DSL member Emily Lane and Carly sat down to talk to Polly Boehnlein, who has a child with multiple diagnoses in addition to Down syndrome. We learn how their family celebrates little victories, finding friends, and how to cope with the unknowns of life.

Trauma Warning: in this episode we speak about sexual assault and abuse in the disability community.  We had guests James (Joey) Wilkerson and Loren Pilcher on with us to discuss abuse and sexual assault in the intellectual and developmental disability community and the importance of education and prevention. James Wilkerson is Chief Diversity Officer/Title IX Coordinator at Indiana University Southeast, he is also an author and sexual assault advocate. His organization Greek Law has educated hundreds of college students about consent and bystander intervention.  We also had Loren Pilcher, who is the COO of Sweet Behavior Services. Loren is a passionate disability activist and researcher and has spent almost two decades working in the disability community and advocating for the disability community.  Carly mentions in the episode that she hadn't been formally trained on the signs and symptoms of abuse. Since recording the episode, she along with the few team members that hadn't previously had this training at DSL have completed it. DSL strives to educate ourselves, our staff, and our members on this very important issue and are taking steps each day to be better.  We encourage our listeners to insist that all staff working with individuals with disabilities in every setting are trained on this topic. We will continue this series and speak on the importance of consent and sex education for members of the intellectual disability community for the purpose of preventing exploitation and abuse.  If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to take action, don't hesitate to reach out: KindnessWarriorPod@dsoflou.org  Sources: Sobsey, D., D. Wells, R. Lucardie, and S. Mansell. 1995. Violence and Disability: An Annotated Bibliography. Baltimore, MD. Brookes Publishing.   People with Disabilities Affected by Violence: Court Advocacy and Intervention Tips. I-CAN Accessibility Project, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work & Partnership for People with Disabilities, Jackie Robinson, 2012.    Risk and Prevention of Maltreatment of Children with Disabilities, http://www.childwelfare.gov   Smith, N. and Harrell, S. March 2013. Sexual Abuse of Children with Disabilities: A National Snapshot. Center on Victimization and Safety, Vera Institute of Justice.   Harrell, Ericka. Crime Against Persons with Disabilities, 2009-2011 – Statistical Tables, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Harrell, Ericka.   Powers, Laurie E. and Oschwald, Mary. 2004. “Violence and Abuse Against People with Disabilities: Experiences, Barriers and Prevention Strategies.” Center on Self-Determination, Oregon Institute on Disability and Development, Oregon Health & Science University.   "Abuse of People with Disabilities: Victims and Their Families Speak Out"; A Report on the 2012 National Survey on Abuse of People with Disabilities; Spectrum Institute, The Disability and Abuse Project.

This episode is a recording of a Covid-19 Vaccine education webinar hosted by Special Olympics Kentucky on February 3, 2021. They had friend of the podcast Dr. Priya Chandan and Dr. Corrie Harris from Norton Children’s hospital. In this session these Louisville doctors talk all things vaccine. Self advocates from SOKY and DSL and parents submitted questions beforehand and they were able to answer most all of the questions posed. This will most likely be a regular webinar with updates as the medical and public health experts learn more.  To watch the Zoom webinar with the slideshow, click here Topics Covered: Who is most at risk for getting sick from COVID? What is a vaccine? Why do people get vaccines? Myths vs. FactsHow does the COVID vaccine work (including possible side effects) Where can I find information and updates about when I can get a COVID  vaccine? Meet the Presenters: Dr. Priya Chandan, MD, PhD, MPH  Assistant Professor, UofL SOM Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation; UofL Health Physicians Restorative Neuroscience Global Clinical Adviser, Special Olympics MedFest Project Director, National Curriculum Initiative in Developmental Medicine Commonwealth Scholar, Commonwealth Institute of Kentucky Special Olympics Kentucky Board Member  Dr. Corrie Harris, MD, MSc  Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine; University of Louisville School of Medicine Associate Medical Director, The Home of the Innocents Pediatric Convalescent CenterSpecial Olympics Kentucky Board Member

This is part two of our aging and down syndrome conversation. If you haven’t had a chance to check out part one, we suggest you go back to episode 15 and give it a listen. In this conversation Carly digs a little deeper with DSL aging expert Cathy Palmer about what they discussed is episode 15.  Resources: Watch the full PAC webinar What is PAC? University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Alzheimer's Disease and Down Syndrome DSC2U If you would like to submit ideas, feedback or sponsor the pod, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville or to donate, visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org

Carly sat down with DSL’s resident aging guru Cathy Palmer to chat before an education session, Aging and Down Syndrome: Positive Approach To Care.  We invited aging experts Teepa Snow and Beth Tesfay from the organization Positive Approach to Care (PAC.) PAC is a  program that guides others in effectively working with people living with neurocognitive degeneration.   Resources: Watch the full PAC webinar What is PAC? University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Alzheimer's Disease and Down Syndrome If you would like to submit ideas, feedback or sponsor the pod, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville or to donate, visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org

This is a special episode, a recording of a virtual parent education session hosted by Down syndrome of Louisville. Led by Zac Sappenfield and Brianna Heitzman, two of our Career Solutions Specialists. In this session they break down how important it is to utilize chores in your household to ensure future success in the workplace. They also have special guests Austin and Margarita Edelen who discuss Austin’s great work ethic and how it stemmed from helping his family on their farm.  Check out the zoom video and the PowerPoint presentation here If you would like to submit ideas, feedback or sponsor the pod, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville or to donate, visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org

Carly sat down with Career Solutions Specialist Zac Sappenfield to learn all about Down Syndrome of Louisville's Career Solutions Program. Our members join Career Solutions as they begin their transition from high school and our team aids in job training, finding them individualized jobs, supporting them on the job, and how hiring individuals with disabilities is an asset to any workplace.    If you would like to submit ideas, feedback or sponsor the pod, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville or to donate, visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org

Down Syndrome of Louisville member Lucas Fortwengler joins Carly in the episode to interview his dad and sister, Steve and Kaitlin. Lucas has accomplished a lot in his life... he has a great job at Cabela's, he is an Eagle Scout, a gym rat, and most recently he earned a prestigious gold medal from congress. Carly and Lucas ask Kait and Steve why they think he is so good at 'crushing his goals', and what they would say to the doctors that told his parents he wouldn't amount to much today.  This episode is dedicated in loving memory to Janna Fortwengler.  If you would like to submit ideas, feedback or sponsor the pod, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville or to donate, visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org

Carly and co-host Ankur talk to Dr. Chandan in depth about her medical advocacy and Covid-19 in the Down syndrome community.  If you have questions for Dr. Chandan or would like to submit ideas, feedback or sponsor the pod, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville or to donate, visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org

Carly sat down with Dr. Priya Chandan and co-host Mr. Ankur Chandan. We sit down with Dr. Chandan (who happens to be Ankur's sister) to talk about family, her work in medical advocacy, and Covid-19. Dr. Chandan is a huge advocate for the disability community, her impressive medical career has centered around important medical advocacy. You can find her at University of Louisville School of medicine in the Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Her list of accomplishments is vast- but most notably she serves as Project Director for the National Curriculum Initiative in Developmental Medicine (NCIDM) The goal of this project is to provide training to medical students in the field of developmental medicine - the care of individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) across the lifespan.  If you have questions or would like to submit ideas, feedback or sponsor the pod, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville or to donate, visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org

This episode is a live recording* of an educational panel we held at Down Syndrome of Louisville, "Special Needs Trusts and Guardianship." This is part one, which mainly focuses on Special Needs Trusts.  The event was moderated by DSL Executive Director, Julie Torzewski. The panel of experts includes:  Richard Bush: Richard N Bush law firm, As far as an introduction, his major claim to fame is being Michael's dad...after that, he does a little legal work… Matthew Goodin is the owner of the Goodin Law Office of Special Needs Planning. He is a Special Needs attorney who focuses his practice on special needs and general estate planning, along with Guardianship issues. Matthew has a sister, Rosie, who is a member of DSL and he coaches Special Olympics. Dan Moyers is President of Moyers Financial Services, Inc., where he provides objective, independent financial advice on investments and insurance to individuals, trusts and small businesses.  Dan is the father of Emily Moyers, age 19 and a proud member of the Boogie-Down Crew.  Dan moved back to his hometown when Emily was two years old after spending 15 years on Wall Street with Citibank, an insurance company and Deutsche Bank. Gordon Homes is a Special Care Planner, he assists families in planning for the financial future of their children or other dependents with special needs. This requires in-depth knowledge of the federal laws as they pertain to government benefit eligibility, legal documents such as special needs trusts and guardianship, as well as financial considerations for providing quality lifetime care. If you have questions or would like to submit ideas, feedback or sponsor the pod, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville or to donate visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org *This was recorded in January, 2020.

This episode is a live recording* of an educational panel we held at Down Syndrome of Louisville, "Special Needs Trusts and Guardianship." This is part one, which mainly focuses on Special Needs Trusts.  The event was moderated by DSL Executive Director, Julie Torzewski. The panel of experts includes:  Richard Bush: Richard N Bush law firm, As far as an introduction, his major claim to fame is being Michael's dad...after that, he does a little legal work… Matthew Goodin is the owner of the Goodin Law Office of Special Needs Planning. He is a Special Needs attorney who focuses his practice on special needs and general estate planning, along with Guardianship issues. Matthew has a sister, Rosie, who is a member of DSL and he coaches Special Olympics. Dan Moyers is President of Moyers Financial Services, Inc., where he provides objective, independent financial advice on investments and insurance to individuals, trusts and small businesses.  Dan is the father of Emily Moyers, age 19 and a proud member of the Boogie-Down Crew.  Dan moved back to his hometown when Emily was two years old after spending 15 years on Wall Street with Citibank, an insurance company and Deutsche Bank. Gordon Homes is a Special Care Planner, he assists families in planning for the financial future of their children or other dependents with special needs. This requires in-depth knowledge of the federal laws as they pertain to government benefit eligibility, legal documents such as special needs trusts and guardianship, as well as financial considerations for providing quality lifetime care. If you have questions or would like to submit ideas, feedback or sponsor the pod, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville or to donate visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org   *This was recorded in January, 2020.

We dive deeper into the conversation about the "Down Syndrome Diet" with a special guest, Zach Kalley. Zach has been on the Ds Diet for about a year to chat with us about the diet and how it’s been going for him. This conversation ended up being a real-time look into how difficult it can be to change your diet, especially for someone who is very set in their ways. Zach is absolutely hilarious, and Dr. Jenny knocks it out of the park helping him navigate some of the roadblocks he has been facing.   If you have questions or would like to submit ideas, feedback or sponsor the pod, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville or to donate visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org

Down Syndrome of Louisville's resident Psychologist Dr. Jenny Kimes sat down with Carly to talk about the "Down Syndrome Diet," which is a lifestyle she has created for her daughter, Tabitha. This is a lifestyle based on studies of the brain and how certain foods and supplements can effect behavior and brain function.  If you have questions or would like to submit ideas, feedback or sponsor the pod, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville or to donate visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org   If you'd like to read Grain Brain

Carly sits down with Dawn Guy and Hannah Ertel, two of Down Syndrome of Louisville's Developmental Interventionists. They take us through a typical day for a DI, share some tips and tricks for families of younger members, and share some of their favorite stories from their time at DSL.  If you have questions or would like to submit ideas, feedback or sponsor the pod, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville or to donate visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org Books for children about Down syndrome and inclusion Down syndrome information and resources book roundup

Carly and DSL's Executive Director Julie Torzewski take a deep dive into all of the Programs, Resources, Events, Partnerships and Services Down Syndrome of Louisville has to offer.  If you have questions or would like to submit ideas or feedback, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org To get yourself Kindness Warrior swag: https://1213apparel.com/collections/down-syndrome-of-louisville

In this episode, Carly and Katie Croom get to know Down Syndrome of Louisville's Executive Director, Julie Torzewski. Enjoy!  If you have questions or would like to submit ideas or feedback, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org To get yourself a Kindness Warrior shirt:https://1213apparel.com/collections/down-syndrome-of-louisville

Part Two of our wonderful chat with Al and Linda Hublar. If you haven’t listened to part one, you’ll want to go back one episode and get caught up. Here, in the second half of our interview, we let Mark ask his parents some questions about what it was like to raise him. We talk about his brothers not giving him any special treatment, about being bullied and Al and Linda learned some new stories about Mark that they’d never heard before!  If you have questions or would like to submit ideas or feedback, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org To visit Mark's website: https://markjhublarspeaks.com/ To get yourself a Kindness Warrior shirt: www.shopdsl.com

In this episode Mark Hublar co-hosts with Carly. Mark is a celebrity in the Down syndrome community and is mostly known for his fabulous motivation speeches. He is a 55 year old college graduate who lives on his own, vacations solo, drives a moped, and drinks a cold glass of milk before bed each night. Carly and Mark sat down with his parents Al and Linda to talk about what it was like to raise Mark in the 60s and 70s when Down syndrome caused so much fear and individuals with disabilities were hidden away from view. The Hublars have truly paved the way for other families in our community and have the stories to prove it. We had a lovely conversation and got to hear SO many great Mark stories as well. In fact, our conversation was all so good- we have split it into two episodes! Please enjoy part one of Al and Linda Hublar!  If you have questions or would like to submit ideas or feedback, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org To check out Mark's Website: https://markjhublarspeaks.com/  To get yourself a Kindness Warrior shirt: www.shopdsl.com

Welcome to the Kindness Warrior podcast! We are coming to you from Louisville Kentucky at Down Syndrome of Louisville’s Lifelong Learning Center. We made this preview episode to introduce ourselves and let you know what to expect from the Kindness Warrior Pod. One of the fun elements we will have is a different special guest or co-host rockin' an extra chromosome on with us each week. For episode zero, we have Corey Morgan asking questions about our host Carly, about the podcast, about what the heck a Kindness Warrior is, and he shares some of his wisdom about having Down Syndrome. We’re so excited to have you here with us. Enjoy, episode zero! If you have questions or would like to submit ideas or feedback, email us at: kindnesswarriorpod@dsoflou.org To learn more about Down Syndrome of Louisville visit Downsyndromeoflouisville.org To get yourself a Kindness Warrior shirt: https://www.bonfire.com/store/kindness-warrior-store/