Celebrating Learning Differences
In the United States, about 15% of students receive special education or related services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Learning differences aren’t all alike, but they can all affect how people process, store, and retrieve information — and they can have an impact on many parts of life, from learning to memory to how people express themselves and how people develop relationships with one another.
In this episode, Todd talks with four children — Reese, Willa-Kate, Oliver, and Alessio — all of whom have diagnosed learning differences. They share their experiences and feelings related to their learning differences and go on a journey to the Land of Qook-a-lackas to help a Qook-a-lacka friend, Professor Kimpton, reconsider how to support a Qook-a-leekie student. This episode is for ALL children and families. It can help them to understand — and rethink — their own differences and their friends’ and classmates’ differences. It can also help children and families think of strategies they can use to persevere through challenges.
Bonus Interview with Caesar Samayoa
During the episode, one of the kid guests, Oliver, mentioned how meaningful it was to him to see How to Dance in Ohio on Broadway. How to Dance in Ohio is a new musical based on a true story about Dr. Emilio Amigo helping a group of autistic high school students prepare for a formal end-of-year dance. In this special bonus interview, Oliver joins Little Kids, Big Hearts host Todd Loyd to interview Caesar Samayoa, who played the role of Dr. Amigo in the Broadway production. Cesar talks about the history-making show — in which autistic actors played the roles of the autistic characters — and shares inspiration and insight that we hope will help our audience dive in deeper to some of the issues we discussed in our learning differences episode.
Guest Star: Q. Smith
The role of the Qook-a-lacka, Professor Kimpton, is played by Q. Smith, a Broadway actress and passionate educator.
Q. Smith Created the role of Hannah and others in the Tony Award winning musical (for Best Director) COME FROM AWAY. She is also in the film version on AppleTV+. Q. has toured with the North American Broadway show A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, playing the roles of Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone. Before COME FROM AWAY, Q. closed the Broadway production of MARY POPPINS. She was the first African American to have a leading role in the history of Mary Poppins. Also on Broadway, Q. was in the first revival of LES MISERABLES. Off-Broadway, she performed the role of Mabel Washington and recorded the soundtrack for FAME: ON 42ND STREET. Other noted credits include ABYSSINIA: A GOSPEL CELEBRATION with Wynton Marsalis at the Lincoln Center, SHOWBOAT in concert at Carnegie Hall, guest soloist for Hillary Clinton’s Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards at the Kennedy Center, and guest soloist Barack Obama’s inaugural ceremonies. She has shared the stage with Gladys Knight, Rita Coolidge, and Gary U.S. Bonds in Smokey Joe’s Café, as well as Ledesi and Loretta Devine, and has traveled the world with various productions. Q. and her husband Lawrence created a coaching company called YOUR STAGE. YOUR MOMENT! They offer workshops, private coaching, and masterclasses for all ages and levels across the country.
Bonus Interview Guest: Caesar Samayoa
CAESAR SAMAYOA Most recently starred as Dr. Emilio Amigo in How to Dance in Ohio on Broadway. Original Broadway Companies include Come From Away (Kevin J./Ali); Sister Act (Pablo); The Pee Wee Herman Show, Hot Feet. Off-Broadway/Regional: Evita (Perón), A.R.T./STC; Los Otros (Carlos), A.R.T./New York; Love’s Labour’s Lost (Don Armado), The Delacorte Theater; Bernstein’s Mass, Carnegie Hall; Yale Rep, La Jolla Playhouse, Goodspeed Musicals, Tectonic Theater Project, Seattle Rep. Film/TV: Come From Away (Apple TV+); “FBI” (CBS), “Ray Donovan” (Showtime), “The Blacklist” (NBC). Awards: 2022 HOLA José Ferrer Tespis Award, 2024 Harold Prince Award (Third St Gala). CaesarSamayoa.com @CaesarSamayoa
Original Song: Super Superpower
The original song, “Super Superpower,” which appears at the end of the episode, is written by Benjamin Weiner, a NYC-based writer, composer, and educator, and performed by Q. Smith.
Educator Resources
In the educator resources, you’ll find a fun hands-on activity that will help children to imagine and “build” their own Dream Schools that will serve different students with different learning needs.