The Lucky Few

Latest Episodes:

322. Throwback: Elana Meyers Taylor — Gold Medalist & Lucky Mama Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

We’re bringing back one of our favorite conversations in honor of an extraordinary athlete, mom, and advocate who continues to redefine what’s possible.

Elana Meyers Taylor is a five-time Olympian and one of the most decorated athletes in winter sports history. She has earned one gold, three silver, and two bronze Olympic medals for Team USA, and is a four-time World Champion, with two gold medals in both the two-woman and mixed team events. She is also the most decorated Black winter Olympian of all time.

But medals are only part of her story.

Elana is mom to two boys. Her son Nico has Down syndrome, and both of her sons are deaf. In this episode, she shares what it was like to welcome Nico at the start of the pandemic while continuing to train at the highest level. It’s an honest look at motherhood, elite sport, and advocacy.

Elana brings her family with her and uses her platform to speak openly about Down syndrome, ASL, and greater inclusion in winter sports.

As we replay this episode, we’re cheering her on — not just for what she’s accomplished, but for how she leads.

321. What We Wish We’d Known (And What We’re Still Learning) Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

January felt heavy. So instead of pretending we had it all figured out, we talked honestly about what we wish we’d known earlier.

In this kickoff episode of What We Wish We’d Known, Heather, Micah, and Mercedes reflect on lessons that only come with time, experience, and a lot of unlearning.

In this episode, we talk about:

Letting go of milestone pressure, assuming competence, and unlearning ableism
Rethinking inclusion, communication (including AAC), and what real support looks like
Identity, advocacy, and why the goal was never a “poster child” — just a whole human

This episode is part reflection and part reset. Whether you’re brand new or years into this journey, we hope it gives you permission to breathe, recalibrate, and keep learning.

💛 DM us what you wish you’d known — and what you want us to cover this season.

SHOW NOTES

Check outAbleNet, an assistive technology company that helps families access AAC devices quickly, often handling insurance and paperwork on their behalf.

DISCOUNT CODE

Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on ⁠The Lucky Few Merch Shop⁠ and use code PODCAST for 10% off!

HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE

Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email ⁠hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com⁠ for more information!

LET’S CHAT

Email ⁠hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com⁠ with your questions and Good News or Shout Outs for future episodes.

320. Diving Deeper: Communication, Self-Talk, & Down Syndrome Dec 09, 2025

Show notes

Today we’re diving deep into the way our children communicate! We’re asking some difficult but important questions about how we support their speech and language.

How do our kids feel when people cannot understand their speech? How do they feel when we, as their parents, cannot understand their speech?

How are we supposed to implement all the speech therapy tools? When is it time to just focus on one area of growth for our kids?

How do our kids use “self-talk” to share stories and self-soothe?

And that’s a wrap on this season focused on brain health and Down syndrome! We hope you learned as much as we did from these last 10 episodes. We’ll see you again in the new year!

SHOW NOTES

Visit our Therapist Directory to find mental health support for your loved one with a disability.

Fill out THIS FORM to be added to our therapist directory.

SPONSOR

319. Brain Health & DS: Communication w/Jennifer Gray, SLP Dec 02, 2025

Show notes

Jennifer Gray is a certified speech-language pathologist with over 20 years of experience working with the Down syndrome community. Today we’re asking her all the questions we’ve forgotten to ask our children’s own speech therapists.

When should speech therapy start for individuals with Down syndrome? (Hint: Jennifer says research shows it can be helpful before age 1)

What makes speech more challenging for individuals with Down syndrome?

Can individuals with Down syndrome experience speech regression?

What is self-talk?

We hope you learn something from this important conversation about communication for people with Down syndrome!

SHOW NOTES

Visit grayspeaktherapy.com

Instagram: @downsyndromespeech and @grayspeaktherapy

SPONSOR

318. Diving Deeper: Trauma and Intellectual Disability Nov 25, 2025

Show notes

Last week we sat down for an interview with trauma expert Dr. Karyn Harvey and today the three of us are unpacking all of our feelings about it. We’re asking ourselves some pretty heavy questions about trauma and intellectual disability.

Do our kids really encounter trauma every time they step out the front door?

Are we holding our children to unrealistic standards and expectations for behavior?

Do the benefits of an inclusive education outweigh the trauma that comes with it?

Why have our kids never been offered mental health support at any of their regular screenings?

Here’s what we know for certain: our children with intellectual disabilities understand when they are being excluded. And it’s our job to remind them just how incredibly lucky this world is to have them in it. Friends, we hope your children receive the mental health support they need so they can become exactly who they are meant to be.

SHOW NOTES

Learn more from Dr. Karyn Harvey and read her publications here.

SPONSOR

317. Brain Health & DS: Trauma and Intellectual Disability w/Dr. Karyn Harvey Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Karyn Harvey is a psychologist, author, trainer, speaker, and EXPERT in the field of psychology, intellectual disability, and trauma. Have you ever thought of the trauma that individuals with intellectual disabilities face each day? The examples are endless.. a negative diagnosis experience, being excluded, or even being placed in an institution. Today Dr. Karyn Harvey is on the show to teach us:

How does trauma influence behavior? What do symptoms of trauma look like in people with intellectual disabilities?

Can we assume that all individuals with intellectual disabilities face trauma?

What does therapy look like for an individual with an intellectual disability?

We’re also breaking down a few real-life examples of incidents in our child’s lives. This episode is full of wisdom for all of us who wish to support individuals with disabilities and their mental health.

---

SHOW NOTES

Learn more from Dr. Karyn Harvey and read her publications here.

SPONSOR

JOIN THE LUCKY CREW

Join us in celebrating and supporting The Lucky Few Podcast! For just $4.99 a month, you can help us continue shouting worth and shifting narratives for people with Down syndrome. Enjoy bonus episodes where we dive deeper into the most controversial issues, shop discounts, and more! Become an essential part of The Lucky Few movement today!

316. Diving Deeper: Alzheimer's Disease Prevalence and Treatment, w/Kandi Pickard Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

Last week we had an important conversation with Dr. Michael Rafii all about the link between DS and Alzheimer’s disease. If you’re still processing everything you learned from that interview, that’s okay. Sit down with the three of us + our good friend Kandi Pickard (CEO of the National DS Society) and we’ll talk through it together!

How do we confront medical discrimination?

Where can we get involved in research?

What does it mean that the NDSS has merged with LuMind? (hint: its a great thing for Alzheimer’s research!)

We know this isn’t an easy topic but this episode is full of hope. Remember, there are medical experts (like Dr. Rafii) and organizations (like NDSS) doing all that they can to improve the future for your loved one with Down syndrome.

SHOW NOTES

Learn more more about Alzheimer’s disease from the National DS Society

Learn more about LuMind merging with the NDSS

Find resources on The Alzheimer Biomarkers Consortium-Down Syndrome (ABC-DS)

Get involved in research with DS-Connect

SPONSOR

315. Brain Health & DS: Alzheimer's Disease Prevalence and Treatment (w/Dr. Michael Rafii) Nov 04, 2025

Show notes

As we continue this season on brain health, its time to dive deep into the link between Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome. It’s not an easy topic.. and that’s why we are so grateful to have Dr. Michael Rafii with us. He’s a physician-scientist whose research focuses on developing treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, including a genetic form that occurs in people with Down syndrome. Dr. Rafii is breaking down these topics today:

Alzheimer’s 101: How does it progress over time? How many people with and without DS are likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease?

The science: What gene is responsible for causing Alzheimer’s?

Current breakthroughs: More people with DS are involved in the research and Dr. Rafii is focused on developing research methods that work for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Take some notes, friends. This is an important one.

SPONSOR

314. Diving Deeper: Motor Planning, Apraxia, & More Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

Last week, we heard from motor planning expert, Brooke Poston, so today the three of us are diving deep into our experiences of apraxia with our own children! Here’s what we’re chatting about:

When are children aren’t cooperating, is it actually a behavior problem or an apraxia challenge? Do they need ABA therapy or motor coaching?

How can we implement these motor planning techniques all day every day?

Knowing what we know now, how can we offer more grace to our children when they appear dysregulated and/or uncooperative?

Make sure you listen to last week’s episode with Brooke first so you understand the basics of motor planning and apraxia before we dive into our personal examples!

---

SHOW NOTES

Listen to last week’s episode with Brooke Poston for more information on motor planning.

Follow Spellers & Brooke on Instagram!

Visit spellers.com for more information.

JOIN THE LUCKY CREW

313. Brain Health & DS: Motor Planning, Apraxia, & More w/Brooke Poston Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever found yourself asking your child to do the same thing over and over again? Why won’t they just stand up and put their shoes on? Why do they hit so often for what seems like no reason? Today is your crash course in motor planning and apraxia, where we’re diving deep into how the brain + body connection impacts behavior. We have Brooke Poston (Clinic Director and Spellers Method Practitioner) on the show to answer all of our questions:

What is the difference between apraxia, incompetence, and defiance?
How can a parent implement motor coaching techniques for children with DS? (hint: Start with the eyes! Use the motor coaching formula)
What should we do when our kids “flop and drop?”
How do we respond to injurious and out of control behaviors?

Get ready to take notes and pass this one along!

SHOW NOTES

Follow Spellers & Brooke on Instagram!

Visit spellers.com for more information.

Learn more about motor planning from Elizabeth Torres and Dana Johnson

JOIN THE LUCKY CREW