I often walk a fine line between honoring who my son is and teaching him the skills required to live a meaningful life.⠀ I first became aware of this tug of war when dealing with my son's sensory aversions. He has a strong objection to the texture of playdough. The...
Ableism robbed my son of the celebratory joy of his birth. My reaction to his diagnosis was steeped in ableism. It was handed to me in an ableist institution by ableist professionals who set us up with months-worth of ableist correctional practices. By the time I left...
The pediatrician hinted about a disorder while I sat in a chair and he stood over my son's incubator. I left confused and in tears.⠀ The official diagnosis was handed to me without support in the NICU. I held my son, the doctor casually leaned on the empty...
My son and I have been on the receiving end of ableist remarks throughout his lifetime. Most of it is well-intentioned and meant to be encouraging. These seemingly-benign comments are a result of internalized ableism which is why it's hard to identify...
The year I won the award for perfect attendance, I was absent to accept it. I imagine the adults in the room swapped glances and chuckled at the irony of it all.⠀ When I was given the award along with my report card, I felt I didn't deserve it. I couldn't believe my...
I am my son’s parent, but I am not a part of his culture and he is not part of mine. I have not experienced life as a disabled person and he’s never been non-disabled. I first became aware of this distinction when I heard Andrew Solomon, author of Far From the Tree:...
I learned that there is only one way to be in the world as a child. It was reinforced in my schooling and solidified in my career in the education system. There are a set of rules for behaving that are socially accepted. Anything outside of that is judged,...
When my son was first diagnosed, I was handed a stack of white, legal-sized envelopes with the headings of clinics he would need to consult within the first weeks of life. Most of the departments I didn't even know existed, let alone know how to pronounce. In his...
We are all designers.⠀ Of our own lives.⠀ Of healthy learning environments.⠀ Of accessible education.⠀ Of the sustainable functionality of schools.⠀ Of the education we hope for future generations.⠀ Whether we are parents, teachers, students, administrators,...
As I transitioned from being a public school teacher to a homeschooler, I faced additional resistance within my home. My son has never been formally schooled. He's never been in daycare or preschool either. He doesn't know what it's like to be forced to follow...
Whether we homeschool or not, we are all teachers. In raising and educating my disabled son, I have struggled to find that fine line between doing school at home and doing life in the world. It's a never-ending conversation I have with myself: Teaching versus...
I believe opportunities arise just as we need them. This is why I follow my son's lead. In a print-rich, language-abundant, nurturing environment, children naturally gravitate towards what interests them, and what they are ready to receive. It takes...
I was always a model student. I loved school, and I loved being a student. I still do. I love being a scholar with my pen scribbling fresh notes on innovative topics that challenge me. While teaching, I enrolled in a certificate program. It was held twice a week in...
Continue reading my essays, activities, and case studies for supporting the education of disabled/chronically ill and neurodivergent children.