RECENT POSTS
Learning to See What Cannot Be Seen: Disability, Belovedness, and the Eyes of Love
I just learned a new word: familect. It’s the idea that every family has its own language, its own dialect, the words and phrases that only
What We Need to Know About Disability and Happiness with Misty Coy Snyder
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST E28 — Do you feel overwhelmed, isolated, or afraid of the future? Misty Coy Snyder knows those feelings well. After
How to Help Kids Build Confidence and Capability: 3 Parenting Lessons
Somewhere along the way, my husband Peter and our daughter Penny, who has Down syndrome, developed an elaborate goodnight ritual involving a complicated handshake followed
What Can You Leave Behind? Making Space for What Matters This School Year
Penny came downstairs the other day. We were packing up to go home. She said, “Mom, I’m doing fine with time, but I need some
If We Can Fund War, We Can Fund Special Education
We received an issue of Connecticut Magazine with a cover story about the cost of special education in our state: “Schools face cost, staff constraints.”
Raising Capable, Confident Kids: Disability + Parenting • David Thomas, LMSW
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST E27 — How can my child with a disability learn and grow? What does it look like to cultivate capability
A Good and Perfect Gift Turns 15: How Our Down Syndrome Story Still Offers Hope
Penny and I walked into a local clothing store over the weekend, and a woman stopped us and said, “Wait, are you Amy Julia Becker?
Why We Shouldn’t Wait to Celebrate Joy: Disability and Family Life
One of my favorite moments at Hope Heals Camp happens at the banquet Thursday evening. After days of being together, we all gather for a
What to Do When Parenting Feels Overwhelming: Take One Next Step and Ask for Help
I’ve taken to calling it my whiteboard of shame. When Penny was a toddler, and we had four therapists coming to the house on a
What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To: August 2026
TV Series: The Bear We finished the fourth and final season of The Bear. It wasn’t my favorite season, but I will say I deeply
Be Unapologetically Impatient: Disability + Parenting • Christina Cipriano, PhD
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST E26 — When your child needs support now, “just wait” isn’t good enough. Chris Cipriano, mom and developmental psychologist, helps
The Necessary Untethering: Learning to Let Go as Our Children Grow Up
In the past two weeks, William turned 18, applied for his first credit card, and registered for a language immersion program in Spain that starts
Your Family Matters • A New Season of Take the Next Step!
TAKE THE NEXT STEP PODCAST Trailer — Parenting a child with a disability can feel overwhelming, isolating, and uncertain, but you don’t have to figure
Back to School With a Child With a Disability: 5 Ways to Prepare for a Year of Belonging
I remember, when Penny was younger, how the new school year could bring excitement, uncertainty, and a whole lot of questions. If you’re parenting a
Party at Hope Heals Camp
One of the most fun—and utterly nerve-wracking—parts of Hope Heals Camp this year was writing and performing a song with Penny for the Talent Show.
The Truest Truth: What Hope Heals Camp Reveals About the Real World
I always return from Hope Heals Camp and struggle to convey our experience in words. I walk away with all sorts of stories, and I will share
What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To: July 2026
Books, essays, podcast episodes, and more that I think are worth your time, plus recent cultural news that I’m paying attention to in the month
When You Can’t Pray: How Friendship and Hope Carry Us Through Suffering
I found that I couldn’t pray after the doctor told us that our daughter had Down syndrome. I didn’t have the words, the answers, or
