Welcome to Holland | A Must-Read Poem For Parents of a Child With a Disability

Welcome to Holland is a poem written by Emily Perl Kingsley as she describes what it was like to raise a child with a disability. A must-read for special needs parents and families…

Must-See Short Film About Disabilities

Disney+ has been all the rage over the past few weeks and Float was nothing short of pure magic. Written, directed and produced by Bobby Rubio, this short film will touch you in ways you didn’t know possible. Based off of Rubio’s own relationship with his son, Float is a beautiful metaphor for autism, but will touch anyone affected by different needs.

Disability EducationMacy GilsonDecember 18, 2019Disney+, Float, autism, special needs, special needs parenting, kindness mattersComment

Q & A Session with Allie Stout : Part 4 - Patient's Perspective

You’ve read parts one, two, and three of our Q & A session with Lisa Stout, the mother of Allie, who was born with a unilateral cleft lip and palate. Today, in part four, you will hear from Allie as she reflects on the past 27 years and gives the patient’s perspective.

Growing Up with a Sibling with a Disability - Part Two

Last month, you heard from Lindsay Shabet, as she shared about growing up with her brother, Jake, who was born with Down syndrome. If you didn’t get a chance to read Part One of this series with Lindsay, you can find it here! Today, I will be sharing Part Two of this series with Julia Toronczak, who grew up with a twin brother, named Michael, who was born with Down syndrome.

Ways to Make Halloween More Inclusive

Halloween is right around the corner! For most, October 31st is a fun day, filled with costumes, friends, and of course, candy! But, for families with different needs, Halloween can be tough. I am hoping to make Halloween more inclusive this year, and I hope you will join me. Keep reading to read about four ways you can make all of your trick-or-treaters feel included this year.

Growing Up with a Sibling with a Disability

In continuing with our celebration of Down syndrome Awareness Month this October, today’s blog post is all about growing up with a sibling with a disability. I spoke with Lindsay Shabet, the older sister of Jake, who was born with Down syndrome. Keep reading to see her wisdom, insight, and passion for differences.

What Causes Down Syndrome?

Perhaps you’ve heard of “Down syndrome” but you aren’t quite sure what causes Down syndrome. Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal condition, affecting 1 out of every 700 births, which means that in the United States, alone, over 6,000 babies with Down syndrome are born each year. Down syndrome, also called Trisomy 21, is caused by an extra copy on the 21st chromosome...

Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal condition, affecting 1 out of every 700 births, which means that in the United States, alone, over 6,000 babies with Down syndrome are born each year. I am going to tackle some common misconceptions in an effort to spread awareness and educate as we celebrate #DownSyndromeAwarenessMonth this October.

Q & A Session with Lisa Stout : Part 3

As we all know, whenever we see a newborn in an infant carrier, we always wanna take a peek at the baby and “ohh” and “ahhh” over it. I knew this may be a little difficult for me because my baby wasn’t the typical “perfect” baby most people expect to see, however, I was as proud as they come! She’s mine and I’m hers, so take a peek if you like.

Here’s where it gets tricky. We were standing in line waiting to check out and the lady in front of me took a step back to see my baby. As she looks into her infant carrier, she gasped and looked at me as if I didn’t know my baby had an opening in her lip. She didn’t say a word. She looked like she felt sorry for me, as if I didn’t know.