Back by Popular Request…

I’m sorry that it has been a while since my last post- Life has gotten very busy! I promise I will try to keep up from now on!

I was asked to write again by my friends and family, and due to Autism Awareness Month, I found it to be fitting to take the time and write again.  I just put on my new Jamberry “Autism Awareness” nail wraps and I’m ready to go.

I’m taking a Special Education class and the current topic is ASD- how fitting.  I found it interesting that everyone in this room has observed or knows someone on the spectrum.  This is enough evidence for myself to support the idea that there is an increase of diagnosed individuals that are happening every day.  No, I’m not a scientist.  No, I’m not assuming.  It is clearly becoming more common. Another thing that was pretty interesting was the lack of knowledge about it. So most of these people knew someone or had observed it, but don’t really know what makes Autism, Autism.  The thing is, there is no true cause of Autism.  No one can really figure out if it is environmentally related, or genetic.  All we know is that the correlation between vaccines and Autism has been de-bunked.  The gentleman who so politely decided to falsify information is now no longer a doctor, along with many other fraudulent consequences that he faces.  But in all honesty, why has Autism prevelance increased so much? Our class came up with a few answers:

• Autism was reclassified- separated into its own category from Other Health Impairments/Cognitive Impairments- after the passing of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) back in 2004.  IDEA is considered the backbone of Special Education.  There are six principles that are included within the law of IDEA: 1. zero reject/exclusion, a rule that every child deserves a chance at education, 2. nondiscriminatory evaluation, a rule of fair assessment for children, 3. Appropriate education, a rule of tailoring the education that best fits the needs of the student, 4. Education in the least-restrictive environment, a rule promoting inclusion of students with special needs in the mainstream classroom setting, 5. Procedural Due Process, a rule that gives the parents right to question their child’s educational instruction as they see fit, and 6. Parent Student Participation, a rule of team work between parents, teachers, specialists, and the student.  There are four goals of Special Education: 1. Equal educational opportunity for all individuals, 2. Full participation (inclusion) within the classroom, 3. Giving individuals the opportunity to live independently through vocational training, and 4. Economic Self-sufficency. I explain these things to you because I think that this information goes under the radar and is something that needs to be explained in edible terms for people to understand.
• Technology for assessment of cognitive impairments have improved immensely.
• Since the symptoms/red flags have been better defined over the last few years, more people are realizing the symptoms at an older age-  many just thought that it was “how their kids were” when they were younger, but now realize that isn’t the case.
• Genetic malfunction- either the mixing of genetic material causes a connection issue in the brain of the child in the womb, or the the something getting copied incorrectly when the making of the child’s DNA occurs.

Whatever the case may be, it again has become more common. We spoke of famous people with Autism like Temple Grandin, Mike Meyers, and even Albert Einstein- all of whom have a high functioning ability.  We spoke of Rhett Syndrome, which is only seen in girls because of they X chromosome malformation that causes boys who are born with the syndrome, who do not have the Y back-up, do not live very long :(… But that had me thinking: if the ratio of Autism is 4 boys to 1 girl, maybe it is a genetic thing that attacks/changes X chromosomes more often, and the girls that have “Autism” have a different form, or something completely different in itself- one that has not been identified yet.  If this is the case, we are wrongly diagnosing some kids, which can be detrimental.  Granted, it is just an assumption on my part, but the truth is that it doesn’t really matter.  Yes, if there is was a way to prevent Autism, we would all be giving that Kool-aid to our kids.  But at this point in time, we can only raise awareness.  We can only spread the word of the symptoms, red flags, and side effects.

As parents with a child with Autism, I know that it is frustrating not knowing the cause of your child’s difficulty, or being unable to fully help your child.  I have seen it first hand.  But patience is truly a virtue that parents know all about.  No matter how tired you are from dealing with meltdowns, or how frustrated you are with teachers who don’t seem to understand the importance of your child’s education, or even how difficult it is to fully express the personality of your child to others, just keep in mind that your child is “different, not less,”  and that awareness and knowledge about the subject will come full circle once “all of the pieces fit.” One day, the pieces will come together and we will find the cause and preventative methods.  Have patience and enjoy the fact that the world has “all kinds of minds.”

Peace and Love,

BigSis

Everybody’s Hero

Any parent, caretaker, babysitter, sibling….etc. can relate when I say that you have heard “Get back in bed.”  It could be because the child (or even yourself as a young-in) couldn’t sleep, would like you to turn the TV down, or even just can’t get their brains to turn off.  Well Jack had a little incident that resulted in my mom and myself to repeatedly tell Jack to get back in bed. 

It was nap time in our household, and Jack was put back into his bed about a hundred times, and my mom finally had enough.  She said, “Jack, I don’t want you to come out of this door again.”  After about ten minutes of silence, the assumption was that Jack had finally thrown in the towel and given up on fighting his fatigue.  However, we were very wrong.  Jack ended up at the front door of the house, diaper and all, ringing the doorbell- 3 times.  This was puzzling because neither my mom nor I had seen him leave his room, and every time he was at the front door, his bedroom door was still shut.  Finally the last time, we put him back in his bed, and I went outside. All of a sudden, I saw him repelling down the side of the house using his blind cord.  Luckily, we live in a one story ranch home, but still a dangerous thought.  Completely baffled by what I was seeing, I ran inside to grab my mom, so she could see everything I was trying to take in.  She said,”Jack, what are you doing???” and his response was so matter of fact, it almost sounded silly- “I’m practicing to be a firefighter… and you said I couldn’t go out my bedroom door.”  At this point, my mom and I couldn’t stop laughing because Jack didn’t even skip a beat.  He was very right.  His very literal thought process is sometimes overlooked. His innocence and logic make him such a smart cookie, we often take it for granted.  

Jack is fearless.  He sometimes has a hard time communicating in social contexts, but tries his hardest and never gives up.  He can teach us lessons about perseverance, acceptance, respect, and integrity. You never know how different your life can be unless you take a walk in Jack’s (or someone’s alike) shoes. So I challenge you to do this- Imagine your life differently.  Imagine yourself in a world where the people in your life now, are forever gone.  How would you be different today? What lessons have that special person taught you?  All in all, we need to be thankful for the things we have, the talents we are capable of using, the people that surround us, the experiences that we partake in, and most importantly: the hardships and setbacks that have only made us stronger and more aware of the fact that our lives aren’t that bad. Count your blessings…

One thing is for sure Jack is one of my biggest blessings, and he is everybody’s hero- and always will be. 

Take 1…. Action.

I think we have all realized that movies are great.  Movies can evoke such a wide range of emotion, either boosting your mood, or even helping you wallow in self-pity.  They can help you forget an ex, or even give you hope and courage.  Whatever the case may be, we have to learn that life isn’t like the movies.  No matter how hard we try life isn’t going to be as exciting, successful, or even productive.  Now, this may seem negative or I may be considered a “negative Nancy” so to speak, but there is a certain amount of truth to the statement.  Life isn’t a cake walk.  We experience struggle, pain, and have these “why me” mentalities, but we need to stay positive.  There is a saying that states that we need to coast on the highs and push through the lows.  The movies show you the high points because they want to get ratings.  They want to see the balance in their bank account rise through the glass ceiling.  The reality is that those people in the movies have struggled too, but if movies were created with every piece that made up the puzzle, then the movie wouldn’t be achieving its goal- to help us all as the viewers forget what crappy things we go through occasionally.  They help you go into a world to forget and wish you had a life that is different from your own.  I can’t be the only one who has sat past the credits in a theater just to see if there is one more speck of footage… But I’m here to ask, why would you want a life different from your own?  Is it because multiple things that have been negative have bogged you down?  Is it because things didn’t go as planned? 

As humans, this is a normal and expected response.  Stay positive because through all the things that didn’t go as planned- often times we forget the people that have walked into our lives.  Look at the bright side because if that hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t have grown. You wouldn’t have learned from your experiences.  You wouldn’t be the same person you are today.

I think the same thing can be said about Autism.  This disorder has had many downfalls.  It has required much energy, perseverance, and empathy.  It has taken a lot of training, time, battles with insurance companies, meetings with state and county representatives, money, patience…. and it may seem for nothing because at the end of the day you’re exhausted.  There are constant behaviors, struggles, things that say no, or discourage you- and I am telling you this not to make anyone feel sorry but to ask you to put this idea into your own life.  This life seems to be one thing after another, but I know that my parents would be the best model for advocacy for children, ever. Even though they are tired, they keep pushing, and the fight isn’t over until things start to look up. They know that they wouldn’t have had the experience to raise awareness about Autism.  They wouldn’t have helped expose teachers that face these disorders on a daily basis but were never fully trained.  They stay positive and look on the bright side… because if Brock, Jack, or Emma had not entered their lives, they wouldn’t be the same parents either.  They wouldn’t know what it is like to bounce back.  They wouldn’t be a role model to other families.  They wouldn’t see the comical statements made by miss Emma, or the compassion shown by Jack to all creatures, or even the great young man Brock is becoming.  If these things were missed, it would be a tragedy.  And they as parents know that.  

I have always been told that through my struggle, God’s delay is not his denial.  This idea was expressed to me because all the things I went through recently, I wanted to blame God.  I didn’t know what I was doing wrong to keep getting pushed away from my goals. It took a lot of time and effort, but I finally saw it as a redirection.  It was a way for me to see that I wasn’t pushing towards the right goal.  I needed to see different perspectives to be able to see clearly.  I now know that not only was I put on this Earth to help people communicate and reach their highest potential, but to also raise awareness.  Autism can be negative.  It can be daunting.  It can be hard and emotional and a plethora of other emotions on the side- but we all have to remember that there is hope.  There is faith.  There is potential.  

We choose the mindset that we want to have in every situation.  Choose wisely, and make your own movie.  Be your own star.  Movies are memories- build on them.  Be that well rounded (good things and bad) character.  And if you had one more “take” on life… what would you pick? positive or negative?  I think that there is something good that comes out of every bad situation but it is up for us to take a step back and get comfortable, grab a bowl of popcorn, and watch to see what that good thing is.  

What a bully is capable of

https://www.upworthy.com/watch-a-teenager-bring-his-class-to-tears-just-by-saying-a-few-words-2?c=ufb2

This is the video my Mom shared with me, because this boy found his voice- not only against bullying but he overcame his difficulties.

The man who started a movement

This is a video where a single man starts a movement. It starts with one person.

We Didn’t Start the Fire

I had a long conversation about bullying with one of my good friends recently, and it was very eye opening. We both had been bullied at a younger age, and our conclusion is that, “kids are mean.”  As the conversation continued, we both knew that we learned from those events long, long ago.  However, now we are both at a point in our lives where school seems to be never ending.  Like any other college kids, we worry about debt, grades, experiences, and decisions etc… but we worry about our futures and what will happen.  We discussed our futures and what we would do if our kids became the “bully.”  We tried to ask ourselves how we would react, how we would try to fix the situation, what we would say…. and we had no idea.  What if you didn’t even know your kid was considered the bully? what if your kid was the one being bullied? and it is seriously a touchy subject.  Its hard because you want your kid to stand up for themselves, to stand up for others, but you also do not want them to put others down to build themselves up.  And on top of that, lets say they do stand up for another peer, what if they get made fun of… for doing the right and just thing? They are being conditioned to not stand up for others. They are being conditioned to think that standing up for what you believe in is uncool, and that they shouldn’t do it.  But this goes back to my previous post about saying that we are all the same, and we need to teach our kids that at a young age- that you may be different than the next person but there has to be at least one characteristic about that other person that you can relate to.  To kill a person with kindness, and they will come around to realize that being mean, isn’t really getting them anywhere.  To be nice to everyone, to treat others like you want to be treated, to humble your child….Teach them to act the same, whoever they’re with, wherever they are. Reiterate the fact that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.  There are certain techniques teachers can use in a classroom setting, but the basis of their thoughts and actions starts at home. Ladies my age…. Pick a man that respects his mom, but doesn’t still live with her.  They say that a girl picks a guy based on how he compares with her own father a lot of times… and Guys… Treat the woman of your dreams not only with respect but hold yourself to a high standard to care for her and to want great things for her so she wants to be a better person as well.  Build her up. Be that helping hand. Be accepting.  I was exposed to a great parental relationship that was exactly that, and it made me very picky about the guy I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.  With all this being said, this relationship will be the demonstration for your kids.  Your kids will learn respect and kindness if you express it to them daily.  Show them confidence, success, and a positive attitude. If you teach them to be humble and work for what they want, they will understand what friends they want to surround themselves with.

I went to a private parochial grade school and wore uniforms that everyone hated, every single day.  But looking back, I realize that it was for our benefit. It was one less thing that we had to worry about to separate us into groups.  You couldn’t tell who had money and who didn’t. You couldn’t tell which of us only had one pair of tan kakis and which one had 6.  You couldn’t tell the statuses of families.  It made everyone equal.  And yes, I was always asked- “Didn’t you want to express yourself?” and I think it would have been nice, but it wasn’t needed. I didn’t know any different.  But, I was still bullied because I didn’t have the brand new backpack every year. I was the kid that had the basketball shoes that were two years old.  But most of all, I loved sports. I loved recess, and if I could play soccer or football with the boys, I did… and I was told by the “clique 5” as they called themselves, that I liked all the boys (more than a friend back in those days), or that I wanted to be a boy.  I used to come home in tears, a constant battle to try to fit in.. but there came a point where I gained the confidence to stand up for myself.  I always tried to be nice to everyone, but I got over the fact that hanging out with just one group of people was going to make me cool.  I started to shut the bullies down, and was told constantly by my mom that I needed to treat unkind thoughts and words like “water on a ducks back”- let it roll off and ignore it.  I was told about positive thoughts and the affect it can have on your mentality.  I started to understand that as long as I was happy with the person I am and who I was becoming thats all that mattered, and to be cordial to those who felt I wasn’t cool, but to surround myself with those who were going to see me as I saw myself.  I firmly believe that we choose friends and people to associate with because they have qualities in which you want to possess yourself or wish you had.  I am still friends with the people that were my best friends in 8th grade, because they got it.  They didn’t judge others.  They didn’t put others down.  They didn’t make fun of people for falling down, or not getting a good grade on a spelling test.  They understood that there is no point in making fun of someone else because it wasn’t going to change anything.  Luckily, I know that I landed with a solid group of friends with their heads screwed on tight with a direction in their life, but I also know that others aren’t as lucky.  

A little bullying story of Jack.  Jack is again my little brother with Aspergers, and knows he’s different.  He has asked why people don’t play with him, or why people don’t like him, but that makes him a target.  During the summer, he goes to day camp every day.  This last summer, was the first year that he was able to join his older brother Brock, in the big kid age group.  He was made fun of at this camp because one kid said that Jack drank out of a water bottle full of urine.  This kid was joking, but still was sickening to Jack because not only was it gross, but it was a continuous subject that was brought up daily as he returned to day camp.  Now I wouldn’t say that the next statement was the best reaction to the situation at hand, but Brock was so fed up with this kid making fun of Jack, that Brock punched the kid.  I agree violence is never the answer, but it goes to show that it went far beyond the point of no return.  This entire situation came to surface, and to show that this kid was a bully.  He had a cell phone and no one else his age did.  He had new toys and gadgets he brought to camp every day…. He had ways to show that he thought he was superior.  Like me and my friend were discussing, “kids are mean.”  While talking this over with my mom last summer we were even to the point of asking, “where did he even come up with something like that?” and as it continued, Jack didn’t want to return to camp.  Peer to peer interaction is crucial to someone his age, but if there is not one person that can be nice to you, why would you want to be there? I totally understood his point. This goes back to show that we need to find a way to change the way we are teaching these kids just so that things like this don’t happen.  

Today in one of my classes, a girl said that she observed in a 1st grade classroom, and witnessed a boy asking a girl, “Why are you so ugly?”  And everyone chuckled… This kid is in 1st grade and has the audacity to pull something like that out in front of an entire classroom.  There could be multiple reasons for this reaction: 1. There could have been a conversation witnessed by this child at home that taught him to think such a thing. 2. He could not be getting enough attention at home, so he acts out as the “class clown” to overcompensate, or 3. He feels that it will make him cool.  The saddest part about this story is that this one statement could be detrimental to this little girl’s future, and this boy is totally oblivious of the possible implications and outcomes of saying such a thing.  The suicide rates have sky rocketing in the younger generations and you wonder why? Dropout rates are increasing and we still don’t know the answer?  Kid’s stay home from school for the fear of being bullied. Kid’s don’t feel that they are worth anything and make decisions that could deeply impact not only they’re own life or the lives of others around them.  And as much as we don’t want to think about it, it’s happening. Just like all the other bad things in the world.  

I have two videos that I will post- one about the start of a movement.  This movement happens in less than 3 minutes and it all happens because one person isn’t afraid to stick out for a split second, to become equal.  That is how it starts. It only takes one individual. I can’t say enough to teach your kids that its okay to be different because there is someone out there that they will meet that will understand them and want to be friends with them.  And thats when we will all become equal.  The second is of a video that was shared to me by my mom because it is speech related, but I think that fits in with this very well with the topic of bullying.  This boy was bullied because of his speech impairment, ended up not going to class because of the fear of the other kids and what they would say, and wasn’t able to graduate with the rest of his peers because of the fact he missed so many days, because of the fear of being bullied.  This video shows his farewell speech to his peers.

All in all, we are the representation of what the future generation will build off of.  If we don’t implement new ideals and raise awareness to bullying and to new thoughts that can prevent this, the life for our kids will face isn’t going to improve.  I think that we all want a better life for our kids and future generations but it starts with us and how hard we work at it.  In the words of Billy Joel, we may not have started the fire, but we have an opportunity to put it out. 

Limitless…..

I think everyone in this world has known of someone who has suffered from Cancer. It is a disease that can be difficult to watch someone battle.  I know this because it has touched my family personally.  While all this information about Autism, Aspergers, and everything else was being taught and learned about by my family, my Stepdad, one of the hardest working men I have ever met- someone who would do anything for his family, especially his kids- was diagnosed with skin cancer.  Luckily, they were able to find it early enough to be treated with removal, but it still changes the way we as a family look at things- especially the way we go outside in the summer, white from sunscreen. We now know that life is short and while we are here, we might as well make an impact- Don’t waste time. Maybe thats my personal opinion, but the point is that we’re here for a reason.  Exercise that thought.  We as humans have the capability to do great things in this world.  Humans that are disabled, plumbers, purple, entrepreneurs, paraplegic, green, tall, short, skinny, blonde, poor, or 5 years old- we are capable of doing great things.  It’s how you bounce back and overcome your situation that makes a difference.  Basically, this is a long winded way of saying that people with disabilities or disadvantages should help make us realize this.  We can do whatever we put our minds to. They aren’t any different than the rest of us that “seem” to be “normal.”  But they should also make you thankful. 

With all this being said, I have done speeches, papers, and pledges to stop the use of the word “Retarded.”  I know that it might not stop the use of the word cold turkey, but I firmly believe that I have been hearing it less.  I guess the main goal of my expressing my thought towards it is that it shouldn’t be used as an adjective to describe something.  It is a diagnosis.  So let me ask you this…. would you say that is so Cancer? Because that is a diagnosis just the same.  It seems weird, I know, but I would think that most of you wouldn’t stoop to that level. Another term that I feel that some don’t even realize is an issue is the word Autistic.  This again puts a cap or a boundary around that person.  That person is not Autistic.  it doesn’t define them.  They have autism.  Just like they have happiness.  What that individual is, is human.  We all are, and we are all connected.

The use of this word in the wrong context just separates groups more.  It makes these individuals feel inferior- but again they are capable of doing the same great things that normal developing individuals are capable of.  We are all in the same boat it just takes someone to point it out for everyone to realize it.  We are one tangled web of a society that are connected across borders.  Just because a person is Deaf, doesn’t mean they don’t love to play baseball or cook.  Just because someone is African American, doesn’t mean they just play football- there are fantastic authors, public figures, actors, and CEO’s that are just as accomplished but seems to go more unnoticed.  

I was recently “cultured” by my parents because in the 20 years of my life, I had never seen the Breakfast Club.  This was apparently frowned upon and we immediately put it in as a “classic” according to my Mom.  This movie, even though was a little bit out of date (haha), was so moving and true.  I wasn’t expecting the message that I got out of the film. We are all the same.  Plain and simple.  You have a hard time bowling, I have a hard time watching football- were even. We also have to remember that even though were different and individual, we still can relate to someone across a different border.  But my question is this… if we can relate to all these people and together we keep closing the gap, and we hear the term “its such a small world,” why do we even have borders at all? Is it because we are conditioned to think that some people are superior? Is it a problem in society? Is it because we are scared of diversity? I say we should embrace it…. but if you find the answer, be sure to let me know. 

Genius!

Saw this picture on Facebook of a worksheet done by a child with Autism. Thought it was fantastic! How smart! Some publishing companies need to reword their directions….

And the fun begins….

Now I couldn’t tell you when exactly we knew that Jack had any sort of anything, but one of the first adventures was when he was still in a carseat, still in diapers, and of course, still a mischievous lil bugger. Now don’t get me wrong, he is seriously one of the sweetest little boys- can be ;)- and wouldn’t do anything wrong intentionally, but this one was worth sharing. 

Mom was running a little short on time to bring Jack to a birthday party. We still hadn’t gotten him a present to take to the party, which is clearly a dilemma, so we were a little rushed going to Target.  Naturally, were racing through toy aisles to find the perfect item, and Jack picks up a car from the dollar spot, and says, “Morgz, can I get this blue car?” and I said, “Dude, were here to shop for your friend! We have to pick something out for him.” We continued our search up and down, up and down, and finally decided on a very awesome Nerf gun, which I’m sure this kids parents were thrilled to see at the bottom of a vary large gift bag to add to their collection of potentially hurtful, chewable toy items, but anyway…

We check out, and get into the car and I look in the rearview mirror to see Jack playing with an orange car- clearly not one that I nor my Mom had bought for him- and say, “Jack! Where did you get that? Did you take it out of the store?” and his reaction was, “What? You said I couldn’t have the blue one….” And what exactly do you respond to that because technically… was he wrong?

Lesson number one for all you ASD caretakers- Do Not, I repeat DO NOT, use figurative Language. These kiddos need specifics.  From then on it was very clear to me that saying tasks like “Take off your hat” to later find it in the smack dab middle of the living room floor needs further instruction to calmly walk it to the hat and mitten bin.  They think these things have legs.  

Seize Autism Awareness Day

ASD. Autism. Aspbergers. PDD. Rett. CDD. Sensory Processing Disorder.

It has many names and many different types, but there are many advantages to this learning disability.  Being that today is National Autism Awareness Day, I decided to start this blog.  I am the oldest of 4 children; the other three are 10 and under, all of which have a form of Autism.  As a college student aspiring to become a Speech and Language Pathologist, I am not only exposed to ASD at home, but I am learning about it in every aspect.  Being at home is seriously the best way for me to further my education because half the time college kids wonder why they are even taking a class, or when they will ever use the information being taught. However, I know exactly where I can use the information that I am learning. In my own back yard- Literally.

My mom and I have always talked about writing a book called, “Mom In a Mini-Van” but we have never got around to it, so blogging is the next step! I want this blog to be about the adventures and experiences that my family has endured with this disorder, along with being a place that other families that have been blessed- Yes, I did say blessed- with this learning disability to go to for advice, a giggle, or even comfort to know that there are others out there that are battling the same thing. We as a family understand how difficult, frustrating, tiring, time consuming, rewarding, inspiring, motivational, and even lovable, this life can be.  But know that you wouldn’t trade your life for anything else because it is a blessing. I know that it has brought my family together closer than I ever would have thought. It makes you thankful for your talents and abilities, along with the experiences you have, the people you meet, and the individuality of each of your children.  ASD kiddos may not understand social cues or idioms, but you can be sure that they will be the first to understand that you love them no matter what.

For those of you who don’t know, Autism has many forms that have a variety of different symptoms, habits, and quirks.  It can be social, behavioral, sensorial, habitual, or straight up comical.  We’ve seen it all.

All the parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents- anyone, really- who has experienced or been exposed to someone with a disability, should be able to relate to my posts.  I love what I am going to school for and it has been quite the journey to get to where I am with the mindset I have. Over they years, I have been exposed to down syndrome, ADD, ADHD, FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome), Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Aphasia, Dysarthria, Deaf, Blind, OCD, SLI (Specific Language Impairment) at least a little bit, but of course ASD the most.  I think that any disability deserves a fair chance to live their lives as they choose.  Sometimes they need a little boost, or redirection, but they are totally capable. And this goes back to say that it is a blessing.  These kids never give up.  Ever.  And this means that not only did you do a darn good job at raising them but you also have a kid that is determined.  They don’t let anyone keep them down, or let anyone hold them back from their goals. Now isn’t that inspiring? That’s a blessing.

For some, they feel that “blessing” a child with a disability is cruel or unfair, and it is hard to understand “why such a terrible thing has happened to them,” but a lot of times they don’t see themselves as disabled.  They know that if they are given the opportunity to strive, they will succeed one way or another. It is our job to see them that way as well.  Our job to be the step for them to reach the stars.  Anyone and everyone can do great things if you try.