Thursday, October 15: Growing Up
Read: "It was a long time ago that people commented on how 'cute' Charlie was. ... Now what they see is a big strong kid and there's often a rush to contain him" -- Kristina Chew, in the post "About My Big Little Boy" on the blog We Go With HimFriday, October 16: The Journey
Read: "This journey began with parents who fought against a system that sent their children to institutions and taught them at home things the specialists of the day didn't think they could learn. These parents stood strong against a school system that didn't believe their children could learn alongside others. These parents' hearts burst with pride as they won the right to put their children on a school bus to the neighborhood school and their hearts broke from outrage when society would limit their children's opportunities because of outdated ideas. Today universities are putting programs in place to attract and graduate people with intellectual disabilities, making a college education a reality for many." -- Geralyn Spiesz, Buffalo NewsMonday, October 19: Inner Nag
Read: "Mother Perfect has unlimited time, boundless energy, eternal patience, profound wisdom, and no needs or interests of her own; she does not even get PMS -- that is how perfect she is. Her only flaw -- not fo rmy children, but for me -- is that she is a terrible nag, forever critical and disparaging no matter what phenomenal feat I might accomplish. Her drawbacks are certainly not worth the motivational impetus she provides." -- Sally Kirk, Hope for the Autism SpectrumTuesday, October 20: Letting Go
Read: "As the parent of two autistic children, I have been their shield and their sword since birth. I protect them from outside influences, which affect their routines and trigger their sensory issues, I fight for services at school, I pay for necessary and expensive medications and therapy and I have totally changed my own life style to accommodate their needs. The problem is that I don't know how far to go with all of this." -- Nianya, from the post "Parenting an Autistic Teen: Ignorance Is Not Bliss" on the blog The Magical Mischief Maker.Wednesday, October 21: School Violence
Read: "When we will fail our students it is not a 'mere academic' failure. It has real life consequences for the student and others. Transition plans and staff training are not technical issues to be covered in a proforma way in the last 2 minutes of an IEP meeting. It is time we step back and thoughtfully look at all of this violence and address it with policies that are more reasoned than zero-tolerance." -- Charles Fox, from the post "Lack of Appropriate Interventions and Training Lead to Tragic Results" on the Special Education Law Blog.Thursday, October 22: Great Things
Cover image courtesy of Patty Corrigan Myers
Read: "You can have ten great things happen to you today and then only one negative thing, and sometimes that one negative thing can cloud all those ten great things. Try to focus on the positive including what your child can do and what your child has shown you about life and love." -- Patty Corrigan Myers, Autism Is a Blessing, this week's featured book.
Friday, October 23: Start Something
Cover image courtesy of Patty Corrigan Myers
Read: "If you have a child or relative with autism, consider starting something that you wish were in place, like a support group, mom's group, dad's group or maybe you can start a church group that watches special needs kids in your church. Think of the resources and gifts you have been given and use those." -- Patty Corrigan Myers, Autism Is a Blessing, this week's featured book.
Monday, October 26: Let It Be
Cover image courtesy of Woodbine House
Read: "I want to be real here: Patrick is not some kind of hero or angel or starry soul. He just knows at a very basic level how to live. Thanks to him, I've found acceptance of myself and my shortcomings; acceptance of my family, of my friends, and -- dare I say it -- even the crap in life. Everything feels so much better when I just let it be." -- Beth Foraker, from Gifts 2, this week's featured book.
Tuesday, October 27: True Self
Read: "Who is my true self? I am trying to rediscover that. Throwing off normalcy and becoming 'abnormal' is my goal. To do this, I need to embrace the Emily puzzle piece, accept it for what it is, then stand back and look at the beauty of it connected in its place." -- Beth Duncan, from Gifts 2, this week's featured book.Wednesday, October 28: Noticing Disabilities
Cover image courtesy of Woodbine House
Read: "Wherever I go or whatever I do, I notice people with disabilities. They're all around us. Some are distinguished by their physical characteristics, while others have unique mannerisms that might make them stand out. I don't ignore these people like I used to; instead I greet them warmly. My increased capacity to 'see' has led to many wonderful relationships." -- Brenda Kopp, from Gifts 2, this week's featured book.
Thursday, October 29: Progress
Cover image courtesy of Woodbine House
Read: "Those two blanks in Elise's baby book remain. But when I see her scooting around the wood floor and smiling at her reflection in a new part of the house, like the sliding glass door in the kitchen or the freestanding mirror in her parents' room, I wonder how someone would capture that kind of progress. These joys just can't be conveyed with words or numbers." -- Laura Riddle, from Gifts 2, this week's featured book.
