Today we’re diving deep into the way our children communicate! We’re asking some difficult but important questions about how we support their speech and language.

How do our kids feel when people cannot understand their speech? How do they feel when we, as their parents, cannot understand their speech?

How are we supposed to implement all the speech therapy tools? When is it time to just focus on one area of growth for our kids?

How do our kids use “self-talk” to share stories and self-soothe?

And that’s a wrap on this season focused on brain health and Down syndrome! We hope you learned as much as we did from these last 10 episodes. We’ll see you again in the new year!

SHOW NOTES

Visit our Therapist Directory to find mental health support for your loved one with a disability.

Fill out THIS FORM to be added to our therapist directory.

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Jennifer Gray is a certified speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of experience working with the Down syndrome community. Today we’re asking her all the questions we’ve forgotten to ask our children’s own speech therapists.

When should speech therapy start for individuals with Down syndrome? (Hint: Jennifer says research shows it can be helpful before age 1)

What makes speech more challenging for individuals with Down syndrome?

Can individuals with Down syndrome experience speech regression?

What is self-talk?

We hope you learn something from this important conversation about communication for people with Down syndrome!

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SHOW NOTES

Visit grayspeaktherapy.com

Instagram: @downsyndromespeech and @grayspeaktherapy

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Last week we sat down for an interview with trauma expert Dr. Karyn Harvey and today the three of us are unpacking all of our feelings about it. We’re asking ourselves some pretty heavy questions about trauma and intellectual disability.

Do our kids really encounter trauma every time they step out the front door?

Are we holding our children to unrealistic standards and expectations for behavior?

Do the benefits of an inclusive education outweigh the trauma that comes with it?

Why have our kids never been offered mental health support at any of their regular screenings?

Here’s what we know for certain: our children with intellectual disabilities understand when they are being excluded. And it’s our job to remind them just how incredibly lucky this world is to have them in it. Friends, we hope your children receive the mental health support they need so they can become exactly who they are meant to be.

SHOW NOTES

Learn more from Dr. Karyn Harvey and read her publications here.

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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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SHOW NOTES

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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SHOW NOTES

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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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SHOW NOTES

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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SHOW NOTES

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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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 or Shout Outs for future episodes.