Navigating Life as we Know It

Growing up can be hard. Especially the teenage years. And even more so if the teenager in question has social skill deficits. As humans we are all "hard wired" for relationships with other humans. Individuals living with autism often want to develop skills necessary to make and keep friends. They need to learn the skills necessary to navigate various social situations in which they may not feel comfortable. And they also must learn how to manage conflict and rejection. Parents and care providers may feel clueless on how to help teens develop the social skills necessary to engage with neuro-typical peers. But where there is a will.... there is a way! The Social Skills Group at BRAINS in Grand Rapids, MI recently concluded their Social Skills Group summer session based upon a program developed at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) provides evidence-based social skills treatment to preschoolers, adolescents, and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, and other socio-emotional problems. PEERS® isn't a diagnostic tool. It is a tool kit designed to help individuals develop social skills through didactic lessons and role play demonstrations as well as providing participants opportunities to practice these skills through socialization activities. And IT WORKS! I hope you enjoy today’s presentation! The development of social skills has the power to change and enhance the life experience of everyone who seeks to belong, to be seen, and to engage with the world around them.

Thank you for listening to our podcast and for your continued support! If you'd like to learn more about NLAWKI please visit our facebook page and if you'd like to support our program more directly, stop by our Ko-Fi and make a contribution! But the most important way you can help our program is by sharing it with someone you know!

Growing up can be hard. Especially the teenage years. And even more so if the teenager in question has social skill deficits. As humans we are all "hard wired" for relationships with other humans. Individuals living with autism often want to develop skills necessary to make and keep friends. They need to learn the skills necessary to navigate various social situations in which they may not feel comfortable. And they also must learn how to manage conflict and rejection. Parents and care providers may feel clueless on how to help teens develop the social skills necessary to engage with neuro-typical peers. But where there is a will.... there is a way! The Social Skills Group at BRAINS in Grand Rapids, MI recently concluded their Social Skills Group summer session based upon a program developed at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. The Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) provides evidence-based social skills treatment to preschoolers, adolescents, and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, and other socio-emotional problems. PEERS® isn't a diagnostic tool. It is a tool kit designed to help individuals develop social skills through didactic lessons and role play demonstrations as well as providing participants opportunities to practice these skills through socialization activities. And IT WORKS! I hope you enjoy today’s presentation! The development of social skills has the power to change and enhance the life experience of everyone who seeks to belong, to be seen, and to engage with the world around them.

Thank you for listening to our podcast and for your continued support! If you'd like to learn more about NLAWKI please visit our facebook page and if you'd like to support our program more directly, stop by our Ko-Fi and make a contribution! But the most important way you can help our program is by sharing NLAWKI with someone you know!

I'm probably showing my age...but some of you might remember the routine of "defragging" your computer to allow it to work more quickly and efficiently. It was once described to be as allowing your computer to take some time to put files away and "clean up" it's desk. This was it was able to work better. Well, wouldn't it be nice to defrag your mind on occasion? Just to put away the loose ends and clutter that we tend to accumulate and bog down our brain and sap our energy? Well, you can defrag your mind with a simple process called meditation. It's not a "new age" phenomenon or a fad. As a matter of fact, it's now pretty much mainstream in Western society and is used to improve people’s lives from boardrooms to locker rooms. From grade schools to grad schools. And to help overcome emotional as well as physical pain. There's no costly equipment to buy, no deep philosophical concepts to master and not even any specific right way to do it. Our new series on practicing mindfulness, called The Mindful Minute will help you defrag your mind and hopefully also help you improve your outlook on life, love, work and the common everyday stressors that plague the lives of people living with disabilities and the people they love. I hope you enjoy The Mindful Minute! 
Be well and be kind, 
Steve
 

Thank you for listening to our podcast and for your continued support! If you'd like to learn more about NLAWKI please visit our facebook page and if you'd like to support our program more directly, stop by our Ko-Fi and make a contribution! But the most important way you can help our program is by sharing NLAWKI with someone you know!

I'm probably showing my age...but some of you might remember the routine of "defragging" your computer to allow it to work more quickly and efficiently. It was once described to be as allowing your computer to take some time to put files away and "clean up" it's desk. This was it was able to work better. Well, wouldn't it be nice to defrag your mind on occasion? Just to put away the loose ends and clutter that we tend to accumulate and bog down our brain and sap our energy? Well, you can defrag your mind with a simple process called meditation. It's not a "new age" phenomenon or a fad. As a matter of fact, it's now pretty much mainstream in Western society and is used to improve people’s lives from boardrooms to locker rooms. From grade schools to grad schools. And to help overcome emotional as well as physical pain. There's no costly equipment to buy, no deep philosophical concepts to master and not even any specific right way to do it. Our new series on practicing mindfulness, called The Mindful Minute will help you defrag your mind and hopefully also help you improve your outlook on life, love, work and the common everyday stressors that plague the lives of people living with disabilities and the people they love. I hope you enjoy The Mindful Minute! 
Be well and be kind, 
Steve
 

Thank you for listening to our podcast and for your continued support! If you'd like to learn more about NLAWKI please visit our facebook page and if you'd like to support our program more directly, stop by our Ko-Fi and make a contribution! But the most important way you can help our program is by sharing it with someone you know!

"There's no place like home!" In the Wizard of Oz Dorothy said these words and clicked the heels of her ruby slippers three times. Instantly she was transported back to her farm home in Kansas. This makes for an enduring story...but getting into the right home presents a little more of a challenge today. Especially if you live with an intellectual and/or developmental disability. You have many obstacles to contend with, such whether you want a roommate(s), where you will live...house, apartment, condo. Is it better to buy (if the funds are available) or lease? What is the appropriate level of support needed and who will provide supports? How will I fit into the community? Do I want a job or volunteer work to live a full life? Just to name a few. Just about all of these decisions need to be made by the person with disabilities along with their family and other valued advisors. Sound like a lot of work, doesn't it? Well NESTIDD is an organization that has some good news to share with you! When it comes to selecting the right house, at the right location, with all the needed structural modification, that also meets YOUR definition of "affordable" NESTIDD can make the process much easier for everyone! NESTIDD will even mow the lawn, shovel snow, fix the leaking faucet and provide regular home maintenance. Our interview today is with Andrew Parker, a co-founder and CEO of NESTIDD, a Chicago based company serving the disability community with affordable housing options! Andrew has some exciting information to share with us!

Thank you for listening to our podcast and for your continued support! If you'd like to learn more about NLAWKI please visit our facebook page and if you'd like to support our program more directly, stop by our Ko-Fi and make a contribution! But the most important way you can help our program is by sharing it with someone you know!

"There's no place like home!" In the Wizard of Oz Dorothy said these words and clicked the heels of her ruby slippers three times. Instantly she was transported back to her farm home in Kansas. This makes for an enduring story...but getting into the right home presents a little more of a challenge today. Especially if you live with an intellectual and/or developmental disability. You have many obstacles to contend with, such whether you want a roommate(s), where you will live...house, apartment, condo. Is it better to buy (if the funds are available) or lease? What is the appropriate level of support needed and who will provide supports? How will I fit into the community? Do I want a job or volunteer work to live a full life? Just to name a few. Just about all of these decisions need to be made by the person with disabilities along with their family and other valued advisors. Sound like a lot of work, doesn't it? Well NESTIDD is an organization that has some good news to share with you! When it comes to selecting the right house, at the right location, with all the needed structural modification, that also meets YOUR definition of "affordable" NESTIDD can make the process much easier for everyone! NESTIDD will even mow the lawn, shovel snow, fix the leaking faucet and provide regular home maintenance. Our interview today is with Andrew Parker, a co-founder and CEO of NESTIDD, a Chicago based company serving the disability community with affordable housing options! Andrew has some exciting information to share with us!

Thank you for listening to our podcast and for your continued support! If you'd like to learn more about NLAWKI please visit our facebook page and if you'd like to support our program more directly, stop by our Ko-Fi and make a contribution! But the most important way you can help our program is by sharing NLAWKI with someone you know!

Everyone has heard the phrase "forgive and forget."   That isn't always possible, or even advisable.  It is important to remember. To recall emotional pain that has played a destructive role in the course of your life and in your relationships.  With these memories it becomes even more important to forgive, or to ask forgiveness, so you may convert the hidden pain your have experienced in your past from suffering to growth.  A very empathic person, Shannon has accumulated great knowledge and experience in the process of healing emotional pain through forgiveness.  She is eager to share her leanings and experiences by coaching others in the journey from suffering to growth.

Follow Shannon's Journey here

Thank you for listening to our podcast and for your continued support! If you'd like to learn more about NLAWKI please visit our facebook page and if you'd like to support our program more directly, stop by our Ko-Fi and make a contribution! But the most important way you can help our program is by sharing it with someone you know!

Everyone has heard the phrase "forgive and forget."   That isn't always possible, or even advisable.  It is important to remember. To recall emotional pain that has played a destructive role in the course of your life and in your relationships.  With these memories it becomes even more important to forgive, or to ask forgiveness, so you may convert the hidden pain your have experienced in your past from suffering to growth.  A very empathic person, Shannon has accumulated great knowledge and experience in the process of healing emotional pain through forgiveness.  She is eager to share her leanings and experiences by coaching others in the journey from suffering to growth.

Follow Shannon's Journey here

Thank you for listening to our podcast and for your continued support! If you'd like to learn more about NLAWKI please visit our facebook page and if you'd like to support our program more directly, stop by our Ko-Fi and make a contribution! But the most important way you can help our program is by sharing NLAWKI with someone you know!

Remember Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz? She had an impossible task. First retrieve the broom stick of the Wicked Witch and deliver it to the Wizard of Oz who would grant her wish to return to her home in Kansas. Doesn't life feel like that sometimes? Impossible task? Improbable goals? Flying Monkeys all around you? Attempting to find and secure affordable, community based, appropriately supported housing during a skyrocketing real estate market makes snatching a witch's broom stick look easy, doesn't it? The families with Oasis Community of West Michigan have persisted and learned a few things on their trip down the Yellow Brick Road. Most of all we discovered there is power in numbers and when a growing group of families with diverse talents and skills work together the impossible and improbable become attainable! Today we visit with co-founders Grace Smith, the president of Oasis Community and Lynn Surdock, secretary who, along with "yours truly," set off on the Yellow Brick Road 13 years ago. Just like the Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion, and the Scare Crow you will learn that we all have immense powers to achieve our housing and independence goals.... if you start by believing in the mission and have faith in our own abilities to make it happen!

Thank you for listening to our podcast and for your continued support! If you'd like to learn more about NLAWKI please visit our facebook page and if you'd like to support our program more directly, stop by our Ko-Fi and make a contribution! But the most important way you can help our program is by sharing NLAWKI with someone you know!

Remember Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz? She had an impossible task. First retrieve the broom stick of the Wicked Witch and deliver it to the Wizard of Oz who would grant her wish to return to her home in Kansas. Doesn't life feel like that sometimes? Impossible task? Improbable goals? Flying Monkeys all around you? Attempting to find and secure affordable, community based, appropriately supported housing during a skyrocketing real estate market makes snatching a witch's broom stick look easy, doesn't it? The families with Oasis Community of West Michigan have persisted and learned a few things on their trip down the Yellow Brick Road. Most of all we discovered there is power in numbers and when a growing group of families with diverse talents and skills work together the impossible and improbable become attainable! Today we visit with co-founders Grace Smith, the president of Oasis Community and Lynn Surdock, secretary who, along with "yours truly," set off on the Yellow Brick Road 13 years ago. Just like the Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion, and the Scare Crow you will learn that we all have immense powers to achieve our housing and independence goals.... if you start by believing in the mission and have faith in our own abilities to make it happen!

Thank you for listening to our podcast and for your continued support! If you'd like to learn more about NLAWKI please visit our facebook page and if you'd like to support our program more directly, stop by our Ko-Fi and make a contribution! But the most important way you can help our program is by sharing it with someone you know!