Dear Parent, Did your child notice that mine is different? Maybe we saw you on the playground and he didn’t know how to react when Grace got a little too close before saying “hi!”. Maybe Grace is in your child’s class, and they came home mentioning that she wears headphones when she gets overwhelmed by... Continue Reading →
Picture Books about Down Syndrome
Recently, I have had the gift of not one but two mothers of my daughters' friends asking me for recommendations of books about Down syndrome. Double yay for people who want to learn more and talk to their children about differences, amiright? While I had already developed a list of our favorite picture books that... Continue Reading →
A Letter to My Daughter’s IEP Team
As we prepared for Grace's kindergarten IEP meeting last year, we were all coping with a very new, terrifying global pandemic. Several of the staff hadn't even been able to meet with Grace for evaluations because schools had abruptly closed just weeks before. More than ever, I felt the need to humanize her for the... Continue Reading →
Picture Books that Celebrate Uniqueness
About a year ago, my daughters started noticing other peoples' uniqueness: what does it mean to be blind? Why does he use a wheelchair? That friend looks like Grace! When they inevitably ask "Why?" after I address their inquiries, I have adopted a script to which they chime in on response: “Because we're all....” “Different!”... Continue Reading →