Announcing our new ‘LivingHealthy’ Podcast: two episodes ready for your Listening

We are pleased to announce the launch of Latham Centers’ podcast series entitled LivingHealthy! Led by Patrice Carroll, Director of Prader-Will Syndrome Services, and Katrina Fryklund, Director of National Outreach, the team will explore the changing landscape of the special needs field. Topics will range from the challenges of a Prader-Willi Syndrome diagnosis and paths to happy, healthy lives for those with PWS (in our PWS University series), to overarching considerations in the special needs field such as transitional and vocational programming (in our LivingHealthy series).

Patrice and Katrina will invite professionals to join them, including colleagues at Latham who are well-versed in PWS programming, clinical services, and nutrition, as well as specialists from around the globe with expertise on strategies for success in special needs supports and services.

Latham Centers recently published the inaugural podcast episode with a student interview. Jake truly represents the pride and happiness that grows with support of family and staff. Jake discusses the challenges of living with PWS, but it is clear from his interview that the positives in his life far exceed the challenges.

Today, Latham published an introduction outlining potential topics to be covered on our PWS podcast. The Podbean description states, “In this podcast series, Patrice and Katrina will explore Prader-Willi Syndrome and the forever changing special needs landscape, which will include information helpful to all parents with children who have special needs. Patrice discussed the world of PWS and says, “the purpose of the podcast and what we want everyone to take from this is that people living with PWS can live full, quality lives. Much of the information that you see online is either outdated, misinformed, or generally negative, and that is absolutely not the reality of life with PWS in the majority of cases.”

Stay tuned for our next podcast with another student interview. This time, Katrina interviews Annika, a young student at Latham Centers who has made great strides since joining our program three years ago.

The podcast can be heard online or downloaded from https://pwsuniversity.podbean.com/. Each episode will range from five minutes to thirty minutes and will cover topics including but not limited to:

• Interviews with children and adults at Latham Centers

• Interviews with professionals who have worked in the PWS Community including doctors, nutritionists, and educators

• Interviews with staff at programs geared towards individuals with PWS

• Home environment that builds on strengths, fosters success, and explores independence

• Coping with anxiety

• Coping with emotional outbursts

• The future of adult housing

• The best educational environment

• Picking: What every parent should know

• Preparing for the holidays

• How does residential programming help?

• A clinical approach to PWS: therapeutic modalities

• Vocation and Employment

• The medical environment: TIPS

• Volunteering and community involvement

• Sensory and performing arts

• Transitioning a student into a residential program

• Working with a population that has a trauma background

• Therapeutic modalities

We hope that in sharing the expertise of many in our vast interconnected communities, we will provide hope for ‘brighter futures’ for children and adults with complex special needs near and far.