We took the summer off from podcasting to get moved and settled into our new building. There’s a lot of fun activities kicking off this month and we want to share all about them.
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In this episode of ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild Holly is joined by the Executive Director of the Arc of Spokane, Sima Thorpe. Sima is here to tell us all about The Arc of Spokane and introduces us to two of her most recent hires, Jennifer and Maria. Together this group discusses the different programs available to families in our area and how we plan to work together to help meet the needs of the developmentally disabled populations in Spokane and extending into our rural areas.
Questions on resources and services:
For Spokane Parent to Parent Resources:
Maria Jennings
509-789-8797
Facebook: Parent to Parent of Spokane County | Facebook
For Pend Orielle and Stevens County Parent to Parent Resources:
Micaela Herman
509-789-8782
Parent to Parent of Stevens and Pend Oreille Counties | Facebook
Sexual Abuse Prevention Training
Jim Lane
509-789-8325
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In this special episode of ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild, Holly is joined by her very own son, Caleb. Caleb is 13 years old and was diagnosed with autism when he was very young, in fact during this episode he reveals that he does not remember a time when he was not in therapy. Listen is as Holly discusses with Caleb; what autism means to him, what he notices in his day to day life as a child with autism, his likes/dislikes and specifically where some of them stem from, and so much more!
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In this episode of ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild Podcast Holly was joined by Jim Matthews, Executive Director of SOAR Behavior Services. SOAR is a prominent ABA provider in Spokane with locations across the state of Washington, in Idaho, and Nevada. We discuss how SOAR was founded and the services they provide. We also delve into issues concerning wait lists, staff turnover, and the politics involved in home vs school ABA settings.
About Jim Matthews
Jim Matthews holds four Bachelor’s degrees from the University of California, Irvine and two Masters degrees in Educational Psychology and School Psychology from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. Jim is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP). Throughout his two decades of working in ABA, he has worked with thousands of children and families both in schools and in private practice. Jim lives in Spokane WA. Professionally, Jim has dedicated his life to helping all people with disabilities. He is deeply passionate about helping people who are most in need during the time when they most need it. He feels strongly that ABA can confer meaningful lifelong skills that both enrich and enhance the quality of life for individuals with disabilities.
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This week on ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild our host Holly is joined by another VERY special guest, her son Tyler. Tyler is 17 years old and was the only child in the family to have spent time with Isaac as they were only 11 months apart in age.
Tyler is an aggressive advocate for those with autism and other special needs. He is very close to his brother Caleb and acts as a mentor to him which, as a 17 year old young man, comes with its pros and cons 🙂 We joke, but you will hear throughout this episode, what a passionate and kind young man Tyler is.
We discuss Tyler’s early memories of Isaac, how the ISAAC Foundation has impacted him throughout the years, and the struggles that he has experienced. Take a listen, we are sure you will be inspired by some of the charismatic gems of wisdom Tyler shares in-between the curse words.
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This week on ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild our host Holly is joined by a VERY special guest, her daughter Kelly. Kelly is 11 years old and has been raised in an “autism house” since day one. Her older brother Caleb (13yrs) has ASD 1 and now through Holly’s recent marriage she has gained an 18 year old step-brother, Cooper, who is more significantly impacted.
On this episode we discuss what life is like as a neuro-typical kid in a home where autism is present. As Kelly will divulge it is not all roses and sunshine, despite that, Kelly has a very optimistic view of her life and the challenges autism presents in general. Kelly is a very kind, empathetic young woman that is a fierce advocate for her brothers. She discusses the issues that have arisen as a result of autism, how she has dealt with those issues, as well as what she sees in the future for herself and her brothers with autism.
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In this episode we are joined by Desiree Kameka Galloway of The Autism Housing Network. Holly had first learned of their work as well as the Madison House Autism Foundation a few years back while attending a conference about “Life After High School.” Holly was so impressed with Desiree’s presentation and has used their site as a reference to our families for years. The ISAAC Foundation has been receiving more and more calls from parents regarding concerns for long term living situations for their adult children in recent years so we reached out to Desiree to see if she could explain some of the housing options that exist and what the Autism Housing Network can do to help families as they determine the long term plans for their loved ones.
Contact Info:
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Join us for a special episode of ISAAC’S Autism in the wild, our 100th episode!
To commemorate we held our first group in-person podcast recording since before the pandemic. It was amazing to see people’s faces again and enjoy some of the camaraderie we have been missing out on (including opening up some One Tree Cider).
For this episode we are joined by parents: David, Michelle, Maria, Angela, Chevy, and Karly, some of the voices you regularly hear and a few newer ladies we know you love! Full Disclosure-with a group this size we barely got through introductions before we had to wrap–so this is a two part special! Listen in to this part and part two which will be available immediately!
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In this episode we are joined by two moms that both have young-adult children that are preparing to launch towards independence. Phara has a 23 year year old son and is currently preparing for their second-attempt at launching her son into independent living. Gerriann has an 18 year old son who is just graduating high school and will be continuing in the school system through a transition program.
We discuss with each parent the issues they are facing, the barriers to employment/living situations they are encountering, and the programs they have been utilizing to make positive progress. We also have a conversation about the needs of the parents and the importance of finding a support network and planning for the future.
If you have questions for any of our guests, please feel free to email us at hello@theisaacfoundation.org and we would be happy to get you in contact with them!
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Do you have a child that just hates taking their medication? Then this is the episode for you! We are joined by Amanda Hansen, a local special needs mom and friend to the ISAAC Foundation, to discuss the creative avenues she has found to administer medication to her son Trevin. Listen in to learn some of the tricks she and Holly have learned over the years and laugh along with these mom’s as they discuss the trials that did not end so well.
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