Adult Special Needs Caregiving | Find Adult Special Needs Resources, Caregiver Community Support, Disabilities Care, Special Needs Parenting, Life-long Carer, Special Needs Advocates
Are you a caregiver trying to figure out what life looks like for your adult child or loved one with special needs? You've found your people. Adult Special Needs Caregiving is the podcast for parents, family members, and carers who are navigating the world of adult disability care and services. Host Jenny Olson is a mom of five, including a young adult son with autism and intellectual disabilities who will need lifelong care. She gets it because she's living it too. This show is your go-to resource for real answers on adult special needs support, disability services, and caregiver community. Whether you're just starting to figure out the transition from school to adulthood, or you've been in the trenches for years, this podcast was made for you. Every week, Jenny tackles the topics that other shows skip over. Think SSI versus SSDI, Medicaid waivers, special needs trusts, guardianship versus power of attorney, how to find disability-friendly doctors, and what to do when your waiver application gets denied. She also covers the stuff that hits close to home, like what caregiving stress does to your marriage and family, how to talk to siblings about future care plans, and how to take care of yourself without the guilt. You'll hear honest stories from other special needs caregivers who have been where you are. You'll get expert interviews from people who actually know these systems. And you'll walk away with real, practical resources you can use right away. If you've ever googled "how to apply for SSI" at 2am, cried in your car because no one understands, or felt totally lost trying to find disability services and support for your adult child, this podcast is for you. The special needs cliff is real. The confusion is real. But so is the help, and we are going to find it together. This is more than a podcast. It's a community of caregivers who truly get what this life is like. You are not alone, and you are doing better than you think. Subscribe now and join a growing community of special needs carers, parents, and disability advocates. New episodes drop every week. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adult.special.needs.caregiving
Episodes
13 | Worried about Elopement? Free Safety Programs and Registries for Wandering, Elopement, and Emergencies for Special Needs Children and Adults Every Family Should Know
In this solo episode of Adult Special Needs Caregiving, host Jenny Olson shares some of the best free safety programs and registries for families caring for a child or adult with autism, Down syndrome, dementia, intellectual and developmental disorders, and ...
12 | How the VizyPlan App is Helping Autism Families Navigate Daily Routines with Founder Justin Bowman
In this episode of Adult Special Needs Caregiving, host Jenny Olson talks with Justin Bowman, founder and CEO of VizyPlan, a visual routine and planner app for kids and adults with autism, ADHD, and other special needs. Justin shares the story of his son Sawyer's autism diagnosis and how his own family's struggles with meltdowns,...
11 | When an Adult Sibling Becomes the Caregiver: conversation with Stefanie Hennes about Ralph’s Law and Advocacy In this episode of Adult Special Needs Caregiving, host Jenny Olson sits down with Stefanie Hennes, a sibling caregiver who stepped up to care for her brother Ralph, who has autism and an intellectual disability. Stefanie shares what it was really like moving Ralph across state lines to live with her family afte...
10 | Life Skills and Vocational Training for Special Needs Adults After Graduation Through Transition Programs Did you know your special needs child may be eligible for a free post high school transition program through their school district? Most families never find out until it is too late. Host Jenny Olson is here to change that. In this episode, she breaks down what extended school year services and transition programs are, ho...
9 | Feeling Unprepared for Special Needs Adulthood? A Conversation with Candace Ridley of Mom’N Real Hard
This episode is a little different and we are so excited to share it with you. Host Jenny Olson was recently a guest on Candace Ridley's YouTube show Mom'N Real Hard, and the conversation was so good that it had to come to this podcast too. Candace is a fellow special needs mom to her son Lyric, and together she and Jenny...
8 | A Letter of Gratitude Honoring Fathers and Father Figures in Special Needs Caregiving for Father’s Day This Father's Day episode is a little different from our usual topics, and in the best possible way. Host Jenny Olson takes a step back from the world of SSI, Medicaid waivers, and guardianship paperwork to do something that does not happen nearly enough...
Episode 7: Step by Step Guide for Legal Guardianship for Special Needs Adults and Tips for Caregivers
If your special needs child is getting close to 18 and you are trying to figure out guardianship, this episode is exactly what you need. Host Jenny Olson shares the real, step by step experience of going through the legal adult guardianship process with her husband for their son Ben, who has autism and an intellectual disability. T...
6 | SSI, SSDI, Medicaid & Medicare Disability Benefits Guide for Special Needs Families with Certified Benefits Specialist Amber Lydford
If you have ever felt completely lost trying to figure out SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, Medicare, or vocational rehabilitation for your special needs child or adult loved one, this episode is going to be a game changer. Host Jenny Olson sits down with Amber Lydford, a Nationally Certified Benefits Spe...
Single Dad Caregiver Burnout While Raising 3 Autistic Sons: A talk with Rob Gorski, the Autism Dad
If you are a special needs caregiver who has ever felt completely alone in this journey, this episode is for you. Host Jenny Olson sits down with Rob Gorski, known online as The Autism Dad, who has been raising three sons with autism largely on his own for over a decade. Rob is also a blogger, podcaster, and soon to be published aut...
Special Needs Transition Checklist To Do Before Your Child Turns 18
If your child with special needs is getting close to 18, this episode is a must listen. Host Jenny Olson breaks down five things every special needs caregiver, parent, and carer should know and do before t...
Six Ways to Find and Give Support as a Special Needs Caregiver
Finding support as a special needs caregiver can feel impossible, especially when you're in the middle of the transition from childhood to adulthood and feel like you're figuring it all out alone. In this episode of Adult Special Needs Caregiving, host Jenny Olson shares six practical and real ways that caregivers, parents, and disability families can find help, build c...
If your child has apraxia, a speech disorder, or any kind of communication delay, this episode is for you. Host Jenny Olson sits down with Laura Smith, a speech language pathologist who specializes in childhood apraxia of speech and is also a special needs parent herself. Laura's daughter Ashlynn has apraxia and intellectual disabilities, which means she brings both professional knowledge and real caregiver experience to this conve...
Our Autism Journey: Diagnosis, Therapy, and Life After High School with Special Needs
If you're a parent or carer of an adult with special needs, the transition from childhood to adulthood can feel like stepping off a cliff. The IEPs end, the school support disappears, and suddenly you're on your own trying to figure out disability services, Medicaid w...
If you're a caregiver of an adult with special needs, finding real answers feels impossible. Host Jenny Olson created this podcast because she's living it too. Her son has autism and intellectual disabilities and she's facing the same questions you are. SSI, Medicaid waivers, guardianship, and so much more. This is your weekly resource for real resources and caregiver community. Subscribe and leave a review so other special needs f...
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