Festivus for the Rest of Us
Embracing Holland
Christmas is over, and so is Hanukkah. And we may have missed the official date for Festivus, December 23rd, but is there ever really a bad time to air grievances? Of course not. And we have plenty of them. Join us as we share all the things that grind our gears in the special needs world. This is not an episode of solutions, but rather a space to recognize all the things that drive us batty and a place for you to know that we see you from our side of the trench. Happy Festivus!
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Favorite Things Round 3
Embracing Holland
Join us as we explore all of the things giving us life and the things that could make great gifts for the people in your orbit, or yourself! Emphasis on yourself. We cover everything from tools and audiobooks to amazing water bottles, skincare for aging and acne-prone skin, items for dads, items only an autism parent would understand, and some of the people on the internet who do content we love! Meg’s Sanity Helpers: Roku Remotes Portion Cups Multicharging Cables Spot Carpet Cleaner Snag Tool Clothesline Tiles Angie’s Auditory Love: Ragey Spotify Playlist Life Changing...
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The Doctor is In
Embracing Holland
After a three year hiatus, Angie and Meg are back, and this time, Angie is in the hot seat. After completing her doctorate, Angie is here to share with us how and why she did it, and what it all means. You’ll find out about her research which was dedicated to learning about caregivers who started businesses with and for their children with intellectual and developmental disabilities to provide a pathway to meaningful employment. Truly, her work was an extension of idea behind this podcast. Tune in and find out what she learned about caregivers and herself! If you’d like to learn about the...
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A Postcard From Holland
Embracing Holland
We are still here, and we have both missed you all.
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Finding Hope in the Desert with Christina Adams
Embracing Holland
Christina Adams, journalist, writer, disability advocate, and camel milk investigator, shares with us her powerful early intervention story of her son with autism and how she was able to help him through diet and camels. She outlines what she calls her “crazy camel journey” and how her research and travels to Isreal took her to a place of healing. She shares her website with us as a resource that details how camel’s milk can help several conditions, from allergies and gut issues to neurodevelopmental issues. Join us as we learn about the amazing qualities of camels and how their milk can...
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A Cure for Austin with Hannah Lowe
Embracing Holland
Join us as we talk to Hannah Lowe, founder of the L-CMD Foundation and mother to Austin, who has LMNA-related congenital muscular dystrophy. Like many rare disease families we've talked to, her son's condition was caused by a random genetic mutation. There is no treatment or cure, and given how rare it is, they are unsure about his prognosis or life expectancy, making the mission even more urgent. The L-CMD Foundation she started inspires hope for a stronger tomorrow by seeking treatments and, ultimately, a cure. We talk about balancing grief with action, and Hannah exemplifies this in her...
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Hard Landings with Cammie McGovern
Embracing Holland
If you’ve ever worried about what adulthood might look like after high school or you’ve ever been inspired to create a meaningful space for your child to spend adulthood, tune in to our interview with critically acclaimed author, Cammie McGovern. Cammie McGovern was awarded a creative writing fellowship at Stanford University, and has received numerous prizes for her short fiction. Her stories have appeared in many magazines including Glamour, Ladies Home Journal, Redbook and Seventeen , and she is the author of another novel, The Art of Seeing. She lives in Amherst,...
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Enjoying Your Child with Leylani Cardoso
Embracing Holland
This week we chat with Leylani Cardoso, warrior parent, and mother of Sophia, her daughter with Down Syndrome. Leylani and her family helped Sophia bring her passion for food and entertaining to life by creating the YouTube Channel
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Embracing Autism with Lia McCabe
Embracing Holland
For this episode, we share with you another Maryland parent and fellow autism mom, Lia McCabe, who started AutismWish.org which seeks to fulfill the wish lists of families across the country without all of the red tape of government programs. She and her husband also host a podcast called Embracing Autism, which is child focus and helps parents to understand and embrace their neurodiverse children. Give it a listen, follow, and subscribe to support their mission of helping families in the face of fear and the unknown. We talk about: Neurodivergent parenting Empathizing with...
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Caring for the Caregiver with Rory Lawrence
Embracing Holland
This episode is all about taking care of the caregiver. Rory Lawrence, mother of a child with complex medical needs and staff member with David’s Refuge, talks with us about the organization she works for that pours into parents turned caregivers, and how she and her husband have found meaningful respite. We also talk about practical ways to weave in self-care that don’t require a sitter but can actually make a difference. Links Rory’s Email -
info_outlineShelley Kramm went from designer to special needs mom, to advocate then to non profit organization founder, then blogger, and she shares with us how she made her way through each of those roles as she focused on inclusive play and empowering women.
We talk about:
- Finding out her daughter has cerebral palsy
- Her transformation from mom to special needs mom
- Discovering the need for inclusive play spaces
- Putting her landscape design and architecture degree to use
- Deciding to start a non profit so all kids could have a place to play
- Making the connections to make her dream a reality
- Raising a million dollars for her park
- The birth of Hadley’s Park
- How over 50 parks were built in the mid atlantic area to serve everyone
- What exactly an inclusive park is and how it caters to all, no matter the disability
- Pivoting from one organization to another project, The DC Ladies
- Deriving joy from empowering women
- The shock of becoming a single parent
- Creating an online community for special needs moms
Links
Shane's Inspiration - Inclusive Play
Washington Post Article - A Playground for Hadley
I am Able - How Sarah Kramm advocated for her sister
Social Media
IG - @SEKramm
FB - Becoming Shelley
Special Needs Moms of Montgomery County - Facebook Page
Special Needs Moms of Montgomery County - Private Facebook Page