TPP 376: Kelley Coleman on Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child

Have you ever felt paralyzed by all the “stuff” involved in charting a path and advocating for your child? I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s put off calling the insurance company or establishing a relationship with a new health care provider because at the time it felt too overwhelming and daunting. But what if there was a resource that provided everything parents and caregivers need to know about navigating all the complex, but critical, aspects of raising a neurodivergent child? How great would that be?

I’ve got some good news for you! Today’s guest, Kelley Coleman, has created that resource — it’s her brand new book called Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports. Kelley’s book draws upon over a decade of experience, including her own experience parenting a child with multiple disabilities. It’s an honest, relatable, actionable roadmap to the practicalities of parenting a disabled child, featuring personal stories, expert interviews, and the foundational information parents need to know about topics including diagnosis, school, doctors, insurance, financial planning, disability rights, and what life looks like as a parent caregiver.

In this conversation, Kelley, a feature film development executive turned author and advocate for parent caregivers and individuals with disabilities, shares so many insights from her book, including the difference between being a parent and being a caregiver, strategies for navigating Insurance, working with medical teams, and other daunting systems, future care planning, and so much more.

Seriously, Kelley has created SUCH an incredible resource in this book, because she’s researched, and mapped, and made simple and doable the key things and tools parents need to stop wasting unnecessary time, money, and stress as they navigate this journey.

Enjoy the episode, and please share it with others who would benefit from Kelley’s insight and positive approach so that they can spend less time filling out forms, and more time loving their children exactly as they are.

About Kelley Coleman

Kelley Coleman is a feature film development executive turned author and advocate for parent caregivers and individuals with disabilities. Her book Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports draws upon over a decade of experience, including her own experience parenting a child with multiple disabilities. Kelley lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two boys, and her son’s trusty service dog.

Things you'll learn from this episode

• What the difference is between parenting and caregiving and why it’s an important distinction to make
• What some of the most common challenge nondisabled parents face embracing disability in their children
• Why it’s critical that parents and caregivers have access to practical information (and why it’s so hard to find)
• Strategies for navigating Insurance, working with medical teams, and other daunting systems
• Why financial planning is so important and how to get started
• The benefits of connecting with experts and disabled leaders in the disability community

Resources mentioned for Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child

• Kelley Coleman’s website
• Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports by Kelley Coleman
• Kelley Coleman on Instagram
• Kelley Coleman on Facebook
• Emily Ladau’s website
• Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally by Emily Ladau
• Activist Emily Ladau on Demystifying Disability (Tilt Parenting Podcast)
• Judy Heumann (disability rights activist)
• Rebecca Cokley (disability rights activist)
• After Revealing He Couldn’t Read, Former Convict Is Inspiring Others on TikTok — Here’s How (People Magazine article about Oliver James)

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