Does the idea make you think, “Whoopee, where can I buy one?” or, “Oh God, my worst nightmare has just been realised.” Before you go clamouring to write to the papers expressing your outrage, or to Mattel to place an order, I should just say Down Syndrome Barbie is not currently on the market. Mind…
Category Archives: Dealing With Public Perceptions
Am I Selfish?
Again, in celebration of the 2008 National Adoption Awareness Month, the following is an article I wrote for Richmond Magazine. It published in November 2007, and was one of several stories celebrating adoption. Someone asked me the other day if I thought it was selfish to adopt children with special needs as a single parent….
The Invisibility Clause
It’s an invisible illness, this immune deficiency gig. There is nothing obvious about the girl to signal that she is different from her twin, her sisters, the kid standing next to her. Sure, she is a little small and she’s sometimes pale but generally she looks just like your run of the mill (almost) three…
Barrack Obama and the normalcy of difference
When the US Declaration of Independence was drawn up, it stated: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” But George Washington, even as he signed this, was…
Sticks and stone and all that
Recently I had the opportunity to spend time with an autistic child. Does that seem like a strange thing to say on a special needs blog? Perhaps….but I don’t know that I’d ever had the chance before, or at least, I’d never been aware of it. If I did, I’m sure their symptoms came across…
Parker Loves Rachel……..A Giveaway!
Parker turns four this month. Yeah. He’s a little short for his age. But his heart is huge. And he’s already in the throws of his very first crush. With an older woman. A much older woman. And she’s taller too. She’s teaching him how to express himself. Through sign. Signing ‘grass’. Oh, yea. This…
Snake Oil? I Hope Not.
Last week, an article titled “Reaching An Autistic Teen” appeared in the New York Times. As the mother of a 16 year old diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, my interest was piqued. I made it through the long, multi-page article, and then re-read it two more times. And now, I would like your opinion. The article…
Where Do We Draw The Line?
Could this ‘one stop’ screening test be the first step in the creation of Designer Babies? What are the pros and cons or screening embryos for inherited genetic disorders? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below. As scientists announce a new ‘genetic MOT’ for IVF embryos that will test for almost any inherited medical…
A Great Day for Up ~ Special Exposure Wednesday
My son, Lee…no crib could hold him. Since he could pull to standing, he has climbed up, down; over, under; in, out; between, around…everything. Everything. And still does. Share a photo with us this Special Exposure Wednesday. And please remember to share the comment love at each link you visit. Melody can be found at…
The Things People Have Said…
We’ve all had them. Thoughtless, insensitive and sometimes, the downright rude comment or question. We’ve also experienced the complete opposite of this — individuals who say and do the kindest, most caring and breathtakingly beautiful things. I’ve often wondered — what is the source of this difference in perspective? What possesses one person to think…