Some of our student editorial board members are helping us design a Connect-Ability logo. They would appreciate your feedback and ideas. Comment below.

 

 

Q. My cousin uses pictures to communicate. He can't say a word. If I want to talk to him I have to use his pictures.  I hate it. I try to keep it simple. I really can't talk to him about stuff I'm interested in. So I mostly sit in silence when I see him. What would a kid like that have to say anyway?

A. Don't take your frustrations out on him. He probably looks up to you.  Even though he doesn't have the ability to speak, he has the ability to use pictures to tell you what he is trying to say. So help him communicate on a broader level and use this to your (and his) advantage. Make some new pictures for him that will help him understand new words. Trust me! Almost every kid has a lot to say. The only difference is he can't express it the way you want him to.
Tee-Ahna

Sister

I waited for you for years
All I ever wanted was a sibling
Finally you came and changed my life
More than we would ever know

"The baby from space" we called her
Not knowing how true this would become
A longing, distant stare took the place of a joyful smile
Much to our dismay
No longer could she speak or seem to listen when we spoke
Hardly was she the sibling I'd been waiting for

Life became unbearable as the years progressed
Vacations seemed more like hell than a rest
The screams and fights filled the house every hour every day
We were internally destroyed
Never one day did I not cry

I love her so much
Does she know what that means?
I often wonder what goes on in her mind
Is it chaos or paradise?
Not a care in the world
Or a terror she cannot express?
I'd give anything to know

Some days still haunt me
The ghost of her old self returns and takes over our world for a night
I can't bear to be around
Once we think she's behaving better
It all comes crashing down

I love that little girl with all my heart
Her presence fills the room with laughter and smiles
The only autistic kid with a sense of humor
I'm so lucky to have her
My baby girl is always there for me
But does she know she is?

Elizabeth Creamer

Check out Tarheelreader

 

Computer science professor Gary Bishop is motivated by the 15-year-old students with cerebral palsy and debilitating motor impairment who can’t talk or use their hands.

It’s those students, who are constantly dealing with people assuming they can’t understand the simplest of tasks, that inspired Bishop, the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies and the Department of Computer Science to develop the Tar Heel Reader.

Tarheelreader.org provides reading material beyond the picture books of 3- or 4-year-olds for teens with developmental disabilities who are just learning to read.

 

Teach Your Children about Disabilities

 

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It only takes a little time to educate children about disabilities. My son is autistic and if parents would only talk to their children about others and their differences I wouldn't have to explain to much to my own child about others lack of knowledge. If that sounds mean it's not intended to. My son gets his feelings hurt and doesn't quite understand why people are so rude to him. Honestly these people just don't know all about autism and that's why we have to advocate and educate.

Jessica F.