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  • About
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    • To Be Made Well
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    • Penelope Ayers
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Down Syndrome

Read more about the article Online Course Now Available

Online Course Now Available

  • Post published:July 23, 2024
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome/Family/Parenting
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

After our daughter Penny was born and diagnosed with Down syndrome, I felt as though I could no longer imagine our future as a family. The messages I had heard…

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Read more about the article The Good Life Belongs to the Ones who are Unimportant and Overlooked

The Good Life Belongs to the Ones who are Unimportant and Overlooked

  • Post published:July 18, 2024
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome/Faith/Family
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

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 plans, and he told me…

Continue ReadingThe Good Life Belongs to the Ones who are Unimportant and Overlooked
Read more about the article Penny in Her Own Words: Camp PALS 2024

Penny in Her Own Words: Camp PALS 2024

  • Post published:July 15, 2024
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

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 with Down Syndrome where they…

Continue ReadingPenny in Her Own Words: Camp PALS 2024
Read more about the article Creating Belonging Within Families

Creating Belonging Within Families

  • Post published:July 12, 2024
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome/Family
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

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 whether our daughter Penny, who…

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Read more about the article Reimagining the Dream of a Family Bike Ride

Reimagining the Dream of a Family Bike Ride

  • Post published:July 11, 2024
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome/Family
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

(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 joins a family bike ride?…

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Read more about the article Sometimes Holidays Are Hard for Kids With Disabilities
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Sometimes Holidays Are Hard for Kids With Disabilities

  • Post published:July 1, 2024
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome/Family
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

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 spaces and special foods and…

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Read more about the article Penny in Her Own Words: Dance and Dedication

Penny in Her Own Words: Dance and Dedication

  • Post published:June 25, 2024
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome/Family
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

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 hear Penny read her answer.)…

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Read more about the article Fear of the Future and Finding Goodness

Fear of the Future and Finding Goodness

  • Post published:June 18, 2024
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome/Family
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

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 ahead. For many kids with…

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Read more about the article Penny in Her Own Words: Graduation and the Future

Penny in Her Own Words: Graduation and the Future

  • Post published:June 14, 2024
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome/Family
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

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 year of high school! How…

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Read more about the article Humanity, Belonging, and “An Ordinary Future”

Humanity, Belonging, and “An Ordinary Future”

  • Post published:June 13, 2024
  • Post category:Disability/Down Syndrome
  • Post comments:0 Comments
  • Post author:Amy Julia Becker

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 of belonging. How do we…

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Website by FRW Design and photo credits by Cloe Poisson, Chris Cappozziello, Philip Dutton

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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5 Things I Wish I’d Known
When Our Daughter Was Diagnosed with Down Syndrome

photo of Amy Julia smiling and leaning her head against Penny's head, who is a young girl with Down syndrome. She sits on Amy Julia's lap.
Advent e-book Prepare Him Room

ADVENT DEVOTIONAL

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

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