHOW NOTES

Raise your hand if the thought (or maybe even the memory) of potty training gives you anxiety! This parenting milestone sure brings up a lot of feelings, especially for those of us in the disability community. Here’s what we’re chatting about today:

• Micha’s potty training journey (including some behind-the-scenes voice notes and training tips!)

• The impact of a dual diagnosis (Down syndrome and autism) on potty training

• Dealing with internalized ableism

• PLUS: WHY do we actually want certain things for our child? Is it for their safety or for societal expectations?

And also, happy Autism Acceptance Month! Lets celebrate that and remember: learning new things can take a long time. And that’s okay.

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SHOW NOTES

• Visit successfulpottytraining.net to learn more about Ashley Hickey and her potty training methods

• Listen to ep 62. Micha & Ace’s Dual Diagnosis Journey

• SHOUT OUT: Follow @learnplaythrive on instagram for neurodiversity affirming therapy strategies!

  
  

SPONSORS

• • Learn more about Jack’s Basket.
  • Learn more about Enable Special Needs Planning.

  
  

• 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! 

If you’ve watched the news recently, you know that there are some HUGE changes happening in our government, especially with the Department of Education. We’re breaking it all down today with our guest host, Ashley Barlow! She’s a mother to a son with Down syndrome, special education attorney advocate, IEP expert, former teacher, current speaker and podcaster. We are so grateful she’s here to cover all these topics:

• Why did the administration take action so quickly?

• What exactly is the HR 899 bill and how will it affect students with disabilities?

• If the DOE gets dismantled and then redistributed, which other departments will be in control?

• What can parents do right now to protect their children in schools?

There’s a lot to unpack here, friends! Regardless of your political party, we hope you join us for this conversation so we can stand together in agreeance on what our kids deserve in their schools. Let’s dive in.

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SHOW NOTES

SPONSORS

• Learn more about Jack’s Basket.

• Learn more about Enable Special Needs Planning.

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! 

Here we are with a NEW season of The Lucky Few Podcast! Join us for this first episode back for some big life updates!

• From Mercedes: mother-daughter bonding with Sunny, braces, medical things
• From Micha: potty training for Ace, communication device debates, new therapies
• From Heather: her mother’s health, extracurriculars.. dances, musical theater, basketball
• From the pod: BONUS episodes that you can access as a member of The Lucky Crew!

• Join THE LUCKY CREW for $4.99 a month for bonus episodes and MORE.
• Participate in the NDSS Racing for 3.21 challenge on World Down Syndrome Day. Sign up to participate from where ever you live, HERE.

Some things haven’t changed though.. you’ll see that we still don’t really know what year of the podcast this is and we still think there’s room to grow in the education system (shocker!). But get excited friends! Because this season will be full of important topics + a GUEST HOST.. Ashley Barlow, a fellow lucky mama, podcaster, and IEP expert.

SHOW NOTES

• Join THE LUCKY CREW for $4.99 a month for bonus episodes and MORE.
• Participate in the NDSS Racing for 3.21 challenge on World Down Syndrome Day. Sign up to participate from where ever you live, HERE.

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!

HEATHER’S NEW BOOK
Pre-order Heather’s newest children’s book: I Like You So Much!

UPDATE for 2025:

First, we want to say how much this podcast community means to us. Over the past seven years, we’ve released 290 episodes, reaching millions of listeners worldwide. You’ve been with us through laughter, tears, challenges, growth, and friendships. This podcast exists because of you, and we’re deeply grateful for your support.

To keep The Lucky Few Podcast thriving, we’ll be making some changes early this year. While we focus on restructuring and exploring new ideas, we invite you to revisit past episodes or relisten to your favorites. Stay up-to-date by following us on social media ⁠@theluckyfewpod.⁠

We’re excited for what’s ahead! Until then, know we’re cheering you on and love you so much.

...

Friends, today we’re diving deep into the heart of our favorite topic: inclusion! We chat about the barriers preventing true inclusion and we're challenging societal norms and asking the important questions about what defines human worth. What kind of person gets to be celebrated? What kind of person with Down syndrome gets to be celebrated? We explore the buzzword status of “inclusion,” the role of privilege in accessing support and services, and so much more. As we navigate this journey, we recognize the honor and burden of advocating for a more inclusive world. Progress in inclusion is happening, but are we truly championing the essence of every individual? Is the current system promoting equal access and opportunities? We’re asking all the questions, you don’t want to miss this thought-provoking episode!

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SHOW NOTES

Other episodes to check out:

DISCOUNT CODE

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

HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE

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 for future episodes.

UPDATE for 2025:

First, we want to say how much this podcast community means to us. Over the past seven years, we’ve released 290 episodes, reaching millions of listeners worldwide. You’ve been with us through laughter, tears, challenges, growth, and friendships. This podcast exists because of you, and we’re deeply grateful for your support.

To keep The Lucky Few Podcast thriving, we’ll be making some changes early this year. While we focus on restructuring and exploring new ideas, we invite you to revisit past episodes or relisten to your favorites. Stay up-to-date by following us on social media @theluckyfewpod.

We’re excited for what’s ahead! Until then, know we’re cheering you on and love you so much.

...

Throwback: Everything No One Tells You About Parenting A Disabled Child (w/Kelley Coleman)

We’re so excited to welcome feature film executive turned author and disability advocate, Kelley Coleman to the show! Her book Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Support releases TODAY!! Friends, this book is like gold, it provides the kind of support and confidence we all need to navigate and understand the complex systems, services, and supports no matter what diagnosis our kids have. It’s a resource we’ll be looking to for years to come, providing us with helpful questions, checklists, and ways to access services based on your child's individual needs. We celebrate finding friendship and community throughout the disability community, and Kelley shares how the Down syndrome community has embraced her and her son. She even shares how disability rights activist Judy Heumann shared her enthusiasm for a resource like Kelley’s book and emphasized the importance of sharing stories as self-advocates and nondisabled advocates in the disability space. This is a book and conversation we’re so grateful for, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

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SHOW NOTES

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR:

Thank you,⁠ Enable SNP⁠ for sponsoring this episode!

HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE

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 for future episodes.

Happy New Year friends! Join us as we welcome back Amy Julia Becker and her daughter Penny for an inspiring conversation on redefining resolutions for growth instead of perfection. We’re talking about the power of celebrating small wins, how caregivers and families can support loved ones with Down syndrome in setting and achieving goals, and the transformative lessons we’ve learned from goal-setting with our children. Penny also offers her perspective on staying motivated, what success looks like to her, and what she hopes to accomplish in the year ahead. Whether you’re setting goals for yourself or alongside your loved one with Down syndrome, this conversation will leave you ready to embrace every step of the journey. This is an episode you don’t want to miss!

SHOW NOTES

Instagram: @amyjuliabecker

Facebook: @amyjuliabeckerwriter

YouTube Channel

Threads: @amyjuliabecker

X: @amyjuliabecker

amyjuliabecker.com 

Our Previous Episodes with Amy Julia: 

Thank you, NDSS for sponsoring this episode!

Register today for the 2025 Down Syndrome Advocacy Conference! Early bird registration is now open!

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Join us in celebrating and supporting The Lucky Few Podcast! For just $0.99, $4.99, or $9.99 a month, you can help us continue shouting worth and shifting narratives for people with Down syndrome. Your support makes a difference in our ability to create meaningful content, enable us to cover production costs, and explore additional opportunities to expand our resources. 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 LUCKY for 21% off!

HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE

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