Nightmare Come True: Police Training, Autism, and Down Syndrome
Posted: September 20, 2013 Filed under: advocacy, disability, Down syndrome | Tags: autism, Down syndrome, Ethan Saylor, Intellectual disability, Maryland, Police, police brutality 45 CommentsSometimes I spend time worrying about my infant son’s future. My son with Down syndrome. My son with a disability. My son, a human being.
Among the things I worry about is that the world will see him as nothing but a problem. An anomaly, a special circumstance, some thing to be “handled” and “managed”. I worry that people will take one look at him and hold him up to a stereotype, and he’ll never have a chance to be fully human. If he matches the stereotype, everything he says or does will be a foregone conclusion. If he deviates from the stereotype, he’ll be nothing but an even greater abnormality.
My fears became reality today. Read the rest of this entry »
Wednesday Words: Milestones
Posted: September 18, 2013 Filed under: disability, Down syndrome, parenting, Wednesday Words 11 Comments2. an action or event marking a significant change or stage in development.
I’ve been pondering the word milestone. Not only are there many milestone discussions in the parenting world at large, but they seem to double and triple in number after having a child with disability. This seems like a completely understandable phenomenon, of course. Having a child with a developmental delay is bound to result in some extra attention paid to milestones. Yet, as understandable as it is, I’ve participated yet resisted without truly understanding why. Read the rest of this entry »
Dear Mama: Just Checkin’ In
Posted: September 15, 2013 Filed under: Dear Mama, funny stuff, kids, parenting | Tags: Babies, babywearing, Down syndrome, humor, Parenting 18 CommentsDear Mama,
I hear through the grapevine that you’re planning on writing an update post about me every three months. Well, uh, I’m ten months old, ya know. Nine months went right on by and you were busy blabbing and pontificating. I’m just going to be honest with you, I think you get sidetracked all too often. Dad told me that it happened before I came around, so don’t go trying to pin it on me. Don’t fret, I don’t judge you. I’m ten months old, my judgment is reserved for not getting enough milk and giving the stink eye to my sisters for stealing my stuff. Don’t forget about little ol’ me though. I happen to like these letters-that-aren’t-really-from-me-but-your-way-of-talking-to-the world-about-me. Heck, I just like stuff about me. Read the rest of this entry »
Kimchi Latkes 