Posts Tagged ‘disability’
Misunderstood in Public
Hi. My name is Carrie. I have five kids, and my second son has autism. His name is Jack. He is fifteen. Every so often I come across an article about how a person with a diagnosis or a disability was asked to leave a public place because they were too loud, or disruptive, or misunderstood. Broadway musicals. Movie theaters. Water parks. When you have a child diagnosed with autism, doing something as simple as going to the grocery store, or a Little League baseball game, can be a challenge.…
Read MoreMy Son was Assaulted and he Couldn’t Tell Me
A while back my son was kicked by a person that was supposed to be caring for him. It happened one day and I didn’t find out until the next. He came home from school like any other day. He was happy. He was smiling. He asked for a cookie and his Kindle. We played. Had dinner. Took a walk and then a bath. And he went to bed. I had no idea he had been kicked multiple times at school that day. The next morning I received a phone…
Read MoreAutism, the Invisible Disability
I see you. Walking in front of me. You are here with your family. Your significant other to the right of you and your toddler walking in front of you. It’s the perfect day to visit the aquarium. It’s a Monday and not busy at all. That’s why we are here too, on a Monday. You see, my son, Zachary has autism. Severe nonverbal autism. We like to go to places when the crowds are low and so is the noise. I know you see us too. You have turned…
Read MoreA Letter To The Counseling Faculty of My Graduate Program
To the Counseling Faculty, You were not sure how I would be able to be successful in your graduate program because I used a communication device and had physical limitations. You had concerns about how I would keep up with the fast pace of the courses because I need more time to complete coursework that were to be done during class. It is no surprise that I was not like the other students in my cohort, but you still accepted me into your program. During my time as an undergraduate,…
Read MoreDignity and Chocolate Pudding
I remember the first time that I had this feeling. My daughter Liz was around 5 or 6 years old and it was school picture day. She was so proud of the new dress that she was wearing for the photos. When I picked her up from school that day, she had jam on the front of her dress and my heart sank. A few weeks later, the pictures came home from school. Sure enough, in the photos there was jam on her dress and there were tears in her…
Read MoreThe Battle of Perfectionism with a Physical Disability
Perfectionism, everyone has experienced it in some way. For certain people, it commonly occurs within academics, whereas for others, it can be apparent in their job or home. However, for people with disabilities, perfectionism can be heightened due to the need to prove society wrong, and turn the “can’ts” into “cans.” I am a graduate student, studying to be a mental health counselor. How does that statement alone make me unique? Well, I use a communication device due to cerebral palsy. I am the first person in my program to…
Read MoreThe Message The Today Show Sent about Healthy Babies
If you run in the special needs parenting circles you’ve heard about the segment The Today Show did on how big of a relief it was for the former Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson and her husband to get the test results back that their baby did not have Down Syndrome and was “genetically healthy”. I actually was watching The Today Show the morning it was aired. One thing I thought was a bit distasteful was how they were teasing it up in the promos. Like, tune in, hopefully there is…
Read MoreI Need to Live Forever
Yesterday, while driving in the car, my husband and I had the conversation I have been dreading for years. The conversation that makes my heart hurt and brings tears to my eyes instantly. The conversation about the future. The one that needs to be discussed but breaks my heart to even think about. When I first became a mother to a little boy, I pictured ball games and cleaning muddy feet before they walked into my house. I pictured a future so different than the one we were discussing. Our…
Read MoreStates Require Cameras in Special Education Classrooms
In February I shared a very disturbing story with you about a parent’s worst nightmare. You can read the full story HERE. Amber Pack, a West Virginia mother, sent her 8-year-old severely autistic daughter to class with a recording device after her child didn’t want to go back to school. What Amber heard on the recording was sickening. The tapes uncovered verbal, emotional, and possible physical abuse. Here are a few of the recordings. Instructor #1: “This one I could punch her right in her face.” A different instructor in the…
Read MoreHave Courage
When you are nonverbal, it takes unbelievable strength to leave your home, where it’s safe and people understand you, to go out into the world. Imagine people not listening to you. Looking at them. Needing something. But the words don’t come out. Just screams. Grunts. You know what you want. It’s pretty simple to you. A drink of water. A specific show on your Kindle. Or imagine your ear hurts. Or the noise is too loud. It’s so obvious. But people just stare. So you scream some more. Frustration rises.…
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