Cultivating Connection One Word at a Time
I once shared a post that included a story from someone who identified as a "person with autism." To respect their choice of words, I used the same term in…
S8 E9 | How to Talk About Disability with Carrie Hahn
Apple YouTube Spotify More! Is disability a tragedy? Are disabled people “inspiring”? The language we use often reveals our assumptions about disability. Carrie Hahn, a pediatric speech-language pathologist and mother,…
Belonging Begins With an Invitation
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of being a mother is watching our kids get excluded. I’ve seen it at times for all three of them, but exclusion happens most…
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Welcoming Kids With Disabilities to Trick-or-Treat on Halloween
I’m thinking about Halloween for kids with disabilities. Part of what makes Halloween exciting is the idea of having fun and being together with other people. Parents, if you have…
Using Our Strength to Lift Up
“The strength that we each have is to lift one another up, not to push people down.” Vice President Kamala Harris spoke these words to a young man with Down…
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 our daughter Penny, who has…
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. But here’s what Penny, our…
Penny in Her Own Words: Senior Trip
Life for our 18-year-old with Down syndrome isn’t perfect, but it is good. Penny just spent three days with her class on their senior spring trip. I asked her to…
S7 E14 | How to Honor Limits in a World That Doesn’t with Micha Boyett
Apple YouTube Spotify More! What's the difference between limitations and brokenness? What does it mean to be blessed? How can a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism be a…
World Down Syndrome Day 2024
Happy World Down Syndrome Day! Our daughter Penny is 18, and we join thousands of other people around the globe who want to raise awareness about Down syndrome today. First,…
