The Exceptional Caregivers Life
APRIL 02, 2025
New Podcast
The Exceptional Caregivers Life
Connect with a community that gets it. Real and compassionate conversations about the highs and lows of caring for individuals with disabilities and complex needs, hosted by Surrey Place’s Family Advisory Council members Liz Phipps and Wendy Robertson. Stories of successes and challenges—of finding joy, hope, humour, respite and community to keep going on a journey that is often hard, exhausting and isolating.
Hear about lived experiences with caring for individuals of all ages with autism, down syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, Emanuel Syndrome, medical fragility and other complex needs. Learn about finding community, self-care, advocacy and gratitude. Hopefully, you will be inspired by the relatable stories of these exceptional caregivers.
Listen: 
Episodes
April 16, 2025
Feeling Gratitude in Your Hardship
Wendy and Liz are joined by guests Sharon Shelton and Ab Velasco to discuss gratitude in the caregiver journey. Sharon is a mom of two, including an adult son with an intellectual disability, and Ab is the father of a ten-year-old with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).
This episode addresses topics such as how to find gratitude in everyday challenges, focusing on small wins, and the unexpected perks and resilience of being a caregiver.
Listen:
April 2, 2025
Caring For The Caregiver
Wendy and Liz are joined by guest Lynn Zalany to discuss the n importance of caring for the caregiver. This episode discusses the idea of recognizing, managing and preventing caregiver burnout, creating a supportive environment for caregivers, and their tips for self-care.
Listen:
March 19, 2025
Advocating For Your Child
Wendy and Liz are joined by guests Natasha Christie and Nicole Payette to share what it’s like to be an advocate for your child. Natasha is a mother to a daughter with down syndrome and Nicole has been an advocate for her 13-year-old daughter with a neurodegenerative disorder. This episode delves into caregivers’ perspectives on caring for a child with intellectual developmental disabilities, how caregivers can advocate for their child, and what pathways of advocacy exist.
Listen:
March 5, 2025
Finding Your Community
Wendy and Liz are joined by guests Linda Koehler and Sara Marcelin-Elliott for the first episode to share their lived experience of caring for a child with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Linda is a caregiver to her grandson with an autism, ADHD and global developmental delay diagnosis and Sara is a mother to an exceptional teen with dual diagnosis. This episode is all about finding families, the pros and cons of community, and the stages of community throughout your child’s life.
Listen:
Hosts
Liz Phipps
Liz Phipps is a passionate autism advocate, dedicated to creating inclusive environments for individuals on the autism spectrum. With 15 years of experience in advocacy, outreach and public speaking, Liz has worked tirelessly to raise awareness about autism and dismantle misconceptions surrounding neurodiversity. Liz’s son, Jack, and his diagnosis inspired her to pursue not-for-profit work, developing and implementing programs that promote understanding, acceptance, and support for individuals with autism and their families. With senior levels roles at Unity for Autism and Autism Canada her goal has always been empowering those on the spectrum. Additionally, Liz has been profiled in The Toronto Star, on CBC Radio, and Global TV. Currently, Liz works at Surrey Place, supporting families on their autism journey.
Wendy Robertson
Wendy Robertson
Wendy is a dedicated mother of twin daughters, including Bridget, who is Autistic as well as developmentally and intellectually disabled. With 15 years of experience navigating the autism journey, she has become deeply involved in the community, serving on multiple special needs councils and actively participating and organizing fundraisers. Wendy is a long-time member of the Family Advisory Council (FAC) at Surrey Place while also working in finance. She enjoys staying active and loves to laugh, always finding joy in both the challenges and blessings of life with a child with complex needs.
Credits & Thanks
Special thanks to the Family Advisory Council for making “The Exceptional Caregivers Life” podcast possible. Foundational support was provided by the Arthur and Audrey Cutten Foundation and the Harry E. Foster Foundation.
All episodes are produced by LeadPodcasting.
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