EPISODES

Last month, we went to DSDN’s Rockin’ Mom Retreat in Nashville, Tennessee and partied with over 700 moms who have kiddos with Down Syndrome. And we even sat down to interview a few.. including Carissa Carroll, the founder and president of Jack’s Basket! This mother of three children (one of whom rocks an extra chromosome!) learned the hard way that a Down Syndrome diagnosis is not often met with a “Congratulations!” And so, she took matters into her own hands and created Jack’s Basket, a nonprofit organization that hand delivers complimentary gift baskets to families with a new DS diagnosis. Not only has Carissa changed the diagnosis experience for over 1,700 families in 11 different countries, she has developed educational resources for the medical professionals delivering the diagnosis. 

We’re all hoping for great friends for our kiddos, right? And as parents of kids with Down Syndrome, we might be hoping for those great friends even more than most. That’s why we are so excited to talk to you all about Best Buddies, an international non-profit organization that focuses on creating meaningful, one on one, friendships between students with and without different abilities. Here today to tell us all about the program and share their amazing friendship story is (our co-producer) Val Schlieder & Allison Covell. Starting out as high schoolers in the program and then eventually going on to co-launch their own college group, both ladies have been involved with Best Buddies for nearly 10 years! So friends, join us as we answer your questions about all things inclusive friendship and Best Buddies! How can parents of kids without different abilities encourage their children to have inclusive friendships? How can we make sure students value friendships with their peers who have different abilities? And, how can you join or start a Best Buddies program at your school?