Every weekday, Monday through Friday, the About.com Parenting Special Needs site offers an opportunity to read, reflect, and respond to a passage from a book, blog, or article. Here are the entries for October 2009. Read the quote, then follow the link for questions and response suggestions.
< September 2009 | November 2009 >
Thursday, October 1: Me Time
Read: "Cancelling appointments or plans gives you an hour or two to "get things done." But over time, it becomes a pattern of neglecting your own health and well being -- a pattern that's all too common among parents of children with special needs." -- Joan Celebi, from the post "Stop Cancelling On Yourself!" on the blog SpecialNeedsParentCoach.comFriday, October 2: Bullying
Read: "We are at a point where racially motivated attacks are properly recognised and widely reported, yet assaults and bullying directed at a person with a disability is merely perceived as 'anti-social behaviour.'" -- Tim Rushby-Smith, in the article "Why More Children's Books Should Feature Disabled Characters" on TimesOnlineMonday, October 5: Learning
Read: "I think that most teachers think that a parent's job is to get their child ready to go to kindergarten and then to make sure that they do their homework. Well, parents do much more to help children learn and succeed in school, believe me. They set the scene for learning to happen. Without their support children will never reach their full learning potential." -- Dr. Patricia Porter, from the post "Are you an Edu-Parent?" on the blog Leading to LearningTuesday, October 6: Squeaky Wheel
Read: "In these times, it's no longer OK to be mere champions for our kids--we need to be superheroes. We are not just the squeaky wheel that gets oiled--we are the VERY LOUD wheel. We are not just pushy--we are steamrollers." -- Ellen, in the post "Outrage of the Month" on the blog To the MaxWednesday, October 7: Problem-Solving
Read: "I've used a wheelchair for most of my life, and I would argue that people with disabilities are in fact better equipped for acute problem-solving than their peers without disabilities. That's mainly because we're experts in finding creative ways to perform tasks that others may take for granted." -- Ralph Braun, CEO of BraunAbility, in the article "Disabled Workers: Employer Fears Are Groundless" on BusinessWeek.comThursday, October 8: Advocacy
Cover image courtesy of Better Endings, New Beginnings
Read: "Sometimes I just wish my parents weren't so BUSY! They go to meetings. And then they go to more meetings. They talk on the phone to people. And then they talk with more people. They write letters. They write email. They send faxes. Then they talk on the phone some more! Sometimes they travel to other states and even other countries. Mom says this is called 'advocacy.'" -- Morasha R. Winokur, from My Invisible World: Life With My Brother, His Disability, and His Service Dog, this week's featured book.
