This Is Special Needs

Cathi Rae
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This Is Special Needs is a narrative interview podcast centered on lived experience. Each episode features a special needs parent sharing what daily life really looks like: the love, the advocacy, the exhaustion, and the humanity missing from public conversations. This is not a clinical show. It's a space for listening and connection. Created to build awareness and grace, it invites listeners to see families more clearly and consider how communities and systems can show up better.

  1. Jun 22

    Learning Them | Episode 3, Part 1

    Sapphire Plair is raising two boys on the spectrum, and no two days look the same. In this first part of their conversation, Sapphire and Cathi Rae get into what it actually looks like to learn your child's language. Not the language you expected. The one they came with. They talk about learning to sign, finding the systems that work, and what it means to show up for a child who communicates differently than you ever prepared for. Two moms. Two sets of kids. One conversation worth overhearing. This Is Special Needs. Real stories. Real families. TTFN, Cathi Rae. P.S. Oh, and she is an author too! Tune in for part two. P.P.S. Her Husband agreed to an interview to give us his perspective too! P.P.P.S Here are some links to some of the things they spoke about. IconixABASign LanguageJoin the Parent Support Community. Support Group CallsBi-weekly minglesAdvocacy and Advice

    Learning Them | Episode 3, Part 1

  2. Jun 15

    Behind the Behavior | Brooke's Chronicles

    This Is Special Needs | Episode 2, Part 2Behind the Behavior In part two, Brooke and Cathi Rae keep going. They get into what it actually means when someone says "he doesn't look autistic," why discipline in their homes looks nothing like what most people expect, and how Brooke learned to advocate without letting the emotion take over. Cathi Rae also shares the story behind why this podcast exists at all, and it's bigger than just sharing stories. Plus, Xavier already knows exactly what he wants to be when he grows up, and honestly, it might be the best thing you hear all week. This Is Special Needs. Real stories. Real families. TTFN, Cathi Rae

    Behind the Behavior | Brooke's Chronicles

  3. Jun 8

    Behind the Behavior | Brooke's Chronicles

    This Is Special Needs | Episode 2, Part 1 | Behind the Behavior Brooke is a single mama raising Xavier, her six-year-old son who is autistic and has ADHD. Before most kids have even eaten breakfast, Brooke has already run Xavier through a full sensory regulation routine just to get him ready to walk out the door. In this first part of their conversation, Brooke and Cathi Rae talk about what daily life actually looks like, the morning prep, the after-school decompression, the meltdown at the park, and why none of it is what it looks like from the outside. If you've ever watched a child struggle in public and thought you knew what was going on, this episode is for you. This Is Special Needs. Real stories. Real families. TTFN, Cathi Rae

    Behind the Behavior | Brooke's Chronicles

  4. Jun 1

    Look Past the Label | Cora's Chronicles

    This Is Special Needs S1\E1\P2 Cora's Chronicles She never told him. In Part 1, Cora gave us the village, the IEPs, the grace. But she left us with one thing still sitting in the air. Her son doesn't know he has autism. In Side B, we pick right back up there. Why she made that call, what she carries because of it, and what she hopes he understands someday. No judgment. Just a mama doing her best with what she knew, when she knew it. This is the part of the story that doesn't fit in a diagnosis code. This is special needs.

    Look Past the Label | Cora's Chronicles

  5. May 25

    Look Past The Label Cora's Chronicles

    This is S1\E1\P1 Cora's Chronicles Before you judge, before you scroll... meet Cora. A California mama navigating autism, ADHD, ABA therapy, and a son who will go to war for the underdog every single time. We talk villages, IEPs, therapy choices, and why raising a child with special needs ain't so different from raising any other kid. You just need a little more grace. And maybe 15 minutes alone in the bathroom. This show was born from Emmanuel. A 15 year old Houston boy who eloped from Walmart, got picked up by HPD, and ended up in a detention center instead of home with his family. Our kids deserve better. So we're telling our stories. One family at a time. This is special needs.

    Look Past The Label Cora's Chronicles

  6. 04/05/2024

    What are we gonna do here?

    I took a week to sit with the fact that this podcast was going to sit here until I was ready to transition the interviews from LinkedIn to here. Well, I don't like the idea of this just chilling here, serving no one, and taking up space in the clouds. So until the show is ready to come out, let's get to know each other. I'll pop in and share a bit about me while I get used to how things work on Spotify. That is what I am using for the show. So I hope you enjoy this journey.

    What are we gonna do here?
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About

This Is Special Needs is a narrative interview podcast centered on lived experience. Each episode features a special needs parent sharing what daily life really looks like: the love, the advocacy, the exhaustion, and the humanity missing from public conversations. This is not a clinical show. It's a space for listening and connection. Created to build awareness and grace, it invites listeners to see families more clearly and consider how communities and systems can show up better.

Information

  • Creator
    Cathi Rae
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Cathi Rae
  • Show Website
    This Is Special Needs