Ben Decter is among other things, a father whose daughter began having seizures at 17 months. His response? He wrote a musical about epilepsy and empathy. Ben is an Emmy Award-winning composer and songwriter who has created a diverse body of music for television, theater, and Ben’s Emmy resulted from his score for the Academy Award-nominated film Operation Homecoming. He scored Netflix’s worldwide hit, Lucifer. Other projects include Bless This Mess (ABC), Lethal Weapon (FOX), Shadowhunters (Freeform), and Shut Eye (HULU).
Ben’s writing has been featured in Hippocampus, HuffPost, Months to Years
and Kaleidoscope magazines. Another Big Day, Ben’s much-loved children’s CD (a collaboration with Dave Nachmanoff) received national recognition and critical praise. Ben also records as Paley Jones and as one-half of emalazarus, a folk-electronica duo. Ben's musical, It’s All Your Fault, Tyler Price! is currently running at the Hudson Theater in Hollywood through December 15th.

Mieko Hester Perez is an Advocate for families who have members with special needs. In 2009, she decided to go public with her son's success with medical cannabis and since then she has become a source of inspiration and information for families looking to explore alternative and holistic treatment options within the autism spectrum. The combination of 20 years of legal experience and over 17 years of special education knowledge, make Mieko a modern-day “warrior mom”. She has received special recognition from the United States Congress for her many hours of community service and dedication. Ms. Perez also received the Lifetime Advocate Award at the Chalice Festival for her efforts within the cannabis industry. Her son Joey was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in late 2011 in addition to his autism and passed away in April 2018 at the age of just 19 years old. Since that time Ms Perez has dedicated her life to serving families. This is just part of her story.

Chris Male is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Autism Impact Fund, where he oversees the firm, leads its Tech- and Data-Enabled Services practice, and serves on the boards of auticon, Cortica, Joshin, and SpectrumAi. Prior to AIF, Chris was Managing Director of RBG Capital LLC.
Motivated by personal experiences, Chris founded AIF to invest in companies that disrupt the status quo in diagnosing, treating, and living with autism and other complex chronic conditions. As a result, AIF's innovative work has been regularly featured in Forbes, The New York Times, CNBC, Axios, and TechCrunch.
Chris holds an M.B.A. in Finance and Strategy from Case Western University's Weatherhead School of Management and a B.A. in History and Economics from Denison University.

Marisa (pronounced Mah-ree-sa) Latham French is a writer and transformational life coach based in Southern California. She is currently writing a manuscript that recounts her experience caregiving for her father, who, after a 20-day coma, miraculously woke up believing he was 40 years old rather than 69, with little recollection of the past 30 years.
The narrative weaves through the challenges of managing his care after a rare diagnosis of alcohol-induced dementia, the complexities of a family marked by generational trauma, and her eventual path toward healing.
Marisa’s coaching focuses on empowering women to lead more courageous and fulfilling lives by amplifying their voices and cultivating unshakable self-trust. She holds a master’s certificate in Evidence-Based Coaching from Fielding Graduate University, accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), and is certified as an Integrative Life Coach by the Ethical Coaching Collective.
Marisa has also completed continuing education in Somatics and Embodiment. Her academic background includes a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Antioch University.
In 2024, Marisa became a Care Fellow at Caring Across Generations, a national organization of family caregivers, care workers, disabled people, and aging adults working to transform the way care is approached in this country.

Seth Besse & Lindsay Crane of Undivided.io stop by for a visit with Shawn & Brian. Seth is Seth Besse is a seasoned entrepreneur and product leader, who has launched innovative technology products that enhance efficiency and broaden access to information. Seth and his team at Undivided.io are developing a groundbreaking platform – the first of its kind – designed to support families raising children with disabilities. This project underscores Seth's firm belief in the transformative potential of combining the collectiveknowledge of experienced parents and advocates with the power of cutting-edge technology.Lindsay is the Head of Content and Community at Undivided, sharing their mission to support and empower parents raising children with disabilities. As the parent of a teenager with cerebral palsy, Lindsay is driven to build and reinforce systems and practices that create a more inclusive culture. She’s currently serving as a Community Representative on the CA State Interagency Coordinating Council on Early Intervention and recently completed both a fellowship in the CA-LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) program at CHLA and a national appointment for The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)’s Council on Leadership in Advocacy. She advocates for systemic change and the establishment of inclusive education and culture at local, statewide, and national levels.

This week on Just Two Dads. Maria Perrin & Jessica Mercado from People First visit Shawn & Brian. Maria Perrin, is the Chief Growth & Strategy Officer, @ PPL (https://pplfirst.com/). Maria is a champion for healthcare access and a disability rights advocate. For 20 years, she has worked with Medicaid and Medicare populations focused on developing whole-person care solutions. She has implemented and managed hundreds of initiatives across 45 Medicaid programs, Medicare, and state departments of developmental disabilities.
Jessica Mercado blends her understanding of California's developmental disability community and her passion for cultural diversity to support the Self-Determination Program and Regional Centers. Jessica has extensive knowledge of the Self-Determination Program and has worked directly with regional centers for over three years. She takes pride in empowering participants to have a meaningful impact in their communities and over their services

Yanet Cortez, Rosa Hernandez, & Diana Lopez Trujillo share their individual stories & how each was led to a life of service with Wayfinder's Family Services (wayfinderfamily.org). Wayfinder offers free comprehensive support for individuals & families who have members with special needs & brings tremendous value to their community.

Amber Arrington is a mother to 6 children, 3 of whom are autistic.
Autism was once a word she feared and has become a word she loves. Now she helps parents navigate an autism diagnosis and the autism landscape as a whole. She educates moms about available services and connects them with appropriate resources and professionals. Amber helps parents become "autism savvy" so they can know the best next steps to take for their child.