What's Special About Special Podcast Kristin Gagnon & Edward Gagnon

If you are a TikTok stalker like me spending hours going down a TikTok rabbit hole, I guarantee you have seen our next guest. Jordan Toma is a motivational speaker and viral TikToker spreading words of inspiration and support to school-aged kids and beyond. He talks about the difficulties growing up with learning disabilities and the moment that changed his whole outlook and made him the successful man he is today. We really got into everything he was sharing and it hit so close to home for us in this house! Please enjoy our next episode with Jordan Toma. As always, if you enjoyed today’s episode please take a moment to follow and review us on Apple Podcasts!

https://www.specialaboutspecial.com/

https://www.jordantoma.com/

Sponsored by:
Making Authentic Friendships
https://www.makingauthenticfriendships.com/
Making Authentic Friendships is an app that enables individuals with special needs to make friends based on age, diagnosis, interests, and geographic location. It was inspired by the founder, Juliana, whose brother has autism. Making Authentic Friendships has thousands of users in all 50 states and 45 countries. They serve users with all types of special needs, both intellectual and physical. They have been featured on national platforms like Lifetime, Today, CNN, Forbes, and Entrepreneur Magazine. We hope you’ll join us and them! Find them on the App Store and google play by searching Making Authentic Friendships and on all social media platforms @ making Authentic Friendships. 
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What a fun resource we have for you guys today. Mark Ostrom is the Executive Director of Joy Collaborative. Joy Collaborative is a non-profit partnership that connects designers, architects, and builders with donors, volunteers, and sponsors. By doing this they come together and create unique and personal spaces for the disability and special needs community. And these are not your ordinary spaces these spaces are beautifully designed and one of a kind, custom to each child’s needs and interests. Please check out all of their beautiful work on their website that’s linked in our show notes. You won’t regret it! As always, if you enjoyed today’s episode please take a moment to follow and review us on Apple Podcasts!

https://www.specialaboutspecial.com/

https://joycollaborative.org/
Check out their latest room here:
https://youtu.be/shFaG0ngo6A
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This week’s guest is so fun and fantastic. We spoke with Julie Falcone, she wrote the book (literally) on creating positive relationships with those around you all while being honest and pure, with a little humor thrown in. For caretakers sometimes life can get lonely and support can dwindle fast, Julie talks with us about how she found a way to communicate with those around her and take some of the pressure off. This is a must-listen for any parent or caretaker. Parenting is tough, let’s not make it any harder! 

Julie Falcone is a mother of four children ages ranging from 15 to 9 in the trenches. With one neurotypical daughter and three sons diagnosed with ADHD, autism, sensory processing disorder, anxiety, depression, and oppositional defiant disorder, she has spent more than a decade educating herself on these disorders and the treatments that go with them.
 Julie advocates for mothers raising kids newly diagnosed with ADHD and high functioning autism as a consultant, is a Court Appointed Special Advocate for the Delaware County Family Court System to ensure children in the foster system are having their needs met, a contributor to numerous special needs blogs and podcasts as well as writes her own blog and runs a special needs Facebook page, as well as publishing her first book, DEAR LOVED ONES: An Honest Guide to Helping the Special Needs Family You Love. 
 She is open, honest, and real about what raising children with neurological disorders and mental illnesses is like and believes that by allowing people to meet her imperfect family, other mothers will feel less alone and more confident in their parenting journey. 
Julie has experienced the highs and lows of raising special needs kids and has made it her mission for fellow mothers to be valued, seen, and understood.

www.specialaboutspecial.com
www.julie-falcone.com
facebook: @juliefalconeauthor
Instagram: Julie.q.falcone
Email: Juliefalcone2@yahoo.com
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What a treat this week everyone! Once upon a time before there was a Special About Special podcast, we were testing out the waters and testing all of our equipment. So, Eddie decided to interview our kids. OMG, what a cute experience. You're going to love it!

www.specialaboutspecial.com

We had a fantastic time talking with Emily Pan from Aroma Haven Mindful Ambiance (AH|MA). Emily is a graduate of Boston University and received her Master's at Columbia University in Tech Management. Emily shares her journey of wellness and spirituality and how she found her calling. Emily is the creator and founder of AH|MA an augmented reality experience that helps relieve stress and anxiety in waiting rooms and wellness centers. Currently, Emily and AH|MA are crowdfunding on (our favorite crowdfunding site) iFundWomen. Check out the links in the notes below to donate to this amazing resource and find some great rewards!

www.specialaboutspecial.com

https://ifundwomen.com/projects/aroma-haven-mindful-ambience
https://linktr.ee/InsightofEmily
https://www.ahma.nyc/

Links to Survey mentioned in episode! Win a case of Sweet Loren's Cookies!
https://mailchi.mp/9bcc94741b05/ahma



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This week we spoke with our good friend Kayleigh Martens about the journey of navigating through OCD as a child, young adult, and now an adult. She shared her experience with us and how she found a light at the end and is working on ways to be successful in her life and career while helping others. Kayleigh shares her journey in her blog The OT with OCD, giving inspiration to others as well. 

www.specialaboutspecial.com
https://theotwithocd.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kayleigh.mckitchen



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