Disrupting the Status Quo
My friend Patricia and I spent two nights in NYC this past weekend. We walked a gazillion steps, ate a gazillion calories, spoke even more words, and gave thanks for…
Honoring the Good, the Hard, and the In Between
There’s something special about connecting with a person who not only lives in the small town where you grew up, but also shares a similar parenting journey. That’s how I…
S8 E15 | Reimagining Family Life with Autism with Adrian Wood, PhD
Apple YouTube Spotify More! How do we redefine success, community, and family when parenting a child with disabilities? In this conversation, Amy Julia Becker and Adrian Wood, PhD, creator of…
What would I say now to a doctor who responded negatively to a prenatal (or postnatal) diagnosis of Down syndrome?
What would I say now to a doctor who responded negatively to a prenatal (or postnatal) diagnosis of Down syndrome? I was asked this question at an event in Chicago…
3 Ways to Reimagine the Good Life
Last year, we came up with a new way to capture the work I’m trying to do. We used the words “Reimagining the Good Life.” We renamed this newsletter, and…
What do I think about ads, TV shows, and movies that include people with disabilities?
At a recent event, one woman asked me what I think of advertisements that include people with Down syndrome and other visible disabilities. Another man asked me what I think…
Spring Break With Our Teenagers
I am perhaps one of the rare parents who LOVES parenting teenagers, and being with all three of them for a few uninterrupted days in Florida was glorious. We played…
George Inness, Landscape, 1888, oil on canvas, 22 1/8 x 27 9/16 in. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the Estate of Charles F. Brush 1929.464
Show Up With Care
I’ve been concerned by the resurgence of the r-word in our culture. I’ve felt anxiety over political policies and news stories, and I’ve dug into data about our culture’s epidemic of loneliness. It’s easy to worry…
March 2025 Favorites
Favorite books, essays, podcasts episodes, and more that I enjoyed in the month of March, plus recent political news that I'm paying attention to... Books: Memoir: Memorial Days by Geraldine…
When Talking About Feelings Is Hard, Try Writing
Penny has always loved reading and writing. She realized years ago that sometimes she can’t use words to talk about her feelings or thoughts, but she can write about them.…
