Inclusion Evolution

Empowering Individuals with Down Syndrome at School and Work

5 Ways You Know You’ve Become Your Child’s Best Advocate

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Five years ago my biggest worry was buying the cutest matching outfits for my unborn twin boys. All that changed when one of our boys was born with Down syndrome.

Troy (in the back) and Hunter (in the front)

Troy completely changed our family’s perspective, and set me down a path of advocacy that has changed my life forever.  

An outsider may believe these changes would be for the worse, but I continue to be amazed at how many new, unique doors have opened for me because of Troy. I continue to be amazed at how “normal” and happy our family continues to be amongst the messiness of a seemingly scary diagnosis. We truly are the #luckyfew!

Everyone’s path is different, even in the small world of the Down syndrome community. But I’ve found some shared characteristics amongst many of the parents of children with special needs that I’ve met.

Most parents possess that innate strength to do anything to protect their child. Special needs parents just have to flex that muscle more often.

In five short years, I’ve become a champion for my son and his right to a life of self-determination and choice. And I realize I’m not alone. Many disability advocates can identify with the following actions, or something similar to them.

5 Ways You Know You’ve Become Your Child’s Best Advocate

1. Your child’s personal file is larger than your own.

Troy is a really healthy, smart fellow. Still, Down syndrome automatically comes with a long list of doctors appointments, therapy sessions, and Individualized Education Plans. All of this has been compiled on hundreds of pages in two giant 3-ring binders.

Experience has taught me that you don’t know where you’re going, unless you know where you’ve been. Troy’s records help me quickly reference what’s happened in the past, so I can advocate for the best future possible.

2. You can recite federal, state, and local laws that impact your child, and you often know more about these policies than the experts do.

You can recite the meaning of countless acronyms: IDEA, IFSP, IEP, FAPE, LRE, SSI, BIP, ADA, ABA, UDL, ASL
You know your child’s rights under the law, and realize that in many situations it’s up to you to see that laws are enforced.

Personally, I’m working with my Ohio state legislator, Niraj Antani, to introduce a bill that would end organ transplant wait list discrimination for individuals with disabilities. Rep. Antani seeks advice from disability advocates on this subject, because he realizes we are the experts.

In terms of the recent Senate health care bill, Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), I’ve been advocating tirelessly alongside fellow disability advocates to see that Medicaid is not cut. Many legislators are unaware of the important impact of Community and Home Based services Troy and other individuals with Down syndrome receive through Medicaid. It’s our job to educate those in power on the power of legislation, and how it’s revolutionized the disability community in the past generation.

3. You’ve become fast, close friends with complete strangers.

Social media is a powerful force in the disability community. It’s brought together like-minded advocates from around country to rally for a common cause. I have dozens of friends that I’ve never met, but feel a special bond with because of Troy. When I meet these fellow special needs parents at conferences or advocacy meetings, it’s like meeting a distant loved one. There’s an instant connection and a desire to share your path with others like you. It’s what makes us the #luckyfew.

4. Your hobby or new career path includes advocating for your child.

I have interviewed and spoken with so many amazing parents, siblings, and family members that have transformed a seemingly scary diagnosis into an opportunity to change people’s perceptions and create opportunities for their loved ones. Everything from volunteering for their local Down syndrome association to blogging about their experience to starting a business that specializes in special needs planning and marching on Capitol Hill.

Before I had Troy I taught middle school history, and assumed I would go back to teaching once my twin boys were in school. Now I’m applying for the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates Special Education Advocacy Training to become an advocacy expert. My number one priority in doing this training is ensuring Troy gets the education he needs and deserves, but I would also love to help other families along their journey. I’ve always wanted a job that serve others, and I’m proud to say that Troy has helped me continue on this career path in a new and surprising way.

5. Your vacations include meetings with your legislator or advocacy calls

#PureMichigan

We just spent a week in Michigan with family, and I really wanted to turn off all things advocacy. I was feeling disability advocacy fatigue big time, especially with the endless fight to #SaveMedicaid. I did a fairly good job of this with trips to the lake, shopping, and running a race with my mom. Still, I couldn’t help but call a fellow disability advocate friend to find out about an important advocacy meeting she had while I was gone.

Even my vacations have been planned around advocating for Troy. We coordinated a trip to see family in California with the National Down Syndrome Convention. I visited my favorite city, the District of Columbia, this past spring to advocate on Capitol Hill.

Of course, you can take a totally different path and still be your child’s best advocate.

I have friends who purposely disconnect from any disability-related advocacy efforts. I can respect and understand their choice to do so. In the end, it’s about loving your children for who they are and supporting their path to a life of self-determination and choice. There’s many ways to get there. Which path have you chosen? Tell me about it below.

Using Improv Theater to Build Confidence in Self-Advocates

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What a better reflection of the uncertainty of life than Improv Theater. Improvisation is a type of theater in which the plot, characters, and dialogue are made up in the moment. Like life, you will never see the same improv show twice. 

This month, I got a chance to take some of my favorite adult self-advocates with Down syndrome out to a local Improv Theater. We got to see our very own Communications Workshop Educator, Stephanie Radford (heavy on the “RAD”), perform and boy did she steal the show. It’s a great precursor to this month’s workshop that focuses on improv skills. Read more about our past workshops here.

My family and some of my favorite self-advocates get a chance to see Stephanie Radford (bottom left) perform Improv

Although improv can be down right scary, with no sense as to what’s coming next, it’s also been shown to build confidence and decrease anxiety.

This seems oxymoronic, but it’s true. The lack of planning and structure requires role players to depend on each other.

Stephanie Radford (right) performing Improv

Psychology Professor, Gordon Bertmant, explains “if all play authentically to each other, fear of failure loses its sting—a net of support is constructed from the openness, trust, and acceptance.”

For individuals with Down syndrome, who often struggle with small talk and conversational speech, improv may seem unattainable but the net of support makes it worth learning.

The goal of our monthly Communications Workshops is to prepare our self-advocates to lead our Buddy Walk. This will require thinking on their toes and good conversational skills. Improv adds another tool to our tool belt.

“When you think of Improv remember the ‘Yes, and….’ Rule,” explains Communications Workshop Educator, Stephanie Radford. “You want to agree with the person you’re talking to and add something to their line of thinking.”

Stephanie Radford directing some of our self-advocates through an improv scene

Radford had the self-advocates practice having a conversation with a peer who always said “NO!” This “denier” proved that a good conversation cannot thrive without the “Yes, and…” rule. The self-advocates practice this rule, and agreed that a conversation flows much better when you agree and add something to the conversation.

Sally courageously gets on stage and tells us about her road trip. Here’s a picture she shared of her trip.

This was perhaps our hardest workshop to date. At least one self-advocate was petrified to get on stage. Others had a hard time adding appropriate information to a conversation to keep it going. Still, by the end of the session self-advocates were doing a better job of understanding that all good conversations rely on the support of each person participating. Even our most scared self-advocate took the stage at the end and used her improv skills to tell us about her recent road trip to South Carolina.

We’re so impressed at the progress our self-advocates have made in four short workshop sessions. A positive net of support and a new toolbox full of communication skills have nudged our self-advocates to be more self-confident in their interactions with other people. I can’t wait to see them in action at the Buddy Walk this year!

Inclusion is the Canary in the Coal Mine

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We all want our child with Down Syndrome included with their typically developing peers in school and work. Federal law requires inclusion. The past 40 years of research proves inclusion is best practices. So why are people with cognitive disabilities still segregated?

Lack of full inclusion of people with cognitive disabilities is the canary in the coal mine! 

I recently read a fascinating parable by venture capitalist, Adam Quinton, describing why more women weren’t working in tech industries. The comparison can be used for inclusion of our community too.

Canaries were taken down mines as early detection of danger. The small, caged birds would die of dangerous gases before the miners, allowing them to get out before the gases effected them.

“But what happens when the little canaries died?” Quinton asked. “Did the miners blame the canaries for not being tough or well-trained enough? Or did the miners decide that really what they needed was more canaries?”

Quinton argues, they neither blamed the canaries or solved the problem by getting more of these birds. “Rather they reflected on the underlying problem facing the canaries. When they thought about it, this wasn’t the canaries themselves. They didn’t need “fixing,” rather it was the atmosphere,” he argues.

Students with cognitive disabilities aren’t the problem. They don’t need to be just like their typical peers to enjoy meaningful inclusion. Placing all the students with cognitive disabilities together in a separate room doesn’t fix the problem either.

I agree with Quinton when he argued that we must “Look at the context they operate in and work out what is wrong with your organisational culture and ask how you can make it more inclusive.”

Only when the “I” in Individual Education Plan (IEP) is focused on will students with disabilities get what they need, whether that’s in a full inclusion setting or some variation of inclusion. Only then will students with cognitive disabilities feel more valued and supported, as well as the teachers and typical peers that support these students.

 

 

 

 

Improving Post Secondary Opportunities for Individuals with Down Syndrome

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When Laura Lee graduated from high school in 2001, there were no college programs in her state for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). 

“Far too often, what is typically available for these students are ‘transition programs’ in high school that are isolated and a pipeline to living a life of poverty and either languishing at home or working in segregated sheltered workshops receiving below-minimum wage,” says Stephanie Smith Lee, Laura’s mother and Interim Policy Director for the National Down Syndrome Congress.

The Lee’s believed Laura and all students with Down syndrome deserved better. So, they petitioned George Mason University to start a pilot program and advocated nationally for more inclusive post-secondary programs. Laura became one of the first graduates of Mason LIFE Program, and today there are more than 260 college programs in 47 states for students with intellectual disabilities (ID). 

Laura Lee’s resume was impressive, even for someone without a disability. It included her graduation from George Mason University, her work at the World Bank, volunteering at a food bank, and becoming a nationally recognized self-advocate giving speeches nationwide.

In March 2016, Laura Lee passed away in her sleep. For thousands of people nationwide who mourned Laura’s passing, she had become a symbol of what can be accomplished when high expectations and advocacy meet. And Laura’s mother did not stop advocating upon her death. 

Laura and Stephanie Lee presenting together

“She’s the inspiration for my continued work,” Stephanie Smith Lee says.

As Interim Policy Director for the National Down Syndrome Congress, Lee is now in support of a newly released U.S. House of Representatives bill that will improve upon the Higher Education Act. Lee was instrumental in helping push through improvements in 2008, when the law was reauthorized. At that time, legislation was included to allow students with ID to apply for financial aid for the very first time, as well as the funding of model post-secondary programs for students with ID.

The new House bill released last week would increase inclusive post-secondary opportunities for students with ID. “One big change that will create a more inclusive environment is that model post-secondary programs that receive federal funding to educate students with ID must now offer inclusive housing on campus,” Lee explains. The bill would also change language in the law to require model programs to focus not just on academics, but career development as well.

The House bill would be attached to the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act expected this year, and would include the following amendments: 

  1. Using competitive grants to train faculty to deliver accessible instruction.
  2. Establish an Office of Accessibility at every Institute of Higher Education.
  3. A new grant program to implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL) .
  4. A new commission to increase accessible materials and technologies.
  5. Updates to data collection activities.
  6. Updates to the program that funds Institutes of Higher Education that educates and integrates students with intellectual disabilities.
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D)

U.S. Representative, Mark DeSaulnier (D-California), who sponsors the bill says: “This first of its kind legislation takes a comprehensive approach to providing students and institutions with improved training, greater resources, and expanded services—bringing us one step closer to ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to earn a degree, find a job, and achieve the American Dream.”

The National Down Syndrome Congress fully supports the improvements. “Students with intellectual disabililities want the opportunity to go to college like their siblings and friends, to learn, to experience independence, and become employed after graduation. Postsecondary opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities offer a new path to academic access, social inclusion, and working and living as independently as possible in the community,” says Lee.

Laura Lee with her mother, Stephanie Smith Lee in 1992

The 2008 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act had very strong bipartisan support. So far, the current bill only has Democrats sponsoring the bill. Still, Lee hopes that there will be continued bipartisan support for further improvements for post secondary inclusion.

“I’m so exciting to see how far we’ve advanced since Laura and I started advocating so many years ago. So many more students have opportunities, and have gotten jobs and live in their communities. They have friends in the community and are contributing members of society. But we’re still not where we should be. The current bill will help pave a better path forward,” says Lee.

 

 

 

 

How One Retired Police Officer is Changing Perceptions of Down Syndrome

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Ethan Saylor

The name alone brings instant sadness to the minds of special needs parents everywhere. A life taken too soon. A senseless death. 

The 26-year-old man with Down syndrome died after police restrained him in a movie theater that he refused to leave. Ethan stayed for a second viewing of a movie, without having paid for it. The aide that was with him at the time begged the off-duty police to not aggravate Ethan; that his mom would soon arrive and make him leave. The death was ruled a homicide as a result of asphyxia, and the off-duty police officers involved are now being tried in a civil law suit.

GTO Cadet, Tyler Caldwell (left) and GTO Founder, Travis Atkins (right)

21-year law enforcement veteran, Travis Atkins, says the Ethan Saylor death was a travesty that should have never happened. Now he’s started a non-profit to help change perceptions of people with intellectual disabilities within the law enforcement community.

Growth Through Opportunity (GTO Cadets) is a program designed to provide adults of all ages with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and other unique challenges an opportunity to gain valuable job skills and social experience.

GTO Cadet with a First Responder

“First responders and GTO Cadets grow immensely in their respective levels of understanding by being partnered together over a 16-week period. This drastically decreases negative encounters during future, real-life situations,” Officer Atkins explains.

I got a chance to hear Officer Atkins talk at the 1st Annual NDSS #DSWorks conference. He brought along one of GTO’s first cadet graduates, Tyler Caldwell, who happens to have Down syndrome.

“I got to wear a uniform just like all the other officers. When I was at State Special Olympic Games, I got to wear it and march in the torch lighting ceremonies with officers from other cities. People would recognize me when I was out as one of the GTO Cadets. That really made me happy. All my friends wanted to be in the program, too. Police officers are really nice people and are my friends,” Caldwell describes.

After spending 16 weeks as a volunteer cadet, Caldwell got a job at Kroger. “People recognized me from Police Department,” Caldwell says. And Officer Atkins says that’s the end goal. “Our goal is to enhance confidence, employability, and quality of life for participants. From a law enforcement officer’s perspective, there’s no better way to learn than by first-hand experiences in a controlled environment,” Atkins explains.

With the assistance of a first responder, cadets are taught specific tasks inside the department, as well as in the community.

“They assist our police department with crime prevention presentations, role playing at the police academy (which helps mold the minds of young recruits), and playing the role of the National Crime Prevention Council’s McGruff the Crime Dog®,” Atkins says. The City of Roanoke even has a sheriff’s vehicle and ambulance with the GTO logo, which helps break down barriers within the community.

Atkins says it’s community inclusion that will help prevent another tragedy like the death of Ethan Saylor. “GTO challenges other agencies across the nation to be pioneers and trend setters in the field. Be creative. Be innovative. Consider incorporating these fine individuals into your agency.”

To learn more about Growth Through Opportunity check out their website here or their FB page here.