Disability is Natural Free Press

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FEATURED ARTICLE #1:

Beyond Tunnel Vision*

*The tendency to focus exclusively on a single or limited goal or point of view.
(from my computer dictionary)

Tunnel vision: we all have it—to one degree or another and in one area or another. And when we recognize we have it, then we can work to eliminate it! I discovered it in myself recently, and it was an eye-opening revelation . . . This experience led to my thinking about how many times we’ve had tunnel vision about individuals who happen to have disabilities.

And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye. Antoine de Saint Exupéry

How many of us—parents, teachers, service providers, and others—see a person primarily through the lens of the disability? In doing so, we may literally be unable to see anything beyond the diagnosis, like the person’s strengths, abilities, talents, etc., as well as options, possibilities, and/or strategies to ensure a person can live the life of his or her dreams?

(Click here for the entire article.)

 

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FEATURED ARTICLE #2:

The Disability Industrial Complex

According to “talk on the street,” more money is the solution to the “problems” faced by people with disabilities. Voices from both sides (those who provide services and those who receive services) say the same words: more funding is the answer. Yet billions are already being spent in what we should recognize as the Disability-Industrial Complex.

There is little or no competition in disability services, so there’s no market push to continually improve.

Many of us, regardless of which side we’re on (provider/recipient), don’t see disability services as a business. In the big scheme of things, they represent “human services,” provided by government entities, for-profit corporations, and/or non-profit charities. But make no mistake, it is big business, and people with disabilities are the raw material that fuels the growth of this behemoth industry. And, unfortunately, disability services have adopted the for-profit business model used by companies that sell products.

(Click here for the entire article.)

 

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VISIT DISABILITY IS NATURAL

Ahhh—summer is almost here, and if you have some "time off" in the coming months, why not spend some time reading two life-changing books—Disability is Natural: Revolutionary Common Sense for Raising Successful Children with Disabilities and/or 101 Reproducible Articles. Visit The Disability is Natural Online Store to learn more, and while you're there, check out the bright and colorful posters, bookmarks, magnets, note cards, and other goodies that can enhance your efforts to ensure children and adults with disabilities live Real Lives, successfully included in all environments of the Real World!   Click here to browse the store!

 

A new series of THOUGHT-PROVOKING ARTICLES are showcased on the Revolutionary Common Sense page. See the descriptions of the articles below and click here to see the articles.

Who's a Caregiver?
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.

Who's a Consumer?
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!

Fatherhood Without Fear
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.

The Lost Art of Manners
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.

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ET CETERA . . .

 

—WORDS OF WISDOM

If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; but if you really make them think, they'll hate you.

Don Marquis

 

People only see what they are prepared to see.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
Alvin Toffler 

 

The need to be right all the time is the biggest barrier to new ideas. It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong than to be always right by having no ideas at all.
Edward de Bono

 

Clear thinking requires courage rather than intelligence.
Thomas Szasz

 

—NEWS TO USE

Thought-provoking, funny, and wise are just some of the words to describe The Kog (www.kernschoolpsych.org/maykog23.htm)—the brainchild of Don Asbridge and his cohorts. Parents and teachers: bookmark this site and check out all the previous editions while you're there.

Prevention of school bullying (along with books on the subject) is the focus of www.jodeeblanco.com. Thanks to Lisa Kooper for sharing this info.

 

Shaun Best sent info about his new site on Amazing Kids—check it out at www.amazing-kids.org/ezine_25/interview.3.html.

 

Rebecca Portner has a new blog of interest: http://disabilityandlivingspirit.blogspot.com

 

Note: Items included in News to Use are for informational purposes only, and their inclusion in this newsletter does not necessarily constitute endorsement.

 

—PRESENTATIONS

I'll be presenting in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, and South Dakota in the coming months---visit the Presentations page for more details (and check back often for new dates/events that are added). Contact me (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com) if you'd like to know more about my presentations for your conference or organization, or click here for information about my teleseminars.

 

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Thanks for your interest in new ways of thinking! Please contact us with your comments and ideas about this E-Newsletter, the Disability is Natural website, or anything else of interest. If you received this E-Newsletter from a friend and would like to subscribe, visit www.disabilityisnatural.com and sign up at the bottom of any page, or send an Email to kathie@disabilityisnatural.com with your request.

And thanks for all you do to create an inclusive society where everyone belongs!