Many families feel like they're treading water, especially those living with autism and other developmental differences. As your hosts, we get it, and we know this frustration all too well.In response, we've created tried-and-true strategies that help everyday people achieve extraordinary things. Even those who might have doubted themselves can borrow our confidence, follow one of our "blueprints," and with a supportive community cheering them on, make the impossible happen.Each success inspires those coming up behind us, creating a ripple effect of positive change—Which is why we'll never run out of content!Our podcast tackles tough issues he...
Latest episodes
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55 min
Beyond the Spectrum: Profound Autism and Advocacy with Tyler Hudson and Jillian Eisloeffel
What happens when the autism your family lives with doesn't look anything like what society imagines? In this episode of Finding Common Ground: Dadability, Steve sits down with Tyl…
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37 min
Representation, Inclusion, and Belonging: with Autistic Youth International Founder Rebecca Tarrant
Steve sits down with Rebecca Tarrant, founder of Autistic Youth International and the US coordinator for Neurodiversity Pride Day. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Rebecca is a…
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43 min
From Green Card Lottery to Chief Diversity Officer: Dr. Hirah Mir's Inspiring Journey
What happens when someone who grew up receiving food stamps, living in Section 8 housing, and navigating government services as a new American child becomes the Chief Diversity Off…
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45 min
Garbage Bags to Graduate School: From Invisible to Unstoppable
If foster care is supposed to make children feel safe, why do so many still feel unseen, unheard, as they’re shuffled from home to home?Beth LaFontaine knows that answer, not from…
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39 min
What does it really look like from inside the foster care system?
In this episode of Finding Common Ground, we take a deep dive into foster care with Genevieve Rose Traversy, a Foster Care Recruiter with Lutheran Services Carolinas.A third-genera…
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42 min
When Intense Supports Are So Heavy, How Do You Not Sink?
What happens when exhaustion turns into something darker than burnout, when a parent begins having thoughts they never imagined they’d think?In this raw, unflinching conversation w…
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43 min
The Housing Waiting List Trap: The Crisis Families are Living
What happens when your child needs lifelong support, but the “options” ahead are mostly waitlists, dead ends, and ideas that don’t really exist?In this episode of Finding Common Gr…
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41 min
Stuck and Spinning? Call the IDDO
When you know your child needs help, but every phone call leads to more confusion, where do you turn?In this DadAbility episode of Finding Common Ground, Steve sits down with Flor…
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35 min
Her Mother Refused the Institution… The Rest Is History
They told Loretta Claiborne’s mother there were places for children like her.Her mother said no.Instead, she raised Loretta with grit, dignity, and sky-high expectations. Even when…
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42 min
Can the System Catch Up Before Parent Shot Clocks Run Out?
Families are often expected to hold everything together, yet too often they are treated like outsiders instead of experts. In this episode of Finding Common Ground, Steve sits down…
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19 min
Building Safety When the System Fails (Part 2)
If you suspect abuse, what do you do first, and how do you prove it?Part 2 shifts from systems analysis to step-by-step strategy. This is a must-listen for any family navigating OP…
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31 min
Building Safety When the System Fails (Part 1)
“If the system only works when parents are silent, it was never built to protect our kids.”What happens after the headlines fade, but the fear doesn’t?Anil Babbar returns to FCG an…
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48 min
Making It Right When Transition Feels Wrong
If you have ever walked into a CSE meeting and thought, I don’t even know what to ask for, this episode is for you.Heather and Steve are joined by Sara DeFazio, a Transition Specia…
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43 min
Teaching Independence Without Throwing Graduates Off "The Cliff"
When school ends, the bus stops coming, and traditional transition options do not feel like the right fit, what comes next? In this episode of Finding Common Ground, Heather and St…
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38 min
When Your Parents Foster Nearly 200 Kids...
This episode is the first one of our new FCG spin-off series called, The Mother Load and we started out with a bang! Heather sits with her co-host Steve’s daughter, Rachel, and dig…
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45 min
Was Heather Always This Strong? The Backstory of an Unlikely Advocate
TAKEOVER EPISODE with Guest Host Jackie Bartell.Have you ever looked at someone and assumed they were just born strong, that they have “always done the hard thing,” and were simply…
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48 min
When Parents Stop Asking for Permission & Start Leading
What if the hardest part of advocating for your child isn’t the system, but unlearning the way you’ve been taught to think about it?What if you keep doing the same things because t…
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40 min
When “Someday” Becomes Now: Life After Mom and Dad
Planning isn’t just paperwork. What happens when families do everything they can, but without guidance, the plan unravels at the exact moment it matters most?In this episode of Fin…
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46 min
School Ends & Gaps Become Painfully Clear
When school ends, support doesn’t just pause.For many families, it vanishes.“There are 25 skills students need to make an informed decision about what comes after 12th grade,” says…
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45 min
Finding Your Neurodistinct Voice
“Our brains process the sounds for emotion before we process the words for understanding.”In this episode, Heather and Steve sit down with Google technologist and autistic advocate…