Memorial Day Parades| Attitudes about Disabilities

Dedicated to Marine Sgt. John P. Huling of West Chester, OH who was killed in Afghanistan just days before his 26th birthday. His mother, Debbie, worked with my husband Tom. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetary Memorial Day Weekend, 2012. photo credit: Envios...

“I Need a Job, Not a Government Plan”

This is Video Week. So far we’ve seen: The Values of Inclusion: From Down Under By Heather Simmons at the Institute of Inclusion in Sydney Australia. More than just a Graduation Speech By Jeremy Sicle-Kira, a young man with the label of autism who uses an...

Socially Constructed Attitudes| What do you see?

What do you see? Every day businesses and community groups try to influence us with logos and symbols. Did you ever look close–really close–at some of these logos? Sometimes there are hidden messages. How many times have you seen the Amazon logo? Have you...

More than just a Graduation Speech

Graduation: More than just Words. Did anyone like Jeremy go to your school? What message would you tell Jeremy if you had the chance? Jeremy Sicile-Kira’s Graduation Speech Jeremy graduated from Torrey Pines High School with a 3.70 GPA on June 18, 2010. Jeremy...

I love Aaron| I hate Autism

Proust says, “The real voyage of discovery is not in seeing new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.” Can I love Aaron and hate autism? If I say, “I love my child, but hate cancer or heart disease…” many people would say that is okay. If I...

Supportive Living: What an inclusive day looks like.

A Good Day! As the number of adults with autism and developmental disabilities rise, many professionals and parents ask me what I am looking for? Will I ever be satisfied? Is it just a pipedream or can we really build an inclusive community around a person with severe...