Read: "We want to build devices that provide not just communication, but the foundation for a change in perceptions. So if a person in a wheelchair with a device has a headline over their head that says 'This is a difficult life,' my vision is that the headline becomes: 'This is an interesting life. This is someone who has insight and fun. This is someone worth knowing.'" -- Richard Ellenson, from an interview with Louise Kinross on the blog Bloom
Reflect: What headline do people see over my child's head? Over mine? What can I do today to change those headlines?
Respond in the comments with your own thoughts on this quote and how it applies to your life with your child.
Every weekday, take a moment to read, reflect, and respond to a passage from a book, blog, or article. ... More Reflections
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Terri, I really enjoy your reflections. Since I don’t have a special needs child I don’t always feel comfortable answering. But this really applies to everyone. We all put headlines over people and we all get them over our heads.
I think the best way to dispel the tendency toward simplistic headlines over our heads is not to put them over other people’s. Take each person as an individual and don’t make assumptions. People respond more favorably to you when you are listening to them.
Now this won’t work with many people because some people will always want to take the easy route and put you in the box of their choosing. But if you’ve done your best to establish a good relationship and they don’t respond in kind, then you can at least feel good knowing you did your part.