Jason Hague is an associate pastor of Christ’s Center Church, a mid-size church in Oregon, one of the least churched areas in the United States. He is a husband and a father to five children, including Jack, his seventeen-year-old son with non-verbal autism. Jason has written extensively on the subject of faith and autism, special needs families, and his own journey from grief to acceptance of his son’s condition. He blogs at JasonHague.com, and on his Facebook page, Jason Hague, writer. The...

Crystal Polk is a mental health therapist and Licensed Independent Social Worker in South Carolina, specializing in supporting parents of children with disabilities and medical needs through her practice, Better Tomorrow Therapy. Featured in the film "Unseen," Crystal's impactful work has gained recognition. While she may describe herself as a "nervous interviewee," Crystal thrives in her role on the other side of the chair as a therapist, where her passion for providing crucial support...

Debbie, at 50, woke up to the realization that life was too short to be spent prioritizing others over herself. She ditched "I can't" for "Maybe I can," shedding her victim mentality and refusing to let struggles define her. Recently widowed, she's more determined than ever to share her message. Her debut memoir, "On Second Thought... Maybe I Can," earned praise from Jack Canfield, co-author of The Chicken Soup of the Soul® series. Through her memoir and engaging talks, Debbie courageously...

Jessica Patay is the founder and executive director of We Are Brave Together (WABT), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that supports caregiving moms with children of all types of disabilities and neuro-diverse diagnoses. In addition, she is a sought-out speaker, podcast guest, writer and retreat coordinator, fundraiser, mother of three, social influencer, and a champion of self-care practices and their positive effect on motherhood. She is a contributing author to the forthcoming title,...

Robert Freiri has been the Executive Director of Gateway Center of Monterey County since February 2020. Robert has been a nonprofit Executive Director for 25 years including seven years as a Habitat for Humanity Executive Director and a Nonprofit Manager for 35 years. He has also been a Non-Public School Principal. He has been involved in many community boards and committees including the Nonprofit Alliance of Monterey County (NAMC), Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Loma Prieta...

Brandi Hurtubise is a full-time caregiver to her daughter Samantha who was born in 2016 with Congenital Cytomeglovirus. As a result Samantha has spastic quad cerebral palsy, epilepsy, hearing loss, cortical vision impairment and microcephaly. She is non-mobile, non-verbal, and receives the majority of her schooling and services in their home in Buffalo, NY. Brandi is also a Mom to Sam's older and neurotypical brother MJ.  Congenital Cytomeglovirus (CMV) is the most common viral infection...

Eric Jorgensen is the Founder of True North Disability Planning, a national consulting company helping families, individuals and professionals navigate the maze of disability benefits, resources, and services. He has been helping his clients find answers since his retirement from the Navy in 2012. He was widowed the same year he retired. At the time, his 12 y/o autistic son, William, was completely dependent on his wife for everything. His frustration with the difficulty of figuring out what...

Eric is a proud father to five daughters one of which has profound special needs. He is multi-passionate and involved in IV Vitamin infusions in Las Vegas while building a network marketing business in the health and well-being space. He is also the host of the “I Am Awesome” podcast. He finds joy in physical fitness, nutrition, outdoor activities, sports, biohacking, and getting to the root cause of disease. A follower of Christ, his faith underpins his purpose and he aspires to be a speaker...

Lyn is the wife to Brett (psychologist at Pine Rest), mom to Adelyn (and Stephen) and Kylee, and Nana to Sammy. She received her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Calvin University and her Master's (and 3/4 of an Education Specialist) degree from Michigan State University, but is a loyal "Go Blue" University of Michigan fan. She currently serves as the Director of Family Ministries and Grand Haven's Covenant Life Church and as the Executive Director of Noorthoek Academy. Kylee...

Kelli Stuart is a wife, mother of five, actress and filmmaker, an award-winning novelist and, most recently, a breast cancer survivor. Kelli and her husband, Lee, were thrust into their roles as caregivers when they adopted their youngest son, Sawyer, from China in 2018. Sawyer is a complex little boy with a laundry list of special needs. He also possesses the most magical smile this side of heaven. Kelli juggles the many needs under her roof alongside her own deep-rooted desire to create and...

Dr. Crystal G. Morrison is a highly regarded executive advisor, strategist, leader, scientist, and tech entrepreneur.  While progressing in her career as a scientist, Dr. Morrison was also growing her family.  She has three amazing teenagers.  One of her children is autistic and has additional mental health diagnoses and two of her children were adopted and experienced extreme poverty and trauma early in their lives.  As a mom, she’s spent almost 20 years navigating the complex system of care...

Michelle Crawford is a single mom of two children living in Oklahoma. Her daughter was vaccine injured at four months old and now has seizures and significant developmental delays. In 2021 her world turned upside down when her estranged husband unexpectedly announced that he had shut down the business leaving her unemployed and with no where to turn for help. Since then, she has struggled to support her family while also being a full time caregiver to her 24 year old daughter. She says that...

"how good it is when I can stop clinging to the illusion of control and just living and being present in today." What a fun, informative episode with Crystal Paine (www.moneysavingmom.com) who is a New York Times bestselling author, a popular speaker, the host of The Crystal Paine Show, and the founder of one of the top personal finance blogs on the web, MoneySavingMom.com. Her desire is to help women across the globe live with more joy in their everyday lives. Her biggest passions are...

"Nobody's going to fix this but you" I said to myself. Kristian Pattison is an Arizona Mama who has two wonderful daughters, Alaina and Sasha. Alaina was around 6 months old when Kristin noticed that she was not making eye contact like the other babies were. This eventually led to an autism diagnosis, a long journey to "recover autism" and an eventual peace about the life that Alaina would lead. We also chat about the staffing crisis and how difficult it is to find competent long term...

He said, "You don't have to be a hero... you don't have to save the baby's life." Jillian Benfield is a former journalist and news anchor. She holds a broadcast journalism degree from the University of Georgia. As a freelance writer, her essays about living an unexpected life have appeared on sites such as TODAY, Good Morning America, Yahoo! News, and ABC News. Jillian regularly advocates for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in her writings, in her community, and as a part of...

"Sleep deprivation is one of the hardest things to endure as a parent caregiver." Tonya Andrews.  Tonya Andrews is a mom to 3 boys and her youngest is on the spectrum. She has been married for 12 years and lives in Ankeny Iowa and is the President of an autism non profit called L-Evated Coaching and Learning Services. To stay connected with Jess, head to www.jessplusthemess.com.  If you are interested in being a guest please reach out to [email protected]. I'd love to hear what you...

Kassondra Lambert is a  parent of a disabled 4 year old. Last year, she started a fundraising journey to fund a wheelchair accessible van. Through that experience, she saw the need to teach families how to fundraise online for medical expenses not covered by insurance. She's the founder of The Striped Stable which teaches copywriting and more to parents so that they can tell their stories in a way that connects with donors and helps them create community. www.thestripedstable.com To stay...

"My Mom said, 'you're not educating, you're babysitting'"  Ron Sandison works full time in the medical field and is a professor of theology at Destiny School of Ministry. He is an advisory board member of the Art of Autism and the Els Center of Excellence. Sandison has a Master of Divinity from Oral Roberts University and is the author of A Parent’s Guide to Autism: Practical Advice. Biblical Wisdom published by Charisma House and Views from the Spectrum. He has memorized over 15,000...

"Don't panic (about the future). Get a will, get a special needs trust and have faith that it will work out."  Dr. Mary Barbera “fell” into the autism world in 1999 when her first-born son, Lucas was diagnosed with autism. Since then, Mary transformed from a confused and overwhelmed parent to a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and best-selling author.  After earning a PhD, Mary launched her first online course in early 2015 and later built additional courses and a membership program to help...

"You have to find ways to get laughter into your day because life is heavy."  Amy McCoy is an autism parent, children’s author and disability educator. Her debut children’s novel, Little Big Sister, shares the sibling perspective of growing up with a brother who has autism. Amy combines her expertise as a former elementary school teacher with her experience of parenting a child with autism as she visits elementary schools, libraries, bookstores, and parenting groups offering interactive...

“I was moving up the corporate ladder and making an impact as a black female in tech. I am transparent with my employers and they know that I am a caregiver. It’s a double-edged sword because although they know I’m a caregiver, employers do not fully understand the magnitude of what that comes with. I became a single mother as well shortly after learning about my twin's diagnosis. Although I had many accolades in my career, I was at a fork in the road. My last job tried its best to support me...

Kate Swenson is the founder of Finding Cooper's Voice, a mother to four kids, a wife, and a proud Minnesotan. She writes and creates videos regularly about her life as a mother and an autism advocate for Facebook, Instagram, and her website, Finding Cooper's Voice. Her book, Forever Boy, A Mother's Memoir of Autism and Finding Joy, is available now and highlights the transformation that she went through after her son's diagnosis. You can purchase Kate's book, Forever Boy on Amazon.  To stay...

Lindsay is the founder and owner of The Pampered Parent, a monthly self-care subscription box and supportive online community for moms of children with special needs. In addition to The Pampered Parent, Lindsay is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). As a BCBA, she works with individuals with a variety of developmental disabilities, as well as with their caregivers and families, to improve communication and social skills, foster independence, and reduce challenging behaviors. In...

Fred Marvel is 40 years old, has been married close to 16 years and is the father of three boys.  He was born and raised in Philadelphia where he works as a paralegal.  His oldest son Aleks (11) was diagnosed with Autism, ADHD and sensory processing disorder.  Fred started a podcast called the Spectrum Dad Podcast late last year because he wanted to help bring awareness to autism. Connect with Fred on IG: @thespectrumdadpod To stay connected with Jess, head to www.jessplusthemess.com.  If...