The Power of Presuming Competence
"Thasya", a mini film by Dan Habib, highlights the power of presuming competence, differentiated instruction and augmentative and alternative communication. Inclusion works.
"Thasya", a mini film by Dan Habib, highlights the power of presuming competence, differentiated instruction and augmentative and alternative communication. Inclusion works.
We need to be careful about how we think about and talk about people with disabilities. One example is the reference that those who are autistic or deaf or blind or have some sort of movement differences are “in their own world.”
After a three-day conference, I needed to sleep. I needed to sleep because I was dreamy, trying to keep the feeling of being in a place where I can be myself and also be a little bit like a star. Also, building community.
Notebooks, silly putty, colored pencils, a favorite book.. I did many
“Autism is a disability, but it is not a disease. It is not a life-threatening illness,” said Matt Young, co-leader of ASAN-WA. “The idea it’s a state to be wiped out has much negative impact on our lives.”
How does it make you feel when you hear a
" Talk to people with disabilities. As many as you can: Adults, adolescents, kids. These people are the real experts on disabilities. These are the people that can tell you what life with a disability is like." Renee Salas
"Equal access, level playing field, dignity, respect for my son and all his community. No separate classrooms separate doors or isolation from others. See I’m a woman of color. When I began my education you could still see the Colored Only bathrooms in the Deep South. If you put my son in one room and say he is not good enough to be where the law says he should be, with his peers, then red flags of segregation fly up at me. Many parents of color feel the wrongness of it organically, but they have been convinced that their neurodiverse children are not good enough for their neighborhood school and that their children are a distraction or threat to typical children in some way. The different operating system in their child’s brain throws them off, particularly when maladaptive behaviors are in the mix. It leaves them feeling guilty, helpless, afraid their kids will come to harm, and they listen to anyone, even if their gut tells them the advice is unjust. I am and advocate of Universal Design for Learning. I think my son can be with his peers in age as well as ability and everyone can benefit." Kerima Cevik
"We are like your child. Your child is like us. And we may have difficulties, we are disabled--but there is no denying that we are also awesome."
Because I stood with Henry I am happier today and you should too. Henry not only got his rights, he proved that presumption of competence should be the default for every student.
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization run by and for Autistic people.
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Inclusive education conference with keynotes by Lydia Brown, George Sugai, Dan Habib, JoAnne Malloy. Cheryl Jorgensen, Michael McSheehan, Henry Frost and many more you will not want to miss!
This is not directed at anyone in particular. It is about several people I’ve met throughout my life. I sometimes need to remind myself that being me means following my own agenda and not pleasing the ones who will not be part of my story.
" A lot of these kids end up not reaching their full potential because they suffer from low expectations. People think they don't speak well, so we shouldn't have them in the regular classroom, but a lot of the kids I work with, they're cognitively fine. They're perfectly capable. They just need a viable means of communication to really help them through that." Cathy Binger
Five years ago (next month) our severely autistic son Daniel had a major breakthrough. This whole world is new to him: standards, peers, comradeship and competition.
Barb Rentenbach's funny, poignant and beautiful must-read book, I Might Be You: An Exploration of Autism and Connection, is now available as an audiobook.
Katie Couric will have a Twitter Chat with Autism Speaks
PrAACtical AAC's latest post on the importance of presuming competence.
Should it matter that some of us are labeled intellectually disabled? Read the definitions, look at us in a realistic way and ask yourself; Does it matter? Aren’t we all worthy?
When I demand equal access, equal opportunity, equal rights, I'm
"It means living in a society that embraces the diversity of human beings. It means inclusion is a way of life and manifests itself in every aspect of our culture, from the schools and education, to the work place and everything in between… It means paradise!" Ariane Zurcher
This is for every person who embodies the meaning of motherhood. This is for the ones who nurture and protect, who never consider their lives more important than the lives of the ones being nourished, educated, protected and loved.
According to findings presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual
"The reason for this article is to spread awareness about why people shouldn't believe everything they see or hear from powerful people and companies. Respecting authority is great, but believing everything they say may make you a brainwashed, horrible person. Also, this article was written to remind people to treat others how they'd like to be treated, and not act cold to them regardless of how different they are."
It's that time of year .... Mother's Day Week! Is there a song that makes you think about why you love being a mom? Or a song that just reminds you of your family? Share it here.
NIMH Director Thomas Insel says the DSM lacks validity and that “patients with mental disorders deserve better”.
NIMH Director Thomas Insel says the DSM lacks validity and that “patients with mental disorders deserve better”.
People are ausome. Every kind of ausome. just look. you
A brilliant 16-year-old boy who has autism is breaking through
Beautiful post from Ariane Zurcher.
Autism Rights are Human Rights Autism Rights are human