Posts Tagged ‘inclusion’
Thank You to the Waitress Who Understood Inclusion
We tried a thing today. It was one of our spur of the moment ideas. My autistic son, Xavier, had gotten up at four again, and to be honest, after we dropped off his younger brother at school, we were all hungry and in need of a caffeine fix. Xavier’s Occupational Therapy appointment had been canceled due to a training his therapist was attending, so we had over an hour to kill. There is a diner that my husband and I both love, and hadn’t been to in a couple…
Read MoreYou Don’t Have to Earn the Right to Inclusion
Will my daughter ever have a friend? Will other kids see how funny and smart she is even if she never speaks? Will they tease and ignore her? Will they be scared of her? When she gets older, will she join a team or a club? Will she meet a kindred spirit who sees her for all that she is and what she can do, instead of who she isn’t and the things that she can’t? Most parents worry about their kids belonging at some point in their parenting journey,…
Read MoreA Taste of Inclusion
Last year my son Stalen went to preschool. I was so nervous and scared. It’s one thing to send your child off without you but it’s another when they are non-verbal, on the autism spectrum and have a lot of unique challenges. Stalen has pica so I was worried that he would eat something he shouldn’t. He also is a runner and elopes so that weighed heavily on my mind. I was worried about him being accepted, I was worried that he wouldn’t make any friends. I was worried that…
Read MoreHow I Forgive
Did you see that story about that school in New Jersey who left a student with Down Syndrome out of the yearbook? Her name is Glenda. She is twenty-one years old, and the youngest of five kids. Her sister wrote a long, detailed post about it on Facebook. It was a good post. “Glenda is very active in the school and community, so from her perspective, it was really hard for her to understand why she wasn’t included.” My name is Carrie. I have a son with autism. His name…
Read MoreI Hope Kids Can Be Kind
“He talks like a baby!” The young boy shouted excitedly to his friends. “Baby, baby, little baby!” The boy was inches from my sons face as he taunted him. His buddies all laughed. My son, just wanting to be part of the fun and play on the playground with these young boys, innocently smiled back at him. He didn’t realize he was the object of ridicule. He was simply happy that they were including him. What those boys didn’t know is that just the week before, my son said his…
Read MoreYou Taught Me About Autism
I got the following email this morning. To all the parents who wonder if they are making a difference by advocating for their children…here ya go. Hello Dear Kate, I have been watching your videos for years now. Ever since I started this Facebook. I am an old lady. Almost 70 years old. My children are grown. My grandchildren are grown. I live in a small town in the middle of America that no one has ever heard of. I have never met an autistic person. Honestly, I didn’t even…
Read MoreWhen the Birthday Invites Stop
Every time I see a mama happy and hopeful because their kid was invited to a birthday party it floods me with memories. And I want to tell them to enjoy them now because the invitations will stop. Kya was invited to every single birthday party in kindergarten. Birthday parties were incredibly stressful. And I went over the top on her parties. I thought if I made them amazing then maybe the kids would include her. I spent $1500 on her 5th Birthday and that was ridiculous. I realized I…
Read MoreWe Don’t Blend In
We don’t blend in, this kid and me. Not that we ever did, but I’ll admit when he was smaller it was easier. We got by with the graces people bestow on toddlers and energetic kindergarteners. But 9. Well, 9 is a whole different story. Nine is four feet, four inches tall. Nine is feet almost as big as mine. Nine is big and loud and noticeable. I used to care a lot when people stared at my son. At us. I would start to sweat and my face would…
Read MoreFor Those Who Came Before Us, Thank You
If you have the honor of meeting a parent of an adult child with a disability, I want you to say thank you. I want you to shake their hand. Because these people, these parents, paved the way for parents like you and me. And for our children. They probably won’t brag though. They also won’t argue with you online about trivial things either. Because they’ve seen it all…and they know what’s worth fighting over. These are the parents who upon finding out that their baby was differently abled, were…
Read MoreMisunderstood 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.…
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