Let’s Plant Houses

Wendy Ernzen
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Daily

Let’s Plant Houses shares heartfelt stories from families living with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Host Wendy Ernzen brings families together for warm conversations about daily challenges, parenting, inclusive living and special needs parenting. The families who join the show are powerful advocates who build smart and practical solutions for employment, housing, services and long term support for their loved ones with IDD. Their ideas often ripple through the disability community and support many other families along the way. Join us every other week as we celebrate a new family story. Learn more about the show at www.letsplanthouses.com or email Wendy at letsplanthouses@gmail.com.

  1. 51m ago

    LPH58: Heather Burroughs Fought for Her Daughter’s Voice

    What if your child had thoughts, opinions, and intelligence far beyond what the world believed, but no reliable way to communicate them? In this episode of Let’s Plant Houses, Heather Burroughs shares her family’s journey through autism, rare genetic disorders, non-speaking communication, service dogs, and disability advocacy. Heather is the Director of Advocacy and Education at AutismUp and co-founder of the Finding Common Ground podcast. She opens up about raising multiple neurodivergent children, fighting for her daughter Devyn’s rights in school, and why families often have to push systems to see what their children are truly capable of. Heather also shares how spelling to communicate changed her understanding of her daughter’s inner world and why she is now fighting for the Communication Bill of Rights in New York. This conversation is a powerful reminder that lived experience is real expertise and that families should never stop believing in their child’s potential. More about the show… Listen to Heather Burrough’s podcast, Finding Common Ground:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-common-ground/id1756178309 Find more information about LPH host, Wendy Ernzen https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyernzen. Real stories. Real insights. Real life. Join the LPH newsletter: https://www.letsplanthouses.com/newsletter/ Follow LPH on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsplanthouses/ Follow LPH on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsplanthouses/ Feel free to contact Wendy Ernzen via email: letsplanthouses.com. Thank you for leaving a review and rating for the show today!

    47 min

  2. Jun 1

    LPH57: Steve Gonyea Turned Special Needs Foster Parenting Into an Unstoppable Movement

    How did one foster dad build an autism barn and help nearly 180 children find belonging? In this episode of autism advocacy, foster care, caregiving, and disability support, Steve Gonyea shows what families can build when they lead with love, trust, and lived experience. From welcoming nearly 180 foster children into his home to creating an autism barn and launching the Ability Bus program, Steve shares how his family turned their challenges into real solutions for many families. This episode is a powerful reminder that caregivers are experts too, and that one family’s vision can spark a growing movement that is changing lives far beyond their own community. And for Steve Gonyea, with even bigger plans for the future, this is only the beginning.   More about the show… Find resource in Helpipedia, the guides Steve helped build: https://www.ie-care.org/ Listen to Steve’s podcast, Finding Common Ground: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-common-ground/id1756178309 Find more information about LPH host, Wendy Ernzen https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyernzen. Real stories. Real insights. Real life. Join the LPH newsletter: https://www.letsplanthouses.com/newsletter/ Follow LPH on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsplanthouses/ Follow LPH on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsplanthouses/ Feel free to contact Wendy Ernzen via email: letsplanthouses.com. Thank you for leaving a review and rating for the show today!

    39 min

  3. May 18

    LPH56: Mark and John Cronin Turned Socks Into Purpose and Possibility

    What happens when a father and son build their own path when the system has few options? In this episode, Mark Cronin and his son, John, share their journey of Down syndrome, disability, entrepreneurship, and employment. Together, they started John’s Crazy Socks, a business that employs people with different abilities and has shipped over 500,000 packages to 94 countries. John’s Crazy Socks has also donated more than $800,000 to charity, including the Special Olympics. Their story shows what families can do when they believe in their child and refuse to accept limits placed on them by others. Now that is growing into a movement. Through their nonprofit, Abilities Rising, Mark and John are helping other families start businesses, build job skills, and create real employment pathways for adults with different abilities. Their journey reminds us that when support does not exist, families build it, and when families share their stories, more people begin to understand what true support really means.   More about the show… Learn more about Mark and John Cronin’s business, John’s Crazy Socks https://johnscrazysocks.com/ Find more information about LPH host, Wendy Ernzen https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyernzen. Real stories. Real insights. Real life. Join the LPH newsletter: https://www.letsplanthouses.com/newsletter/ Follow LPH on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsplanthouses/ Follow LPH on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsplanthouses/ Feel free to contact Wendy Ernzen via email: letsplanthouses.com. Thank you for leaving a review and rating for the show today!

    34 min

  4. May 4

    LPH55: Founder Kirby Rabalais Built Got4titude Through Fatherhood

    What happens when fatherhood asks you to put your career on hold and trust that your family will find a way forward? In this episode about caregiving, disability, and fatherhood, Kirby Rabalais shares how raising a child with a rare genetic condition reshaped his priorities and his purpose. Families living with neurodivergence often carry invisible work every single day. Kirby reminds us that real life is more complex than most systems recognize, and that support must be practical, flexible, and human. Kirby opens up about stepping back from his career to become his son’s primary caregiver, and how that season changed his life in the best way. From that experience, he founded Got4titude, a support community for fathers raising children with disabilities. His story shows that when families share what they are living, new ideas grow, new support takes shape, and meaningful change becomes possible.

    32 min

  5. Apr 27

    LPH54: Author Randi-Lee Bowlaugh’s Relentless Search Finally Led to Answers

    What happens when you know something is wrong, but the system keeps telling you to wait? In this episode, author Randi-Lee Bowlaugh shares her journey through autism, parenting, and mental health as she searched for answers for her daughter. From early concerns to years of missed support, her story shows how families often live in the gap between what they know and what systems are ready to provide. Randi-Lee speaks honestly about trusting her instincts, changing doctors, and continuing to ask questions until someone finally listened. She reminds us that parents and caregivers are not just participants in the system. They are problem solvers and leaders who keep going, even when the path is long.

    29 min

  6. Apr 20

    LPH53: Jillian Simpson-Eisloeffel Never Stops Fighting For Her Son

    How do you hold on to hope when your child seems lost? Autism, profound autism, parenting, and support are at the heart of this honest conversation with Jillian Simpson-Eisloeffel, Founder of Bobby’s World and Regional Lead for the New York Alliance for Developmental Disabilities. She shares what life looks like when a child has complex needs and when families must step in to create safety and stability at home. Her story helps us see the daily work that often goes unseen. In this episode, Jillian talks about sleepless nights, constant vigilance, and the courage to keep searching for answers when nothing seemed to help. After pushing for deeper medical understanding, she has now begun to see small but powerful glimpses of her son again. Her journey shows how parents become problem solvers when systems fall short, and how persistence can open doors to new possibilities.

    35 min

  7. Apr 13

    LPH52: Fantasy Author J.M. Shaw on Autism, Parenting, and Possibility

    What happens when a parent discovers their child—and themselves—share the same diagnosis? J.M. Shaw’s diagnosis changed everything, and helped her see her family’s story in a whole new light. In this episode, fantasy author J.M. Shaw shares her journey raising children with autism and ADHD while discovering her own diagnosis, offering real-life insight into parenting, neurodiversity, family life, and autism support. You’ll hear how lived experience shaped the way she supports her children and how her family found new ways forward when help was hard to find. J.M. also shares how writing fantasy stories and novels became a creative outlet and a powerful way to explore autism, identity, and belonging. Her story offers insight into how families can discover strengths they never knew they had.

    29 min

  8. Apr 6

    LPH51: Becoming an Autism Bonus Mom With Dr. Rita Renee

    What does it really look like to become a “bonus mom” to a child with autism and learn a whole new way to parent? In this episode of Let’s Plant Houses, Wendy Ernzen talks with Dr. Rita Renee about autism parenting, blended family life, and caregiver support. They share an honest conversation about stepping into a parenting role later in life and learning how to support a child with different needs. Rita opens up about meeting her husband, being introduced to his two sons, and learning about autism when her stepson was just seven years old. She shares the tools that made the biggest difference, including routine, patience, advocacy, and creating emotional safety at home. Now, with her son is sixteen and thriving in school, Rita explains how this journey shaped her leadership, deepened her empathy, and reminds families that they are not alone.

    24 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Let’s Plant Houses shares heartfelt stories from families living with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Host Wendy Ernzen brings families together for warm conversations about daily challenges, parenting, inclusive living and special needs parenting. The families who join the show are powerful advocates who build smart and practical solutions for employment, housing, services and long term support for their loved ones with IDD. Their ideas often ripple through the disability community and support many other families along the way. Join us every other week as we celebrate a new family story. Learn more about the show at www.letsplanthouses.com or email Wendy at letsplanthouses@gmail.com.

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