Ep 14 — If paperwork and clutter are exhausting you, you’re not alone. Professional organizer Angela O’Brien, mom to a young adult daughter with Down syndrome, talks with Amy Julia Becker about the unique organizing challenges of disability parenting. From managing medical appointments and IEP paperwork to creating a home that works for everyone, Angela shares simple, realistic steps to help you move toward greater peace and presence.

00:00 Organizing for Disability Caregivers
06:22 Challenges Faced by Disability Caregivers
10:39 Starting Small: Practical Steps to Organize Spaces
15:27 Managing Time Effectively
16:49 Organizing Paperwork
21:53 Organizing Tips

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Ask Me Anything: Record (or email) your question for our upcoming Ask Me Anything episode: amyjuliabecker.com/qr/

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Your Space Reclaimed: https://yourspacereclaimed.net/
• Amy Julia on Angela’s Especially Organized: Sensible Solutions for Special Needs Moms podcast: 90 | Reimagining the Good Life with Kids with Disabilities

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WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube

SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com

JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker

LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/

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ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Angela O’Brien is a mom of 2, professional organizer, Enneagram coach, and host of the podcast Especially Organized: Sensible Solutions for Special Needs Moms. As the mom of an amazing young adult daughter with Down Syndrome, Angela is passionate about advocating for and supporting families like hers who are raising kids with disabilities. In fact, after 18 years of sharing her daughter with the world, volunteering her time to support other families and raising money for local Down Syndrome support organizations, Angela took her almost-obsessive passion for home organizing and turned it into a business where she speaks to and coaches fellow caregivers through their clutter so that they can reclaim the space, freedom, and energy to do what they love. She lives in Dallas, TX with her husband and daughter and is constantly trying to find her way to a beach.

Links:

Website: https://yourspacereclaimed.net/

Instagram: @yourspacereclaimed

Facebook: Your Space Reclaimed

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Take the Next Step is produced in collaboration with Hope Heals. Hope Heals creates sacred spaces of belonging and belovedness for families affected by disabilities to experience sustaining hope in the context of inclusive, intentional, inter-ability communities. Find out more about our resources, gatherings, and inter-ability communities at hopeheals.com. Follow on Instagram @hopeheals.

We want to hear from you. Send us a text!

Ep 13 — There's a myth out there that raising a child with disabilities will doom a marriage. But the data tells a different story. In our conversation, authors Todd and Kristin Faith Evans join Amy Julia Becker to offer simple ways for couples to connect in the midst of both the ordinary and the most intense family circumstances. There's a lot of hope in this episode!

00:00 Intro: Marriage and parenting a child with a disability
05:52 Challenges and possibilities parents face
09:28 The power of vulnerability in relationships
12:02 Marriage Triage: What to do when your marriage is in crisis
16:36 Alone Time, Together Time: Why both matter

Mentioned:

• www.DisabilityParenting.com
• How to Build a Thriving Marriage as You Care for Children with Disabilities by Kristin Faith Evans, MA, MS, LMSW and Todd Evans, PhD, MA

Ask Me Anything: Record (or email) your question for our upcoming Ask Me Anything episode: amyjuliabecker.com/qr/

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WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube

SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com

JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker

LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/

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ABOUT OUR GUESTS:

Dr. Todd and Kristin Faith Evans are celebrating twenty-four years of marriage. They are award-winning authors, national speakers, and disability parents. They are passionate about empowering other parents of children with additional needs with the skills to thrive at www.DisabilityParenting.com. They co-wrote their multi award-winning book, How to Build a Thriving Marriage as You Care for Children with Disabilities (Baker Books). They both earned their MA in Christian Spiritual Formation at Wheaton College in Illinois and have served together in full-time ministry in church, camping, and retreat settings. Todd received his PhD from Vanderbilt University’s School of Engineering and currently manages his own businesses, and Kristin earned her MSW from the University of Tennessee and is a licensed master social worker experienced in couples, child and family, substance abuse, and crisis counseling. They enjoy traveling and the outdoors together.

Website and social media links:

https://disabilityparenting.com/

https://www.instagram.com/disabilityparenting/

https://www.facebook.com/kristin.evans.5895/

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Take the Next Step is produced in collaboration with Hope Heals. Hope Heals creates sacred spaces of belonging and belovedness for families affected by disabilities to experience sustaining hope in the context of inclusive, intentional, inter-ability communities. Find out more about our resources, gatherings, and inter-ability communities at hopeheals.com. Follow us on Instagram @hopeheals.

We want to hear from you. Send us a text!

Ep 12 — What if inclusion in schools didn’t have to be a constant fight? Adrian Wood, PhD, shares what actually helped her son with autism thrive in their public school system. Adrian and Amy Julia Becker explore:

• Building trust with educators
• Collaboration and creativity
• Navigating IEPs and transitions
• Small changes that make a big difference

03:36 Navigating Public School for Children with Disabilities

05:59 Creative Thinking and Working Together as a Team

15:01 Strategies for Success

22:01 Preparing for Transitions in Education

Ask Me Anything: Record (or email) your question for our upcoming Ask Me Anything episode: amyjuliabecker.com/qr/

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• VLOG: Tales of an Educated Debutante

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WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube

SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com

JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker

LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/

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ABOUT:

Adrian Wood is the creator of the vlog Tales of an Educated Debutante. She has a PhD in Educational Research and contributes to Today Parents, The Today Show, and the Love What Matters blog. She lives in rural eastern North Carolina with her family. She is the co-author of Autism Out Loud.

CONNECT with Adrian on her website (talesofaneducateddebutante.com), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

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Take the Next Step is produced in collaboration with Hope Heals. Hope Heals creates sacred spaces of belonging and belovedness for families affected by disabilities to experience sustaining hope in the context of inclusive, intentional, inter-ability communities. Find out more about our resources, gatherings, and inter-ability communities at hopeheals.com. Follow on Instagram @hopeheals.

We want to hear from you. Send us a text!