The Post Secondary Transition Podcast
A podcast focused on the ins and outs (and everything in between) of the secondary transition process for families of students with disabilities! Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) serve as supportive guides, leading families step-by-step up each rung of the transition ladder. Also check out our parent website: https://www.postsecondarytransition.com
Episodes
Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss more in-depth how transition fairs can help families with planning through the transition process. The duo highlight how fairs will typically promote providers and agencies offering various services, including day programs, residential agencies, and recreational opportunities. They emphasize the value of early planning, advising families to gather information, org...
Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss the challenges families may face when their children with disabilities transition out of school before turning 21. They highlight the importance of planning during the "gap year" and exploring alternative resources for funding support, such as VR (Vocational Rehabilitation) agencies. They emphasize the necessity for families to be proactive and have cont...
Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are back for a brand new season and discuss the start of the new school year for families of students with disabilities. They emphasize the importance of letting the dust settle before reaching out to case managers or teachers to discuss long-term visions and vocational skills. They advise parents to check in with their respective DD coordinators and/or VR agencies to ens...
As hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) work to navigate the beginning of their new school year, the friends at TerpsEXCEED gave permission to share out one of the discussions from their own podcast EXCEEDing Expectations. In this discussion, host Adrian Forsythe (a former TerpsEXCEED participant) interviews Amy D'Agati, the program's director and Meredith Gramlich, the Associate Director. The trio...
As hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) take a break for the summer, their friends at the Oregon Transition Podcast (OTP) graciously gave permission to use one of their fantastic discussions. OTP's episode explores the difference between Guardianship and exercising Supported Decision Making. OTP works to discuss the various ways individuals can be supported for daily decisions, job exploration, financia...
Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) are navigating their summer schedules, so they went back into the archive and re-cut one of their earliest interviews (along with a minor audio update). Selina & Curtis Gray share their experience with their foster son, Philip, who has autism. They talk about how, initially, Philip struggled in an adult day program which led to their decision to pivot to the self-dire...
Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss a summer checklist for families navigating the transition process. They talk updating DD (Developmental Disabilities) information, ensuring recent assessments/IEPs, connecting with other parents for advice, and researching community services. They emphasize the importance of creating a home folder for documents, understanding timelines with coordinators, and explo...
Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) chat with Jamie Brodnax, a former Coordinator of Community Services who now runs her own Support Broker agency. They break down the differences between support brokers, CCSs, and administrators, and explore the brokerās role in self-directed servicesāfrom attending PCP meetings and budgeting to supporting families in setting goals and navigating policy changes. Jamie also...
In this second installment, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss the role of support broker with Jamie Brodnax. They talk about assisting families with person-centered planning (PCP) and self-direction, emphasizing the importance of understanding family needs, identifying goals, and managing funding. Jamie highlights the use of various tools to help keep her sane including apps and trackers. Jamie al...
In this first installment, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss the role of Support Broker with Jamie Brodnax, who recently transitioned from Coordinator of Community Service (CCS) to running her own Support Broker agency. The team of three work to clarify the differences between support brokers, the CCS & day-to-day administrators. They emphasize the support broker's role in self-directed s...
Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) work to broadly discuss transportation and travel training for students with disabilities, while recognizing its a tricky topic due to regional differences. They highlight the challenges families face in getting students to jobs and community activities, they explore school-provided travel training, public transportation options, and the importance of etiquette and safety...
Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) share a resource page they put together for their Post Secondary Transition website: Transition Tools. A few of theĀ page's highlights cover the ABLE account (a tax-advantaged savings account for disability-related expenses), Comprehensive Transition Program (designed for adults with intellectual disabilities), Digital Portfolios (showcasing student achievement) and ...
Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) have gone back and combined two previous discussions about Maryland's Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) and, at the same time, cleaned up the audio a bit. We emphasize the importance of completing a DDA application by age 14, including necessary documentation. We cover how the application process involves assessment and determining the young adult'...
Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss the eligibility categoriesĀ for Developmental Disabilities (DD) agencies and what that means for families. They talk about the distinction between "Future Needs" and "Current Request" levels. They cover the "Supports Only" designation, and how that can require additional documentation. Additionally, they also touch on "Crisis Pre...
Typically, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) discuss aspects of the transition process. However, this week Patrick is on his own to discuss a local business fair organized by Meghan and co-worker Erin Bourque (also a Transition Coordinator). The business fair highlighted businesses that support individuals with disabilities and emphasized the importance of visibility and opportunity for people with disabi...
Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) continue to play catch-up with their schedules. In the meantime, we thank Dr. Katie Healey for letting us "borrow" one of her episodes from the Disability Daily Podcast; the podcast works to shine light on figures or events in disability history each day.
From February, Katie talks about Dr. Ray Curzwell and the impact his inventions have had on modern society an...
Hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) have a short discussion on the importance of financial literacy for students with disabilities, noting a common stigma that they cannot manage their own money. They emphasize the shift from handling cash to using debit cards and the need for basic financial education. Practical strategies include community-based instruction, involving students in household financial decis...
Host Meghan (Smallwood) and (Patrick Cadigan) discuss estate planning for individuals with disabilities, focusing on ABLE accounts and special needs trusts. They review how ABLE accounts, available in over 45 states, can be used for various expenses like transportation, medical bills and education. They also cover how a special needs trust is managed by attorneys to ensure funds are used for a beneficiary's sole ...
Hosts Megan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) have re-cut their 2022 parent interview with Nick and Remy Nirschl, whose son Rich was preparing to transition out of the school system. The Nirschls share their journey, including Rich's early signs of autism, the challenges of getting a diagnosis, and their experiences with various educational and therapeutic programs. They emphasize the importance of early interven...
For this week, hosts Meghan (Smallwood) and Patrick (Cadigan) focus more at a local level to discuss resources around Assistive Technology (AT). They emphasize the importance of understanding AT needs which can range from low-tech to high-tech. They highlight local resources and some of the benefits they can provide. They also parallel their conversation with some potential supports for home modifications for families...
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