We Were the Kids You Monitored. Here's What Actually Helped.

Summary

Parenting in a Tech World

Episode: Two Young Adults on Learning Challenges, Monitoring Tech, and What Parents Get Wrong

Host: Adam Brooks (for Bark Technologies)
Guests: Audra and Savannah (Peer-based Services Professionals at Diversability Incorporated)
Date: May 28, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode takes a unique approach by inviting two young adults, Audra and Savannah, to share their lived experiences growing up with learning challenges. The conversation probes deeply into the impact of disabilities, technology as both an enabler and a barrier, and the crucial role of informed parenting and community support in the digital age. Key topics include stigma and awareness around disabilities, evolving tech tools and assistive devices, and advice for families navigating similar terrain.

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Guest Introductions and Organization Background

[01:12] Savannah:

• Works at Diversability Incorporated since January 2026 (involved since 2024).
• Presents curriculum at schools (focus: person-centered planning and “skills to pay the bills”).
• Modifies curriculum and handles event logistics.
• Focus: Helping youth with disabilities (mainly ages 14–22) build life and work skills.

[02:11] Audra:

• Long involvement, attending their first youth leadership program in 2014.
• Now a full-time staff, handling data entry and program shaping.
• Both guests act as peer-based services professionals, directly connecting to the students they serve.

Quote:

“Our main demographic…is the transition age, 14 to 22, but we’ve worked with up to 26 before.” — Audra [04:08]

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Personal Experiences Navigating Disabilities

Savannah’s Story [05:36]

• Diagnosed with auditory processing disorder (“my ears and brain do not connect, so what I hear gets scrambled…”).
• Faced stigma, lack of accommodations due to misinformation and limited understanding.
• Rejected accommodations as a child due to not wanting to be separated from peers.
• Relied heavily on facial cues, patient teachers, and family support.

Quote:

“Because auditory processing was not very common, and I was the first daughter, first granddaughter, first one with a disability... I didn’t go to school with an IEP.” — Savannah [09:33]

Audra’s Story [06:51]

• Profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss; received a cochlear implant at age 8 after progressive hearing loss.
• Family leveraged speech therapy early, which supported communication skills.
• Also dealt with anxiety, identifying it as a learning barrier.
• Considers both visible and invisible disabilities equally impactful.

Quote:

“If you’re so focused on what’s going on in the moment, you’re not actually learning what’s happening.” — Audra [07:45]

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School and Social Challenges

Identity and Socialization [09:29–14:12]

• Both guests describe the early 2000s as a time of greater stigma and less disability awareness.
• Savannah: Refused accommodations, internalized struggles, learned through family support.
• Audra: Diagnosed later; experienced bullying and misunderstanding (“I’ve never been a deaf person before and people don’t know how to handle it now” [12:39]). Developed close-knit friendships primarily with other kids experiencing disabilities.
• Community support was crucial for resilience and self-worth.

Progress and Ongoing Stigma [15:07–17:27]

• Noted improvements in awareness since their childhoods, largely due to social media representation.
• Some kids today still unaware of their diagnoses, but many are more comfortable and open about having disabilities.
• Savannah: Awareness and acceptance often depend on parental openness and communication.
• Audra: “Social media…starts to normalize that concept of…hearing disabilities, physical disabilities...” [16:46]

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The Role of Technology

Tech’s Double-edged Sword [18:52–24:22]

• Audra: Observes children today have much higher digital/media literacy but are also exposed to more adult content, leading to increased anxiety and overwhelm.
• Adam (host): “When a half-developed brain is accessing adult material…they can’t process it.” [20:05]
• Audra is strict with her own daughter’s tech use due to her personal experiences growing up.

Tech as Empowerment vs. Exclusion [21:24–24:22]

• Savannah: Grew up in a home where technology was minimized, but TV was an “addiction and a leverage.”
• Wished she had earlier access to assistive tech (e.g. closed captioning, hearing aids).
• Learning late in life that accommodations weren’t just for “other people”—“That’s what I wish and I hope other people realize, that certain accommodations…can be used for other reasons.” [23:14]
• Both guests underscore that unrecognized barriers can lead to unnecessary self-doubt and shame.

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Assistive Technology: Evolution and Everyday Impact

Tools and Adaptations [24:41–29:29]

• Audra: Cochlear implants (now with Bluetooth), FM systems (neck-worn microphones), accessibility features on phones/watches.
• Powerful story: Hearing her partner’s voice clearly for the first time using a Roger FM system (“I was actually in tears, of course, that day…” [27:51])
• Everyday items (e.g., smartwatches as alarms, visual doorbells) serve vital assistive purposes.
• Noted the steep cost and limited awareness around specialized equipment.

Quote:

“A lot of our assistive technology…isn’t everyday things. I have a smartwatch…because I can’t hear.” — Audra [28:21]

Gaps in Tech and the Importance of Informed Access [29:32–33:49]

• Ongoing search for baby monitors/adaptive devices suitable for hearing-impaired parents.
• Both guests emphasize that more education is needed so parents/kids are aware of all available resources and tools.

Quote:

“I always think…as they get older, continually educate them at their level, at their language.” — Savannah [33:29]

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Peer Support and Long-term Impact

The Power of Lived Experience [34:12–39:41]

• Peer-to-peer programming is the focus of their work; most feedback comes from teachers once students have processed and integrated the lessons.
• Some students reconnect years later after personal growth, showing the lasting impact of seeing relatable role models.
• Panel “Embracing Identity” is particularly powerful for youth who feel alone.
• Guests address common misconceptions (“I have a disability, so I can’t drive/go to college”) and model possibility.

Quote:

“Knowing that somebody else has done that is huge.” — Adam [39:41]

The Connected-But-Alone Paradox [37:12–38:27]

• Despite unprecedented digital connectivity, kids report deeper feelings of isolation—a dynamic partly addressed by relatable peer leaders.

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Advice and Key Takeaways for Parents

What Parents Get Wrong—and Can Do Right [40:13–42:50]

• Parents must trust their kids and allow them to make mistakes to build independence.
• Use available resources—often under-publicized, but accessible through peer networks and proactive outreach.
• Many accommodations and tech supports can benefit a wider array of needs than originally intended. Remain open and curious.
• Savannah: “Sidewalks weren’t made for us—it was made for wheelchairs.” [42:28] (on the unintended universal benefit of accommodations).
• Adam: “When we learn better, we do better.” [21:07]

Notable Final Quotes:

“Let your kids make mistakes. Trust your kids. Use the resources you have.” — Audra [40:24]
“Some resources are for a particular community, but some aren’t… try new things.” — Savannah [41:39]

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Notable Moments and Timestamps

• Introduction & Guest Background: [00:00–04:22]
• Personal Stories of Disability: [05:36–14:12]
• Stigma, Socialization & School Challenges: [13:08–17:27]
• Role & Risks of Technology: [18:51–24:22]
• Assistive Tech Journeys: [24:41–29:29]
• Peer Impact & Student Feedback: [34:12–39:41]
• Parental Takeaways and Universality of Accommodations: [40:13–42:50]

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Summary

This episode delivers a rare, candid window into the realities young adults with learning differences face—how stigma, technology, and supportive community all intersect. Audra and Savannah challenge conventional thinking on accommodations, urge parents to lean into trust and resources, and celebrate the empowerment that comes from peer support. Their stories invite families and educators to rethink expectations, remain curious about new tech tools, and to create environments where all kids—regardless of how they learn—can thrive.

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Transcript

[A]

I'm Adam Brooks, the program facilitator for Bark's connected communities program. And today we're doing something a little different. Joining me is Audra and Savannah, two young adults who grew up navigating the world with learning challenges and who are willing to share their stories openly and honestly. We're going to talk about what it was actually like to grow up with technology designed to support them, whether it felt like a tool for independence or. Or more like a leash, and what they think kids facing similar challenges today need to hear. This one is for the families, the educators, and anyone who's ever wondered what it's really like on the other side of well intentioned tech. Welcome, Audra and Savannah to the show. I appreciate you guys being here. I like to hear from each of you. We can start here and go over there. I just want to know your name and tell me a little bit about what you do with the organization you work with. Tell me about your organization and when did you start? Why do you think it's important? That kind of stuff sound good?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Cool.

[B]

My name's Savannah. I work for Diversability Incorporated, and I started with them uninformally back in 2024. I became a staff member 2026, January.

[A]

Congrats.

[B]

Thank you. And my position there is I go to schools. I present the curriculums that we have for youth and young adults, helping them transition. I also help with the curriculum modifications as well as the background stuff for events.

[A]

Okay. What kind of curriculum?

[B]

Yeah, so one of our curriculums is person centered planning, where we do goal setting with the individuals and. And our other one is skills to pay the bills, where we go over six soft skills that these students will need in order to get into the workforce.

[A]

Love it. Love it. Awesome. Thank you.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. How about you? Go ahead, Audra. Tell me about you and when did you get started with this organization and kind of what does it mean to you?

[C]

Yeah, so I have a much longer history with the organization. Savannah and I share the same titles, Peer based services professionals, so we have the same responsibilities. Although Savannah handles a lot more of the curriculum modifications and I do more of the data entry. And just the helping shape the programs is that's ultimately what we do, is we're using our skills to contribute to these programs. Yeah, I actually got involved in 2014. So this was actually before Diversability Incorporated was a nonprofit. We started as just a foundational summer conference that the Arizona Youth Leadership Forum, which is an Arizona branch of a national Youth Leadership Forum model, and our Founder at the time, came to Arizona. She started the Youth leadership forum in 2014 and I was one of the very first delegates to attend.

[A]

Nice.

[C]

And my involvement just really, I was involved in so many other ways. So I. In multiple capacities, I was, you know, a peer leader is what we call them, people who aren't staff members but still contribute.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

To our services and very meaningfully. I learned how to facilitate do workshops and learned a little bit about curriculum. I've developed those skills over several years and about three years ago I came on as part time staff member. And then about a year and a half ago, I actually, I got moved up to full time.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

So it's been 12 years.

[A]

Yeah. That's awesome.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Wow. Flies by, doesn't it?

[C]

You have no idea.

[A]

Yeah, it's crazy. It's always crazy when you look back and go, I've been doing this for that long.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So why, who's the target of your organization? You said you're gonna. You teach skills to kids. Is it every kid? Is it certain types of kids? Like, tell me more about that.

[C]

It's youth and young adults who have disabilities over the state. 14 to 22 is our main demographic, but we have worked with up to 26 before. Yeah, but that's our demographic because those are like. That's the transition age.

[A]

Yep, totally.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You got your one in any type of disability or is there does. Do you have a very specific area? So it's all cross categorical. Anyone? Everyone. So I'm a former teacher. I was a special education teacher for 12 years in Phoenix Union. And so I taught. I worked at Franklin Police and Fire and Cesar Chavez for a little bit and worked with kids who had, you know, learning differences. And you know, I was in the. I didn't really work in the self contained. It was way more the inclusion classrooms. But. But yeah, totally. So I love that you guys are going in and working with kids specifically who might have learning challenges because we know that school's not always built for those kiddos. Right.

[C]

It's so funny because we're actually in the Phoenix Union School. We haven't gotten to those two schools yet.

[A]

That's okay.

[C]

But we are providing services in that school district.

[A]

Good. I love it. And I'm sure every school district can use you guys.

[B]

Absolutely. We're working on it.

[A]

So tell me about you personally. How do you relate to that information? Like how are you relating to those kids? Did you grow up having a learning difference? And if so, tell me about that. What was that like? What Is it? If you're willing to share, obviously.

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. So I have several disabilities, but the one that I was. My first diagnosis was auditory processing disorder. So for those who don't know, because it's. It's quite of a uncommon disability is my ears and brain not connect. So what I hear gets scrambled up and then goes to my brain, which makes it hard to process what other people are saying. So throughout this conversation, you might hear me or see me go like this, or have you repeat a question just so that it's better for me.

[A]

Please. I'm happy to clarify because that is, I have not met many students with that area of concern, so. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[B]

And it's mainly in males, but funny enough, I've met a lot more females personally with it.

[C]

So.

[A]

Though we find that, like, typically females are under diagnosed in every category because you're so nice and you're so sweet and you sit in class and you go, whether you know or not. Yeah. The boys are running off the walls and throwing things and getting crazy, and so it's easy to go, something's off.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

But, you know, we typically see that in almost every category, so. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. Great, great, great. Audrey.

[C]

I have a hearing disability.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

So I have the. The medical term is bil. Profound bilateral sensual neur. Sensol neural hearing loss. It's a long name. I. Yeah, The. The layman's term is I am profoundly deaf in both ears.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

So I have a cochlear implant on my right side.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And I'm. I got nothing on this side.

[A]

Got it.

[C]

And I. Actually my. My story is a little bit more unique because I had progressive loss. I was. My hearing loss was identified when I was three, and I progressively lost my hearing over time till when I was about 8. And that's when I received my cochlear implant.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

And so.

[A]

So you had some time to learn some skills.

[C]

Absolutely.

[A]

Verbiage and that kind of stuff.

[C]

Yeah. I already had speech when I was diagnosed, so my parents really took advantage of speech and hearing therapy.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Which is probably why I can communicate so well.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And I also, my. My family considered me very smart, so they just used that. Those skills to build on making sure that I was on top of my. What I was learning and that I was understanding things. And that has definitely influenced my development as an adult. But I also have anxiety and some other, like, mental health disabilities, and I do think those are absolutely learning barriers, because if you're so focused on what's going on in the moment, you're not actually learning what's happening. So then have those. Have things those are. Sorry. Those have contributed to different challenges throughout my life at different periods of my life.

[A]

Totally, totally. And things that are challenges when we're young maybe aren't the same when we get older, and they all change and evolve, so. Totally. I'm a big believer that we all have an area of concern. Some you can see and some you can notice, and some you can't. Some are inside, some are outside, so. Totally. I worked for about five years at Texas Lions Camp, where we served 150 different physical disabilities and other disabilities as well. And. And so, yeah, it's fascinating what we think is a challenge, but actually could be our greatest strength in other areas. So. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Well, thank you for sharing. I really appreciate your willingness to do that. What challenges did those specific struggles. How do they show up for you growing up, and how did you find ways, either in school or in life to compensate for that?

[B]

Me. Okay.

[C]

So.

[B]

Because auditory processing was not very common, and I was the first daughter, first granddaughter, first one with a disability. So that came with a lot of struggles. And I'm not old, but I'm old enough that back then, disability was looked down upon or something was wrong with you.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

Not that my family did, but that was, like, the feedback that I was getting from the doctors and stuff. And a lot of misinformation was given to my parents. So I didn't go to school with an iep. They were willing to give me some accommodations, but again, because my parents and the doctors and everyone was very open with me, I didn't. Those accommodations. I refused just because I didn't want to be away from my friends after lunch, going to the special education classroom because of how it looked and then just taking longer test time. I'm like, well, everyone else can do it. Why can't I?

[C]

Sure.

[B]

So those were the struggles that I faced growing up. And especially now, knowing so much, having a different mindset of it, working within the community, has definitely changed my perspective and learning how to do with it. Because back then, I went off people's facial expressions, like, if this is. If you're telling me something sad, you better be crying or something, because I won't know. I'll think I'm supposed to laugh or. I did have some teachers that were very patient with me and would after school tutor me. My grandma was a big part of that tutoring as well, and especially my little sister. She never made fun of me. That I couldn't read. She's actually the one who taught me how to read, so. And it was something I used to be embarrassed about that my little sister had to teach me. But not anymore.

[A]

No, no.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

No, I'm. I'm embarrassed about what my little sister taught me.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But it's more to like be scared of her.

[B]

So. Yeah.

[A]

Were there. Great. Yeah. Let's go to you.

[C]

Sorry, can you repeat the question one more time?

[A]

Yes, if I can remember it. I was saying what were some of the challenges growing up in like school or whatever and how are you able to overcome some of those using some tools that you learned or from people around?

[C]

So I'm going to tap on to support. Savannah said at the beginning was we're close in age. I'm a little bit older than her. We grew up in a world where disability was not really a word. It wasn't a foreign concept, but it still wasn't that embraced. We're talking about like the late 2000s, the 2000s. So, you know, things were not as open minded as they are now. So I was also the first daughter, granddaughter, etc born into, into my family with a disability. And I think the fact that I was diagnosed later in life as well with my hearing loss particularly probably wasn't very helpful because my parents went from going about their lives to, boom, now we have a deaf daughter.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

What are we going to do? Because I started with wearing hearing aids and then of course over time they realized, oh yeah, she's actually going to be completely deaf at some point.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

I'm sure that stressed my parents out. But one thing I dealt with a lot was. But one thing I've heard pretty much my entire life is I've never been a deaf person before and people don't know how to handle it now I. Things are better. But at the time there was just a lot of. There's a lack of knowledge, there's a little bit of ignorance.

[A]

Sure.

[C]

So I was not treated very nicely by other students, by other kids. Excuse me. And that that occurred until I was in high school. So I spent a majority of my young life and early teenagehood being bullied because of it. And I definitely had to learn to cope because, you know, kids are mean.

[A]

Totally.

[C]

Especially in middle school and junior high.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

They're vicious.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

And this was at an age where technology was really developing to the point where kids were starting to become really big on social media.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

So I saw a lot of that. Unfortunately. Yeah. I did have in elementary school and Middle school and even high school. I had a very intimate group of friends. They were all kids with some sort of diagnosed disability or even undiagnosed disabilities, and they were treated the same as everyone else. So we became. We kind of clumped together. We actually became best friends. I still talk to many, many, many of them. I love that to this day.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And so I realized that having that community was really important to me because it helped me just get through those things and those events and also just having good coping tools. I used to read a lot as a kid, and I would. I would be holed up in my room, I will admit that, because I just didn't want to deal with what was happening out there, you know, in my life. But I learned to adapt. I fell into theater and dance and reading and just, like, the very artsy things. And that helped me a lot with reading, really managing. Sorry. That stress and all those things that were. That was going on. And I still use that as an adult, and I've developed better tools, I think, as an adult. I'm sure Savannah could probably say something similar, but when you're a kid and your parents don't really know how to help you.

[A]

Yeah. They have not experienced those things. Yeah, it's tough. It's tough. So you both mentioned you feel like back when you were younger, that disabilities carried kind of a connotation, like a. Like a negative thing. Right. Do you feel like that's not the case today? Do you feel like kids are. I mean, you go into schools and talk to kids, so how are you seeing that different or the same? Because I would actually also say that kids are still bullied. Right. There's still those things happening. But what do you see that's different?

[B]

The thing I think. Let me think.

[A]

Yeah. No, no, no. Take your time.

[B]

Because there is certain kids that we work with that don't know they have a disability, and they. They just know. They go to this classroom.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And that's it. Or they don't know that they have an iep. So that's something that we normally have to deal with. But then on the other end, we've met students who like, yeah, I have a disability. Everyone at my school has a disability. So I don't struggle with any of these things that you're talking about. So I do feel like it's grown. I feel like we've made a lot of progress from the early 2000s. I think it just lands on the parents informing their students or their kids, But I can understand why they Might shadow them from it as well.

[C]

And I will expand on that. I do think that since we've seen the development of social media, we have so many social media apps that, that kids just have access to now.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

And I think that has helped create open minds because you have people, influencers, posting content about their disabilities or, you know, other things going on in their lives, and it starts to normalize that concept of, you know, hearing disabilities, physical disabilities, etc. I think that has been instrumental in normally normalizing it. However, I do agree with Savannah. It does depend on the parents and their environment. You know, I, I probably. If it weren't for the fact that I have friends with disabilities, I probably wouldn't have been as empathetic to it.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

As I have had been when I was younger than if I had friends who didn't identify as having, you know, a disability.

[B]

Right.

[C]

But I would have had, I would have found out later, you know, down the road with the work that I chose to do.

[A]

Sure.

[C]

So I, I think that we may all get there. But then, you know. Yeah.

[A]

Seeing someone like you is powerful. Right. Seeing someone on social media or in the world and you're like, oh, I can relate to that. That's huge. That's amazing.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I definitely didn't get diagnosed with ADHD until I was an adult, but it was pretty obvious that that had been my trajectory growing up. You know, the sitting outside the teacher's classroom, the name on the board all the time. That's old. I am. We had names on the board and check marks. Right.

[C]

They had names on the board when we were kids, too.

[A]

Are you sure? I don't know.

[C]

Yeah, not mine.

[A]

Yeah, exactly. Fair. Fair. And so it's, it's interesting to look at all these things and go, oh, that's what was going on. And it's not until I was able to talk to other people who had similar things and had similar experiences that I was like, oh, I'm not alone. I'm not in this by myself. How do you think or do you think technology. So I hear you say that it can be used for good. Right. Which is great. How else do you think that has influenced either you guys growing up or influenced kids today? Growing up.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah, you can start.

[C]

So I'm looking at you to see which one of us you wanted to answer first.

[A]

Oh, it's fine.

[C]

I think I, I think, you know, people have a much a better grasp of digital literacy and media literacy now. You have 8 year olds who know how to send text messages and navigate Social media apps, which is terrifying to me because I have a daughter who's eight.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And she knows how to, she doesn't have a phone, but she knows how to navigate my phone. I'm like, how did you do that?

[A]

Yeah. She's streaming on the tv.

[C]

And I think it's, I think it scares me a little bit because I was not really allowed on social media until I was, you know, closer to teenager, teenage age. I did have a lot of free reign, probably a little too much free reign when I was a kid, but that was a time where we didn't really have rules. You know, there wasn't laws around it yet. There was just like free for all. Done man's land. Like, like, yeah, go ahead.

[A]

Good luck.

[C]

Yeah. See what happens. And now I've seen the little kids doing it and I'm just like.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Like, I think it's making them grow up a little bit too quickly. And that's just my personal opinion.

[A]

I would also push you and say that's actually fact.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Because we are seeing like research come out that like when a half developed brain is accessing adult material every day, they can't process it.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So it's no wonder why our kids today have anxiety issues over, are overwhelmed all the time, struggle with depression because their little half developed brains can't comprehend what they're seeing every day.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And so, yeah, it can be a little scary. So. Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. And I think that's probably the biggest difference is we had, we had no rules and now we have rules. But you don't have a lot of boundaries.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

You know, like, I'm very, I'm pretty strict with technology in my household because I learned my lesson from when I was a young adult or teenager slash kid.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

And I know that there are parents that are much more like, hands off. And I will never disrespect a person's, you know, parenting choices.

[A]

Sure.

[C]

It's just my personal choices. My, my daughter and I have another one on the way actually.

[A]

Congrats.

[C]

Due in September. And that kid is going to be the same. Like no technology until you can understand the concep consequences of it.

[A]

Sure. Well, when we learn better, we do better.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So I would say there's a lot of parents who just don't know because they didn't grow up with it.

[C]

Right.

[A]

And so we don't always know that when we hand a device to a kid, what's going to happen. And you're of the generation where, you know it's going to happen because you experienced it firsthand.

[C]

Yeah, exactly.

[B]

You know, I'm on the opposite.

[A]

Okay, yeah, tell me.

[B]

So I didn't. My parents were. Didn't allow technology in, and it wasn't like, there's no technology in the house.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

But it was just the normal, like, play with your Barbies, go outside, make mud pie.

[C]

The.

[B]

I was, I will say, addicted to tv.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So I grew up with a family that was very much into movies and stuff, but that became an addiction to me to the point where, of course, my parents used it as leverage to, like, if you do that, your punishment is TV is taken away. I'm like, oh, no, not my tv. So I did have that aspect. There was once in a while where we would. My sister and I would play games. But I do wish that technology was a little bit more in my life just because of my type of disability. It would have been nice to know that closed captioning was not just for deaf people or hard of hearing. It could have been used for me, or having a hearing aid would have helped me. I didn't know that stuff until I was an adult. So knowing those things now, I do wish my parents knew that. But again, it was during a time where a lot of. There was not a lot of research on auditory processing at the time. And the only reason why I found out about it was because I was reading a book on auditory processing, and then I had to get reevaluated with an audiologist, and she tried on a hearing aid on me. And to see my test results be all the way down here to all the way up here and understanding people. I wanted to cry, and it felt ridiculous to cry, but I'm like, this is what the world sounds like. Not to me. Everything sounds very muffley or like. And there's a thing with auditory processing is, like, there's no stereotypes because not a lot of people know about it. But there's a stereotype that we give ourselves, and we feel like we're dumb because we can't process what people are saying. That's what I wish and I hope other people realize that certain accommodations that are for this one community is not actually true. It can be used for other reasons.

[A]

Yeah. And those barriers, if we don't know they exist, we think there's a problem with us.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

But then when that barrier obstacle gets removed, it's like, oh, my gosh. I had no idea. My mom tells the story. I've had glasses since I was 3, and we. They didn't know 3 year olds not reading. So we just didn't know. I needed them and went to preschool or something and then got checked and needed them. And when I got them, I was in the backseat and I would go, ooh, ooh. Because I was seeing these bright colors and I could see things better. And my mom felt terrible because she was like, has he been not seeing anything this whole time and now? But it's like we don't always know what those obstacles are, and when we remove them, whole world can open up.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And so I love that that you've identified that. Yes. I wish. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That's always the hard part. Right. And yet you probably have the resilience, the hard work ethic, some of those things. Because you had to work harder.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I don't wish that on anybody. But I also think sometimes that can help in a different way.

[B]

Absolutely. I always say that because I learned from a young age that the world does not accommodate to those with disabilities. I had a mod, not modified, but adapt and learn to adapt and problem solve.

[C]

And I have the same experiences. And because my. My particular disability is very tech based.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Because of the cochlear implant is considered assistive technology.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

And I was. I received mine at a time where it was actually almost impossible for somebody to get a cochlear implant. This would have been 2000, 2006. I'm coming up on 20 years.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[C]

Since my surgery.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And just seeing, like the way that the adaptive technology has evolved over time because we use it so much in our household.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And like, we are constantly using these things to help make our lives a little bit easier. But I look at, you know, all these things that are new to me now or they're new to me. Not. Maybe not to my daughter because she actually has the same disability as I do. And adhd.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

So she has multiple diagnosis as well. And I'm like, I don't think you realize how lucky you are because I did not have this when I was your age.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah. And it's that. That evolvement, that. Sorry. That evolution has just been absolutely mind blowing.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

To me.

[A]

So what types of. You mentioned you have different types of assistive technology that helps. What else besides a cochlear implant do you use? Is helpful. Do your kids use or whatever.

[C]

So the cochlear implants and then both of our cochlear implants have Bluetooth. This is my first ones. This is my first cochlear with Bluetooth compatibility and I just got this, like, not even a year ago.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

And so I can actually, like, connect my cochlear implant to my laptop, which is really nice because we work from home, so when our meetings are virtual. So it's very helpful for virtual meetings. And my daughter can do the same with her, like, tablet.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

And then there's something called. It's called an FM system.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

It's basically like a personal microphone. And most of the time it's worn around the neck. It's a long thing. And it uses your. It uses Bluetooth, and it uses your cochlear to basically amplify the world around you. I received mine for the first time when I got this cochlear. And I just. I remember this so vividly. I was sitting in the audiologist's office. My partner and my daughter were with me, and the audiologist was doing her thing. Because this is another thing that makes it technology. There's software with this, and we have to. You know how you have to upgrade the software on your phone? You have to upgrade the software with your cochlear implant, too.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And it takes a lot longer than upgrading phone, but she's doing everything. And then she sets up. It's called the Roger now. And she turns it on, she gives it to my partner and says, go outside into the hall with the door shut. Go like a thousand feet down that way. Ish. And talk into it. And I heard my partner's voice loud and clear. I was actually in tears, of course, that day, because that is probably the clearest I've ever heard my partner's voice. And my partner is from Mexico, so has a very strong, thick Mexican accent.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Love their voice.

[A]

Sure.

[C]

But sometimes I can't always hear it very well.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

And my daughter, we're trying to get her Roger so she can actually use it in school. She goes to a school for the deaf.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

They have also adaptive technology there. They have more closed captioning. They use American Sign Language over there. And I'm sure there's more that I just haven't been, like, told of yet. But I think she has better access to assistive technology than I do.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

And one thing I would really like to note is that a lot of our assistive technology. Excuse me, Isn't everyday things. I have a smartwatch. That's what I used to as. As an alarm.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Because I can't hear. They do have an alarm where you can put the thing, like a thing under your bed, a buzzer, and it shakes It. It shakes the bed. I used to have that, but when you're sharing a bed with somebody I know.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Not an option.

[A]

Yeah. I worked at a camp, and I had a. A deaf counselor, and we had bunk beds, and I was on the top, and it shook that whole thing. I was like, I guess I'm getting up now. This is crazy. Yeah.

[C]

My daughter has one. She uses that, but I use my watch and. But that unfortunate thing. That means I can't use my watch during the day.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

When a person is supposed to use it because it has to be charged for night time.

[A]

Got it.

[C]

So there's, like, pros and cons.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

To everything that we do. My phone is a big piece of assistive technology. It has, you know, phones now have accessibility features.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

And I use what's applicable to me. And so a lot of. A lot of our life is assistive technology. And there's definitely more I want to add.

[A]

Yep. What would you add?

[C]

Fire.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Doorbell that flashes. I would like to add that.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

We have. You know, we have another child on the way. I would like to try to find a baby monitor that can wake me up somehow. Because I don't want. I don't. I can't expect my partner to do it every time.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

And the equipment that I use when my daughter was a baby. Mine broke, and they no longer make it anymore, which is kind of disappointing because it was probably the best thing that could have been for me. And that's. And it's super expensive.

[A]

Yep, yep, yep. The specialty stuff can be. Which is the hard part. That's one of the reasons why, you know, one of the reasons why we get to do these kind of things for bark is that we. In certain states, we've been approved for Medicaid waivers to give free devices or at no cost to them. Not free and no cost to them. They get devices for kids. The. The bark phone and the bark watch for those geolocation or for skill development when it comes to what's allowed and what's not. And if I use this in a good way, I can get more access or not. Because everything is changeable on the devices. So. And then through empowerment and like, building that social interaction. Which is why I love that your kiddo goes to a school where kids look and act like her and they. She can, like, interact with them in a really helpful way. So that's one of the reasons why we get to do this stuff is because we have those. In certain states, you know, we're working on all of them, but we're getting there. And so I always like to ask, what else can we add? Because, you know, we've got preset apps and we've got preset things that we can do for communication issues and braille and all these other things. But there's always stuff that we may not have or we may not think about because, you know, I'm. I'm a hearing and seeing person kind of with these. Right. With assistance. And so I don't always think about it from other lenses. And so that's why we get to talk to people who have different lenses and say, help us. Like, what else do you think? And what else is helpful? What else can you use? Because I think it's important to involve every voice in those conversations.

[C]

Absolutely.

[A]

Right. Is there something like assistive, tech wise that you're like, this has to be a thing, it needs to be out there or something. You, I know you mentioned like you wish you would have had a hearing aid, stuff like that. Is there something else that would have been helpful?

[B]

Honestly, I'm just working on getting the hearing aid because I don't have that right now.

[A]

Got it.

[B]

Those barriers that we discussed earlier. So that's my main focus right now. I don't know about anything. I can't think of anything else other than that because just because how I saw how that helped me.

[A]

Yeah, but you're. You said something earlier that was really great. You said a lot of things that were great. But one of the things that I'm latched onto was, you know, we are trying to prepare kiddos and people for a world that doesn't accommodate to them.

[B]

Yeah, right.

[A]

There's not a exceptional student Starbucks. Right. Where it's like, I get to go there and. Or, you know, the Walmart. There's some accommodations and modifications they can do. Maybe, but there's really not. You kind of have to fit into that world already.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And that can be challenging. And we want to get the next generation ready for that. And, and so that's why I like to ask, like, what do you wish you could wave a wand and have that happen?

[B]

I guess not technology wise.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It's like somewhat technology wise is educating your kids. I know I've met a lot of people who educate their kids, but there are some who don't because I don't think they're educated. Maybe not educated on it.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

So just educating them at their level and what they're able to do. I always think that, like, because we live in a world that's virtual and technology based. Like, it's okay for infants to look at technology from. Like. Because if grandma lives in Alaska and you're in la, they need to see their grandparents at least virtually.

[A]

Sure.

[B]

But like, as they get older, continually educate them at their level, at their language.

[A]

There's definitely age level appropriate screen times. Right. Or age level appropriate accessible features. All those things can grow with the kid. And that's what we want. But yeah, sometimes we have to educate ourselves about that.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And I find that a lot of families are either overwhelmed or under informed.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And so sometimes it's just overwhelming. There's so much. Especially if I have a kiddo that has a struggle and I'm just trying to worry about that. I'm not thinking about all the other things. Right. But if I can get through that or I can figure out how to be informed on what's out there, that can be super helpful.

[B]

I think talking to your peers can be a little bit of like. Because you talked about getting overwhelmed. And I can feel that in certain areas of like our work and getting overwhelmed. But when I talk to my peers, what they've experienced, then I can like waiver what's. What's best for me and what's. Maybe I could just put to the side right now. Not that it's going to the trash, but put it to the side for right now. Maybe I need that information later. So talking to people that like parent to parent, dad to dad, whatever the case may be, could be helpful and maybe not be so overwhelming.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. So what do you hear from students when you go in? You talk to students, you're done. What's the feedback you get the most from the kiddos? Do they call you Unk too? Because they call me Unk. And I don't know if that's good or not. Okay. Ms.

[C]

Ma', am, I. We go by our first names when we just like call us Savannah and Audra. Yeah. And we'll be like. And often we get mixed up. So I'll be Savannah and she'll be Audra and we'll be like, okay, okay, here we go. But, you know, it's peer to peer. That's what our services are like. That's what. That's our niche, essentially. And I think that is definitely what makes the difference. And actually it's not really the kids giving us the feedback, it's the teachers.

[A]

Okay. Because kids probably are still processing. And then you get to hear later from the teachers that you. The next day they said this, which can be really helpful.

[C]

Yeah, it does. And we just found out the teachers and job developers from Phoenix Union just recently had a meeting, and they basically reviewed us in a sense, like verbal reviews. And apparently it was nothing but positive feedback. And we were. We received this information from two very reliable sources. So when we heard that, we kind of looked at each other. Wow.

[B]

In the back.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Well, you never really know the impact you've got.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And sometimes you. You won't know.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And it doesn't mean it didn't work.

[B]

Right.

[A]

It doesn't mean it wasn't have value. It just means that it might be delayed.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I had students reach out to me years later and say, this was so help. Thank you so much for this. And I was like, who are you again? Like, because they were so quiet or I didn't have. I didn't think I had the connection that I did with other students.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so you just never know.

[C]

You have had several situations where you've had a student, and then maybe they kind of just went away for a couple years, and then they ended up coming to, like, our summer conference or something because they wanted to be involved. I was like, I remember you from this or that, you know, this many years ago. And they're like, yeah, no, I wanted to come here. I just needed to, like, build up to that. And I'm like, I respect that. Like, that influence is there. And obviously we were doing something right. Because, you know, Savannah and I are both people who have been through the programs.

[A]

Right.

[C]

And we're influenced by it, and we continue to give back. And we're not the only ones.

[A]

Right.

[C]

That do that.

[A]

Oh, I love that. I think there's so. It's so needed to have someone who says, I've been there. And this is what we can do. Because so many kids. This is the kind of conundrum. Right. Sherry Turkle is a researcher, and she has a book called Connected but Alone. Maybe that's the name of her TED Talk. It's one of the two. But she talks about how we've never been more connected as a society than we are today. By tech. Right. Because you can FaceTime somebody in Alaska. That's wild to me. I used to have to write letters to my pen pals and wait a week or two. And so we've never been more connected than we are today. And yet kids report they never have felt more alone than they do today. Right. Which is just weird dichotomy. It's a weird thing that we've got. And so being there and saying, you're not alone. And actually, like, I also struggled in school, or I also had this issue or my friend had this. It's the same issue as you. And this is how they dealt with it. Like, what a powerful, cool message that you get to share. But I also totally understand that those kids aren't the ones who are like, hey, this is so helpful. Thank you so much. Because they also have to, like, process their own stuff and wait to be ready and build that confidence up, which can be hard.

[B]

Well, we have a panel that we do called Embracing Identity.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Which I feel like helps, like, our other programs help so many kids and change their lives. But that one, I feel like, for the ones who, like, do feel alone, help them greatly. And we get so many questions from them about it. Like, because we'll take our experiences and some of our alumni and bring them to the panels and ask them certain questions, and the kids are just always, just in awe, I guess, Speechless.

[C]

It helps with that relatability that they don't always get.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

Because, like, like Savannah said, we are not in a world that accommodates dis disabilities. They're seeing a bunch of people talking about their unique experiences with different diagnosis, and they're like, oh, okay. So it's okay to feel this way.

[B]

Go ahead.

[C]

No, I'm good.

[B]

And I hear a lot of them think that, like, they can't go to college or they can't drive. They're like, I have a disability, so I can't drive. And she then goes, I drive. I have a disability. And she'll go, savannah has a disability and she drives. Or, Savannah's getting her master's. I'm getting my bachelor's. You can go to college. It's all good. So. Yeah.

[A]

Well, knowing that somebody else has done that is huge. Yeah, you're right. So many times we put ourselves in boxes or unfortunately, society puts us there, teachers put us there, parents put us there unknowingly. And we've got to figure out ways to break out of that. Yeah. Which is huge and important. Yeah. I love that. For parents and caregivers out there, if there's one thing you want them to take away from this episode, what would that be?

[C]

Wow. Can you imagine, like, the number of things we wanted to tell parents? Caregivers.

[A]

What's the, like, pinnacle? What's the, like,

[C]

trust your kids. I I one thing I tell parents, because we do work with parents quite a bit as well, when they're open, about feeling that anxiety of letting their kid Grow up, especially in the age that we're, you know, all in right now is you've got to let your kids make mistakes or they're never going to learn. You parents, most parents want their kids to be independent.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

But they don't know how to get them there. They don't know what steps to take. So I always say, let your kids make mistakes. Trust your kids. Use the resources you have. Yeah, there's resources out there. And I think, you know, as someone who works for a non profit, one thing that I definitely noticed, just even in general is people don't know what's out there because it's not spoken about enough. Because it's not like you're going to see us on billboards.

[A]

You got to go find it.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Yep.

[C]

So I want to say, like, probably 90 of our referrals and such are from word of mouth and, you know, showing up at outreach events and such, so. And it's the same for any other nonprofit organization. So definitely, like, look for your resources, that your resources are there. Trust your kids, that your kids make mistakes, set boundaries. Yeah, it's a big one.

[A]

I love that.

[B]

I think I, and I mentioned it earlier, but I think it's so important to make sure that what it, what the resources out there, some are. Yes. For a particular community, but some aren't. And definitely. And even though it might seem like for a different community and maybe not your certain circumstance, take advantage of it because it can definitely help you. There's been multiple things that I'm like, oh, that's for that kind of community, not me. And then I'm like, but let me go see. And then it actually does help me so totally just be open minded and try new things.

[A]

Yes, Yes. I love that for my adhd. I love closed captioning. It's so helpful. But like, that was not made for me specifically, but it's something I can benefit from.

[B]

But like, sidewalks weren't made for us.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

It was made for wheelchairs. Yeah.

[A]

Ada. So, yeah, I love it. I love it. Awesome. Well, thank you guys so much for being here today. I appreciate it so much. You've given such a unique perspective that we don't always get to have. So I, I'm just humbled and I appreciate your time with us and I'm so thankful. So, yeah, appreciate you.

[C]

This is a good time.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Good, good. Thank you.

[B]

Loved.