Navigating Neurodiversity

A conversation with Tracy Wright, the Deputy  Director of Training, Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities, People On the Go, Maryland, with Arc So MD podcast host, Rita Rich.
While we're enjoying the fireworks and the cookouts, remember that educating others about disability rights and the abilities of the IDD community is still a great topic of discussion on American Independence Day.  
Photos: Tracy Wright and People on The Go Maryland.
https://www.pogmd.org/anti-fascism-training
https://www.pogmd.org/
https://arcsomd.org/ 

Communications skills, or using one's voice, adaptive technology, mobile apps, and the written word, have been emphasized in recent See Me, See My Ability Podcasts.This episode, Horses Know Us Best, a visit to the Greenwell Foundation in Hollywood, Maryland, is all about horses' magical abilities to know what we want and need without using any sounds. For many in the IDD community, this is a godsend. The director of Equestrian programs at the Greenwell Foundation Melisa Kennedy, explains what makes the human/horse relationship special and beneficial.
 
Photo credits:
Photos of Belle in Episode Art, Melisa Kennedy
Photo of Ms. Kennedy, Danielle Barber
Greenwell Foundation on Facebook.
#IDD #Equestriaan #Therapy #Horses 
Mr. Ed Theme, used for educational purposes.
#arcsomd.org #nonprofit

Meet advocates and Arc allies, Lance McLemore is a member of ImpAACt Voices’ Board of Directors, and ImpAACt Voices volunteer and advocate Chris Klein, who recently authored a book titled My Big Toe: A Story of Perseverance. There's a reason why ImpAACt is spelled with two letter A's in the middle, as well as a capital C. Those A's stand for Augmentative Alternative and the "C" stands for Communication-such as devices and technology. Both of our guests have physical disabilities that affect their ability to speak, and they have plenty to say about their community of AAC users.  Click here to learn more about ImpAACt Voices. Much thanks to the President and the operations manager of ImpAACt voices, Jessica Ingle, for helping to set up our special Zoom session.
 
#listen
#impaactvoices
#Educate
#Advocate
#patience
 

There's nothing that puts the brakes on your social life like not having some wheels at your disposal. But, the participants of Arc Southern Maryland, thanks to generous grants from The Rural Maryland Council (RMC) and the Maryland Department of Aging, have wheels. It's called the Ability Cab. Two St. Mary's County residents are in love and have grown their relationship thanks to the Ability Cab. You have to reserve it in advance.  Listen to how this pair says it's been an important part of their time together and how they'll continue to use it.
Meet 29-year-old Christopher Reed and 38-year-old Tracey Norris.
Contact Renee Seigley at the Arc Southern Maryland for more information about using the Ability Cab.
Thank you for your gifts and grants to the Arc Southern Maryland.  We put your dollars to work to keep our people engaged and involved in communities. 
 

The IDD community loves to be social and together. But, sometimes those with intellectual or developmental disabilities have problems picking up on when people are flirting with them, or want to have a conversation with them, or just want to hang out. If you’ve ever watched programs on cable TV featuring those on the Spectrum, you’ll be interested in this podcast. It’s about the people who advise that show, and train hundreds the skills they need to get conversations, and hopefully, friendships started with others. Our guest is, Elina Veytsman, PhD, Licensed Psychologist and the Director of Clinical Services UCLA PEERS Clinic.
Find out more here.

We're always in training at the Arc Southern Maryland. Our personal support staff and others are always learning how to be better teachers and aides to those who use our services.  
An expert named Emoke Fox, a seventeen-year veteran of working with those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, from a company specializing in teaching safe ways to have all sorts of relationships, visited our campuses through Charles, Calvert, and St. Mary's Counties.  Both staff and our program participants were taught how to have fun and be careful while forming relations in online communities, such as dating applications, games, and chat rooms.
 

There's still time to plan to attend our Day at the Derby on Saturday, May 3! It's at the beautiful Perigeaux Winery in St. Leonard, in Calvert County, Maryland.  https://perigeaux.com/  This is our Fourth Annual Day at the Derby and promises to be better than ever! Find out more here at arcsomd.org/derby
New this year, we're naming the Queen and King of the Derby! You'll get an introduction to them in this podcast!
Find out why they are committed to being our supporters and advocates.,
Also, find links for our silent auction that goes live on April 26th! It's another way to show your support, even if you cannot meet our Queen and King in person.
Please #listen, #review, and #share this and our other episodes!

Suppose you are a parent or relative of a person who was diagnosed with an intellectual or developmental disability, and you want to learn more about post-grade school/public school help. In that case, Stacey Warner is your go-to person. 
Ms.  Warner spoke to our podcast's host, Rita Rich, about the services she is helping families navigate in our three-county region of Maryland. Listen and learn more about what financial and other types of assistance may be available!   Here's a link for a brief description of Stacey's services for you and your family
CORRECTION FROM STACEY WARNER: 
 I was so excited to share information with all of you that I misspoke about the age of eligibility for receiving DDA services. In the podcast, I said that the age is 22, but it is really 21. I am sorry if this caused any panic or confusion but, it just goes to show, even "specialists" make mistakes. Thank you all for taking the time to listen! 
 
Email info@arcsomd.org and request an appointment with Stacey or to be sent information about where she'll be appearing at fairs and other informational gatherings.
 
#YouthTransition, #Charles #Calvert #St.Mary'sCounty 
#IDDHelp
 

This is the second of two episodes celebrating Women's History Month with Arc St. Mary's resident and lifelong St. Mary's County resident Cheryl Knott. Both sides of Cheryl's family tree have called Southern Maryland home since the 17th Century before there was even a United States of America. Cheryl's own experiences as a woman with birth defects and physical disabilities show how social barriers were broken down by the advocacy of parents, teachers, and organizations such as the Arc. Listen to Cheryl's experiences from 50 years ago of going to Annapolis to advocate for other disabled people, and how interconnected her family is to the movers and shakers of St. Mary's County.
Special shout out to St. Mary's County State Senator Jack Bailey, the St. Mary's County Historical Society and volunteer society researcher Joan Wise.  Find out how you can help support the society here.
Please leave a review or some stars on your favorite podcast app for See Me See My Ability. The Podcast of the Arc Southern Maryland. 

In honor of Women's History Month, this is the first of two episodes featuring one of our friends and residents, Cheryl Knott. Cheryl has roots in St. Mary's County Maryland that go back to the rule of King Henry VIII of England, when the state was one of the English colonies. Listen as Cheryl talks about growing up with physical disabilities and how her family and others advocated for her, and others, to be seen and heard in Maryland.  
Credit to the St. Mary's Historical Society for providing a quiet space for us to talk with Cheryl, and for volunteer society researcher Joan Wise for helping to validate Cheryl's memories.
Photo: Peter LaPorte.
Links for References:
 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21507989/#:~:text=Thalidomide%20was%20a%20widely%20used,defects%20in%20thousands%20of%20children. 
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/health/thalidomide-fda-documents.html?auth=login-google1tap&login=google1tap