E19—Many parents of children with disabilities carry deep spiritual questions and have very little space to process them. Amy Julia Becker talks with Pam Harmon about spiritual direction and why it can be a lifeline for parents navigating caregiving, uncertainty, and burnout. Together they explore practical ways to slow down, notice God in everyday life, and find renewed hope in the middle of disability parenting.

00:00 Introduction to Spiritual Direction
03:48 Experiencing Spiritual Direction in Real Time
05:20 The Hummingbird's Lesson: A Reflection on Action
07:17 Spiritual Needs of Parents of Kids with Disabilities
10:30 Finding Space for Spiritual Direction
12:59 Practical Spiritual Practices for Parents
21:23 Recognizing the Need for Spiritual Direction

Ask Me Anything: Record (or email) your question for our upcoming Ask Me Anything episode: amyjuliabecker.com/qr/

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Young Life Capernaum
• Spiritual Directors International
• Grafted Life Ministries
• With Ministries
• Pam’s email: pharmonyl@comcast.net

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WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube

SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com

JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker

LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/

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ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Pam Harmon is a leader in disability ministry with more than 20 years of experience serving youth with disabilities nationwide. She launched Young Life Capernaum in the Washington, DC region and now serves as a Church Consultant with With Ministries, helping congregations become more inclusive and create spaces of belonging for all. She holds a Master’s degree from Fuller Theological Seminary and is a certified Spiritual Director through Lipscomb University.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/withministriesorg/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/withministriesorg

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/with-ministries

Capernaum Young Life: capernaum.younglife.org • Instagram: @ylcapernaum

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Take the Next Step is produced in partnership with Hope Heals Camp. Hope Heals creates sacred spaces of belonging and belovedness for families affected by disabilities to experience sustaining hope in the context of inclusive, intentional, inter-ability communities. Find out more about our resources, gatherings, and inter-ability communities at hopeheals.com. Follow on Instagram: @hopeheals and @hopeheals.camp

We want to hear from you. Send us a text!

E18—Your child isn’t “misbehaving.” They’re trying to be understood. Many children with disabilities communicate through behavior, especially when spoken words aren’t available in the moment. Behavior analyst Emily Longino shares practical tools for recognizing communication signals before they escalate and helping parents build connection with their kids. Amy Julia Becker and Emily explore:

• How to look beyond behavior to understand the “why”
• How parents can recognize communication signals earlier
• Ways to support alternative communication skills
• How understanding behavior can reduce crises and build connection

00:00 Introduction to Behavior Analysis
03:31 Understanding the Functions of Behavior
08:31 Functional Communication as a Survival Skill
12:31 Where Parents Can Find Behavior Support
16:00 Practical Examples of Functional Communication
22:15 It’s Never Too Late to Change Behavior

Questions:

Have a question for Emily or for Amy Julia? Record (or email) your questions, and we’ll do our best to respond to them in an upcoming episode: amyjuliabecker.com/qr/

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Hope Heals Camp
• FREE RBT TRAINING - Autism Partnership Foundation

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WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube

SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com

JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker

LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/

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ABOUT OUR GUEST:

Emily Longino is a Senior Board-Certified Behavior Analyst at Glenwood, a residential facility and specialized school serving children and adolescents with autism and other developmental disabilities. She has seven years of experience assessing and treating severe maladaptive behaviors, providing staff training on crisis management, and supporting functional communication. Emily’s work is grounded in compassionate care and trauma-informed practices. She has published in Behavior Analysis in Practice, presented at state and national conferences, and shared her expertise on supporting transition-aged individuals with autism.

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Take the Next Step is produced in collaboration with Hope Heals. Hope Heals creates sacred spaces of belonging and belovedness for families affected by disabilities to experience sustaining hope in the context of inclusive, intentional, inter-ability communities. Find out more about our resources, gatherings, and inter-ability communities at hopeheals.com. Follow on Instagram @hopeheals.

We want to hear from you. Send us a text!

E17—Is your family welcome at church? If Sunday mornings leave you more exhausted than encouraged, you’re not alone. Rebecca Wall, Executive Director of With Ministries, joins Amy Julia Becker to explore why so many disability families are leaving church—and the small, practical changes that can create real belonging. Find (or help build) a community where people with disabilities aren’t just accommodated, but welcomed.

Ask Me Anything: Record (or email) your question for our upcoming Ask Me Anything episode: amyjuliabecker.com/qr/

00:00 Creating Welcoming Church Communities
04:43 Models of Disability Ministry
07:31 The Role of Church Size in Inclusion
10:28 Separate Programming: When and Why?
13:35 Transitioning to Integration
16:21 Finding the Right Church for Families
19:42 The Heart of Belonging in Churches

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• With Ministries: withministries.org
• Barriers to Belonging: The Church Experiences of Families of Children with Disabilities | Erik Carter

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WATCH this conversation on YouTube: Amy Julia Becker on YouTube

SUBSCRIBE to Amy Julia's Substack: amyjuliabecker.substack.com

JOIN the conversation on Instagram: @amyjuliabecker

LISTEN to more episodes: amyjuliabecker.com/shows/

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ABOUT OUR GUEST:

As Executive Director of With Ministries, Rebecca has spent more than a decade at the intersection of education and parachurch ministry, equipping leaders to transform their churches into places where every person is known, valued, and truly belongs. Through her vision and catalytic leadership, she has helped congregations across the country move from surface-level inclusion to authentic belonging, reflecting beauty and wholeness. Rebecca’s work continues to inspire a movement toward churches that don’t just welcome but flourish, through the participation of every member of the community.

@withministriesorg (instagram), withministries.org (website), With Ministries (FB)

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Take the Next Step is produced in collaboration with Hope Heals. Hope Heals creates sacred spaces of belonging and belovedness for families affected by disabilities to experience sustaining hope in the context of inclusive, intentional, inter-ability communities. Find out more about our resources, gatherings, and inter-ability communities at hopeheals.com. Follow on Instagram @hopeheals.

We want to hear from you. Send us a text!