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Author Archives: Deborah

In addition to her job as a computer engineer and her single parent responsibilities, Deborah is president of a state-wide family support group for families whose lives are touched by deafblindness, and is a tireless advocate for all people with disabilities. She writes at Pipe Cleaner Dreams and her writing has also been featured in local magazines and newspapers. Ashley’s story has also been chronicled in a book by Jonathan Mooney titled Short Bus Stories.

“My Dad Taught Me To Dream”

Written on November 3, 2010 by Deborah

3 Comments

As many of you already know, November is National Adoption Month. And you also know how adoption has touched my life in so many wonderful ways. In honor of National Adoption Month, I would like to share this story from the NACAC (North American Council of Adoptable Children) website. I hope it will move you…

in Day In And Day Out

- 3 Comments

Mother’s Work is Never Done

Written on October 27, 2010 by Deborah

3 Comments

I’m a single mom who has to work full-time outside the home. Normally I can balance everything enough to get by – children are fed, clothes are clean, house is passable, job assignments get done close to their due date – but sometimes, everything seems to fall apart. It can happen when multiple children get…

in Dealing With Public Perceptions

- 3 Comments

The Birds and The Bees

Written on October 20, 2010 by Deborah

4 Comments

My two children who have the most significant disabilities are both 15 years old. They are teenagers, and hormones are coursing through their bodies. I have tried diligently to provide the education they need to understand their bodies, understand their urges, understand their options, and most importantly, keep themselves safe. But I don’t think I…

in Advocacy, Raising Awareness

- 4 Comments

“Fair”ness

Written on October 13, 2010 by Deborah

3 Comments

I often wonder why it is that some people are just normally respectful and accepting of people with disabilities, and others act as if they will ‘catch’ something if they get too close to a child in a wheelchair. My family and I visited the State Fair yesterday, and I saw many of both types…

in Dealing With Public Perceptions

- 3 Comments

Next Time, Ask

Written on October 6, 2010 by Deborah

3 Comments

Last Saturday I attended something billed as a ‘Autumn Institute’ for families of children who are deaf or hearing impaired. This ‘institute’ was held from 9am to 4pm at one of our local parks and was touted to have consultants from our state Department of Education, our state’s deafblind project, the Department of Rehabilitative Services,…

in Advocacy, Dealing With Public Perceptions, Raising Awareness

- 3 Comments

The Last Piece of the Puzzle?

Written on September 29, 2010 by Deborah

9 Comments

It’s official…and final. Where there were 5, now there are six. A last name has changed and hearts are complete. Just five days ago, my Ronnie’s adoption was finalized. Everytime a new child has joined my family, it feels like a missing piece of my heart has been found. While my heart feels complete, I…

in Family Life

- 9 Comments

Ignorance At Its Best

Written on September 22, 2010 by Deborah

7 Comments

I’m having a particularly difficult week, and decided to share a blog post from my archive. I promise I will get my act together in time for next week’s post! ******************************* My buddy, Esbee, over at the Life in Forsyth blog, emailed me to let me know about one of her blog posts that she…

in Dealing With Public Perceptions, Raising Awareness

- 7 Comments

Does The Future Frighten You?

Written on September 15, 2010 by Deborah

7 Comments

I need your opinions on something. Once a child with disabilities reaches middle school and beyond, schools place a bigger emphasis on vocational skills – preparing the children for jobs once school is over. IDEA 2004 definitely supports that: In “Findings” of IDEA 2004 (Section 1400(c)), Congress found that “30 years of research and experience…

in Advocacy

- 7 Comments

Unbelievable

Written on September 8, 2010 by Deborah

6 Comments

Again Wendy Portillo has been accused of discrimination against a child with special needs in her classroom. The fact that Ms. Portillo continues in her abhorrent actions is not surprising to me. What is surprising is that she is still teaching, still in the classroom with children with special needs. In May of 2008, I…

in Day In And Day Out

- 6 Comments

Advising New Parents

Written on September 1, 2010 by Deborah

3 Comments

It’s that time of year again – time to buy school supplies, Fall clothes, and healthy snacks for the school lunch box. It’s time to pay the exorbitant school fees for our children’s FREE education. And it’s time for parents of children with disabilities to see if they will face more battles with their school…

in Individual Educational Plans

- 3 Comments