BE KIND TO EVERYONE: Recent Episodes
tentwentytwo / Summer Shirt Project
There is comfort in having friends that have been on the same path you're on. We are those friends! Our names are Jackie and Ben, and we have a daughter (Jordyn) and a son (Hudson.) You might know us from the SUMMER SHIRT PROJECT on Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok, and maybe you own one of our shirts. (If so ... THANK YOU!) At age two, Jordyn was diagnosed with autism. We started looking for as much input as we could gather so we could be the best possible parents and advocates for her. Over the past two decades we've learned a lot and we are using this podcast to share those lessons, experiences, and resources. Whether you are new to a diagnosis, been on the journey for many years, or simply want to help make the world a better place for individuals with disabilities, this podcast is for you. When you encounter autism (or any disability), the feelings and questions you have are perfectly normal. It's important to talk about these, and we will address them in this podcast. We'll also share what we've done right, what we've done wrong, and what we wish we did differently. We're going to be here for everyone because we need everyone to make the world a kinder place for individuals with disabilities. Welcome to the BE KIND TO EVERYONE podcast. - Jackie, Ben, Jordyn, and Hudson
When you have a child with a disability it affects the entire family. This week, we are talking about how we as a family navigate life working with Jordyn's autism and how it has only strengthened our family bond. Plus, the one trip we took that we will NEVER forget!
"There definitely have been some struggles along the way." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With Thanksgiving this week, we wanted to talk about gratitude. There are so many things we are grateful for and at the top of the list is the shirt shop. It has brought so much to our lives and helped Jordyn shine in a way we never expected.
"You talk often with an individual with disabilities about creating a village and the shirt shop - our employees, our social media - it's become her village." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week we are continuing our conversation with Dr. Temple Grandin on getting individuals with autism into the workforce. She discusses with us tips for parents and employers as well as the importance of early intervention and the impact it makes later in life. If you want to read more of Dr. Grandin's work, she has many books now available on Amazon including her new one "Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions."
"A person with autism is a bottom-up thinker. You gotta fill the database. See the way I understand something in the future is I compare it to someone in the database. That's the same way computers think. You gotta get them out there doing things to get data in the database." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week we are honored to be joined by Dr. Temple Grandin. She is a prominent name in the animal science world, a New York Times bestselling author and autistic. Dr. Grandin has been a major advocate for the autism community writing numerous books on the subject including her new book "Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions." We talked to her this week about getting individuals with autism into the workforce, how parents can prepare their kids for a job and the kind of careers that might be right for them.
"We've got kids that are growing up that have never used a tool. They're not getting exposed to enough things." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As we continue to explore building a community, today we're going to introduce you to even more of our shirt shop family - Sarah, Maddie and Kei. We'll talk about how they came to us, what changes they've seen in Jordyn since they started and what makes working at the shirt shop so special. Plus, you'll discover what shirt shop employee was still in a booster chair through 7th grade!
"As parents, we've got to give people the opportunity to get to know our kid, to accept them." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
One of the best things to come from the shirt shop is the community that it has built for Jordyn. Our shirt shop employees have become family and their love for what we do is incredible. Today, we're going to introduce you to a couple of them, Ryan and Megan. We'll talk about their favorite things about the shirt shop and the impact it has made in their lives.
"To be here and making an impact on the world... it just feels good." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We're continuing our discussion of employing individuals with disabilities this week for National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Today, we'll be talking to Jeni Smith who is one of the owners of Rosati's Pizza in Cumming, Ga. She is a former special needs educator that now works with disabled students thanks to a work study program at their restaurant. She's also getting ready to open a new business venture called Sliceability that will not only hire individuals with disabilities but also provide them with job coaches and give them the resources to grow their careers. Jeni talked to us about her experience having individuals with disabilities work at her restaurant and how she has managed to find what they enjoy and adapt it to what they could do in the workplace.
"You should be looking at everyone that walks in the door, what their gifts and talents are and what they bring to the team." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Did you know that October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month? The unemployment rate for adults with disabilities is almost triple that of those without a disability in the United States. One of our missions is to encourage companies to start hiring adults with disabilities. Today, we're speaking with Patrick Bardsley, Co-Founder & CEO of Spectrum Designs. They were founded in 2011 to provide jobs for adults with autism and now some of their clients include Google, ABC, Uber and more. We talked to Patrick about why they started the company, the benefits of hiring adults with a disability and how companies can find the right employees to join their team.
"We have some of the most loyal, dedicated, hardworking, consistent on the planet." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's officially October and spooky season is in full swing! While many kids are counting down the days to trick-or-treating, for kids with autism and their parents this can be a very stressful time. Things like wearing a fun costume and going door-to-door asking for candy don't come naturally to many kids. Today, we're going to talk about how you can prepare your child for Halloween with some practice and help from your neighbors.
"In order to make it fun, they have to see the value in it and the value might not be the same for them as it is for another child. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today we're joined again by Janice Kern for part two of our conversation on building a community. We talk more about how we work with our children to encourage them to make a connection with family members, friends and schoolmates. Janice also talks about how she has used social media as a tool to create a community for her son. The key to all of these tips is that it doesn't happen quickly or easily but it makes the result so much sweeter!
"We made it happen first. We included him in really small ways first and then it grew into something bigger." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Building a safe and supportive community for your child with autism can seem like a daunting task, but it's not as hard as you might think. Today we start part one of our two part conversation with our friend Janice Kern, a fellow autism mom. We discuss how finding the support of neighbors and friends starts at home with your child and preparing them for those interactions. Plus, we check in with Jordyn and Hudson to talk about Hudson's birthday plans!
"I didn't necessarily find the community, I learned how to seek out good people." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Welcome to season two of the Be Kind to Everyone podcast! Once of the biggest questions we get from you is how we built such a great community for Jordyn. Creating a community is such an important topic that we want to explore that all this season. In this season premiere, we'll tell you a little on how we created our community and how we'll explore that over the next couple months. "You want your community, your team, your squad, you want it to be people who accept your child for who they are." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
As we get ready for Season 2 of Be Kind to Everyone to premiere September 13th, we want to give you a little preview of what we are working on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's time for our season one finale! This week we are joined by Jeff from "The Upside with Callie and Jeff" and the man behind our podcast. We talk about the first season of the show, Jordyn's journey since starting the shirt shop, how to support your friends and neighbors whose child was diagnosed with autism, what to expect from season two and so much more!
"I just want to make the world a friendly, more opportunity place for individuals like Jordyn." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week we are going to answer your most asked questions from social media. We'll cover everything from staying hopeful during the struggles in our autism journey to how much soda Jordyn really drinks in a day! "I am a huge proponent of celebrating every success in life and sometimes those successes might seem so small. But it's those little successes that turn into those big ones." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It's back-to-school season and this week we are joined by a very special guest Stephanie from Mrs. D's Corner to talk about back-to-school nerves. We discuss strategies for alleviating those first day jitters for yourself and your child, best ways to communicate with your child's teacher and, of course, the IEP! "You put your kid on that bus or drop them off that first day and it's scary!" For more from Stephanie visit https://www.mrsdscorner.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The original purpose of the shirt shop was to create a place for Jordyn to go and work once high school is over. This May she finally graduated and is now working there full time! How has she handled that change? This week we talk about the challenges and successes of that transition and how well she has adapted to her new day-to-day. "When she's in the shirt shop, we never expect her to be anything other than who she is. Everyone loves and accepts her 100%!" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Doing little things like counting pens, folding shirts or drying off your hair might seem simple, but to a person with Autism can be challenging. This week we share some of the modifications we've made in the t-shirt shop and at home to help Jordyn succeed. "Things don't always have to be done the exact same way to accomplish it and accomplish it well." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How do you connect with a grandchild who has autism? In this episode, Jordyn’s grandma joins the show to talk about the autism journey through the eyes of a grandparent and shares how she created a special connection with Jordyn. “You’ve always been Jordyn’s biggest cheerleader and you’ve always been mine” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In April, Jordyn went to her senior prom. It was such a special night that we wanted to share what it was like, directly from Jordyn herself. We share the journey to get to her prom and how this year was her favorite night yet! Plus, we chat with our friends from the t-shirt shop Bella Kate and Payton about helping Jordyn get ready for her big night. "I would see all of my friends posting pictures of their daughter or son all dressed up, it was just a very visual reminder of what wasn't there. I never thought that was something she would be able to do." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When Jordyn was 13 years old, we discovered that we would soon be welcoming another child into the family. This week we talk about the challenges of having siblings when one is autistic and the other is neurotypical. Plus, we chat with 8 year old Hudson to learn what he likes to do with his sister and get the rundown on his first at the St. Louis Cardinals game! "Like any other family we parent our kids based on what they need." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How 40 shirts turned into a life-changing opportunity and career for Jordyn. "We knew we were doing this for Jordyn but we wanted there to be a greater message in it" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jordyn was diagnosed with Autism at 24 months old. In this episode we share what the first few years of her diagnosis looked like for us including the day we found out we had a child with autism and the ways we took matters into our own hands to pave the road for Jordyn’s future. “I want to surround myself with the very best professionals but I need to learn it as well because we are going to be the ones who are there for the rest of her life” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This episode is all about friendship! We're answering the most asked questions about how Jordyn has made and sustained her friendships and our role as parents supporting those. Jordyn's friends Izzy and Sarah join the show to have an open discussion making friends with someone who has a disability. "Don't limit where friendship can go" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you're new Be Kind to Everyone, start here! In this episode you'll learn about the Summer Shirt project that started it all and what we hope you'll take away from this show. "Thinking outside the box helped us reframe everything and projected us from fear to hope" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Who we are and what you'll hear on Season One of the Be Kind to Everyone Podcast! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices