If We Knew Then - A Down Syndrome Podcast

In this episode we celebrate Citizens of the World Charter Schools whose approach to inclusion was a life changing discovery for our family.  We sit down with  Dr. Maureen and Mrs. Aries, Co-principals of CWC, and discuss the importance of inclusion, its impact and why we as parents, if it is what is best for our student, should insist on our child’s right to an inclusive classroom. CWC Website: www.CWCsilverlake.org CWC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/citizensoftheworldla/ CWC Los Angeles FB: https://www.facebook.com/citizensoftheworldLA CWC Kansas City FB: https://www.facebook.com/cwckansascity Episode Transcript: https://ifweknewthen701833686.wordpress.com/2023/03/26/137-cwc/2/ Please follow us on Twitter @ifweknewthenPOD you can drop us a line on our Facebook page @ifweknewthenPOD or visit our website https://www.IfWeKnewThen.com to send us an email with questions and comments. You can join our mailing list there and get alerts of future podcast episodes. Thank you again and we look forward to you joining us on the next episode of IF WE KNEW THEN.

Happy World Down Syndrome Day 2023! In celebration of our community, we are sharing a discussion we had this month with Dr. Eric Rubenstein and his co-researcher team. Dr. Eric is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Boston University and his research team is comprised of six adults with Down syndrome who engage the research process to create their own project. The team is curious about the mental health of people with Down syndrome and designed a research project to explore people’s experiences with mental health issues and how they find support. Take the survey: https://bostonu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bxyp6tWSkJcoU86 The group is also hosting a webinar on Tuesday, March 21 from 12pm-1:30pm EST Register for the World Down syndrome Day webinar: https://bostonu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BkU7e9D8TO6HPXSRU2gfpg Episode Transcript: https://ifweknewthen701833686.wordpress.com/2023/03/19/136-world-down-syndrome-day-with-dr-eric-rubenstein-and-his-co-researcher-team/2/ Please follow us on Twitter @ifweknewthenPOD you can drop us a line on our Facebook page @ifweknewthenPOD or visit our website https://www.IfWeKnewThen.com to send us an email with questions and comments. You can join our mailing list there and get alerts of future podcast episodes. Thank you again and we look forward to you joining us on the next episode of IF WE KNEW THEN.

Dr. Mona is an attending physician in the Department of General Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. She sat down with us to challenge the many medical myths and stereotypes surrounding children with Down syndrome. Health Supervision Guidelines: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/developmental-disabilities/Documents/Health_Care_Information_for_Families_of_Children_with_Down_Syndrome.pdf Episode Transcript: https://ifweknewthen701833686.wordpress.com/2023/03/12/135-revisiting-with-childrens-hospital-los-angeles-pediatrician-dr-mona-patel-gera/2/ Please follow us on Twitter @ifweknewthenPOD you can drop us a line on our Facebook page @ifweknewthenPOD or visit our website https://www.IfWeKnewThen.com to send us an email with questions and comments. You can join our mailing list there and get alerts of future podcast episodes. Thank you again and we look forward to you joining us on the next episode of IF WE KNEW THEN.

Dr. Jill Lasky discusses the importance of Pediatric Dentistry, how to introduce dental care and specifics pertaining to the Down Syndrome community. We also discuss methods and tools for parents who want to support their children in making good dental health habits. Lasky Pediatric Dental Group: https://www.laskypediatricdental.com Episode Transcript: https://ifweknewthen701833686.wordpress.com/2023/03/05/134-your-dentistry-questions-answered-dr-jill-lasky/2/ Please follow us on Twitter @ifweknewthenPOD you can drop us a line on our Facebook page @ifweknewthenPOD or visit our website https://www.IfWeKnewThen.com to send us an email with questions and comments. You can join our mailing list there and get alerts of future podcast episodes. Thank you again and we look forward to you joining us on the next episode of IF WE KNEW THEN.

This week Liam turns 13. We recorded this episode on Valentine's Day with is fitting because love is the driving force of this family. Becoming a teenager is a milestone we have been looking forward to and we are thankful for all the ups and downs that have gotten us here. Episode Transcript: https://ifweknewthen701833686.wordpress.com/2023/02/18/133-liam-turns-13-let-the-teenage-years-begin/2/ Please follow us on Twitter @ifweknewthenPOD you can drop us a line on our Facebook page @ifweknewthenPOD or visit our website https://www.IfWeKnewThen.com to send us an email with questions and comments. You can join our mailing list there and get alerts of future podcast episodes. Thank you again and we look forward to you joining us on the next episode of IF WE KNEW THEN.

For Black History Month we revisit a phenomenal episode we had with Willie Dawkins. We honor his story and his parents who gave him the foundation of love and support he needed to find his way through an unjust world and the advocates who came before us who fought for equality and laid the groundwork for our fight for inclusion. Episode Transcript: https://ifweknewthen701833686.wordpress.com/2023/02/10/132-black-history-month-revisiting-our-interview-with-willie-dawkins/2/ Please follow us on Twitter @ifweknewthenPOD you can drop us a line on our Facebook page @ifweknewthenPOD or visit our website https://www.IfWeKnewThen.com to send us an email with questions and comments. You can join our mailing list there and get alerts of future podcast episodes. Thank you again and we look forward to you joining us on the next episode of IF WE KNEW THEN.

We talk today about how we learn to do things differently, the way we learn from our past, and how the seemingly smallest memories can hold so much in them, like the little lessons along the way. We also explore the need to accept when it’s easy, and how that can be a challenge in itself. Episode Transcript: https://ifweknewthen701833686.wordpress.com/2023/02/03/131-the-things-we-learn/2/ Please follow us on Twitter @ifweknewthenPOD you can drop us a line on our Facebook page @ifweknewthenPOD or visit our website https://www.IfWeKnewThen.com to send us an email with questions and comments. You can join our mailing list there and get alerts of future podcast episodes. Thank you again and we look forward to you joining us on the next episode of IF WE KNEW THEN.

This is the second half of a two part interview with casting director Michael Sanford about the work being done to make media more inclusive and diverse. We first met Michael when he cast our son, Liam, in the Lena Dunham movie SHARP STICK. Michael had seen Liam in a film made for the Disability Film Challenge where people with disabilities have a space to tell their own stories in the hopes that more spaces like that will be made in Hollywood. Disability Film Challenge: https://disabilityfilmchallenge.com Episode Transcript: https://ifweknewthen701833686.wordpress.com/2023/01/29/michael-sanford-an-advocate-for-diverse-casting-in-hollywood-part-2/2/ Please follow us on Twitter @ifweknewthenPOD you can drop us a line on our Facebook page @ifweknewthenPOD or visit our website https://www.IfWeKnewThen.com to send us an email with questions and comments. You can join our mailing list there and get alerts of future podcast episodes. Thank you again and we look forward to you joining us on the next episode of IF WE KNEW THEN.  

This is a two part interview with Hollywood casting director Michael Sanford about the importance of inclusion in everyone's life and the responsibility the film and television industry has to uphold a fabric of diversity that is reflective of our global society. Episode Transcript: https://ifweknewthen701833686.wordpress.com/2023/01/22/129-michael-sanford-an-advocate-for-diverse-casting-in-hollywood/2/ Please follow us on Twitter @ifweknewthenPOD you can drop us a line on our Facebook page @ifweknewthenPOD or visit our website https://www.IfWeKnewThen.com to send us an email with questions and comments. You can join our mailing list there and get alerts of future podcast episodes. Thank you again and we look forward to you joining us on the next episode of IF WE KNEW THEN.  

In this episode we discuss the hope we have for the future and the positive changes we see in the next generation of Down syndrome advocates. Episode Transcript: https://ifweknewthen701833686.wordpress.com/2023/01/16/128-the-next-generation-of-advocacy/2/ Please follow us on Twitter @ifweknewthenPOD you can drop us a line on our Facebook page @ifweknewthenPOD or visit our website https://www.IfWeKnewThen.com to send us an email with questions and comments. You can join our mailing list there and get alerts of future podcast episodes. Thank you again and we look forward to you joining us on the next episode of IF WE KNEW THEN.