Category: Special Needs
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Taking Back The Word Retarded
As the parent of a child with developmental challenges, delays, cognitive disabilities… however you want to label it, I often flip-flop between two perspectives. 1. Wanting to let my fists fly (which is pretty hysterical if you’ve ever seen me try to punch something) on anyone who uses the word retarded. 2. Simply allowing…
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I Like My EEGS Sunnyside Up
We kept our daughter up for most of the night to deprive her of sleep, on purpose. Consider it payback for all the nights she’s kept us awake. In your face, Avery! Mwah hahaha… Kidding. She was scheduled for an EEG the next morning. Having her good and exhausted prevents her from…
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What Do You Think Of When You Hear “Like A Girl?”
At some stage in life the meaning of the term “like a girl” twists from something incredible into something insulting. When I was asked to spread the word about the #LikeAGirl movement, intended to remove the negative connotation associated with the phrase, I enlisted my son’s help. I planned to share a clip of his…
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Never Say Never—A Story About Very Special Athletes
We were told that it wasn’t likely our daughter would ever walk on her own without some kind of assistance. Doctors made this assumption based on what is known about her faulty DNA. Considering the significant chunk of genetic material missing from Chromosome 3 (3P Deletion Syndrome), this was a fair assumption. But you…
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Rare Chromosome Disorder Awareness Week
To say we’re “celebrating” Rare Chromosome Disorder Awareness Week is a bit of a misnomer. However, we are marking it and we are grateful that the first ever RCDAW starts today. Thankfully we found a support in an organization called Chromosome Disorder Outreach early on. Through their research, education, and efforts to connect families who…