LPH58: Heather Burroughs Fought for Her Daughter’s Voice

LPH58: Heather Burroughs Fought for Her Daughter’s Voice

What if your child had thoughts, opinions, and intelligence far beyond what the world believed, but no reliable way to communicate them? In this episode of Let’s Plant Houses, Heather Burroughs shares her family’s journey through autism, rare genetic disorders, non-speaking communication, service dogs, and disability advocacy. Heather is the Director of Advocacy and Education at AutismUp and co-founder of the Finding Common Ground podcast. She opens up about raising multiple neurodivergent children, fighting for her daughter Devyn’s rights in school, and why families often have to push systems to see what their children are truly capable of. Heather also shares how spelling to communicate changed her understanding of her daughter’s inner world and why she is now fighting for the Communication Bill of Rights in New York. This conversation is a powerful reminder that lived experience is real expertise and that families should never stop believing in their child’s potential. More about the show… Listen to Heather Burrough’s podcast, Finding Common Ground:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-common-ground/id1756178309 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-common-ground/id1756178309] Find more information about LPH host, Wendy Ernzen https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyernzen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyernzen/]. Real stories. Real insights. Real life. Join the LPH newsletter: https://www.letsplanthouses.com/newsletter/ [https://www.letsplanthouses.com/newsletter/] Follow LPH on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsplanthouses/ [https://www.instagram.com/letsplanthouses/] Follow LPH on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsplanthouses/ [https://www.facebook.com/letsplanthouses/] Feel free to contact Wendy Ernzen via email: letsplanthouses.com [letsplanthouses@gmail.com]. Thank you for leaving a review and rating for the show today!

LPH57: Steve Gonyea Turned Special Needs Foster Parenting Into an Unstoppable Movement

How did one foster dad build an autism barn and help nearly 180 children find belonging? In this episode of autism advocacy, foster care, caregiving, and disability support, Steve Gonyea shows what families can build when they lead with love, trust, and lived experience. From welcoming nearly 180 foster children into his home to creating an autism barn and launching the Ability Bus program, Steve shares how his family turned their challenges into real solutions for many families. This episode is a powerful reminder that caregivers are experts too, and that one family’s vision can spark a growing movement that is changing lives far beyond their own community. And for Steve Gonyea, with even bigger plans for the future, this is only the beginning.   More about the show… Find resource in Helpipedia, the guides Steve helped build: https://www.ie-care.org/ [https://www.ie-care.org/] Listen to Steve’s podcast, Finding Common Ground: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-common-ground/id1756178309 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-common-ground/id1756178309] Find more information about LPH host, Wendy Ernzen https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyernzen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyernzen/]. Real stories. Real insights. Real life. Join the LPH newsletter: https://www.letsplanthouses.com/newsletter/ [https://www.letsplanthouses.com/newsletter/] Follow LPH on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsplanthouses/ [https://www.instagram.com/letsplanthouses/] Follow LPH on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsplanthouses/ [https://www.facebook.com/letsplanthouses/] Feel free to contact Wendy Ernzen via email: letsplanthouses.com [letsplanthouses@gmail.com]. Thank you for leaving a review and rating for the show today!

LPH56: Mark and John Cronin Turned Socks Into Purpose and Possibility

What happens when a father and son build their own path when the system has few options? In this episode, Mark Cronin and his son, John, share their journey of Down syndrome, disability, entrepreneurship, and employment. Together, they started John’s Crazy Socks, a business that employs people with different abilities and has shipped over 500,000 packages to 94 countries. John’s Crazy Socks has also donated more than $800,000 to charity, including the Special Olympics. Their story shows what families can do when they believe in their child and refuse to accept limits placed on them by others. Now that is growing into a movement. Through their nonprofit, Abilities Rising, Mark and John are helping other families start businesses, build job skills, and create real employment pathways for adults with different abilities. Their journey reminds us that when support does not exist, families build it, and when families share their stories, more people begin to understand what true support really means.   More about the show… Learn more about Mark and John Cronin’s business, John’s Crazy Socks https://johnscrazysocks.com/ [https://johnscrazysocks.com/] Find more information about LPH host, Wendy Ernzen https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyernzen [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendyernzen/]. Real stories. Real insights. Real life. Join the LPH newsletter: https://www.letsplanthouses.com/newsletter/ [https://www.letsplanthouses.com/newsletter/] Follow LPH on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsplanthouses/ [https://www.instagram.com/letsplanthouses/] Follow LPH on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letsplanthouses/ [https://www.facebook.com/letsplanthouses/] Feel free to contact Wendy Ernzen via email: letsplanthouses.com [letsplanthouses@gmail.com]. Thank you for leaving a review and rating for the show today!

LPH55: Founder Kirby Rabalais Built Got4titude Through Fatherhood

What happens when fatherhood asks you to put your career on hold and trust that your family will find a way forward? In this episode about caregiving, disability, and fatherhood, Kirby Rabalais shares how raising a child with a rare genetic condition reshaped his priorities and his purpose. Families living with neurodivergence often carry invisible work every single day. Kirby reminds us that real life is more complex than most systems recognize, and that support must be practical, flexible, and human. Kirby opens up about stepping back from his career to become his son’s primary caregiver, and how that season changed his life in the best way. From that experience, he founded Got4titude, a support community for fathers raising children with disabilities. His story shows that when families share what they are living, new ideas grow, new support takes shape, and meaningful change becomes possible.

LPH54: Author Randi-Lee Bowlaugh’s Relentless Search Finally Led to Answers

What happens when you know something is wrong, but the system keeps telling you to wait? In this episode, author Randi-Lee Bowlaugh shares her journey through autism, parenting, and mental health as she searched for answers for her daughter. From early concerns to years of missed support, her story shows how families often live in the gap between what they know and what systems are ready to provide. Randi-Lee speaks honestly about trusting her instincts, changing doctors, and continuing to ask questions until someone finally listened. She reminds us that parents and caregivers are not just participants in the system. They are problem solvers and leaders who keep going, even when the path is long.