Accepting Our Children With Developmental Disabilites For Who They Are

I’ve learned over the course of these 14 years that Disability Is Natural. I learned this key phrase from Kathie Snow. She’s a parent and a speaker who is adamant and passionate about total inclusion. What resonated with me from listening to her speak on two separate occasions, was that people with developmental disabilities don’t know what it’s like to be any different from what they know about who they are.
Of course we all want a “normal” child, and a parent can become totally overwhelmed with all of the various therapies available, yet when we can truly be content with our child with a developmental disability and love them for being them—they certainly didn’t ask if they could please have a disability when they came into this world, then that’s when we can total love, accept and be nonjudgemental

Having A Child With A Developmental Disability Is A Continuous Journey

If anything, having my son with a disability has changed who I am and has taken me out of my comfort zone on many occasions. I have become assertive and have taken a stand in dealing with social workers, teachers and other educational staff and administrators, personal supplies personnel, bus driver supervisors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, music therapists, doctors, and family members. I’ve had to hire and fire personal care attendants, train the personal care attendants, and make sure they continue to work with my son and not just do things for him—foster independence. All of this is a part of my life, it’s not going away, and I’ve learned that frustration and aggravation in communicating with any of these people goes nowhere fas

Be Real With People Who Have Developmental Disabilities

Being Real With People Who Have Developmental Disabilities

I say this because of how I responded to my friend who is blind. Take notice that I said “my friend who is blind, not my blind friend.” This is called People First Language. We’ll save that for another time. Even though I didn’t want to tell my friend how “scary” he did look, I told him that yes, I can understand why the kids were scared. Your face is rather disfigured. Surprisingly, his response was, “I’ll have to do it again this year for Halloween.”

Societal Encounters With Having A Child With A Disability

First I encountered doctors, and I was banking on that they would have answers on what they told me. And don’t just accept what they say, unless your gut instinct tells you otherwise. Then there’s the school system, This is definitely a learn as you go journey and a parent must be informed, otherwise the child just becomes a pawn in the system.

Currently I’m working on forming a parent advisory council for our local school district and our Special School District so that these two districts can work collaboratively.
Going out into the community and around peers my son’s age becomes challenging as well. Openmindedness is imperative because my 14 year old son is very similar to other 14 year olds, however his brain is wired differently and does things unlike what other 14 year olds do, yet he likes to be around his nondisabled peers, even though they don’t interact much with him

The Family Structure Of Having A Child With A Disability

Some families make it as a whole and some don’t. Mine unfortunately was one that is now a statistic. Our son was by no means the cause of the marital split after almost 19 years of marriage, however, it definitely puts strain if both parents aren’t mutually agreeable and communicative generally across the board.

For some families also such as mine, it includes having my son being dependent on me and his dad for his whole life. It raises sibling concerns, extended family support, state funding sources, personal care attendants in and out of our home. I am truly blessed with personal care attendants at this point in time that I can trust, and it’s like they become a part of our family. They have seen me in raw form in mores ways that

What's Life Like, Having A Child With A Disability

Well the most fun way to describe it is like riding a loop de loop rollercoaster, including the laughing, screaming, and heart dropping. Heart dropping would be when my son escaped from the back yard when someone left the gate open and he has an unawareness of danger.

The initial emotions were grief, apprehension and the discomfort of being around normal kids and so concerned about what everyone thought about my child. It took me nine years, just because of my lack of personal development, before I felt completely OK with having a child with a significant developmental disability.

Why Is The History of People With Disabilities Important

Just like anything, you are where you are because of your history, and history shapes the future. What we believe is important today will have an impact on what happens tomorrow.

• It wasn’t until the 1950’s that parents began to break ground and take a stand for their children.
• 1960’s politics became involved. During JFK’s first year in his presidency, he formed the President’s Panel on Mental Retardation. In respect to people who have mental retardation this Panel was renamed five years ago. It is now called The President’s Committee for Intellectual Disabilities. John F. Kennedy’s policymaking was directly inspired by his oldest sister, Rosemary Kennedy who had mild mental retardation and lived to be 86 years old.
• 1970’s Deinstitutionalization began. Up to this point about 128,000 people with disabilities were institutionalized. Can you imagine that? The notion of least restrictive environment-LRE, self-advocacy, and the independent living movement began to emerge. In 1975 IDEA-Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was enacted.
• 1980’s The U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of group homes in neighborhoods, deinstitutionalization continues to decrease and major strides are made in employment.
• 1990’s Some states are institution free. The goals of inclusion, choice and self-advocacy are pursued with vigor.
• 2000 New community and family living amendments pass. ADA-American with Disabilities Act ensures no restrictive public environments.