Uniquely Fully Enough: Raising a Child With a Rare Chromosome

ur guest today, Vicki Christensen in her own words:  I am passionate about advocating for families of special needs children through the IEP process always with a child-centered approach. Equally important is educating parents/guardians on the rights of a person with a disability and on communication strategies to allow for a positive and open relationship with the IEP team, school & district. My background is a unique combination of 15 years of special education advocacy both as a parent and a professional with a Certificate of Special Education Advocacy from USD, a small business owner giving back to the special needs community and over 10 years as a professional in the healthcare field allowing me to utilize my degree and experience in Communication Studies. I am a mother of a 21 year old (who wears Blue Glasses) with global developmental delays and am experienced in early intervention, the IEP and 504 processes as well as working with the Regional Center. I am widely networked with both parents of special needs children and professionals in the San Diego area and look forward to continuing to provide advocacy services to many more families. I am currently on the Special Education Advisory Committee in the Carlsbad Unified District working to increase awareness and inclusion for our special education students.  In this episode, Vicki Christensen shares her journey parenting a neurodiverse son, Luke, with a rare chromosome disorder, offering insights, practical strategies, and emotional support for parents navigating similar challenges. Enjoy! 01:09 - Intro and welcome Vicki Christensen 01:11 - Vicki's journey from her son's diagnosis to adulthood 02:15 - Initial reactions and how we process a diagnosis 04:09 - Overwhelm of early medical and therapy appointments 05:19 - Living life amidst caregiving responsibilities Ref: what is IEP? 06:24 - Why Vicki wrote her book and its purpose 07:45 - Practical advice for parents 09:44 - On the importance of protecting your marriage 11:49 - Balancing caregiving and personal boundaries 13:05 - On building your support village 14:44 -  How can people find you? • Website: https://www.blueglassesadvocacy.com/ Socials: @BlueGlassesAdvocacy on INSTA Uniquely, Fully, Enough: The Neurodivergent Parenting Journey - A Memoir and Handbook on Amazon Thank you for being here- give us a shout anytime! https://linktr.ee/petershankman Substack:  petershankmanofficial.substack.com Email: [email protected] Podcast: Faster Than Normal Thank you for staying tuned-in; more episodes coming up soon! Do you happen to know anyone who is doing wonderful things with #ADHD or their neurodivergent brain? We would love to have them on to learn how they are using their #neurodiversity to their advantage. Shoot me an email and we will get them booked! My link tree is here if you're looking for something specific. https://linktr.ee/petershankman