Letter to the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Dear Mrs. Shriver,
I am aware that this letter is a little late, failing to reach you before you left this earthly plane; but hearing of your death, I felt compelled to write despite the fact that you are not able to physically respond.
After reading many of the articles about your life, I have to admit you were quite a visionary. At a time in history when people acted ashamed of the fact that their child exhibited fewer abilities than the norm, you choose instead to celebrate the abilities those children did have.
You recognized the hero lying dormant within these innocent children and ignited the spark of self-empowerment. You built a platform to celebrate their individual accomplishments not by the standards of a particular sport, but by the struggles overcome to even compete.
Your brother Jack was thought to have embodied the Camelot myth – a king among his knights in a land that knows no limits. Perhaps you embodied a much simpler story through your life’s work, “The Little Engine That Could.” It takes only a minute or so to read the entire book, but I have learned to believe in its powerful mantra … “I think I can!”
Eunice, you knew not everyone is born a king. But despite the lot life deals us, we can often accomplish more than others or we ourselves believe. The core message of the book is two engines join forces against a formidable obstacle and simply decide that “they can” master it.
In the lives of so many children with special needs, you were the second engine, the one who introduced the concept that “they could.” On behalf of all of us here at AblePlay and the National Lekotek Center, we want to say thank you for starting the movement we play a humble role in today … helping children with disabilities get over the next hill. Thank you.
“I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I-think-I-can! I think I can – I think I can – I think I can I think I can–”
Global Perspectives on People with Disabilities
by guest blogger Thuli Katerere
I’ve been writing about the ways in which our system in the US has a long way to go in terms of providing the best care for those with disabilities. I thought a look at some of the obstacles members of the disabilities community deal with around the world would provide yet another perspective.
The general consensus; the policies of the U.S. regarding people with disabilities are a major improvement compared to that of a great number of other countries. In many parts of Africa, Latin America, and India, people with disabilities face challenges related to abject poverty, lack of education, lack of government support, and discriminatory cultural beliefs.
In rural parts of Africa, a child born with a disability may be viewed as a sign of bad luck or a punishment from the gods. These children grow up to be isolated from society, deprived of proper health care, and under educated. Any chance of their ever being valuable members of society are smashed by their inability to provide for themselves, as the cyclical nature of the poverty continues. Furthermore, the prevalence of armed conflict in many African nations continues to keep the number of disabled persons steadily increasing.
Neglect and isolation keep the disabled communities of Latin America from reaching their full potential. Those with disabilities are not visible members of society as they are viewed as a shameful and unspeakable mark on a family. A string of fires in Chilean mental institutions recently spurred a closer look into the lives of Latin Americans with disabilities. Approximately half of the children and adults in Chilean mental institutions and special care homes do not receive any visitors as their families have essentially dumped their children into the laps of these underfunded and overcrowded institutions.
In India, during the latest solar eclipse, claims were made that children with disabilities were buried up to their chins in the belief that the practice would rid the child of his/her disorder. Important aspects of Hindi culture, such as the dowry paid for a daughter in marriage, are highly affected by a girl child having a disability. The dowry is often much lower for her, and these girls are often left with the only option of marrying a much older man; resulting in a high number of widows with special needs and no means of sustenance.
Internationally, it is not all bad news for those with disabilities. Several American families are actually immigrating to Switzerland in hopes of benefitting from the exceptional social welfare system and relatively low individual cost. In Switzerland, the government provides the education and health care for the disabled, and will continue to care for the person with disabilities long after their family is deceased. Jordan too is a nation leading the way for disabilities rights by being the first nation in the region to set forth legislation to secure and protect the rights of people with disabilities. By being a generally accessible tourist destination and making disabilities issues a priority in policy-making, Jordan became the first Arab nation to receive the Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award.
So, sure, American services for people with disabilities leave a lot to be desired, but overall we’re a nation that believes in equality, acceptance of all, and offering help to those who can’t necessarily help themselves. Other nations have much larger obstacles to overcome in the continued effort to ensure equal rights for the global disabled community.
Public v. Private School – Tough Choices
by guest blogger Thuli Katerere
In Forest Grove School District v. T.A, the Supreme Court ruled that in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, (IDEA), parents of children with disabilities are entitled to reimbursement for the cost of private school if their public school cannot offer an adequate Individualized Education Plan, (IEP). The IDEA guarantees free, appropriate public education for all children with disabilities.
Considering I am not a parent, nor have I ever been the main care-giver for a child with special needs, my opinions and insights are of course, only mere speculation. It is impossible for me to know exactly the difficulties families face in acquiring the best care and education for their children and their struggles as advocates in a world of inequality. It would seem, though, that the best solution would be for public schools to make a concerted effort to have the adequate facilities, programs, and personnel to educate children with special needs. The parents involved in suits like this have attempted to send their children to public schools, but have found them lacking. Does it make more sense to invest funds before legally dictated reimbursements become necessary?
The process of approval for a reimbursement is hardly easy. The law stipulates that many conditions be met before a family is eligible, including filing a request before enrollment into the private school. And requests for reimbursement are not always approved; making the legal route of acquiring the best education for a child a monumental struggle. Like these families need more work!
Some parents believe that their children would face difficulties in a public school environment, and so a private or school for special needs becomes their first option. But the parents who feel inclusion is better for their child deserve to have access to a quality education without taking legal measures. Although several children will surely benefit from the Supreme Court’s ruling, the larger issue remains. Because of the flawed nature of our current system these children have to battle even for their education.
Should Obesity Be Removed from the ADA?
by guest blogger Thuli Katerere
The issue of obesity is one causing great concern around the world as a potential pandemic, but more specifically, in the United States. An approximate one-third of all Americans are diagnosed with obesity. In a time when President Obama is looking to reform health care and the costs of these changes are a hot topic, new ways are being discussed as to how to best cut restructuring costs and alleviate the compounding health problems of the American people.
One of the suggestions on the table is the removal of obesity from the Americans with Disabilities Act so possible incentives might be applied to obese Americans who lose weight; and adversely, penalties might be applied to obese Americans who fail to do so. Currently, discrimination or unequal treatment of any persons diagnosed with any of the ailments listed on the ADA, obesity included, is prohibited by law.
Some politicians are debating that obesity be removed from the ADA and incentives be instated; while others would like to find a way to keep obesity as part of the ADA while still launching a weight-loss incentive program. Of course, one must remember that for some suffering from obesity, the condition is not preventable and their obesity stems from genetic, psychological, or physical conditions. Loosing those rights under the ADA would prove a huge detriment to their lives.
But considering sedentary lifestyle and exorbitant calorific intake are the most common causes of obesity in America, one can definitively say that the issue of obesity must be addressed urgently and efficiently. My hope is that the resolution neither deprives people with disabilities of their rights nor facilitates a culture of unhealthiness.
Illinois Budget Cuts Hurts Kids
In Illinois, two million individuals with disabilities strive every day to overcome their physical, sensory or mental challenges in order to live independently and productively, as well as to participate fully in the affairs of their community.
On June 12th, 2009 Anixter Center (as well as many other human service providers) was notified that funding for human service programs was being eliminated or drastically reduced. Under this proposal, all of the Lekotek services to children with disabilities and their families will be lost.
The proposed draconian budget cuts will further deprive people with disabilities of crucial state-funded services. Illinois continues to regress in the rehabilitation field. Already underfunded, community providers in Illinois are on the brink of implosion and one of the hardest hit segments would be the family services to children from birth to eight years.
This doomsday budget would seriously impact children with disabilities in Illinois.
If you are a resident of Illinois … and want to help children with disabilities …
I URGE YOU TO TAKE THREE MINUTES NOW TO MAKE ONE MORE CALL TO YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND TO ENCOURAGE AT LEAST THREE FRIENDS, FAMILY, NEIGHBORS AND COLLEAGUES ALSO TO CALL!
The message is simple.
1. Vote “No” on SB 1197 and any bill that cuts Community DD, MH and SA services.
2. Vote “Yes” on HB 174.
3. Support Survival Provisions for Community DD, MH and SA services.
4. Tell your Representative if they must Stand Up for HB 174 providing critical services to children with special needs and the entire community of people with disabilities.
Simply use our
downloadable template.
Contact information for your legislators can be found at:
http://www.votesmart.org/ (Senate & House)
http://www.ilga.gov/senate/ (Senate)
http://www.ilga.gov/house/ (House of Representatives)
RALLIES
THURSDAY JUNE 18TH:
Thompson Center – 100 W. Randolph, Chicago, IL
11:30am to 1:00pm.
We’re planning to meet at the corner of Lake & Clark at 11am on Thursday to meet other staff, clients and families from surrounding Lekotek Centers. We will have some signs etc., for you to carry, but we’re encouraging everyone to make their own signs and posters as well.
On the same day, THURSDAY JUNE 18TH:
ANIXTER CENTER is planning A RALLY AT 2032 CLYBOURN
From: 8:30AM TO 4PM
Join us anytime during the day to hold signs and pass out literature
MONDAY JUNE 22ND
Thompson Center , 100 W. Randolph, Chicago, IL
Starting at 11:00am.
Look for Anixter/Lekotek Signs
Buying the Right Toys for Special Needs Now Fast, Fun and Smart
We want finding toys for children with special needs online to be as much fun as the toys themselves. That’s why the AblePlay website continues to improve and react to the needs of parents, professionals and families of children with special needs with our newly revamped website at www.ableplay.org. All our play products are researched, rated and ready to buy.
It’s not just a fun face lift, we’ve also made searching easier, faster and provided you with the best reviews on current toys and play products. Add to that an exciting, easy, eye-appealing new format. Oh and pay special attention to our NEW Wish List capabilities. Finally your family, friends and others can purchase current toys right for your child’s individual abilities — and assist with their developmental goals as well. That’s not only fun, but smart.
Put a little fun back in your and your child’s life. Visit the NEW AblePlay website and see what’s hot, cool and smart this summer (and don’t forget to bookmark it, we’re adding new play products all the time).
Chicago report card on disabilities mixed
Working within the field of disabilities, I was proud when Chicago became an Accessible America Award winner by offering a wide range of fun and accessible experiences for families and children with disabilities. Physical disabilities are in some ways easy to understand, recognize and relate to.
But recognizing and relating to mental or less apparent disabilities can pose a whole new set of challenges. So I was once again proud to learn that the Chicago Police Department was conducting the first ever Autism Safety Awareness night with Easter Seals on Monday, April 20th and had distributed a training memo to all sworn personnel on autism and the recommended police responses.
That was before the news waves bristled on April 22nd revealing that a 16 year old boy with autism was allegedly struck and injured by an officer amid his family’s pleas that he was a “special boy.” It appears that as the police were trying to question the young boy, he reacted in a way that triggered an aggressive response from the officers.
I don’t like stories like this because they leave me conflicted. Working for the National Lekotek Center has sensitized me to how truly “special” all children with disabilities are and how much needs to be done to help their young spirits successfully navigate the world
But I was also raised as the daughter of a Chicago cop and I know a little about the incredible stress, danger, fear and courage it takes to step up to those words painted on the side of a squad car, “We Serve and Protect.”
My ending thoughts are that the Chicago Police must continue those training efforts. Perhaps the publicity that this young boy and his family have stirred can open up some eyes and minds. “We Serve and Protect,” is a wonderful motto for the Chicago Police Department. It’s a lot to live up to. Perhaps we all must play a role in extending that commitment to those who need it so desperately.
World Autism Day reveals Awesome Parents
April 2nd was World Autism Day and the more I read about it, the more I realized how this condition penetrates the entire family. Dealing with a child with autism is potentially one of the most difficult challenges anyone could face.
There are so many aspects that parents must deal with on so many levels. We are still struggling with understanding the cause, crafting treatments and creating opportunities for these children to learn and grow and develop to their full potential.
But what strikes me most is the commitment, trials and unbelievable courage of so many parents. I thought I was a pretty good Mom, but I am humbled by the stories these parents tell.
AblePlay salutes these parents, each and every one for both meeting the challenges of caring for a child with autism and for surviving the gut wrenching emotional battles they wage in their homes, at schools and navigating through the mostly “unaware” world.
I encourage you to read these remarkable stories that take parenting to a new level of devotion and advocacy.
Thanks to these parents for sharing, by doing so they serve us all. For them I will use a word I think is overused but in this case I feel it is more than appropriate — Awesome!
Autism parents’ plea: Understand …
Discover the Joys of Reading Aloud
They say the downturn in our economy might bring people back to simpler times. According to the news, people are abandoning some of their more expensive entertainment choices like dinners out and distant vacations for recreational options closer to home and not as expensive.
A recent Nielsen Study showed that people are watching more TV than last year. I feel there is another option — an old fashioned one that everyone can afford — reading aloud.
The benefits to young children are far reaching and range from the bonding experience to the introduction of language. At a time when children’s concentration seems to be going down, teaching a child to sit and hear a story is a great place to start. I could go on and on about all the developmental benefits, and they are impressive. What I love about the act of sitting next to your child and reading to them is that you are focusing directly on them. Through this simple act, parents not only give their children attention, but affection as well — two elements that help children thrive. Plus you are also giving them a story to remember and reference in their lives. You never know when these same stories will bubble up during difficult times and help your child both strive and survive.
A great promoter of reading aloud from Australia, Mem Fox, even has some great suggestions on how to start.
Enjoy and be glad there are experiences everyone with a library card can afford.
Change of Plans — Having a child with a Disability
A National Lekotek leader named Peggy McWilliams shared with me a poem she read at the memorial services of one of the children she worked with. It was written by the mother of a child with disabilities. It was the author’s goal to help others to imagine what it would be like to have a child with disabilities of your own, and to shed a light of understanding on the uniqueness of that situation. Some of you may have seen this before, but even then, it’s worth repeating.
Welcome to Holland
by Emily Perl Kingsley
It’s like this… When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip – to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum, the Michelangelo David, the gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes and says, “Welcome to Holland.” “Holland?” you say. “What do you mean Holland? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.” But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place full of pestilence, famine and disease. It’s just a different place.
So you go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. It’s just a different place. It’s slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around, and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills. Holland has tulips, and Holland even has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there.
And for the rest of your life, you will say, “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.” The pain of that will never go away, because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss. But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you will never be free to enjoy the very special, very lovely things about Holland.
World Wide Day of Play
There is a movement growing around the country and companies like Nickelodeon are making it a priority – encouraging children to play more. Why should kids play? Because it is one of the most beneficial things they can do. It engages their minds, their bodies and their spirits. And although we know a lot about how it contributes to developing children, we are learning more all the time.
That’s why we commend Nickelodeon for promoting September 27th as a World Wide Day of Play. A time when the TV’s get turned off and the computers shut down and children can engage not only their bodies, but hopefully their imaginations as well.
Check your local park districts and community events listings for their tie-ins with a great idea that’s growing. A day devoted to play.
So parents, get your kids in their play clothes and put on yours as well. It is a day of play and a time for fun.
Art combines creativity and therapy for children with special needs
Many virtues have been attributed to art and how it can contribute to our lives. The therapeutic value of art has been explored and legitimized. Some believe art has the ability to heal, transcend and transform. It has been found to come from the right side of the brain and open up our creativity and ability to use our intuition.
Regardless of the benefits of art, we know it is fun, it engages, and gratefully it is one medium where there is no right or wrong answer.
Art is a way to work with children who have disabilities toward the achievement of all sorts of goals. To name a few:
Eye-hand coordination
Fine motor skills
Color recognition
Sequential thought
Matching
Visual acuity
Action concepts
Freedom of expression is my favorite component of art where everything is acceptable and holds the potential for wonder.
In working with kids with special needs, our toy specialists at AblePlay have a few suggestions that can help enrich the experience:
1. Prepare an area where children can make a mess and spread out
2. No right or wrong (it’s OK to draw outside the lines)
3. Allow time for the creative process to evolve – be patient
4. Encourage, Praise and Display these creations and artistic expressions and create a gallery (that’s what refrigerator doors are meant for)
5. Finally, get involved yourself. Kids learn more from example and you might enjoy it more than you realize
AblePlay is proud to offer some wonderful toys and play products for these budding artists.
So put on the old clothes, clear the kitchen table, turn on some inspiring music and unleash the captive artist in your kids and yourself.
Homecoming Queen with Down syndrome inspiring to all
You have perhaps heard about the issue of cyber-bullying where people use the internet as a vehicle to hurt or harass young teens. Well today I heard of a situation of just the opposite. I read a story about high school students from the suburbs outside of Chicago (my home town!) using Facebook for a really positive secret agenda.
Students of Libertyville High School, without the knowledge of the girl involved, started a Facebook group called “Annie Jennings for Homecoming Queen.” This site accumulated more than 300 members in an amazing show of support for Annie and helped get her elected.
Annie is a senior at Libertyville High School and has Down syndrome. The flavor of this site was exemplified by one of the comments posted which read: “Annie has already won in my book!” She is beautiful outside AND more importantly INSIDE.”
Are there secrets to Annie’s success? Well for one thing, Annie was mainstreamed in the educational system for the first eight years of her education which allowed her to forge relationships outside the special education system. According to news accounts, Annie has fostered and continued these relationships even though most of her time in high school was spent in separate special-education classes.
I hope educators and parents alike can learn from Annie’s story that children with special needs should sometimes be treated as “non-special” by allowing them to learn, grown and play in the mainstream educational pool. We all need to figure out how to navigate our way through diverse groups of people. This can create challenge, conflict or hopefully connection but it is definitely a learning opportunity. You can see from this wonderful example in Libertyville that both Annie and her classmates took that opportunity and were enriched from the experience
Congratulations Annie! Congratulations students at Libertyville High School! Congratulations to Annie’s parents and educators who contributed to creating an environment where the election of one particular homecoming queen can be considered a victory for all.
The Power of Language
Now that the elections are over, I feel like I need to take a break from all the dialogue, language, speeches, news articles and countless words that have been uttered by candidates these last few months.
In thinking about all that was written and said, I could not help but reflect on the power of language and how important it is in our lives. Children sometimes struggle to take those first steps towards the world of communicating, a world that consists of two very different skill sets – that of formulating words that express what we want … and that of being able to listen and understand what the other person is trying to convey.
Only after that is mastered can children learn how to blend and weave these two skills into a conversation – a real give and take. That’s when things get interesting. To quote Oliver Wendell Holmes:
“Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow.”
Once the verbal art of language has been achieved, we can humbly venture into the world of written language.
Children with special needs can sometimes struggle with the challenges of conquering both the spoken aspects as well as the written elements of language.
Here at AblePlay we put a great deal of emphasis on helping children with disabilities to use toys to help achieve language skills. The information on our website touches on so many solutions to address the goal of helping children communicate. We believe a great motivator for children to conquer language is through play. Let me share just a few play items and how they can help children work on this important stage of development.
Bee Bop Band by Parents
• Use the instruments to represent feelings; have a child play out the way they feel. This is one way for a child to communicate feelings they may not be able to verbally explain.
• Children can pretend play with the insect instruments, encourage them to communicate with the sounds as well as words.
• Have 2 children sit together and take turns playing a rhythm. Have one child play, and the other reply once they have finished their “tune”. This kind of turn-taking introduces the idea of conversation: listening (receptive language) and replying (expressive language).
Dbd Play Pack – Social Skills for Small Groups by The Pencil Grip, Inc.
• Communication and appropriate interaction is encouraged that will help children learn conversation etiquette. An example is in the “Object Memory” activity. Children are given a short period of time to look at objects in a box. Then the box is taken away and they go around the circle verbally identifying objects they remember. Listening to others, waiting for your turn and responding are all worked on. Another activity is “Story Build” where children take turns to verbally add to a story.
Fridge Phonics™ Magnetic Letter Set by LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc.
• Receptive language is practiced as children are verbally given the instructions of the activities.
• Receptive and expressive languages are incorporated into activities such as “Telephone Charades” where children are lined up in a row and take turns acting out an object or whispering the name of the object to the next person.
So let the joy of play help your children work on these important skills and learn the power and the potential that language can bring to their lives.
And I’ll end this blog with another reference to the elections with a great quote on language from a man whose job it was to work with words — the well known newscaster of the 1950’s, Edward R. Murrow.
“Our major obligation is not to mistake slogan for solutions.”
Perhaps you will agree now that the elections are over, we need less language and more solutions.
Learn and Care about Obama Policy for People with Disabilities
Presidential candidate Barack Obama and his team took the time to write a comprehensive document of his policy positions for Persons with Disabilities. Now that he will be assuming the role of president come January, we, as people interested in these issues, should take a good long look at them.
Reviewing these policies gives us a very clear indication of what President-elect Obama aspires to accomplish for people with disabilities. But intention is just the first step towards accomplishment. If you are a realist like me, after reviewing this lengthy laundry list, you can see there’s a lot of work to do. No president can move these mountains alone and perhaps we can begin by asking ourselves some questions.
Which of these policies take priority and are closest to our heart?
Can you imagine how these changes would impact people’s lives?
What role might we play in keeping these issues alive and active?
President-elect Obama summaries his position as striving to, “ … provide Americans with disabilities with the greatest possible access to the same opportunities as those without disabilities.” And he focuses on four key categories: education, discrimination, employment and independence. Here’s the top line:
(1) Providing Americans with disabilities the educational opportunities they need to succeed:
Fully Funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Early Intervention for Children with Disabilities
Support Universal Screening
Support Vocational Rehabilitation Programs
Provide College Opportunities for High School Graduates with Disabilities
Authorize a Comprehensive Study of Students with Disabilities and Transition to Work and Higher Education
(2) Ending discrimination and promoting equal opportunity:
Restoring the Americans with Disabilities Act
Appointing Judges and Justices Who Respect Laws Designed to Protect People with Disabilities
Increasing Funding for Enforcement
Supporting the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act
Guaranteeing Health Care Coverage
Improving Mental Health Care
(3) Increasing the employment rate of workers with disabilities:
Increasing Executive Branch Hiring of Workers with Disabilities
Effectively Implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act
Providing Private-Sector Employers with Resources to Accommodate Employees with Disabilities
Encouraging Private-Sector Employers to Use Existing Tax Benefits to Hire More Workers with Disabilities
Establishing a National Commission on People with Disabilities, Employment, and Social Security
Supporting Small Businesses Owned by People with Disabilities
Assuring Workers with Disabilities and Family Caregivers Get the Flexibility at Work They Need
(4) Supporting independent, community-based living for Americans with disabilities:
Assuring the Rights Affirmed in Olmstead v. L.C.
Supporting the Community Choice Act and Direct Care Workers
Supporting the CLASS Act
Streamline the Social Security Approval Process
Protect Voting Rights
Amending the Medicare “Homebound” Rule
Investing in Assistive Technologies
Protecting the Safety of Individuals with Special Needs
Supporting Americans Living with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Strengthen VA Specialty Care
Congratulations you made it through the entire list and now you can take a breath. Pretty ambitious don’t you think, but I for one choose to believe, “Change Can Happen!”
Here’s the full plan.
Giving Thanks More Important Than Ever This Year
As people sit down to their Thanksgiving dinners this year, they may be bringing with them a mind full of worries and concerns about the economy and its impact, real or potential, on their lives.
Although it seems a difficult time for thanks I would argue it is perhaps the best time to look around with a grateful heart. Thanksgiving, more than any other holiday, asks us to focus on the half-full portion of the glass and to whisper a thought of gratitude before raising it to our lips.
Here is a poem I came across by an unknown author that shares that sentiment and seems so relevant at this time.
Be Thankful
Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.
Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.
Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.
It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.
GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Finding Value in All Things this Holiday Season
Initial reports are that consumers are, “making a list, checking it twice,” this holiday season. That means that shoppers are becoming very targeted in their purchases. According to PLAYTHINGS magazine, the Friday after Thanksgiving was busy, but most of the 73.6 million people buying were focused on “doorbuster” sales. In other words, people were only buying those items that were a real VALUE.
Although we are all concerned about the economic downturn, there are perhaps a few positive outcomes from it. To quote my friend, Lynn, “If you lose, don’t lose the lesson.” And here’s what I think one economic lesson is. As a society we should become more focused on value rather than volume. Conspicuous consumption leads to not respecting what we have. It reminds me of scenes I have unfortunately witnessed of kids frantically ripping open one present only to toss it aside and move to the next one. Where is the magic and wonder in that!
I have tried to put this into effect with all my purchases this year, by thinking about what each and every item will contribute to my life, or if a gift, what it might contribute to the person I give it to. If I struggle to answer this question, I don’t buy it.
To editorialize a bit, that is really what www.ableplay.org is all about. It offers new, exciting, current, off-the-shelf toys that provide real value. In addition to a product’s obvious “play value,” Ableplay helps give a far more worthwhile gift. These toys help children develop the skills they need in life. That’s really what the website is all about – where to find great play products and how to use them to help children with special needs develop cognitive, sensory, communicative or physical skills.
So my themes this year are to shop for value, value the things I have, cherish and value the people in my life and finally to make buying decisions with a keen eye to what these purchases will really contribute to me and those I care about.
Need Santa More than Ever
This year we need the concept of Santa more than ever. Despite your beliefs, the idea of some beneficent entity watching over us and finding each of us deserving of a present, a symbol of joy and goodness — well, that is really sort of nice. The image of him placing our gift under the boughs of a beautiful, decorated tree feels kind of good during these uncertain times (especially when you are from Illinois like me!)
Anyway, I wanted to share with you my favorite experts from what I believe to be the consummate description of the Santa concept. It is from a piece written in 1897 (and those were tough times for some also!) It was written by an editor of the NEW YORK SUN in response to a little girl named Virginia, sending a letter to the editor asking, … “is there a Santa Clause.”
Here are my favorite quotes:
“…how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.”
“The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see.”
“You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond.”
“No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”
On behalf of AblePlay and all of us here toiling in our little workshops and working with children with special needs, we say –“You Go Santa Claus!” Keep pushing toys, play and the power of imagination. This world can use a dose of old-fashioned good, wonder and magic. Happy Holidays to all and to all a good night!
Time Out for Saturday Night Live
Being funny all the time is hard work. But it is worth it because we all need laughter to give some balance to our lives and minimize the stress. In fact, laughter is actually beneficial to us humans in a whole series of ways.
But Saturday Night Live’s depiction on their December 13th program of the Governor of New York may have been funny for some, but it was also inappropriate. Good humor, first of all, carries with it an element of truth buried in the satire. When we connect this element it hits a cords and our funny bone at the same time.
I categorize the kind of humor used in the Governor Paterson skit as “playground humor” because it strikes at a very immature element of human nature – one that profits from putting a person or a class of people down to garner a superior laugh or two. Humor of this sort is the kind of thing a teacher would reprimand another child for saying or acting out on the playground at recess.
Sadly this skit made Governor Paterson of New York, who happens to be blind, also appear to be incapable. That is where they lost any element of truth. In so doing it became more than just a putdown of a public servant but an entire group of people who have visual disabilities as well.
Come on guys, there is enough valid stuff out there to use as a take off point for funny material. You don’t need to make things up to gets laughs. Truth can be much funnier that fiction – to bad the writers and producers at SNL couldn’t see that.
If I were their teacher, I would give them a time out and make them think about that for awhile, maybe in a dark room with the lights out.
Author explores Animals, Autism and Einstein
While recently driving around doing errands, I heard an interesting segment on National Public Radio. The host was interviewing a woman named Temple Grandin about her newly released book, “Animals Make Us Human.” I did not catch the first part of the interview, but the second half did not contain very many questions relating to animals. In fact, the interviewer kept asking questions about autism. I wondered what Ms. Grandin’s expertise was to speak so articulately about this condition. It wasn’t until the end that I realized Ms. Grandin herself was autistic. I later learned that she is a well-known spokesperson in the disability community, but before this I was unaware of her.
When I got home I went to one of my favorite websites (you could call it an addiction) amazon.com, to check her out. Well, she has authored or co-authored not just one book, but ten! She is a Ph.D, a scientist, a designer and an expert in the handling and designing of livestock facilities. Her books run the gamut from autism, animals, and social norms to human nature. Quite a list of accomplishments by anyone’s standards! Here are two quotes that give you a taste of what I read:
Temple Grandin is autistic, a woman who thinks, feels, and experiences the world in ways that are incomprehensible to the rest of us
In this unprecedented book, Grandin delivers a report from the country of autism. Writing from the dual perspectives of a scientist and an autistic person, she tells us how that country is experienced by its inhabitants and how she managed to breach its boundaries to function in the outside world. What emerges in Thinking in Pictures is the document of an extraordinary human being, one who, in gracefully and lucidly bridging the gulf between her condition and our own, sheds light on the riddle of our common identity.
What I enjoyed the most while listening to her interview was her unique perspective. Her sense of honesty and humility was refreshing and quite frankly I liked the fact that her viewpoint challenged the typical paradigms of conventional thought. This perhaps explains how she came to a scientific and logical conclusion in her new book that dogs, cats, horses, cows and zoo animals — among other creatures — possess an emotional system akin to that of humans.
At the end of the interview I not only wanted to read a few of her books, but it also left me with a great sense of hope. It left me realizing that one of the reasons autism is so hard to deal with is that it represents unconventional thinking and a viewpoint of the world shaped through a different lens – one that is fascinating to look through and broadens one’s perspective.
As a final note, in the interview Ms. Grandin stated that according to the clinical definition of autism used today, Einstein would have been categorized as autistic. She used his personal letters recalling his early childhood development as the source for this determination.
Grandin to me presents a way of thinking unbridled by conventional thoughts and norms. Starting off a new year, I intend to get my mind (in addition to my body) in better shape by stretching it and pushing its limits. I think reading a few of those books by Temple Grandin would do just that. I’ll start with, “Animals Make Us Human.” I’m sure my sidekick/shadow Winnie (terrier with an attitude), and maybe even Einstein, would approve.
Technology & Kids – Good, Bad or Both?
I was just reading today about all the great new assistive technology and how it’s helping people who have hearing or visual disabilities.
“Some companies, such as Microsoft, already have a foothold in workplace assistive technologies, and they’re now expanding into new scenarios.
Others came to the assistive technology market by accident—having realized their products were life-changers for the disabled at play. Either way, they’ve all had a hand in opening the market for technologies that are making life more playful and productive for people with disabilities.”
But I have also been hearing a lot of buzz about the dangers technology can present when children fall into abusive or obsessive use.
“In a decade working with the Sunshine Coast school system, “I saw hundreds of kids with technology addictions, behavior problems, developmental delays and social difficulties,” she says in a phone interview. Many spent hours a day in front of screens.”
What is the answer? Is technology good, bad or neither? Is it more like, say – cars. You could go on all day about the incredible benefits cars offer to our way of life or instead focus on the injuries and lives lost to accidents and abuses.
Like so many things, technology has its dark-side and even the smartest among us can fall prey to a touch of addictive. (Heck, Barack Obama is having a hard time with the Secret Service’s ban on blackberries!)
I am hearing cries out there that screen time and technology for kids is dangerous and possibly harmful. But who would want to remove our children’s ability to be one click away from a wealth of information and a global community. Tough call.
Perhaps, like cars, our young children’s interaction with technology needs a high degree of parental involvement. After all, you would never just throw the car keys to your kid hoping he figures it out, learns to navigate and buckles up before taking it for a spin.
Five Facts That Bode Well for Toy Industry
Here are five trends that bode well for the toy industry and offer opportunities for Children with Special Needs:
1. The increased use of technology in play products offers both adults and children with special needs the ability to use, enjoy, learn and grow through many of these new technological innovations.
2. There is a powerful trend to promote physical activities through everything from the Wii, to incorporating and encouraging physical movement in more toys and games. Why? Because according to the World Health Organization, obesity is now the No. 1 health problem for children and those with special needs carry an even higher risk factor.
3. Toys and play products are now delivering at record levels real developmental benefits — mental, physical or social. Inventors, educators and engineers continue to amaze consumers with the creative ways they can structure toys and games to help children learn and grow.
4. Play products are bridging the gap between therapy and play and professionals are realizing there are toys out there that offer therapeutic goals quietly embedded in the play processes they promote.
5. Manufacturers are blending their creativity with current research (from brain development to innovative therapy) and delivering products that are cutting-edge, age appropriate and developmentally challenging.
Congratulations to all the engineers, creative and product development people, and both professional and kitchen-table inventors out there who strive to offer all children, including those with special needs, fun and exciting toys and play products that improve their lives.
