What happens when a child finds a community that truly believes in them? In this episode of Let’s Plant Houses, Jennifer VanSkiver shares her family’s journey raising her daughter CJ, who has an intellectual disability. Jen talks about early therapy appointments, navigating school systems, building friendships, and learning to trust her instincts as a mom. …
What if your child understood far more than the world ever realized? Autism, non-speaking communication, spelling to communicate, apraxia, and caregiving are all part of this powerful conversation with Liz Fiordalisi. Liz shares the story of raising triplets, navigating a high-risk pregnancy, and watching her son Christopher slowly lose spoken language after meeting early developmental …
What does it take to raise a child with multiple rare genetic conditions while fighting systems that constantly underestimate what your child needs? In this episode of Let’s Plant Houses, Bill Cushing shares his family’s journey raising his son Gabriel, who was born with rare genetic disorders, developmental disabilities, strokes before birth, and physical challenges …
What happens when a sibling grows up in a home filled with foster children, routines, and nonstop caregiving, and then realizes those experiences shaped who they were meant to become? In this episode of Let’s Plant Houses, Rachel Gonyea shares what it was like growing up with a brother with autism while her family welcomed …
What if your child had thoughts, opinions, and intelligence far beyond what the world believed, but no reliable way to communicate them? In this episode of Let’s Plant Houses, Heather Burroughs shares her family’s journey through autism, rare genetic disorders, non-speaking communication, service dogs, and disability advocacy. Heather is the Director of Advocacy and Education …
How did one foster dad build an autism barn and help nearly 180 children find belonging? In this episode of autism advocacy, foster care, caregiving, and disability support, Steve Gonyea shows what families can build when they lead with love, trust, and lived experience. From welcoming nearly 180 foster children into his home to creating …
What happens when a father and son build their own path when the system has few options? In this episode, Mark Cronin and his son, John, share their journey of Down syndrome, disability, entrepreneurship, and employment. Together, they started John’s Crazy Socks, a business that employs people with different abilities and has shipped over 500,000 …
What happens when fatherhood asks you to put your career on hold and trust that your family will find a way forward? In this episode about caregiving, disability, and fatherhood, Kirby Rabalais shares how raising a child with a rare genetic condition reshaped his priorities and his purpose. Families living with neurodivergence often carry invisible …
What happens when you know something is wrong, but the system keeps telling you to wait? In this episode, author Randi-Lee Bowlaugh shares her journey through autism, parenting, and mental health as she searched for answers for her daughter. From early concerns to years of missed support, her story shows how families often live in …
How do you hold on to hope when your child seems lost? Autism, profound autism, parenting, and support are at the heart of this honest conversation with Jillian Simpson-Eisloeffel, Founder of Bobby’s World and Regional Lead for the New York Alliance for Developmental Disabilities. She shares what life looks like when a child has complex …