Explore every episode of the podcast Raising Disabled
Dive into the complete episode list for Raising Disabled. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
In this episode, we share Deonna's family's experience at Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first ultra-accessible theme park located in San Antonio, Texas.
Specializing in working with children with disabilities, Kevin shares his unique approach that combines play-based therapy, music therapy, and interactive techniques to help children have a great speech therapy experience.
We talk about:
Play-Based Speech Therapy: He shares about how incorporating games, toys, and imaginative play can engage children with speech delays, making therapy fun and effective.
Music as a Therapy Tool: He talks about how rhythm, singing, and musical instruments can stimulate speech and language development, particularly in children with autism and other developmental disabilities.
Sensory Haircuts: He shares about why he gives some of his clients haircuts and gives some tips for parents if their child has a difficult time in the barber chair.
Whether you're a parent, caregiver, speech therapist, or educator, this episode is packed with practical advice to support children with disabilities on their communication journey.
In this episode of Raising Disabled, we talk about one of the most frustrating questions parents of disabled children hear: "When will they be better?"
We discuss:
why this question is harmful,
how it reflects some of our society's misconceptions about disability,
and the emotional toll it takes on families.
We hope to redefine what it means to live with and love a disabled child, emphasizing acceptance over expectations. Whether you're a parent, friend, or ally, this episode will help you understand why focusing on "fixing" isn't the right approach and how you can be a better advocate.
If you like this episode, check out these past "Dumb Things People Say" episodes:
In this episode of Raising Disabled we talk to Jessica Patay about: raising her son Ryan, her book and podcast We Are Brave Together, and her caregiver retreats.
In this episode we talked with Allison Childress, Shannon Galyean, and Michelle Alcorn of 3 CulinaryMed Docs about their app My Partner Sam.
My Partner Sam is a culinary medicine app that creates customized medically tailored meal plans for people with chronic conditions, specifically for those who have multiple chronic conditions.
To learn more about their mission, visit their website to learn about how their app could benefit your disabled child and family's health.
Please subscribe, leave a review, and follow us on social media to know about upcoming episodes and to participate in this podcast.
In this episode, we look back at our favorite moments from the first year of Raising Disabled. Thank you so much to every single person who has listened!
In this episode we talk with Licensed Counselor Deanna Dawson of Springs Therapy about: what anger actually is, how to identify it and recognize triggers, and TONS of useful tips when your disabled child or you as the parent get angry.
At our house, my daughter is in her Zing Stander all the time. She loves to get in it and play video games, read, and play on her computer. Zing Standers are designed to offer more than just support. They pave the way for crucial early intervention therapy.
From helping develop strength and balance, joint development, to improving circulation and digestion, standing frames can be an essential part of therapy plans promoting holistic growth and development. With customizable support and positioning options, a Zing Stander can cater to any child's positioning needs.
In this episode we are talking about the common phrase "God Gives Special Kids to Special People" and are discussing how parents of disabled kids feel when people say this to them and what you could say instead.
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On this episode we talk with Licensed Therapist and Disability Parent/Advocate Amanda Griffith Atkins and she answers these questions from our listeners:
Why do we as parents feel guilty when we take time for ourselves/self-care?
What can we do if we feel guilty about our child’s injury or diagnosis?
What do you say to people who have guilt about what happened to their baby in utero?
What do you say to parents who feel that they need more hours in the day and they aren’t doing enough for their child?
How do we deal with guilt that we can't spend as much time with our typical kids?
What advice to do you have for parents who have to facilitate painful procedures that may cause pain without feeling guilty about it?
What do you say to parents who feel guilty over their birth trauma and not having that natural mom/baby bonding time?
What do you tell moms who feel guilty about making their kids do SO many things every day and not having any room to be spontaneous?
What do you tell parents who feel like they can't ask for help?
What would you say to a mom or dad who feels guilty while at work?
What advice do you have for parents who feel like they can't afford something that would make their child's life better?
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Deonna's kids have been counseled by Deanna at The Springs Therapy and it made a HUGE difference in their sleep, behavior, and anxiety. They also gave us the tools that we needed to continue that therapy at home.
What sets them apart is that they have a therapist that works specifically with families of disabled children, as well as the child with the disability.
The Springs Therapy group meets the diverse needs of clients by having therapists with different specialties.
They counsel people of all ages, and offer group therapy options, support groups, parenting classes, and offer tele-heath in Texas.
Check out their website at thespringstherapy.com and tell them Raising Disabled Podcast sent you.
Please subscribe, leave a review, and follow us on social media to know about upcoming episodes and to participate in this podcast.
In this episode, we are sharing A LOT of gift ideas for disabled kids. These ideas are from us, our kids, our Raising Disabled Parent Group (ask us how you can join and help with future episodes) and our listeners.
We talked about so many great ideas for kids with so many different disabilities but here are some of the specific ones that we love with links:
In this episode we are talking to Katie from Child Life On Call. Katie is the CEO and Founder of Child Life On Call, an app, podcast, and website dedicated to closing the resource gap through the intersection of child life services and technology.
We discuss:
how to support the siblings of disabled children,
what a child life specialist is,
and how to support your local child life specialists.
Here are some links that were mentioned in the show:
In this episode we're talking with Danielle Rose about her journey Raising Disabled with her son, Barron. Barron was born in 2022 and has microcephaly and lissencephaly.
Danielle walks us through
when they found out about his disability,
how her faith has grown since becoming a parent of a disabled child,
how they navigate life now,
and so much more.
Please subscribe, leave a review, and follow us on social media to know about upcoming episodes and to participate in this podcast.
In this episode we talk to Abbey Luckett Benjamin from Louisiana about raising her daughter Avery.
We talk about her daughter's diagnosis of Adenylosuccinate Lyase Deficiency or ADSL, her seizures, living with a medically complex child in a rural area, Avery participating in dance classes, and how she finds joy in the midst of trials.
This is Part 1 of a new series - Dumb Things People Say. We will periodically launch parts to this series throughout our episodes. This is to bring awareness to how triggering words can be to people in certain circumstances.
You've heard it before or maybe you've said it before - Everything Happens for a Reason! On this episode, we dive into this quote and talk about why it's not something that should be said to someone going through a tough situation.
We talk about our own situations and other caregivers, who are Raising Disabled insight on the subject. We hope you enjoy listening and can take something from this episode.
Please subscribe, leave a review, and follow us on social media to know about upcoming episodes and to participate in this podcast.
In this episode, we are talking about moments in our “Raising Disabled” journey when he felt like God made something huge happened that may have seemed bad at the time, but altered the future of our daughter’s lives for the good.
Please subscribe, leave a review, and follow us on social media to know about upcoming episodes and to participate in this podcast.
This episode we're talking with Amber Teal about her journey Raising Disabled with her son, Henry. Henry has Duane-radial ray syndrome. Amber walks us through when they found out about his disability, the many surgeries he's had and plans to have, how they navigate life now, and so much more.
Amber's light shines bright and we can tell Henry has added so much flame to her fire. Tune in to be inspired by this woman of grace and joy.
In this episode of Raising Disabled we are discussing how to navigate summertime with a disabled child. Summer is challenging for families with disabled children, and we talk through triggers, tips, trips, and making the best of this time of year. We also encourage all caregivers, for their mental health, whether Raising Disabled or not, to consciously take a moment away from the caretaker role.
We shout out a few amazing places that provide inclusion that we know about, and a few local facilities in our hometown. We also mention Wheel The World for inclusive destination vacations.
In this episode of Raising Disabled we are talking about the differences between parenting a child that was disabled from birth vs. a child with an acquired disability.
With Rhandyl's experience with a birth disability and Deonna's experience with her daughter becoming paralyzed at age 4, we share our insights on the initial shock of finding out, how that affected our families, and the acceptance of our kid's disabilities.
We also talk about the poem "Holland" by Emily Perl Kingsley so we added that here:
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.
copyright 1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved.
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In this episode we (Deonna and Rhandyl) introduce ourselves and talk about why we started "Raising Disabled."
We talk about who we are making Raising Disabled for:
Parents of disabled children
People that want to advocate for the disabled community
In the next episode, we are going to be hearing Rhandyl's story about when she began her journey in parenting a disabled child.
Special thanks to LOVE LAW FIRM for getting our podcast set up the right way. If you live in NY, and are setting up a podcast, Francine is your attorney!
Thank you to Andrew Barefoot for the intro music and allowing us to use his song "Everybody Belongs" at the end of our podcast. It is PERFECT for Raising Disabled!
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Hey y'all! We're Deonna and Rhandyl and this is Raising Disabled where we openly talk about parenting our disabled kids and the challenges and triumphs that we've experienced along the way.
If you are a parent of a disabled child or have wondered what it's actually like and want to make sure EVERYBODY BELONGS, you're in the right place.
Please subscribe to Raising Disabled to have some fun with us as we discuss the extreme highs and lows that we and our guests have experienced firsthand living this different life that we love.
Please subscribe, leave a review, and follow us on social media to know about upcoming episodes and to participate in this podcast.
In this episode, we share our goals for 2025 from us and our amazing listeners. We also share our goals for the Raising Disabled Podcast for this year and a few guests that we would love to have on the show very soon!
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In this episode, Rhandyl and Deonna share about their holiday break, Stuff the Van with Allie and Cole, their daughter's favorite gifts, and what to expect in Season 3 of the podcast!
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In this episode, we're talking about thoughtful, accessible Christmas gift ideas tailored for kids with disabilities. We share our favorites and share ideas from our listeners too!
Key Takeaways:
When selecting gifts for disabled kids, prioritize their interests and abilities.
Ask the parents or caregivers to ensure the gift is appropriate.
Take basic everyday items and make them personal and fun.
Think outside of the box with subscriptions, sensory toys, or experiences.