Parents, Are You Listening To Your Child?

2016-11-10T10:11:24-05:00By |Categories: Amy Sequenzia, Autism, blog, Neurodiversity, Parenting|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

As a non-speaking Autistic, I pay special attention to comments and statements made by parents of other non-speaking Autistics, especially children. Many times I see parents lamenting that they will never listen to their Autistic child say "I love you", or how much they long to hear those words.

A Vibrant Mind Hidden In Plain Sight

2016-11-10T10:11:25-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Cross Disability, Editor's Picks, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Martin Pistorius, author of the New York Times best-seller, Ghost Boy: The

On Not Being “Pretty”

2016-11-10T10:11:25-05:00By |Categories: Advocacy, Amy Sequenzia, Author, blog, Cerebral Palsy, General|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My friend Cara wrote this awesome article about being "ugly"

Five Reasons You Need to Read ‘Ghost Boy’ by Martin Pistorius

2016-11-10T10:11:29-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Assistive Technology, Author, blog, Books You Need, Cerebral Palsy, Editor's Picks, General, Lauri Swann Hunt|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

For over ten years Martin Pistorius was trapped in his own body, fully cognizant, but unable to speak or move. He was surrounded by people who believed he was incapable of thinking and tried desperately to get just one person to notice. His story serves as a wake-up call for all of us to drastically change our assumptions about speech and intellectual capacity as well as the need to radically reform expectations and treatment of people with complex communication needs.

Isn’t it a Pity? The Real Problem with Special Needs

2016-11-10T10:11:30-05:00By |Categories: Ableism, blog, Cross Disability, General, Inclusion, Inclusion Videos, Inclusive Education, Ollibean Thought Leaders, Video, Videos|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The Real Problem with Special Needs We love this

Why I Don’t Like “Awareness”

2016-11-10T10:11:30-05:00By |Categories: Ableism, Advocacy, Amy Sequenzia, Author, Autism, blog, Cerebral Palsy, General, Search Categories|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Awareness campaigns of disabilities are only effective if they are planned and run primarily by the groups that are the subjects of the campaign. This is because such campaigns are not “awareness”, but “acceptance” campaigns. We welcome support, with focus on respect, equality and access. We don’t need “awareness” of deficits and tragic rhetoric.

Being Disabled and in the Hospital

2016-11-10T10:11:36-05:00By |Categories: Advocacy, Amy Sequenzia, Author, blog, Cerebral Palsy, General, Search Categories|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Being disabled and in hospitals is always scary because our lives is not valued as the lives of non-disabled. I was, in a way, lucky but the policies still need a lot of improvement.

I Got 99 Problems..Palsy Is Just One- Maysoon Zayid on Ted

2016-11-10T10:11:38-05:00By |Categories: Advocacy In Action, Cerebral Palsy, Cross Disability, Entertainment, Media Representation, Neurodiversity, Ollibean Thought Leaders, Video, Videos|Tags: , , , , , , , |

“People with disabilities are the largest minority in the world and we are the most under-represented in entertainment.” Maysoon Zayid

Doll Diversity Isn’t Just Child’s Play – Dolls with Disabilities

2016-11-10T10:11:38-05:00By |Categories: blog, Cerebral Palsy, Cross Disability, Developmental Disabilities, Emily Ladau, General, Inclusion, Lifestyle, Media Representation, Muscular Dystrophies, Ollibean Family, Ollibean Thought Leaders|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As a little girl, I had a doll collection that

Pro Infirmis Mannequins Video Shows Bodily Diversity is Beautiful

2016-11-10T10:11:38-05:00By |Categories: Author, blog, Cerebral Palsy, Cross Disability, Editor's Picks, Emily Ladau, General, Lifestyle, Muscular Dystrophies, Neurodiversity, Think Tank, Video, Videos|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

A trip to the mall bombards me with unattainable ideals

Supporting United States Ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – Why Every Voice Counts!

2016-11-10T10:11:41-05:00By |Categories: Advocacy, Advocacy, Advocacy In Action, Author, blog, Disability Rights, Emily Ladau, Featured (Homepage), General, Politics, Search Categories, Think Tank|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

CALLING ALL SENATORS .It’s time for the U.S. To

I Am Disabled and I Am Proud

2016-11-10T10:11:41-05:00By |Categories: Advocacy, Advocacy In Action, Articles, blog, Cerebral Palsy, Cross Disability, Disability Rights, Disability Rights Leaders, Editor's Picks, General, Inclusion, Inclusion Videos, Lifestyle, Media Representation, Ollibean Thought Leaders, Think Tank, Video, Videos|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

‎"Polite society often tells us that we need to take the 'dis' out of disability, but maybe... just maybe, we should spend some time putting it back in. Take the "dis" out of disability and you remove the core of what has shaped my life. Disability puts the "D" in diversity, but in order to make that a real difference we've got to own that spot. It took me 35 years to respect and honor that truth. Others shouldn't have to wait that long..." Lawrence Carter-Long

Dr. Caroline Musselwhite Shares Strategies to Promote Literacy for ALL

2016-11-10T10:11:42-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Articles, Assistive Technology, Disability Rights, General, Inclusion, Inclusive Education, Literacy|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Dr. Caroline Musselwhite addresses the topic of overall good literacy

Closed Captioning Helps All Students

2016-11-10T10:11:42-05:00By |Categories: Accessibility, Accommodations, Articles, ASL Videos, ASL Videos, Autism, Cross Disability, Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Developmental Disabilities, Education, Featured (Homepage), General, Inclusive Education, Inclusive Education|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

"Not only were students talking about how much having the

Putting Education First by That Crazy Crippled Chick

2016-11-10T10:11:43-05:00By |Categories: Articles, Cross Disability, Featured (Homepage), General, Inclusion, Inclusive Education, Neurodiversity|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

"First, we must ensure that all children, including and especially those with disabilities, receive a quality education. Inclusion means nothing if a child is not receiving a good education, which is, in fact, the very reason we have schools in the first place. " Cara Liebowitz

Disability Activist Keith Jones on Community

2016-11-10T10:11:43-05:00By |Categories: Advocacy, Advocacy In Action, blog, Cerebral Palsy, Cross Disability, Disability Rights Leaders, General, Henry Recommends, Inclusion, Inclusion Videos, Ollibean Thought Leaders, Think Tank, Video, Videos|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

"So let us remember that when we teach, when we educate, we make policy, we make decisions that we do it with a conscience and that we remember that we are leaving fingerprints on forever." Keith Jones

How AAC and assistive tech make classrooms better for all : Paula Kluth

2016-11-10T10:11:43-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Assistive Technology, blog, Editor's Picks, Featured (Homepage), General, Inclusive Education|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In 2009, I published an article in The Reading Teacher

5 Ways to Elicit Language from PrAACtical AAC

2016-11-10T10:11:44-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Articles, Assistive Technology, Autism, blog, Cross Disability, Disability Rights, Editor's Picks, General, Inclusion, Inclusive Education|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

PrAACtical Suggestions: 5 Ways to Elicit Language Without Asking a

We Are Not In Our Own World

2016-11-10T10:11:47-05:00By |Categories: Advocacy, Author, blog, Featured (Homepage), General, Inclusive Education, Judy Endow, Search Categories, Think Tank|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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.”

Senator’s Call for Transition Action Plan An Excellent Idea

2016-11-10T10:11:47-05:00By |Categories: Author, blog, General, Lifestyle, Politics, Sarah Levis, Think Tank|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Democrat Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey has introduced a

Disabilty and Civil Rights: Standing On the Right Side of History

2016-11-10T10:11:47-05:00By |Categories: AAC, Advocacy, Advocacy In Action, Author, blog, Cross Disability, Disability Rights, General, Inclusion, Inclusion Videos, Inclusive Education, Lauri Swann Hunt, Ollibean Family, Ollibean Mama Spotlight, Videos|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

"If we were to go back to the 1960s and we were to talk to those leaders who were vehemently against desegregation, we would hear the conviction in their voices of them stating why they believe their decisions and what they were doing to those children were just. Just as I believe that some of you and some of the board members that have spoken believe that their decisions are just. But, I fear that the Hillsborough County School Board is standing on the wrong side of history."

Inclusion is a right not a privilege.

2016-11-10T10:11:47-05:00By |Categories: Advocacy, Advocacy, Advocacy In Action, Author, Autism, blog, Cross Disability, Disability Rights, General, Inclusion, Inclusion Videos, Inclusive Education, Lauri Swann Hunt, Ollibean Family, Ollibean Mama Spotlight, Parenting, Search Categories, Videos|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Inclusion is not only socially just, but research shows it improves academic outcomes for all students.

I Am Here To Make A Difference For My People

2016-11-10T10:11:47-05:00By |Categories: Advocacy, Advocacy In Action, Author, blog, Cross Disability, Disability Rights, Editor's Picks, General, Inclusion, Inclusion Videos, Inclusive Education, Lauri Swann Hunt, Ollibean Brothers & Sisters, Ollibean Family, Ollibean Thought Leaders, Videos|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

"I am here to make a difference for my people. I hope that you listen to what I have to say. I want people like you to stop judging me." Tres Whitlock

The Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education – 07/12/13

2016-04-20T09:34:59-04:00By |Categories: Advocacy Resources, Articles, Autism Resources, Cross Disability, Events, Inclusion Resources, Resources, Resources We Love|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This week, Carol Quirk who is the Co-Executive Director for

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