See ME. See My Ability

Inside ARC’s Sensory Room: Serenity, Shaving Cream & a Lava Lamp

See Me, See My Ability presents a look inside the ARC Southern Maryland’s new sensory room in Lexington Park with Beth Wolfe, the director of nursing. In this episode Beth describes the room’s calming features — subdued lighting, music, a lava lamp, a chalkboard mural by a program participant, and flexible seating — designed to offer quiet and choice.The episode highlights hands-on activities like shaving cream play, weighted blankets, music stations, therapy balls and gentle stretching that help reduce anxiety and support sensory needs. Staff explain how the room is used by day program participants and residential individuals, and how simple tools make relaxation and therapy feel fun.The sensory room’s growth is driven by donations and grants; the episode thanks supporters and shows how small comforts can make a big difference in daily quality of life.

Building Inclusion: Kayla Carter’s Day Program Revolution

Kayla Carter, director of ARC Southern Maryland’s Waldorf day programs, describes how she creates community partnerships, meaningful volunteer opportunities, and a lively activity calendar to help clients gain skills and independence.The episode covers outreach to local businesses, hands-on learning (money management, languages, Zumba, knitting), family feedback as a measure of progress, and the importance of a sensory room for calming and self‑regulation.

Print It Forward-Assistive Technology and the Arc Southern Maryland

Three-D printers are all the rage and The Arc Southern Maryland is teaching its clients to use them to create assistive technology. Listen as Nora Walker, with the State Department for Disabilities visited with us in Prince Frederick and showed us some of the many possibilities.
 

A Conversation With One of Our Moms, Donna DePamphelis

Hear this conversation with a parent, and a longtime advocate for IDD students in Charles County, Donna DePamphelis, who is being honored next month by the statewide Arc Maryland. This mom of the soon-to-be 34-year-old Rashawn, one of our residents, talks about all that the Arc Southern Maryland has done for her and her daughter. 

It's Baseball Season in Southern Maryland! Blue Crabs and the Arc Southern MD

At last! It’s Baseball Season! For the past couple of decades that meant that Arc Southern Maryland clients and personal support staff get a field day with members of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs professional baseball team!  Listen to the fun and comradery and get yourself to a game!

From Earth Day to Earthset! 1970-2026

One of the things that happens during the podcasting classes at the Arc Southern Maryland is that our instructors and staff talk with clients about all sorts of neat things. One of those things was this past week's Artemis II spaceflight to the far side of the Moon, or the side of the Moon we do not see when we look up in the sky. We discussed how this moon mission harkens back to the time of the first moon flights, which coincided with the very first Earth Day, April 22, 1970.  Back then that was the very first time the world got to see our home from space, as the small blue planet that it is. That image sparked a movement for common good, cleaning up the Earth and trying to repair our world.
To help with our discussion with talked with the Environmental Educator from the Alice Ferguson Foundation, Cody Hance. This native Southern Marylander is concerned about the amount of plastics that end up not only in our food, but as micro-plastics, inside of all of us.
The music is by way of a YouTube upload of a 2017 commemoration of Earth Day at the New York City based American Museum of Natural History. We sample it with the permissions that are given productions that are made for teaching and educational purposes. The music was composed by The Turtles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzjJGGhKsHA
Episode art created using Microsoft Co-Pilot

Autism Acceptance Month Featuring Victoria Rodriguez-Roldan

Our podcasting class in Prince Frederick hosted the lady in charge of the State of Maryland's Autism Strategy, Victoria Rodriguez-Roldan.  She heard some of our participants' personal stories and answered questions from staff. You can find out more about where Victoria works here: https://mdod.maryland.gov/
Music: Ron Davis, jazz pianist, "All God's Children."

St. Patty's Day Lessons for All from the Arc Southern Maryland

Arc Southern Maryland students in Waldorf recently participated in a conversation with podcast host Rita Rich about St. Patrick's Day. Listen as the class talks about being proud of their ancestry and of being an American. Hear how they learned about prejudices persisting against those considered different decades ago. Another lesson learned: If you want people to understand the prejudices and misconceptions of others about your own intellectual or developmental disabilities, you need to be compassionate about the prejudices others face.
 

Tim Gowen: The Historic Special Olympian from Charles County

Episode 75 of the See Me. See My Ability: The Podcast of The Arc Southern Maryland features a conversation that podcast host Rita Rich had with 77-year-old Tim Gowen and his sister during DD Day in Annapolis. We met after members of our Arc and Tim spoke with State Senator Jack Bailey of St. Mary's County. 
Tim is a prime example of a guy who doesn't know what it means to quit! He's thinking about his next goals as an athlete and is proud to represent our state, Maryland.

DD Day Preview with Love & Guyton