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Amy Julia Becker
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  • About
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    • To Be Made Well
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Down Syndrome

Read more about the article All Kids Can Learn

All Kids Can Learn

  • Post published:July 20, 2023
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

All kids can learn, but when Penny was born, I was told only that she would have developmental delays and an intellectual disability. What if I had been told instead…

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Read more about the article Camp PALS and Belonging

Camp PALS and Belonging

  • Post published:July 13, 2023
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

Penny sent me a text on her first night of Camp PALS: “With my favorite girl at my favorite place.”  The next day, the text read, “Best year ever.” Penny…

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Read more about the article What Breaking a Record Has To Do With Responsive Parenting

What Breaking a Record Has To Do With Responsive Parenting

  • Post published:July 3, 2023
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome/Parenting
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

I love stories that remind me of the power of building on strengths rather than focusing on deficits. In disability circles, it’s really easy to pay attention to what our…

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Read more about the article Down Syndrome Is Not Like a Car Crash

Down Syndrome Is Not Like a Car Crash

  • Post published:June 28, 2023
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

I hear the comparison all the time. When people want to explain that the unexpected can happen to any of us, and to any of our children, at any time,…

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Read more about the article How a Dance Performance Gave Me a Glimpse of a World Made Right

How a Dance Performance Gave Me a Glimpse of a World Made Right

  • Post published:June 8, 2023
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome
  • Post comments:2 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

She wanted it to be a surprise. So when we showed up to watch Penny on stage for her annual Spring Dance Fest, we were expecting the usual. Penny would…

Continue ReadingHow a Dance Performance Gave Me a Glimpse of a World Made Right
Read more about the article What Does It Mean to Say “Life Is a Gift”?
Screen shot of the Atlantic essay graphic

What Does It Mean to Say “Life Is a Gift”?

  • Post published:May 31, 2023
  • Post category:Current Events/Disability/Down Syndrome
  • Post comments:2 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

When I was lying in the hospital bed a few hours after Penny was born and diagnosed with Down syndrome, a nurse told me, “I had a special child too.”…

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Read more about the article Seats That Money Can’t Buy at the Taylor Swift Concert

Seats That Money Can’t Buy at the Taylor Swift Concert

  • Post published:May 24, 2023
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome/Family/Parenting
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

We ended up in seats that money can’t buy at the Taylor Swift concert last Saturday night.  It started in March when we received two tickets at reasonable prices through…

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Read more about the article Our Daughter Doesn’t “Just Happen” to Have Down Syndrome

Our Daughter Doesn’t “Just Happen” to Have Down Syndrome

  • Post published:May 9, 2023
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome/Family/Parenting
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

I used to describe Penny as a girl with light brown hair and big green eyes, who loved reading and dancing. And then I would write something along the lines…

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Read more about the article The Significance of Our Social Worlds

The Significance of Our Social Worlds

  • Post published:May 4, 2023
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

I’m taking a class right now where I’m learning all sorts of things about transitioning from high school to college or the workforce and beyond. Recently, our instructor mentioned that…

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Read more about the article Inclusion vs the Real World

Inclusion vs the Real World

  • Post published:May 1, 2023
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

I’ve had to learn not to sacrifice our daughter on the altar of my ideology. When Penny was a toddler, I read an article about a teenager with Down syndrome…

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The image is a book cover with the title "From Exclusion to Belonging" by Amy Julia Becker. The cover features a group of four smiling teenagers, including a young woman with Down syndrome in the center. They are dressed in casual clothing and appear to be in an outdoor setting with a blurred background of greenery. The design includes a torn paper effect separating the title text from the image. The title text is in a clean, modern font with "FROM EXCLUSION" at the top and "TO BELONGING" at the bottom, with the author's name displayed below.

From Exclusion to Belonging

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An illustrated guide designed to help you identify and create spaces of welcome and belonging—download today!

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1o Ways to move toward a good future

{Especially for families affected by disability}

photo of Amy Julia and Penny walking on a sidewalk with their arms around each other and text overlay that says: 10 ways to move toward a good future, especially for families affected by disability
Advent e-book Prepare Him Room

ADVENT DEVOTIONAL

Prepare Him Room: Advent Reflections on What Happens When God Shows Up

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