RECENT POSTS
The Good Life Belongs to the Ones who are Unimportant and Overlooked
A few years ago, I was seated next to a businessman from New York City at a fundraising dinner. I asked him about his summer
Penny in Her Own Words: Camp PALS 2024
Penny, can you explain Camp PALS to people who don’t know anything about it? Who is it for? Yes. Camp PALS is for young adults
Creating Belonging Within Families
I wrote a few weeks ago about the difference between exclusion, tolerance, inclusion, and belonging. Generally, when I think about belonging, I’m thinking about institutional spaces. I’m wondering
Reimagining the Dream of a Family Bike Ride
(Scroll down for a great video!) Does it matter whether your child ever learns to ride a bike? Does it matter if your child never
Teens, Screens, and Summer
When we turn the corner to summertime, I sink into gratitude for slower days and longer evenings, for hydrangeas and peaches, for more time together
![photo from 2008 of Peter holding two-year-old Penny on his shoulders with the ocean in the background]](https://amyjuliabecker.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/AJB-disability-sensory-processing-4th-of-July-fireworks-1024x402.png)
Sometimes Holidays Are Hard for Kids With Disabilities
Public Service Announcement for friends and family members: sometimes holidays are really hard for kids with disabilities. There’s the problem of sensory overload, with crowded
Summer Reads + Life Hacks for Reading
I am one of those people who feels both peace and excitement simply in the presence of books. Independent bookstores literally help regulate my nervous
Penny in Her Own Words: Dance and Dedication
What values are important to you? Penny recently thought about that question, and I love her answer—and that it’s connected to dance! (Scroll down to
June 2024 Favorites
I’m about to offer some thoughts on content I’ve appreciated lately (and I would love to hear the same from you—the Mia Birdsong episode mentioned
Fear of the Future and Finding Goodness
I expected to need tissues on the day Penny finished high school. I expected a sense of deep loss, and perhaps even dread about what lies
The Distinction Between Brokenness and Limitations
When Penny was young, I was wrestling with questions like, “What does it mean to be human?” And a friend of mine said, “You know,
Penny in Her Own Words: Graduation and the Future
Penny is a high school graduate! Here are her reflections on graduation day and the future: I can’t really believe you have finished your final
Humanity, Belonging, and “An Ordinary Future”
Penny’s school reached out months ago to make sure they could special order both a robe and a cap that would fit her well—an example
25 Years of Marriage
Twenty-five years ago today, Peter and I stood in a big white church in front of over 200 people. We vowed to have and to
S7 E18 | Exploring the Good Life with Meghan Sullivan, Ph.D.
Apple YouTube Spotify More! What does it mean to live a good life? How do we find meaning and happiness in our everyday lives? In
Penny’s Final Dance Recital
I never ever imagined Penny would dance for twelve years. I knew dance was a good activity for her as a little kid with Down
A Deformed Imagination
When it comes to disability, most westerners have a deformed imagination. I am one of these westerners, although having a daughter with Down syndrome has
Why Belonging Matters
I’ve been thinking about the difference between inclusion and belonging. These thoughts have mostly been prompted by all the end-of-high school events for our daughter
Penny in Her Own Words: Senior Project Presentation
Intellectual disability does not need to prevent young adults from learning. With support, encouragement, and room to make mistakes and grow from them, students like
Penny in Her Own Words: Senior Prom
We’ve been talking about senior prom all year long, and I wasn’t sure whether the event itself would be a letdown after so much anticipation.
Biased Response to Patients with Down Syndrome
I just learned about a recently named condition: Down syndrome regression disorder (DSRD) from an article (read for free here) in the Washington Post. But
