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REVOLUTIONARY COMMON SENSE LIBRARY
VACATION ALERT Our
family-run business is taking time off for summer fun, from
June 23-July 10. will
be handled on or about July 11th. |
Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are,
and doing things as they ought to be done.
John Billings
Welcome!
If you're ready for more new ways of thinking,
you've come to the right place!
Good day! I gave a staff training yesterday on "behavior is communication," and used your What's a 'Behavior'? article. I personally enjoyed the article and felt I had to share it with my staff. We took turns reading a paragraph and it was a great opening for the training. I also used it to close the training. As a result of your article, I've instructed staff to no longer say, "He had a behavior," but to say instead, "He was trying to communicate something." Your article was very concrete, informative, and brief (which is great for my staff). Everyone was able to understand it and relate to it. Thank you, and keep your beautiful words of wisdom coming! Lauren Donato Applied Behavioral Science Specialist Young Adult Institute National Institute for People with Disabilities Brooklyn Regional Psychologist |
We hope you'll enjoy the Revolutionary Common Sense Library---a variety of articles which can lead to positive change. Articles are changed on a regular basis, so check back often to see what's new!
The Newsletter Library also includes a variety of thought-provoking articles to move us in a new direction.
Click on any of the links below and the PDF of the article will open. Please be patient, as some articles have artwork and/or are large files, and some browsers are faster than others.
Please contact me (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com) if you have difficulty opening any article or if you need a plain text version for screenreaders.
If you're interested in using these articles (for personal use or in newsletters), see the information below.
Stories about caregivers abound in magazines, newspapers, and TV news, and there are caregiver associations! But even with all this attention, there doesn’t seem to be a universally-accepted definition of the word. What do we mean when we use this term about ourselves or someone else?
How Do I Decide What Approach to Take With My Child Who Has Autism?
A wonderful mom, Dee Blose, shares her extraordinary insight about what questions to ask and what strategies to embrace to ensure children with autism can enjoy successful, real lives. Dee's wisdom and experiences bring much-needed commonsense to all the hoopla of "new treatments for autism.
Curriculum Modifications 107 - Ordinary Tools Can Yield Extraordinary Results
Computers, books on tape, videos, calculators, handheld electronic games, and other hi-tech devices are often great solutions in the successful education of students with disabilities. But there are ordinary and low-tech tools which can lead to extraordinary results for students who need curriculum modifications.
Disability jargon is a mess. Labels are dangerous. And "consumer" is a word that's commonly used in Disability World. But what does it mean and is it a descriptor chosen by people with disabilities or was it imposed on them?
When is a Disability Not a Disability?
What is a disability? Is there a universally-accepted definition? And what difference does it make? Well, it makes all the difference in the world to individuals on the receiving end of disability diagnoses!
Environment, Environment, Environment
You know the mantra in real estate, right? "Location, location, location!" Well, the mantra for individuals with disabilities is "Environment, environment, environment!" Children and adults with disabilities—like everyone else—will be products of their environment. We don't need to change people with disabilities, but we can and should change the environment!
For many dads, raising a child with a disability generates fear and uncertainty. But boys and girls who happen to have disabilities need the same things as their brothers and sisters: the wonderful, unique gifts only a dad can give!
Formal Assessments: Do Not Pass Go!
Ever wonder why so many children with disabilities in public school are perceived as "failures"? Formal assessments are often the culprit. There are alternatives to the tyranny of testing against the "norm."
Home, Sweet Home and Other Welcoming Environments: #2 - Behavior Supports
When we think of environmental modifications, many people think primarily about changes to accommodate wheelchairs or other mobility devices. But other types of environmental changes can ensure better lives for children and adults with autism and related conditions.
Where are our manners? It seems most of us work hard to have good manners most of the time, but our best efforts seems to frequently fall by the wayside when it comes to people with disabilities. Let's find our manners again!
Is Our Nation Serious About Educating Students with Disabilities?
For many years, I (like millions of other parents) have been thankful for IDEA—knowing that, without it, my son might not have been able to attend public school. But I’m beginning to question just how serious our nation is about educating students with disabilities.
The Case Against "Special Needs"
Like other words in Disability World, this term is so commonly used we seldom think about what it means. Have you considered that it promotes pity, negative attitudes, and segregation? It's time to throw this descriptor into the junk heap!
President Bush signed the Combating Autism Act into law in December 2006, the American College of Obstreticians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is recommending that all pregnant women be tested for Down syndrome, and "growth attentuation treatment" was performed on Ashley, the "pillow angel." What do these issues have in common and where are they taking us?
Don't forget to check out the article for children, "Same and Different: Respect for All." It's a two-page document which parents, teachers, and others can use with children, and it's accompanied by ideas and suggestions to facilitate interactive discussions. Click here to download the article. You can also download the article from the bottom of the People First Language page. I'd love to hear your thoughts about the article, and I thank you for helping children learn new ways of thinking!
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Interested in more articles? Check out:
101 Reproducible Articles: Revolutionary Common Sense for a New Disability Paradigm
Two versions of this extraordinary book are available:
The "book only" version ($25.00) allows the purchaser to make copies of the articles, as individual handouts or multiple copies for a training.
The "book/CD" version ($40.00) includes the book and a CD with all the articles in PDF format. This version allows the purchaser to make copies to share as handouts, upload the articles to websites, and/or include the PDF versions in newsletters (using the PDFs "as is" without reformatting).
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Can't find what you're looking for? Articles are changed on a regular basis, so if you visited this page before, read an article, and can't find it now, contact me (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com) with the name of the article, and I'll send you the hand-out version (PDF). See below for information regarding personal use and republication use.
FOR PERSONAL USE OF ARTICLES OR TO SHARE AN ARTICLE AS A HANDOUT:
You may use the PDF version(s) of the article(s) to:
- print for your own personal use,
- make copies to share with others as a handout at meetings,
- share as E-mail attachments and/or on listserves.
You do not need permission to use any article for these purposes (but see below if you're interested in using an article in a newsletter, website, and/or for other purposes). Any article must be copied/shared in its entirety, maintaining all copyright information, and may not be used commercially (e.g., for money-making purposes).
As a courtesy, please tell me when you share with others: contact us (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com) and provide the name of the article, how it's helpful, who you're sharing it with (parents, educators, professionals, etc.), and any other pertinent information. Your information helps me know which articles are the most beneficial and how they're being used.
TO REPUBLISH AN ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER:
You can purchase one or more of Kathie Snow's articles ($4.00/each) for republication in your newsletter. Upon receipt of your purchase, we will send an Email to confirm your newsletter info, followed by an Email with instructions and a plain text (MS Word) version of the article which can be cut and pasted in its entirety into your newsletter. We also require that you send us a copy of the newsletter when it's published. To order one or more articles and to see the titles of Kathie's articles, visit the Disability is Natural Store (scroll down to the "Articles for Newsletters" section). NOTE: Republishing an article without authorization is a violation of federal copyright law.
TO USE AN ARTICLE ON A WEBSITE:
For permission to include an article on a website, contact me (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com), and provide the name of the article, the website address, and other pertinent information.
Pages of this website, including the Revolutionary Common Sense articles, are protected by Copyscape.
To stay on top of the latest articles and products, sign up for the free
Disability is Natural E-Newsletter, at the bottom of this page!
Click here for Adobe Acrobat Reader, needed to open PDF files.
1/19/08
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Our words reflect the way we think, so let's get rid of descriptors like "handicapped, physically disabled, mentally retarded, learning disabled" and other words that focus on the condition instead of the person. People First Language promotes dignity and respect for all!
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