Episode 7: Step by Step Guide for Legal Guardianship for Special Needs Adults and Tips for Caregivers

If your special needs child is getting close to 18 and you are trying to figure out guardianship, this episode is exactly what you need. Host Jenny Olson shares the real, step by step experience of going through the legal adult guardianship process with her husband for their son Ben, who has autism and an intellectual disability. This is not legal advice, but it is an honest, personal walkthrough of what the process actually looked like for their family here in Colorado, from finding a lawyer to the court hearing with the judge.

Jenny covers the difference between full guardianship and power of attorney, why her family chose full guardianship for Ben, and what that decision really means as a parent. She talks through the emotional side of it too, including the parental guilt that can come with watching your child turn 18 while knowing their path looks different from their peers.

On the practical side, Jenny walks you through the full Colorado guardianship process from start to finish. She covers how they found a special needs lawyer, what documents were required, what the court visitor home visit looked like, and what actually happened during the Zoom hearing with the judge. She also shares how they used funding through their local Developmental Pathways organization to help cover the cost of the lawyer, and what the ongoing yearly reporting requirement looks like after guardianship is granted.

Whether you are just starting to research guardianship for your special needs adult child or loved one, or you are already in the middle of the process, Jenny's experience will help you feel less alone and more prepared for what is ahead.

If this episode was helpful, please follow and subscribe so you never miss a new episode, and take a moment to leave a rating and review. It helps other special needs caregivers and disability families find this community when they need it most. You are doing an amazing job. Keep going! If you found this episode helpful, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review!

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6 | SSI, SSDI, Medicaid & Medicare Disability Benefits Guide for Special Needs Families with Certified Benefits Specialist Amber Lydford

If you have ever felt completely lost trying to figure out SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, Medicare, or vocational rehabilitation for your special needs child or adult loved one, this episode is going to be a game changer. Host Jenny Olson sits down with Amber Lydford, a Nationally Certified Benefits Specialist pertaining to all things social security and medicaid related. She helps with applications to appeals, and how working will impact a person’s benefits. She has over 12 years of experience helping disability families navigate the Social Security system. Amber also has three children of her own with different abilities, so she brings both professional expertise and a parent's heart to this conversation.

Amber breaks down the real difference between SSI and SSDI in plain language, explains what actually changes when your child turns 18, and shares why waiting too long to start the benefits process can cost your family critical services. She also covers the Katie Beckett and TEFRA Medicaid categories for children, why you should open an ABLE account before your child turns 18, and what the SSA Adult Blue Book actually is and how to use it when applying for benefits.

This episode also tackles one of the biggest myths in the special needs caregiver community, which is that working will automatically end your child's benefits. Amber explains exactly how SSI and SSDI work when your adult child starts earning income, what vocational rehabilitation can do to help, and why encouraging your young adult to work early could actually set them up for better benefits down the road.

You will also get practical tips on the two key Social Security forms to print out and review before applying, why you should always call your local Social Security office instead of the 800 number, and why keeping a detailed paper trail of every phone call and document submission is so important.

Amber's closing advice is something every caregiver needs to hear: a no does not mean never. It might just mean not yet, or it might mean they need more information. Do not stop fighting for your child.

Amber is nationally certified and available to help families across the United States. Her contact information will be in the show notes.

If this episode was helpful, please subscribe so you never miss a new episode and take a moment to leave a review. It helps other special needs caregivers and disability families find this community when they need it most. You are doing an amazing job. Keep going. Helpful links about Social Security Benefits and More: SSA Ticket to Work Program: Home | Choose Work! - Ticket to Work - Social SecurityOfficial website of Social Security’s Ticket to Work Program. Listing of Impairments for Adults: Listing of Impairments - Adult Listings (Part A) | Disability | SSAEntry page - Adult Medical Impairments

SSA Form 3368: https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-3368-bk.pdf SSA form/PDF 3373: https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-3373-bk.pdf Amber Lydford- Nationally Certified Benefits Specialist pertaining to all things social security and medicaid related. From application to appeal, to how working will impact the benefits. For advice on benefits, email Amber at: Helperatheart86@gmail.com

If you found this episode helpful, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review!

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Single Dad Caregiver Burnout While Raising 3 Autistic Sons: A talk with Rob Gorski, the Autism Dad

If you are a special needs caregiver who has ever felt completely alone in this journey, this episode is for you. Host Jenny Olson sits down with Rob Gorski, known online as The Autism Dad, who has been raising three sons with autism largely on his own for over a decade. Rob is also a blogger, podcaster, and soon to be published author who has been sharing his honest caregiving story online for almost 20 years. This is a real, raw, and hopeful conversation about what adult autism caregiving actually looks like from the inside.

Rob opens up about what it was like to go from a two parent household to solo parenting three neurodivergent kids overnight, and how he found a way to keep going even when it felt impossible. He and Jenny talk about what it means to stop apologizing for your child's autism in public, how to handle rude comments and stares as your special needs child grows into an adult, and why the judgment gets harder as they get bigger but no less important to push through.

This episode also gets into some really encouraging territory. Rob shares that his oldest son Gavin, who was told he might never live independently, is now working, saving money, and moving toward his own place. His youngest son Emmett, who was non speaking until age four, is finishing high school while also completing his second year of college full time. Rob's message to every caregiver is clear: never let anyone put your child in a box and never underestimate what they are capable of.

Jenny and Rob also dig into caregiver burnout, self care, and what it means to finally find your village, whether that is a partner, a neighbor, a Facebook group, or another special needs parent at a basketball game. Rob also gives a sneak peek at his upcoming book, coming out December 2026, which is designed to help newly diagnosed families feel supported, hopeful, and less alone from day one.

Find Rob Gorski and preorder his book online at theautismdad.com and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/theautismdad

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe and follow the podcast so you never miss a new episode and take a moment to leave a review. It helps other special needs caregivers and disability families find this community when they need it most. You are doing an amazing job. Keep going. Follow the podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adult.special.needs.caregiving/

Special Needs Transition Checklist To Do Before Your Child Turns 18

If your child with special needs is getting close to 18, this episode is a must listen. Host Jenny Olson breaks down five things every special needs caregiver, parent, and carer should know and do before their child transitions into adulthood. From case management programs to Medicaid waivers to guardianship, these are the real steps that Jenny wishes she had known about sooner in her own journey with her son Ben, who has autism and an intellectual disability.

In this episode you will learn about finding a case management agency in your area, like Developmental Pathways in Colorado, and why connecting with one early can open doors to funding, resources, and support you didn't even know existed. Jenny also covers special needs trusts and why setting one up early can protect your child's access to vital benefits like SSI and Medicaid down the road.

Jenny walks through the difference between guardianship and power of attorney in a clear and easy to understand way, and explains why starting that process around age 17 can save you a lot of stress. She also talks about what adult day services, therapies, and job training programs can look like after high school ends, and how to start figuring out what the right fit might be for your child.

And then there are the waivers. Jenny gets into the DD waiver, the SLS waiver, SSI, SSDI, and Medicaid, including why some of these waitlists are so long that you need to get on them years before your child turns 18. She also shares how these programs are all connected and why the order you apply for them actually matters.

This episode is packed with practical information for caregivers and disability families who are navigating the special needs transition to adulthood and trying to figure out where to even start.

If this episode was helpful, please subscribe (by clicking the "+" to follow on Apple podcast, for example) so you never miss a new episode and take a moment to leave a review. It helps other special needs caregivers and disability families find this community when they need it most. You are doing an amazing job. Keep going. Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adult.special.needs.caregiving/

Six Ways to Find and Give Support as a Special Needs Caregiver

Finding support as a special needs caregiver can feel impossible, especially when you're in the middle of the transition from childhood to adulthood and feel like you're figuring it all out alone. In this episode of Adult Special Needs Caregiving, host Jenny Olson shares six practical and real ways that caregivers, parents, and disability families can find help, build community, and support one another along the way.

Jenny covers how to find and use local special needs Facebook groups and in person community groups, why asking questions out loud is one of the best things you can do as a carer, and how following the right podcasts and social media accounts can make you feel way less alone. She also talks about the power of connecting with other special needs parents you meet out in the community, whether that is at school events, the park, church, or even just out running errands.

This episode also gets into the more personal side of caregiving. Jenny shares honest stories about calling a friend in tears, swapping tips with other parents at school activities, and why even small acts of kindness toward others in the special needs community can make a big difference. She also encourages caregivers who feel ready to share their own story online in an honest and intentional way, because your experience just might be exactly what another caregiver needs to hear.

If you are a parent, family member, or carer navigating adult disability care and looking for your people, this episode is a great place to start.

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe so you never miss a new episode and take a moment to leave a review. It helps other special needs caregivers and disability families find this community when they need it most. You are doing an amazing job. Keep going.

Follow the podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adult.special.needs.caregiving/

If your child has apraxia, a speech disorder, or any kind of communication delay, this episode is for you. Host Jenny Olson sits down with Laura Smith, a speech language pathologist who specializes in childhood apraxia of speech and is also a special needs parent herself. Laura's daughter Ashlynn has apraxia and intellectual disabilities, which means she brings both professional knowledge and real caregiver experience to this conversation. This is the kind of expert interview you won't find anywhere else.

In this episode, Jenny and Laura talk about what apraxia really is, why so many children go undiagnosed or get the wrong therapy, and how to find an SLP who actually specializes in it. Laura shares the three stages of parent advocacy she has seen in her years of working with special needs families, from the initial diagnosis all the way through to becoming a confident and informed advocate for your child. She also opens up about her own journey of missing the signs in her daughter at first, even as a trained speech pathologist, and how that experience shaped her into the specialist and advocate she is today.

Jenny and Laura also get real about the emotional side of caregiving. They talk about the grief that comes in waves as your special needs child grows up, the milestones that hit differently, and what it feels like when your child ages out of school and the support system disappears. They also dig into what the post high school transition looks like, including day programs, Medicaid waivers, SSI, and the waitlists that families need to know about way earlier than they think.

Whether your child is young and newly diagnosed or a teenager heading toward adulthood, this conversation is full of honest advice, practical resources, and real talk from two moms who are living this caregiving life every single day.

If this episode was helpful, please subscribe so you never miss a new episode and take a moment to leave a review. It helps other special needs caregivers, disability families, and carers find this community when they need it most. You are doing an amazing job. Keep going.

Guest Laura Smith: Author, Speaker, SLP, Apraxia Advocate Speech Therapy Practice: A Mile High Speech Therapy (website currently down, but up again soon) IG: https://www.instagram.com/SLPMommyofApraxia/ FB: Laura- SLP Mommy of Apraxia

Mentions: Apraxia Foundation: apraxiafoundation.org

childapraxiatreatment.org

Follow the podcast on IG: https://www.instagram.com/adult.special.needs.caregiving/

Our Autism Journey: Diagnosis, Therapy, and Life After High School with Special Needs

If you're a parent or carer of an adult with special needs, the transition from childhood to adulthood can feel like stepping off a cliff. The IEPs end, the school support disappears, and suddenly you're on your own trying to figure out disability services, Medicaid waivers, SSI, guardianship, and so much more. You are not alone, and this episode is a great place to start.

In this first episode of Adult Special Needs Caregiving, host Jenny Olson shares her personal caregiving journey with her son Benjamin, who was diagnosed with autism and intellectual disabilities at age six. Jenny walks you through the early signs, the long road to an official diagnosis, the years of therapies and IEPs, and what life looks like now as Ben transitions out of high school into adulthood. From ABA therapy to pursuing full guardianship to figuring out post-school programs, Jenny opens up about the real challenges special needs families face and why she felt called to create this caregiver community.

This episode is for every parent who has ever felt lost trying to navigate the adult disability care system, cried in their car after a hard day, or wondered if anyone else truly understands what this life is like. Jenny gets it because she is living it right alongside you.

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe so you never miss a new episode, and take a minute to leave a review. It helps other special needs caregivers and disability families find this community when they need it most. You are doing an amazing job. Keep going. Follow us on IG.

If you're a caregiver of an adult with special needs, finding real answers feels impossible. Host Jenny Olson created this podcast because she's living it too. Her son has autism and intellectual disabilities and she's facing the same questions you are. SSI, Medicaid waivers, guardianship, and so much more. This is your weekly resource for real resources and caregiver community. Subscribe and leave a review so other special needs families can find us!