It’s been a pretty intense week, with Julianna in iCanBike camp in a nearby town. I’ve had to pull her and Nicholas from school early every day so we could make the half-hour drive to the camp. They begin with this gizmo, which is sort of barrel-shaped, so it’s narrower and less stable than training…
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On Julianna, at the end of Grade 2
Every so often, I like to share some of Julianna’s school work and progress. I need to be clear: this is not a total picture of Down syndrome. It’s not even a total picture of “what a person with Down syndrome can do in the second grade.” There’s a vast range of ability among people with…
Read MoreWhich Bone Is The Extra Chromosome In?
“Which bone is the extra chromosome in?” This is the question I was called upon to answer last night. It was 7:43p.m., and my day had been a nonstop madhouse, beginning with an 8:30 a.m. flute rehearsal and culminating in a mad rush from 4:30-8p.m. to get Julianna to and from dance, everyone fed, dishes…
Read MoreYou should like my daughter because she’s amazing, not because of her special need (reblog)
Why is it so newsworthy when a kid with DS gets elected prom king?
Read MoreWords Matter (a primer on disability language)
First, I am fully aware that many people are going to look at this as splitting hairs. I did, until my daughter came along. How do you refer to a person with a disability? If you are like most people, you slap a label in front of the name: Julianna is a “Downs child” or…
Read More7 things you can learn at a kickoff event for Down Syndrome
1. People-first language. When we were new to the world of disability, we thought the whole “person with Down syndrome” structure was cumbersome; it was so much easier to say “Down’s kid.” We thought it was PC nonsense. But I’ve changed my mind, and you should too. Here’s why: you don’t walk around labeling other people…
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Kathleen M. Basi 