S3_Ep-03: The Pediatric Cliff: What Happens When a Special Needs Child Becomes an Adult?

When Cason started aging out of pediatric care, we thought the hardest part would be finding new doctors.We were wrong.The harder part was walking into the adult medical world and realizing how different everything felt. For years, pediatric specialists knew Cason, understood his history, and treated him like a whole person. Then suddenly we were in adult offices where the records had not always been read, guardianship was not always understood, and people expected Cason to answer questions he could not understand.In this episode, we talk about the pediatric cliff, the transition from pediatric specialists to adult doctors, and what it feels like when your special needs child becomes a legal adult but still needs the same level of support.We also talk about one appointment that stayed with us, the kind of appointment that makes every future appointment harder.If you are a parent, caregiver, or family member navigating adult care, guardianship, disability, special needs parenting, or medical advocacy, this one may feel very familiar.Watch the episode and let us know, has your family experienced the pediatric cliff too?