Posts Tagged ‘severe intellectual impairment’
It’s My Story to Tell
Don’t tell me it’s not severe When it’s MY story to tell. Don’t tell me it’s not severe When I daily live a version of hell Don’t tell me it’s not severe When all you got is something to sell Don’t tell me it’s not severe When there are holes where he fell Don’t tell me it’s not severe When the curve dips low on the Herrnstein bell Maybe the word is harsh? Or profound or extreme? Critical or grave? Or perhaps just plain mean? Do those options please you?…
Read MoreCostco shooting: Man killed by off-duty officer had an intellectual disability, cousin says
On Friday night, a 32-year-old man was shot and killed by an off-duty officer in a Costco store in Corona. When I saw it on the news on Saturday morning I held my breath like I do with every shooting that makes the news. And I wait. I wait for them to say one of the parties has an intellectual disability. This time it was true. The man killed, Kenneth French, was nonverbal and had an intellectual disability, according to a family member. Last night, I sat watching my son Cooper…
Read MoreMy Son has Never Been a Burden
I received an email last night. It was from a disabled adult. She self identified that way. She told me that she feels like a burden to her family. She feels guilty. She feels sad. She feels awful for the stress her disability has caused her parents. She worries that her siblings resent her. She said she lies awake at night wishing she could make her parent’s lives easier. She feels like a burden. I read the email over and over again. And I felt like I’d been punched in…
Read MoreSeeing the Words Severe Intellectual Disability
Intellectual Disability. Severe. With language impairment. Non-verbal. Limited functional language. It was a mouthful. We weren’t to the end of the meeting yet. You know the part where you learn the diagnosis. We had just started on the 25 page document. I skipped ahead though and read the words. I wanted to know the results of his IQ test. I saw the number. Suddenly, I felt a ringing in my ears. The therapist was talking. I could see her lips moving. However, I could not quite hear her. I was…
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