“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...

Supported Employment| Mobile Work Crews

photo credit: Bobasonic In the last post, Memorial Day and 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 Mobile...

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...

Remarkable Parents and Advocates who Never Give Up

Parents and advocates of people with disabilities have a love-hate relationship with professionals because they don’t give up. photo credit: freeparking photo credit: Powerhouse Museum Collection I’m Thankful for Parents and Advocates You know the ones....