The intention of this podcast is to provide individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with the opportunity to be heard in everyday scenarios. The goal of the podcast is to cover topics specific to people with disabilities by talking WITH them, not ABOUT them.
This podcast is made possible through partnerships with Spread the Positive, TN’s Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and the Community Foundation of Middle TN. If you like what you hear, share it with a friend and leave a review on any streaming service. Got an idea for a guest, email us at podcast@wavesinc.com.
Episode Ten – Waves Early Learning Program isn’t the only program providing services to children 5 and younger with developmental delays and disabilities. There are a lot of really great organizations providing a myriad of services and The Children’s Center for Communication and Development at USM is one that deserves a highlight. Trent, Matt “the Man” Moore, Gina, and Staci talk to Sarah Myers, the Executive Director of The Children’s Center. Sarah shares her background and experience of working with children through speech language pathology and all the services available at The Children’s Center. She also briefly describes how TCC is nestled in The University of Southern Miss serving as an excellent recruiting and training facility for students in the College of Nursing and Health Professionals. Gina and Sarah share stories of working with “itty bitties” and helping their parents assist with the developmental process. Listen to learn more and give The Children’s Center a follow on their social media channels.
Links:
The Children’s Center: https://www.usm.edu/childrens-center-communication-development/index.php
The University of Southern Miss: https://www.usm.edu/
The Children’s Center Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChildrensCenterUSM
Episode Nine – Vision Therapy, what’s that?
Vision therapy? We aren’t making things up! This is a service available through Waves Early Learning Services and we have Cara DeLap, Vision Specialist, on the mic to share what it is! Listen along as Trent and Matt learn more about vision therapy at Waves with Cara and Gina. As a newer service offering, a lot of questions are answered about how children with low vision or vision loss are supported through intervention. Cara shares signs that parents can look for in their child, and how to talk to a pediatrician about concerns over a child’s vision. While every child is going to be different in their treatment/therapy needs, paying attention and looking for those signals is important in a child’s development.
Episode Eight – Backlight Productions returns for another episode to share even more of their programs. This week is all about dance. Listen along as Matt, Trent, and Chris talk to Elise Horecka with Backlight Productions. Elise shares the history of Backlight as well as the journey that brought her to Backlight as a dance coach. Matt is currently in the dance class that is scheduled to compete later in April. Elise also shares about the many other classes available at Backlight that includes singing, theatre, playwriting, dance, stage production, and more.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Backlight Dance: https://backlightproductions.org/
A Dream Come True: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0332mOhK8dM
Episode Seven – WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY! March 21 is a pretty special day and we are here to celebrate! It’s World Down Syndrome Day and we have Eric Wilson, Matt “the Man” Moore, Norris, Gina, and Trent at the table to talk about it. The group talks about what 3.21 means and why today is day chosen for WDSD. The guys talk about their goals in life and get into their superpowers. Gina shares how the world is different for people with Down syndrome in comparison to 30+ years ago when Eric was born. She also shares some great information about how to support people in the community with Down syndrome or who are just different from you. Norris gives Gina a hard time (in a comical way) the whole time. Matt, Eric, and Norris have been friends for 30 years and it shows in how they interact with one another. Listen along, you won’t regret it. For more information on World Down Syndrome Day, visit https://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/
Episode Six – WOA, we’re turning 50! This year is Waves’ 50th Anniversary and we are here to tell you all about it. Join Trent (Spread the Positive), Matt “The Man” Moore, Beth Hughes, and Lance Jordan (Executive Director) as they talk about the festivities planned for the 50th Anniversary and how the organization has changed over the past 5 decades.
Matt has been active in Backlight Productions with their dance team, while Beth really enjoys tuning into their masterclasses available online through Waves. You can learn more about Backlight Productions here: https://backlightproductions.org/
Episode Five – We are so excited to introduce our listeners to Talisman Summer Camp! Waves of Awareness had the pleasure of sitting down with Haley Mitchell, Admissions Director for Talisman Summer Camp. This incredible summer camp provides exceptional programming for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, and similar Neurodevelopmental Disorders in a traditional camp environment. Based in Zirconia, NC, this camp offers activities designed to increase confidence, promote responsibility, and enhance communication and social skills, teaching problem-solving and conflict resolution through group discussions, modeling, and practice.
Listen along as Chris, Matt, Staci, and Taylor from Waves, Inc. interview the impressive Haley Mitchell! WOA is so excited to have made another connection with an extraordinary nonprofit, serving a similar population.
Links mentioned in the show:
https://talismancamps.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Scholarship-Application-to-camp.pdf
Episode Four – Another awesome episode of the Waves of Awareness podcast with the new President of the Board, Rebekah Zeitlin, and Johnny Sunshine. Listen in to hear all about what Rebekah is excited about being the incoming Board President and as always Johnny Sunshine brings all the energy and greatness!
Episode Three – This week we are joined by a very special guest, Markus Jones! Markus is the Sr. Director of Development & Strategic Operations for Riverside and a long-time friend of Staci Davis! Beth, Chris, Staci, and Trent are our co-hosts this week and discuss what services Riverside offers in Massachusetts.
Riverside and Waves have very similar missions, and both serve the population with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. We were extremely lucky to sit down with Markus and hear about the similarities and some different hardships of the two non-profits.
Episode Two – This week Katy Clouse joins us for the podcast! Katy has been with the ARC of Williamson County for 20 years, and as of April 2022, she is their newest Executive Director. Join Chris, Matt, and Staci for a conversation about all the newest happenings at the ARC.
The ARC has a few save-the-dates coming up that you won’t want to miss!
- February 23rd – Ventures
- March 2nd – Future Planning Workshop 5:30 pm
Episode One – Welcome back, everyone! Waves of Awareness is back with Season Four and we couldn’t be more excited. We are kicking the season off with an amazing Christmas story and the tale of a beloved Waves hero.
Over the holidays, Middle TN experienced a sudden blast of cold, resulting in a little snow and a lot of ice. Many families experienced frozen pipes during the arctic blast. One of the homes operated by Waves was part of those experiencing frozen pipes. Listen along to how the day was saved by our very own Christy Webb in the middle of a flooded home.