Episode 1: On the Verge — Still Here, Still Fighting

Podcast: On the Verge: Real Talk for Parents, Caregivers and Advocates in the Disability Community

Welcome to the very first episode of On the Verge, a raw, honest, and unfiltered podcast created for parents, caregivers, and advocates raising and supporting individuals with developmental disabilities. Whether you're navigating autism, Down syndrome, apraxia, or the endless maze of IEPs, medical forms, and systemic red tape, you belong here.

Hosted by Misty Kluck, a widowed mom, autistic self-advocate, nonprofit founder, and exhausted-but-still-fighting human, On the Verge is about what happens when life splits in two. Before diagnosis. After. Before the funeral. After. Before you realized the systems that were supposed to help us were actually built to shut us out.

In Episode 1, Misty introduces the podcast and shares her story. She’s raising her daughter Tessa, who has Down syndrome, autism, and apraxia, while managing her own battles with ADHD, CPTSD, and the never-ending chaos of disability life. She opens up about the grief, isolation, and absurdity of trying to hold everything together when the world keeps telling you to “just be positive.”

This episode explores:
• The reality of parenting a child with disabilities (autism, Down syndrome, apraxia)
• The emotional weight of caregiver burnout and mental health struggles
• The grief that comes with lost dreams, systemic failures, and invisible battles
• The ridiculous and sometimes hilarious moments that only disability parents understand
• Why “just get a babysitter” is not a real-life solution
• How inclusion, advocacy, and community are survival, not extras

You’ll also meet the first member of Misty’s tribe, Mona. She’s bold, blunt, loyal, and will show up in future episodes. Together, they’ll tackle tough topics and offer a space where no question is too awkward and no meltdown too messy.

This is not an inspirational podcast. There are no miracle cures here, no toxic positivity, and no pretending. This is a podcast for the real ones. The ones who’ve cried in parking lots, raged at broken systems, laughed at wildly inappropriate moments, and still show up every single day.

If you’ve ever Googled:
• “Down syndrome parenting support”• “Caregiver burnout podcast”• “Disability parenting podcast”• “Life after IEP meetings”• “Help for parents of kids with autism”• “How to survive special education”• “Mental health for caregivers”
• “Why doesn’t anyone talk about this stuff?”

You’re in the right place.

On the Verge is based in Michigan but created for everyone, especially those raising or supporting children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Whether you’re in the thick of school battles, figuring out how to parent through trauma, or just trying to keep your head above water, this is your tribe.

We’re building a radically welcoming, non-discriminatory space. All races, religions, genders, sexual identities, political beliefs. Everyone is welcome here. Because disability doesn’t discriminate. And neither do we.