This week, we’re joined by Sharon Newhardt, Director of Inclusion and Culture at Morgan’s, the groundbreaking organization behind an ultra-inclusive amusement park, water park, sports center, camps, and clinical facility in San Antonio, Texas. Morgan’s is dedicated to creating spaces that cater to individuals with disabilities and neurodivergent communities. Sharon takes us through Morgan’s inspiring journey, from the park’s inception to heartwarming stories like guests experiencing the joy of swinging for the first time. We also dive into the thoughtful design and considerations that go into building a truly inclusive environment. Morgan’s is at the forefront of innovation in accessibility, and the profound impact they’ve had on their guests is nothing short of extraordinary.

Timestamps:

00:00 Quick updates

01:00 Introducing Sharon Newhardt, Director of Inclusion and Culture at Morgan’s

04:45 Morgan’s story and the creation of the world’s first ultra inclusive amusement park

09:00 Morgan’s Wonderland expansion from amusement parks to water parks, camps, sports center, and clinical facilities

17:15 Significance of Morgan’s logo, a butterfly

18:45 Key considerations and training when designing the park

24:10 Examples of terms to use

27:50 Challenges Morgan’s faces

32:35 Impactful stories, swinging for the first time

37:20 Proud of the inclusion training

39:10 Advice for businesses to be more inclusive

41:10 How we can support Morgan’s

Join us every month for a new episode of Helping Families Go Beyond. Visit beyondthespectrum.org for more information.

This week, we speak with Executive Director of Spectrum Sailing, Scott Herman. Scott is a lifelong sailor who wanted to sign his neurodivergent son, Daniel, up for sailing camp. None of the camps in his area would take Daniel, so Scott created his own program. Now, Spectrum Sailing travels the country to provide a weekend camp for children who otherwise would not have the ability to learn to sail. In the camp, students do more than just learn to sail, they learn teamwork and social skills as they work together as a team to sail their boats.

Scott shares his favorite success stories, how he has taken his parenting experience and applied it to Spectrum Sailing, and advice for parents.

spectrumsailing.org

Timestamps:

00:00 Announcements! School is back, H.I.V.E is a CDC+ vendor, and a $300k grant from Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation!

02:20 Introducing Scott Herman and Spectrum Sailing

06:10 What does a day in the camp look like?

09:10 How does the location change the programming?

11:20 Scott’s parenthood journey and applying his experience to Spectrum Sailing

16:50 Scott’s favorite success stories?

22:10 Future plans for Spectrum Sailing

26:45 How can people register or volunteer?

28:15 Advice for families on their Autism journey

Join us every month for a new episode of Helping Families Go Beyond. Visit beyondthespectrum.org for more information.

In this episode, we talk with Sarah Bass, Beyond the Spectrum’s Advanced Learning Center Program Director, about what families can do to prepare their children for the new school.

These include strategies for warming your student up for school and preparing them for all the new inputs they will be experiencing. Sarah also provides examples of sensory items students can bring to help their first week anxiety. Sarah also provides advice for teachers, experienced and inexperienced.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introducing Sarah Bass and announcements

(01:50) What should families be thinking about before starting a new school year?

(03:50) How can families prepare for new sensory inputs?

(05:30) What can families do schedule-wise to prepare their students?

(06:30) Preparing your students for social interactions

(07:25) How can parents prepare their students for a new school?

(08:55) What should teachers know?

(10:05) What is pairing?

(11:10) What can make a lesson plan meaningful?

(12:45) Advice for brand new teachers

(14:30) How can parents and teachers work together to help a child reach their goals?

(17:00) Teaching success stories

(19:40) Upcoming for new school year

Join us every month for a new episode of Helping Families Go Beyond. Visit beyondthespectrum.org for more information.