Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Disabilities

In this episode your host, Theresa Bartolotta, is excited to announce that she is resuming the podcast! She shares an update on life and the reasons behind the long gap between episodes. Theresa reviews podcast statistics and how successful the previous episodes have been with over 2500 listens in 34 countries! The core principles behind the podcast remain the same: to share experiences about parenting children with disabilities, sharing our stories (not comparing), and valuing every life. This podcast is for parents who are walking this challenging path. We parents did not choose to have our children be born with disabilities, but we are embracing this life in all its forms, and we celebrate the beauty and wonder we experience. In future episodes you'll hear stories that will challenge and inspire you. We'll talk about tips for all phases of life as well as strategies for self-care and healing. Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

In this solo episode I talk about stages of parenting a child with a disability. First there's the initial stage, when we deal with a diagnosis and setting up a treatment program and a community of care. Then there's the middle stage, when we are busy with educational programs, managing a medical team, IEPs, therapy, and advocacy. That's a really busy time. Then there's the third stage, as we and our children age. In this third stage we are faced with managing details around guardianship, wills, trusts, and future planning for our children. There's also the feelings that occur during this stage as we face our mortality and the reality that our children may outlive us. Many of us put off dealing with these tasks as they feel overwhelming and bring us concern and sadness. Procrastination actually is harmful to us, both to our bodies and to our minds. I talk about strategies to use to move past procrastination, and how freeing it feels to have these decisions made. You can always make adjustments as life changes. Here's a link to a great resource on future planning: https://thearc.org/our-initiatives/future-planning/ I will take some time off towards the end of the year so there may only be a could more episodes for 2022. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating. Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

In this episode I speak with Abby Burle, founder of Love Your Story, an organization dedicated to create places of belonging for families impacted by disabilities. This project started after Abby and her husband Ryan traveled around the country seeking medical care for their triplets. They realized the financial impact of disability on family, and that many families spend more than 22% of their annual income on expenses related to the disability. In the episode, Abby talks about her journey as a mom to children with disabilities, and how she advocated to start Love Your Story. She shares the story of their first project, which was to purchase a home in Gainesville, Georgia to provide physical and financial rest for families traveling to the area for medical treatment or intensive therapies. Abby is passionate about inclusion and changing the way we talk about disability and understanding those who live with disability in their families. You will be inspired by her drive and how she creates community. Enjoy!! You can follow Abby at: Instagram @loveyourstory.us Website: https://loveyourstory.us Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

In this episode I interview the fun and inspiring Laura Hernandez of Mama Systems. Laura is mom to a large family and several of her children have disabilities. Listen to Laura explain how she turned her challenging life into one of peace and organization using systems. Laura is an example of someone who is using their talents and their gifts to turn the world right - to make something positive. This is such an important part of our mission here at Safe Harbor - to turn challenges into opportunities and make the world better. Laura's goal is to "help mamas have more peace in their homes." I am sure you'll find her story inspirational. Check out her website mamasystems.net where you can download a free self-care guide. And we all need more self-care don't we! Follow Laura on Instagram @mamasystems Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

I really enjoyed interviewing Sam and Sarah Ahlstrom, parents to a young girl with Rett syndrome, and co-hosts of the pRETTy happy podcast, a show dedicated to "Bringing families and friends together from the Rett syndrome community to discuss life, research, and just have fun." I am excited to post this interview during Rett Syndrome Awareness Month, but the episode is not just for people who love someone with Rett syndrome. Sarah and Sam are an example of folks who are taking a challenging experience and working to make things better in this world. Their story will inspire others to make a difference and share positivity. In addition to sharing information on their podcast, they have a website where they share information on adapting toys for children with disabilities. They sell some affordable adapted toys, as well as switches they make, along with information on how to adapt toys on your own. This is a gamechanger for children who have difficulty accessing toys in the traditional way. You can find the pRETTy happy podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Here's a link to their site on Anchor: https://anchor.fm/prettyhappypod You can find adapted toy information on their website: pRETTy happy. | A Rett Syndrome Community Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

In this solo episode, I talk about Awareness Months, or Days, when a particular disorder is acknowledged. October is Rett Syndrome Awareness Month, and as a mom of a young woman with Rett syndrome I support many activities this month to raise awareness about Rett. Many other disorders are acknowledged in a similar way, with specially designated months of days. There can be two sides to how parents of children with disabilities handle these months/days. First, with pride and enthusiasm, sharing stories and facts to educate others. Many parents host fundraisers to support research efforts. In contrast, there can be a deep feeling of what has been lost due to the disorder. I find myself feeling Bittersweet about this - holding two contrasting feelings simultaneously. We all feel heartache at times and it's important to share the stories of loss and longing to help lift us all collectively. In this episode I talk about the need to share openly and not apologize for our sadness. I reference a terrific book, "Bittersweet" by Susan Cain. Here's an Amazon affiliate link if you'd like to learn more about this topic: https://amzn.to/3T9y3ER Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

In this episode I interview Becky Tilley , who describes herself as "a rare mama living with Koolen-de vries syndrome." Becky has three beautiful children and her two youngest also have KDVS. She is a very passionate writer and rare disease advocate. In her open and beautiful story, Becky shares about her own life, growing up as someone with different learning abilities who struggled in school. As a mother trying to understand her second son's developmental challenges, Becky learned that she, and her son, shared the genetic disorder KDVS. Becky's next child is also a KDVS baby. Becky shares her challenges and successes and how she has turned this story into one of love and opportunity. Becky writes at her WordPress blog site "Koolen Mama", and hosts an international rare disease support group on Facebook, "Mamas Heart". If that wasn't enough, she also hosts a KDVS Support Group for families living in the United Kingdom. She has written several articles and blogs published by a number of rare disease charities and magazines. This interview is about acceptance and love and celebrating differences. Becky's words, "What starts as the breaking of you can be the making of you" truly resonated with me. Please follow Becky on Instagram @koolen.mama Come share your thoughts on this episode where you find me: Facebook: Safe Harbor Podcast Instagram: @theresabartolotta Email: safeharborpodcast@gmail.com Webiste: theresabartolotta.com Do you have suggestions for guests or books to review? Please share! Please rate and review the podcast- it helps others find us. Stay well and thanks for listening - I know your time is precious so I send my gratitude to you! Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

In this solo episode I talk about the cycles of grief and hope, and how the feeling of hope, and a gratitude practice, can help us get through the tough times. Parenting a child with a disability can be a rollercoaster - one day you're up, the world looks beautiful, and the next day something happens with your child, and you're down in the dumps yet again. It's a stressful, exhausting process that's harmful t our bodies and our minds. So how can we balance this out to protect ourselves and enjoy the life we are living? Let's talk about hope - a settling in of a feeling of accepting what is and believing that there is a light on the horizon - that it won’t be like this forever. I found this quote that really resonated with me: “Hope is important because it can make the present moment less difficult to bear. If we believe that tomorrow will be better, we can bear a hardship today.” – Thich Nhat Hanh, who was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and peace activist. I provide some strategies to live a life of hope. Prayer: whatever your belief system, prayer moves our focus up and away from the earthly details to give us a wider perspective and helps us not feel alone but to feel supported. For those who pray - giving up your burden - even hypothetically - to a higher power - can be uplifting and freeing. Physical exercise: walking, moving your body, focusing on the physical can lighten your mood and fill you with positive endorphins. For me - yoga does wonders. Focusing on breath work, centering my soul, fills me with positivity. A gratitude practice: a daily ritual of noting things to be grateful for. How do you begin? Some people have gratitude journals where they write down a number of things at the beginning or end of the day. If you have a morning ritual, or evening ritual, can you make it part of that/ and pick a number - 3 things to be grateful for? 1? 5? It's up to you. Research shows that this is a beneficial practice for our minds as well as our bodies. Laura Will, who I interviewed on Episode 13, https://www.buzzsprout.com/1909282/11264891 wrote a blog on this topic - Cultivating Flexible Hope: A look at the emotional cycles in chronic illness. Find it here: https://knowrare.com/blog-v2/cultivating-flexible-hope Find me: instagram: @theresabartolotta facebook: Safe Harborhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/345289967597545 website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Thanks for listening - your time is precious, so I extend my gratitude to you. Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

Today my guest is a dear friend and colleague - Leslie Greenfield. Leslie has lived a life of volunteerism while raising her daughter Heather, who has Rett syndrome. I think you will find inspiration from this conversation. In her life, Leslie has worked tirelessly to fill needs she identifies. Leslie currently serves as the New Jersey Regional Representative for the International Rett Syndrome Foundation. In this role she supports new families as they face this terrifying diagnosis and learn to navigate a new way of life. Most importantly Leslie is wife to Mike and they have 2 daughters, Holly, and Heather, who has Rett syndrome. In this episode Leslie talks about their journey to find out what was wrong with Heather when she began to regress at about 9 months of age. You'll hear about their search for answers as they struggled with persistent seizures, loss of skills, and finally learned the right diagnosis. Once learning Heather had Rett syndrome, Leslie almost immediately jumped into action. Heather was 10 years old then and she and Mike have been advocating, educating and spreading awareness of Rett syndrome ever since. Together with some passionate families Leslie and Mike founded the New Jersey Rett Syndrome Association. They have hosted several local seminars, family gatherings and fund-raising events. In 2011 NJRSA partnered with Monmouth University to create the Program for Rett Research and Support for Rett - they provide education and support and communication therapy for individuals with complex communication disorders. Through their work they are teaching graduate students about working with individuals who are nonspeaking and how to help them access augmentative communication. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Leslie. There are so many wonderful takeaways - resilience, strength, ups and downs, and perseverance. She started something from nothing and it’s a model for success. You can reach Leslie through email leslieg417@gmail.com and njrsa.org You can find me on instagram at theresabartolotta. And email me at safeharborpodcast@gmail.com to get on the mailing list to hear about updates. And visit my website for book recommendations and to listen to prior podcast episodes: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review the podcast- it helps others find us. Stay well and thanks for listening - I know your time is precious so I send my gratitude to you! Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

I am so excited to welcome Laura Will to the podcast. In the last episode I interviewed the co-founders of Know Rare - Nina and Jack Wachsman, and today I have an interview with Laura Will, who writes blogs about the parental experience for knowrare.com as well as leading their patient advocate team. This is a very special interview - Laura, a trained nurse practitioner, talks about her personal experience as mom to her 2-year-old son Alden who has a rare disease. She is a gifted writer and a poet and you’re in for a treat - she shares her beautiful poetry that will move you - I assure you. She also does volunteer work and has started a local support group in the Cape Cod Massachusetts area for parents of children with medical complexity or disability. Laura will inspire you with her actions to support families along with her moving words. Here's how to find her: Laura’s website: adragonmomswords.com And also look for Laura’s posts on the Know Rare blog - knowrare.com/blog You can connect with me by following me on: Instragram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor Podcast group Website: theresabartolotta.com where you can find my podcast episodes, books I recommend, and more to come! And email me at safeharborpodcast@gmail.com to get on my mailing list. Please rate and review the podcast- it helps others find us. Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

The Safe Harbor podcast is a show for parents of children with disabilities and people who love them. Your host is Theresa Bartolotta. This episode features an interview with Nina and Jake Wachsman, a mother and son team who started Know Rare, a company that supports individuals with rare diseases by helping them find clinical trials. Know Rare also provides information to support individuals and their families as they navigate the unique world of having a rare disease. Nina and Jake combined their professional talents with a personal mission to help individuals and you will find their story inspiring. The Know Rare website also has a terrific blog with stories about individual families, resources about living with a rare disease, and so much more. We will feature Lauren Will, an amazing poet, contributor to Know Rare, and mom to a son with a rare disease, in an upcoming episode. It is not to be missed! Here's a link to Know Rare: knowrare.org Update: Episode 8 featured an interview with Dawn Barclay, author of "Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse", a really helpful book for families planning vacations with their loved ones. The book has been released as of August 15, 2022. You'll find this book to be full of great tips and resources to help your family explore the world. Here's an Amazon associate's link to purchase the book - if you use this link I get a small commission that helps defray the cost of the podcast - https://amzn.to/3R15d93 You can also find the the link to purchase the book on theresabartolotta.com under Books or Podcast, Episode 8. Follow on instagram at theresabartolotta. And send an email to safeharborpodcast@gmail.com to get on the mailing list. Please rate and review the podcast- it helps others find us. Stay well and thanks for listening - I know your time is precious so I send my gratitude to you! Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

In this episode Theresa interviews sisters Anna and Ashley Moates, to learn about the amazing achievements of Anna, a young woman with Down Syndrome. Anna Moates is the co-author of Almost Twins, a book she wrote with her friend Anna Penland, about their friendship. In the book they talk about each of their strengths, they celebrate their differences, and they highlight the importance of inclusion for all. Anna is a graduate of the EAGLES Program at Auburn University, lives independently, and is about to start a new job at Bitty & Beau's coffee shop in Auburn AL. This company is known as advocates for the value, acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Ashley Moates, Anna's sister, is a speech-language pathologist at Tender Ones Therapy Services in Dacula and Gainesville, GA. Ashley earned both her Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders and Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Auburn University. Ashley was inspired to become a speech-language pathologist by her sister, Anna. Because of her life experience with Anna, she has a passion to help individuals with disabilities find their voice and be a part of providing them the tools they need to be heard. Anna and Ashley talk about Anna’s great achievements - for example, she was the first ever student with Down Syndrome in the Eagles program at Auburn. Anna also talks about how she met her best friend at Auburn, and how her book Almost Twins was conceived, written and published You can find Almost Twins on Amazon. Here's a link that will support the podcast with your purchase at no additional cost to you: https://amzn.to/3QptAgB Find out about the mission of Bitty & Beau's coffee here: Bitty & Beau's Coffee | It's More Than a Cup of Coffee (bittyandbeauscoffee.com) Please join our FB group - search Safe Harbor Podcast. Find me on instagram at theresabartolotta. And email me at safeharborpodcast@gmail.com to get on my mailing list. Please rate and review the podcast- it helps others find us. Stay well and thanks for listening - I know your time is precious so I send my gratitude to you! Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

In this episode, I speak with Joyce Wright, mother of Conor, a 31-year-old young man with Down syndrome. Their story is one of great joy and achievement! Joyce holds a doctorate in Nursing and is a professor at a NJ University. She’s a volunteer and a good friend and support to many and she shares her experiences today as a mom raising her young adult son. Conor works at No Limits Cafe in Middletown, NJ, an employer of young adults with developmental disabilities. They believe that everyone can be a contributing member of society. For Joyce's dissertation, she studied the experience of mothers learning their children had a disability. You will hear about Conor's experiences in school and the creative strategies Joyce used to teach Conor math. This is a story of overcoming barriers and finding meaning in life. Thanks for your support of the podcast - if you are a new listener, please check out our previous episodes. I do a combo of guest interviews and solo podcasts - I’ve had some great guests talk about such interesting topics - travel with children with disabilities, the special issues around siblings of children with disabilities, raising an adult with autism, and a talented dedicated advocate who has great tips for parents around special education and IEP time. I also have a new opportunity to share - I am hosting a workshop for mothers to help them step into abundance called "A New Dream: Realizing the Possibilities". This is a 6-week workshop with live Zoom calls that will empower and energize you! I am also offering a limited opportunity for individual coaching sessions. Email me at safeharborpodcast@gmail.com to get information and all the details!! We will start in August 2022. Please join our FB group - search Safe Harbor Podcast. We’ve got a good discussion going on. Find me on instagram at theresabartolotta. And email me at safeharborpodcast@gmail.com Please rate and review the podcast- it helps others find us. Stay well and thanks for listening - I know your time is precious so I send my gratitude to you! Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

Welcome to this the Safe Harbor podcast - a show for parents of children with disabilities. In this episode I talk about what I wish knew as a young mom learning that my child had a disability. The world and the future can look so dark, and the problems seem so big, at the start of this journey. There are many lessons learned over the years. Please give a listen and let me know your thoughts - did this resonate with you? What would you like to tell your younger self to make the journey easier? The Safe Harbor Podcast is dedicated to discussing the varied issues we address as parents - focusing on our lives and how we are changed as a result of our children. I believe we are better and stronger and have more insight and more to give the world having experienced our journey. My goal is to help empower parents and help - especially the moms - step into the greatness and possibility that is there for them. This is an abundant life - let’s embrace it and bring change to the world. The world needs our strength, our resilience, our power! Thanks for your support of the podcast - if you are a new listener, please check out our previous episodes. I do a combo of guest interviews and solo podcasts - I’ve had some great guests talk about such interesting topics - travel with children with disabilities, the special issues around siblings of children with disabilities, raising an adult with autism, and a talented dedicated advocate who has great tips for parents around special education and IEP time. In this episode I also announce a new opportunity - I am hosting a workshop for mothers to help them step into abundance called "A New Dream: Realizing the Possibilities". This is a 6 week workshop with live Zoom calls that will empower and energize you! I am also offering a limited opportunity for individual coaching sessions. Email me at safeharborpodcast@gmail.com to get information and all the details!! We will start in August 2022. Please join our FB group - search Safe Harbor Podcast. We’ve got a good discussion going on. Find me on instagram at theresabartolotta. And email me at safeharborpodcast@gmail.com Please rate and review the podcast- it helps others find us. Stay well and thanks for listening - I know your time is precious so I send my gratitude to you! Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

In this episode, your host Theresa Bartolotta talks with Dawn Barclay, whose book "Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse" will be released on August 15, 2022. Travel has been a huge challenge for my family in the past as it is for many families. Today you will hear my conversation with Dawn Barclay - author of an upcoming book Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse. Dawn is an award-winning author who has spent a career working in different aspects of the travel industry. She started as an agent with her parents’ firms, Barclay Travel Ltd and Barclay International Group Short-Term Apartment Rentals, and then branched out into travel trade reporting with senior or contributing editor positions at Travel Agent Magazine, Travel Life, Travel Market Report, and most recently, Insider Travel Report. She is a mother of two and resides in New York’s scenic Hudson Valley. This conversation is loaded with tips for families to reduce stress and engage in enjoyable enriching experiences for the whole family. Please look for Dawn’s book wherever you shop for books- you can preorder now. You can find Dawn here: Dawn M. Barclay - Contributing Editor Insidertravelreport; www.travelingdifferent.com; www.dawnbarclayink.com Writing fiction as D.M. Barr www.dmbarr.com Please join our FB group - search Safe Harbor Podcast. We’ve got a good discussion going on. Find me on instagram at theresabartolotta. And email me at safeharborpodcast@gmail.com I’ll be reaching out with some exciting offers in the near future, so you’ll want to hear what’s happening!!! Please rate and review the podcast- it helps others find us. Stay well and thanks for listening - I know your time is precious so I send my gratitude to you! Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

In this episode your host Theresa Bartolotta speaks with Christine Reilly, who works to help parents advocate for their children with disabilities in the special education space. Christine Reilly is a mom of 4 girls, a teacher of students with Visual Impairments and Assistive Technology Specialist, and an IEP Coach. She has been in the Special Education field for over 20 years and is a lifelong learner. Christine spent time training and volunteering. at the Federation for Children with Special Needs to increase her knowledge in advocating for students with special needs. When she walks into her own children’s IEP meetings - she brings a treat and a thank you. While she’s ready to work with the educators to determine the goals and benchmarks she knows she is the expert of her children. In her work, Christine is making a change to the IEP and 504 process for parents so they do not have to feel lost or like they need a special education degree. It is a collaborative approach, where parents understand the resources that are available for their child, they are seen as the expert of their child, and are an equal member at the IEP table. You can find Christine here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christine.reilly.397 Instagram: @christine4tech Podcast: SPED Talk: Leveling the Playing Field Email: Christine@christine-reilly.com Christine has two free benefits for you - a free IEP Parent Checklist at https://bit.ly/IEP-Checklist and a Free 20-minute Steps to School Success Call https://calendly.com/christine-reilly-ed/20min Please join our FB group - search Safe Harbor Podcast. We’ve got a good discussion going on. Find me on instagram at theresabartolotta. And email me at safeharborpodcast@gmail.com I’ll be reaching out with some exciting offers in the near future, so you’ll want to hear what’s happening!!! Please rate and review the podcast- it helps others find us. Stay well and thanks for listening - I know your time is precious so I send my gratitude to you! Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

Theresa is back after a brief break with a solo episode. She talks about the three phases of life once you have a child with a disability: the time before the diagnosis, the present time, and the future. We were different people before the diagnosis, with dreams and visions. Then the diagnosis comes, and we are forever changed. In the present, we are here, and we are stronger and better than before! But often we are so busy caring for others, under tons of stress, and our current ability to function is compromised. We need to care for ourselves for now and for the future. How can we add in time to do what's good for us (e.g., meditation, exercise)? And how can we plan for the future and realize our goals and bring brilliance and abundance to the world. Theresa's put together a worksheet to write down our former goals, consider our current actions, and what we can do now to plan an amazing future. Join the Safe Harbor Podcast group to get a copy. Or email Theresa at safeharborpodcast@gmail.com to get on the mailing list and get a copy!! Thanks for listening!!! Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

In this episode Theresa talks with Sue Levine, Social Worker, and Co-Founder of Family Resource Associates in Red Bank, New Jersey. FRA is a not for profit agency that provides services to people with disabilities across the lifespan, helping them realize their great potential. Sue has spent her entire professional career working with children with disabilities and their families. She has conducted support programs for parents and siblings of children with differing abilities since 1979. Among those programs, Susan has coordinated support groups specifically for parents of children with Down syndrome. She has presented on the needs of siblings at national and regional conferences on Down syndrome, spina bifida, and Rett syndrome, as well as for New Jersey school system parent groups. This episode is packed with information about the special needs of siblings of children with disabilities. Sue emphasizes that siblings need three things: 1) information about their sibling's disability; 2) to be able to express a range of emotions safely; and 3) strategies to solve the problems they are experiencing. Sue offers great tips and provides lots of resources for families. Here are links to the resources discussed in the episode: You can find Family Resource Associates at: Family Resource Associates Sue has co-authored “Fasten Your Seatbelt: A Crash Course on Down Syndrome for Brothers and Sisters” with Dr. Brian Skotko. This book, along with other specialty books related to children with special needs, is currently available at www.Woodbinehouse.com. FYI, this publisher may be going out of business later in 2022. The Sibling Leadership Network | Siblings of people with disabilities is the national sibling network for adult siblings Levine and Skotko also have develop a sibling program which is available here: Down Syndrome Workshops for Siblings (siblingslearnaboutdownsyndrome.com) . As Sue discusses in the webinar, this is not just applicable to siblings of individuals with Down syndrome but can be adapted to any group. Don Meyer, author of the book "Sibshops", has a website www.siblingsupport.org that may be of interest. Please join us over in the Safe Harbor Podcast group on Facebook, and email Theresa at safeharborpodcast@gmail.com to get on the mailing list and learn about upcoming projects. Also rate and review the podcast to help others find it. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Thanks for listening!! Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

In this episode Theresa talks about the different types of fear we feel. The first is the type of fear we experience when we or a loved one are in danger. Parents living with children with special needs can experience fear a lot, due to medical, emotional or educational issues that lead to stress and worry. This constant state of fear can be harmful so Theresa talks about some strategies to help mitigate those fears. The second type of fear is the fear we feel when we experience something overwhelming and big, like a new job or a new opportunity. This fear can make us hesitant to step into the greatness and possibility in front of us. Theresa talks about how to recognize those fears that show up and hold us back from moving into our callings and realizing what we are meant to do. Finally, there's a review of Pearl S. Buck's book, The Child Who Never Grew, an autobiography of the famed writer's daughter who lived with developmental disabilities in the early-to-mid 20th century. A beautifully written story, we are reminded of how far we've come in providing services to people with disabilities and helping them realize their great potential. Please join us over in the Safe Harbor Podcast group on Facebook, and email Theresa at safeharborpodcast@gmail.com to get on the mailing list and learn about upcoming projects. Also rate and review the podcast to help others find it. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Thanks for listening!! Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.

Safe Harbor is a podcast for parents of children with special needs and anyone who loves someone who is a parent of a special child. In this episode, host Theresa Bartolotta talks with Patty Shannon, mom to a terrific young man, Tom, who has autism. In this wide-ranging conversation, Patty talks about how her son was able to go off to college, live on his own, and how she, her husband, and Tom all transitioned to another state as part of the family's long-term plan. Topics like maintaining a career, funding services, finances, guardianship and trying to plan for the future are discussed. Patty also reflects on the struggles she had as a young mother and what she would tell herself now, from the lens of living well with her child with autism for over 3 decades. Patty has so much experience to share - please enjoy the episode and share with anyone who might need to hear this content! Please join us over in the Safe Harbor Podcast group on Facebook to continue the discussion, and email Theresa at safeharborpodcast@gmail.com to get on the mailing list for new projects, updates, etc. Please subscribe to this podcast so you are notified when a new episode drops! Come share your thoughts in the Safe Harbor Facebook group. And find me on: Instagram: @theresabartolotta Facebook: Safe Harbor: A Podcast for Parents of Children with Special Needs Website: https://www.theresabartolotta.com/ Please rate and review - it helps others find us. And thank you for listening! I know your time is precious and I send my gratitude to you.