It’s a Jungle out there| Inclusion in the Grocery Store

photo credit: Swamibu 2006 Aaron, my son with the labels of autism and developmental disabilities, had a doctor’s appointment so I brought him late to his adult day program. A Visit to the Jungle—Jungle Jim’s that is. Thanks to cell phones, I connected with his group...

Building Community: one grocery trip at a time

photo credit: crimsong19 Building Community: One Grocery Trip at a Time With Aaron, my son with the label of autism, every trip to the grocery is an adventure. Before we go, I usually do an ecological assessment (click here) and use some of the skills Aaron learned in...

Test Questions| Segregation or Inclusion?

Test Questions | Segregation or Inclusion? Friends and family members send me newspaper stories about people with disabilities. Some stories make me shout with joy and others make me want to cry and give up. Often my friends can’t figure out which ones are which. For...

Dream Plan for Aaron: 1981 (Part 1)

Build a dream and the dream will build you. R. Schuller. What is Normalization? In 1981 when Aaron was 6 years old, my friend Debbie Wetzel and I drove to Louisville, KY to hear Wolf Wolfensberger give a presentation on “Normalization” or “Social...

Supported Employment| What is a Mobile Crew or Enclave?

In the last post, Memorial Day Parades and Attitudes toward People with Disabilities I talked about how Aaron, my son who has autism, worked at a cemetery after he graduated from high school. To the best of my recollection, this is how it worked: The Landscaping...