I just found a wonderful blog—
Rolling Around in My Head—by Dave Hingsburger, a disability rights activist and advocate who works out of Toronto. I first ‘met’ Dave when I was looking for resources on sexuality and people with intellectual disabilities. He has done a lot of work in this area and has written some excellent books. (
Just Say Know! is one of them.) Dave’s blog has won a number of awards . . . and I can see why! Check out this entry about an overheard conversation (one of my favorites, overheard conversations that is) between a young man with Down syndrome and his mother.
Down Syndrome, Off the Clock. We would ALL (but mothers in particular) do well to listen to what the young man is saying.
1 comment:
I read Dave's post. It truly moved me. I think we're all guilty of parenting in a way because of Down syndrome opposed to in spite of it.
Since we knew prenatally that Gabe has Ds, I feel like my hand has been held all the way along, and perhaps I learned to be self helpless? It's truly a continual balancing act to ensure Gabe is independent AND supported. It exhausts me some days just trying to figure out the 'right thing'.
But, bottom line, is that Gabe gives us the cues. More and more we hear his exclamation of "I do it!". When I think about it, it must be exhausting for him some days too. ;)
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