When Matthew was seven years old, he received a final diagnosis that confirmed what we already knew. He had been living in a world where his gestures and verbal exclamations were neurologically motivated and although his school labeled him as difficult, a diagnosis of...
For many individuals, life can be daunting and challenging as we navigate a world that has become increasingly complex. For many of us that do not have severe challenges in expressive or receptive language skills or in cognitive processing, the world can still feel...
As we live in a world increasingly supported by technology and new innovations, it can seem dauting and overwhelming to grasp all the fundamental changes that are occurring at such a rapid pace. When first introduced to the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI), I...
In my former life I was a director at a large non-profit organization that served individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities. I arrived one Wednesday morning to find a voice mail from one of my program supervisors informing me that “Mrs. Harris was going...
How many times have we been out in the community and someone walks up to our friend with down syndrome and speaks to them in an extremely slow and loud manner? How many of us have observed someone in the community congratulating someone with a disability on doing...
Living a quality life depends on autonomy and independence, which contribute to happiness and self-worth. For many with intellectual or developmental disabilities, these aspects are often restricted by their disabilities or others' perceptions of their care needs....
I have always found that modeling is extremely important as a teaching tool when working with our friends with intellectual or developmental disabilities. As a former male model and now a plus sized model, I have some experience in the concept of modeling; however,...
Too often, one’s disability often leads the nondisabled community to view disabled individuals as different. This categorization focuses on the individual’s disability rather than other qualities, equating the person with their disability and ignoring the many...