When we think of assistive technology or any technology that can support our young people with additional needs to become more independent, we often start at the point of thinking it could be expensive or complicated to learn to use. But the reality is that today the first bit of assistive technology that our young people should access is their phone or tablet. The built-in features of these devices have changed the way we think about assistive technology as my guest in this week’s episode Alex Barker from AbilityNet explains. Alex brings, his lived experience, and how he uses assistive technology, both in his role at AbilityNet and in his life to discuss why we need to make better use of what is easily accessible to all of us. https://abilitynet.org.uk/

When we think of community, we first think about the friendship element of being around other people. But there is more to being part of a community than just that. When we become part of a community, we have the opportunity to learn from those around us.  These are the other benefits of being in a community. And why this is such an important part of community is the focus of the second part of my conversation with Sarah Towler from CASPA. We all know community is important but it's not just about the people, it's what we learn from being around those people.  https://caspabromley.org.uk/

Community is defined as people with common interests living in a particular area but in reality, it’s less about location and more about belonging, about connection and feeling part of something. In this episode, my guest is Sarah Towler and the organization we are talking about is CASPA which does all of these things and more. CASPA stands for Community Autistic Support Pride and Advocacy, and it provides a variety of support services to autistic/neurodivergent children and adults and their families. In our conversation, we talked about why community is so important and the ways CASPA supports its community. Having people to support us through the good and bad times will always be important and part of what makes us all human.  https://caspabromley.org.uk/

Every day we all do the same things the same way because it’s these habits that make it easier to live our lives. Habits are just skills we have that we use over and over again and for my daughter with additional needs, all the skills she has built over time are now habits that allow her to live more independently. Those skills she has like cooking going to her job or managing her money, the things she does the same way each time are all her habits.  In this episode, I’m talking about some of the ideas around habits, the habit loop cue, routine, and reward, habit stacking, and the role motivation and ability play in developing habits. Check Out The Red Giraffe Solutions Cooking Videos

The barriers to employment for young people with additional needs are high but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible as this week’s episode shows. In part 2 of my conversation with Adam and Deb, Adam talks about his experience of work and why his current role is working for him. Adam believes it comes down to the right support at the right time and matching the individual to the job.

Sharing our stories helps us realize we are not alone. Hearing someone else’s story can also be a great way to learn new ideas we can use in our own family’s lives. In this episode, I’m sharing the story of Adam and his family. My guests are Adam, and his mother Deb. Adam talks about moving schools from a mainstream school to a specialist school as well as the challenges he found around transitioning out of full-time education.

We should all have the right to choose how we live our lives, even if that means taking risks and making mistakes. But too often people with additional needs aren’t being given opportunities to take risks and to learn from their mistakes. My guest this week Carol Smail shares her experiences of the impact this lack of choice has, as well as what can happen when people are given the opportunity to make their own choices. Too often the focus is on reducing risk, but that only reduces choice and doesn’t necessarily make anyone safer.  Open Future Learning Video

Finding friends with common interests can be difficult for anyone and for young people with additional needs it is often more challenging because their social network is smaller. That is why projects like Gig Buddies are so important as my guest in this episode Carol Smail from Gig Buddies Sydney explains. Carol not only talks about the vision behind Gig Buddies but the role it plays in breaking down stereotypes about people with additional needs. Gig Buddies Sydney Find Your nearest Gig Buddies Start Your Own Gig Buddies Find out about the history of Gig Buddies - Episode 68 Stay Up Late

Too often low expectations for people with additional needs have translated into fewer opportunities, particularly when it comes to paid employment. For change to happen, around work, more employers are needed which means employers will need to change their attitude toward employing people with a disability. But what is also necessary is a change in society’s perceptions of what a person with additional needs is capable of.  In this episode with Peter Bacon CEO of Disability Employment Australia, we discuss where these perceptions come from and whether a more integrated education system might be part of the answer.   Find out more about Disability Employment Australia

Inclusive employers change the future for our children, but there simply isn’t enough of them. In this episode with Peter Bacon, CEO of Disability Employment Australia, I’m discussing why this is the case, and what actions could be taken to get more employers to become inclusive employers. Is some form of legal framework necessary, as Peter suggests, and are most employers willing but unclear on how to take the next steps? We all know the benefits of inclusive employment; the challenge is making employers understand the benefits easily outweigh the risks.     Find out more about Disability Employment Australia

In this final episode of this Finance Future series, I’m talking to Graham Caldow about the value of giving financial independence gradually and building financial skills over time. We discuss the things that have worked for our family including multiple accounts and tracking spending. Finance is just one part of our legacy to our daughter but in lots of ways it’s the foundation of all the other things she will do in her life.  Graham's Book: What's Possible - Plan A Better Future For Your Young Adult With Additional Needs

Planning for the future is difficult when restrictions exist around how much money you're allowed to save. In this episode with Jill Cornfield, I’m discussing how ABLE accounts can help mitigate this restriction and enable people to think longer-term and plan their financial future.   ABLE National Resource Centre Follow us on Instagram/Facebook @expandingworlds

Managing our own money is challenging. The temptation to spend is never far away and we need tools and techniques that can help us make the right choices most of the time. In this second part of my conversation with Karen Hassett from PATF we are focusing on some ways to help our young people develop those money habits that will help them make better spending decisions. However much money we have, we still need to develop good money management skills, so we always get the most value from what we have to spend.   Find all the PATF Guides  here https://patf.us/what-we-do/financial-education/ Money Talks Webinar Series https://patf.us/money-talks/webinars/ The Autistic Self Advocacy Network - ASAN - search this site for useful financial-related resources as well as information on a variety of other topics.  Follow us on Instagram/Facebook @expandingworlds

Getting started on developing any plan can be a challenge but when it comes to our finances we can often get stuck at the first step. In this episode with Karen Hassett from PATF we talk about how to get started by thinking about a decision-making process when it comes to money and using simple ideas like tracking spending and identifying priorities to move forward. But we also talk about the need to give ourselves grace and understanding about decisions we might have made in the past because what really matters is what happens next not what happened then.     Find all the PATF Guides  here https://patf.us/what-we-do/financial-education/ Other Great Resources https://patf.us/resource-category/credit-finance/ Money Talks Webinar Series https://patf.us/money-talks/webinars/ https://www.studymoney.us/   Follow us on Instagram/Facebook @expandingworlds

The financial future for young people with additional needs can be challenging. They are more likely to have lower incomes, less likely to be employed full time and government assistance can be difficult to get and even more difficult to keep. So planning ahead to create a solid financial platform is essential in this new series - Financial Future I’ll be exploring the challenges, what solutions are out there, and how to plan ahead so that future financial security is achievable. In this episode, I’m starting by talking about some of the questions to consider like who should control what and when. Money is a topic many of us try to ignore but so much of our children’s future depends on us making sure we have plans in place around it.  Follow us on Instagram/Facebook @expandingworlds

In this episode I’m looking back over this latest series which has focused on the role that technology plays and will play in the lives of young people with additional needs. I’ll be discussing what assistive technology really means today and talk from my own experience about how technology supports my own daughter to live the life she wants. I’ll also explore what the future holds and how technology will increasingly enable our young people to live more independently and will enhance the opportunities available to them. Follow us on Instagram/Facebook @expandingworlds

The best technology makes our lives easier and connects us with what we need. But often the different devices we use don’t connect with each other or we don’t see the value in connecting them together. In this episode with Ben Wood, from CCS Insight, we are talking about how that is going to change as companies realise they need to work together. We also discuss why greater connectivity will enable better quality independent living and have a positive impact on our safety, our health, and our wellbeing.   Find out more about Ben https://www.ccsinsight.com/ Find out more about the Matter Standard https://csa-iot.org/all-solutions/matter/ Follow us on Instagram/Facebook @expandingworlds

What’s the difference between a service user and a service owner? Quite a lot according to Padhraic Dormer from Enable Ireland. Padhraic explains the difference, as well as talking about his role as a virtual service support worker. He also discusses reasons why virtual services have proven to be so valuable in combatting social isolation. Padhraic is an early adopter of smart home technology and shares how he uses this technology to support him to live his life, and why it’s the technology that connects us to other people that is the most valuable.   Find out more at https://enableireland.ie/  Follow us on Instagram/Facebook @expandingworlds

Using technology to support independent living seems an obvious choice. However, it isn’t as this week’s guest Siobhan Long from Enable Ireland explains. What we consider mainstream technology can also be assistive technology, and with this become more accessible and more affordable. Siobhan also discusses the importance of knowledge, not just how to use technology but what’s available to enable people to live independently. She also discusses why progress has been slow when it comes to funding of these technologies and why an Assistive Technology Passport could help with this.  Find out more at https://enableireland.ie/ Follow us on Instagram/Facebook @expandingworlds Visit the podcast website https://expandingworlds.com/

Technology is often developed with the focus on what it does rather than how it will be used. This week’s guest Lee Blemings explains why that approach is wrong and why it also needs to be about enjoyment, about fun, and about connecting people in a meaningful way. He also talks about AI, the impact AI has already had on creating technology solutions, and the possibilities that AI will help open up in the future, particularly in terms of smart home technology.  So while there is clearly some ethical issues to be addressed, the potential is there for technology to really change how people live their lives. Find out more about https://sensoryguru.com/