Encouragement: Military Families Fighting for More Than Just Peace

Welcome back,

Did you know one out of 88 military kids have autism? That's an alarming statistic, but surprisingly accurate. Researchers say that these numbers "paint a more realistic picture" about the large number of autistic children of military families . Where does that leave our soldiers? Worrying about their kids as they fight to protect Americans, waging a war on terrorism. As you know, autism is not an easy disability to live with; it requires several hours a day of applied behavioral analysis in order to teach them to function in the real world.

That's not an easy task, considering the military currently covers only a part of the therapy costs. According to program, most military families receive only 10 to 14 hours of the 25 needed each week for the therapy. The rest may have to be paid out of pocket by the family; Congress is considering providing more help. We need to pray for these families.

-- Citation for TV Program: "Battle Against Autism " News segment Tisha Thompson reporting, Fox channel 5 WTTG Washington DC, News at 10 pm, November 9, 2009

Possible genetic link to autism?

Hey Guys,

I came across this article, claiming there may be a link between a specific gene in twins leading to autism. What do you think?

http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/10/22/twin-study/5884/

Another Interesting Article Showing Startling Trends regarding Employers Hiring the Disabled

Welcome Back,

Okay, so I came across this article regarding disability employment in Canada. It says employers are hesitant to hire people with disabilities. I wonder if this is a developing trend..

http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/11/05/employer-attitudes-ca/6059/

Encouragement: A Number of New Sources

Okay,

So it seems I am not holding up realistic expectations for this blog lately. My computer has been completely reliable and can stall out at any moment. With that and Thanksgiving coming up, I have decided to postpone my next installment of the book review for Patrick Henry 's I Am Potential. I hope that doesn't cause any inconvenience for anyone. But I am going to be busy during next few weeks, participating in a friend's wedding as a bridesmaid and other activities.

For the time being, I came across this cerebral palsy blog that provides some other helpful links

http://www.livingwithcerebralpalsy.com/blogger/2009/11/heartbreaking-case-of-baby-rb.html

Interview with Western Illinois University Student

Welcome Back~

Last week, I was contacted by a Western Illinois Unversity student in Special Education. She was inquiring about some information in regards to my disability to help her in a class project. I was happy to oblige, figuring it would lead to a better understanding of CP and disabilities in general. I have decided to include my answers to her questions here in the hopes of continuing to build such an understanding between the disabled community and the able-bodied community as well. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any further questions.

Answers to Questions about my Disability.

I am happy to answer the questions in hopes they will help others that are preparing to become special education teachers, or those with disabilities.

1. What type of CP do you have? I am diagnosed with “spastic quadriparetic cerebral palsy” which means I have CP that caused me to be quadriplegic – I cannot use my hands or legs.
2. How does your type affect your body and the way you live? It makes my muscles tight and difficult for me to do things by myself. As a result, I depend on personal assistants to dress me, feed me, etc. but I am blessed with a good mind. I had a very premature birth and the cause of my CP is probably some loss of oxygen to my brain, which caused a hemorrhage and damaged parts of my brain. I have met many people in my condition where their mental capacity has been affected because of the lack of oxygen at birth.
   
3. Do you take any medication or attend any therapy to help your condition? I have a continuous small dose of the medication “baclofen” being pumped into my spine to help relax my tense muscles. The medication is provided by an intrathecal baclofen pump – a small pump implanted in my body that uses a small computer to control the rate of baclofen being pumped through a catheter that goes into my spinal cord. Every month or so I have to go to the doctor for a pump refill, and every few years I go in for surgery to replace the pump and batteries.
   
4. How did you parents react when they found out you have CP? They told me they were scared and unsure of what my future would bring. But they trusted God. They wanted to learn all they could and get the best therapy. It was difficult but God gave them strength and hope.
   
5. When you were in school, were there any accommodations that were made in relations to your schoolwork? In terms of my schoolwork, my IEP (individual education plan) ensured that I would have the extra time needed to complete tests, and homework. This was important because I depended on other people to write down my answers Word for Word. That is, until in about 1995 I received Dragon Dictate (one of the first voice recognition software for computers) It has now turned into Dragon NaturallySpeaking and allows the computer to write when I say. This is how I got through high school and college.
   
6. Are a student’s learning abilities affected differently according to the type of CP they have? Yes, I don't know how I exactly. But I kind of covered it in question number two; in my case, the Lord gave me the ability to learn and a good mind enabling me to graduate from high school, attend a Community College and earn an Associate’s Degree, and then go on to Concordia University and earn a BA Degree.
   
7. What would you like to see with the future research on CP? It would be wonderful if researchers could find ways to heal and restore damaged brain cells!
   Do you have any personal goals when it comes to CP? I have the same goals as other people: to find love, get married, and have kids.
   
8. What kinds of difficulties to you face on a day-to-day basis? Everything is difficult for me, if I allow myself to look at it that way. I want to be independent, but I have to depend on other people for so much. But such is life. I think the way people react to disabilities is most frustrating. I have to work so hard to overcome the stereotypes that people have of disabled people.
   
9. Were you ever treated differently because of CP? Any specific stories? I think that when people see me, they automatically see the wheelchair and think the worst. They are often afraid to talk to me or they think I am younger than I am because I am petite and sitting in my wheelchair. I will illustrate by a story. When I was in college, we would go to a restaurant and the hostess would give me a children’s’ menu- when I was over 20 years old! Then, the waitress would ask my father what I wanted to eat – rather than ask me. So my dad would look at me and say, “Debbie, what are you going to order?”
   
10. What activities or hobbies do you like? I like to read and write, because, of course, that is one of the limited things I can do. My blog, “Rollin into the Future” is an important hobby – more of a mission – because it allows me to provide encouragement and information to other people with disabilities. For now, it is the daily mission that God has given to me.
11. Did CP ever get in the way of these hobbies, if so how did you overcome it? I buy a lot of books – but I cannot turn the pages in the books. So my dad cuts the binding off with his band saw and feeds the pages through a scanner to convert them to computer format so I can easily read them on my computer – so I turn the pages with my voice!
    

Weakness

Okay,

So I've been thinking a lot about weaknesses this week. Not only because my family is going through a lot right now, but because I'm questioning my purpose. Are things ever going to settle down in Virginia? Am I ever going to find a place where I fit in here? I mean, my parents are fitting in great into their role as grandparents. But me? I struggle as a aunt, trying to find different ways to connect with the girls despite my disability. It really doesn't help that I have little to no friends down here. If I did, it wouldn't matter to me how much time we spent with the kids. I could do my own thing if I wanted. They are grandparents, they deserve to act like it! But sometimes, I can't help but feel left out. Let's face it, that's part of the reason why we moved out here, so they could be grandparents.

Anyway, in many respects, I feel weak. I wonder when my time will come to be settled; with a job, an apartment, a love, etc. Not to sound ungrateful, because I'm not. But it's high time my life get started again. But then I remember an important verse. 2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me"

Encouragement: Disability Pride And Power

Hey Guys,

Today's Encouragement post shows how having an disability can give people a second chance at life. This webpage also highlights how far we have come as a society, learning to value an individual based on what they can do rather than what they can't.

Take a look..

Http://wheeliecatholic.blogspot.com/2009/09/disability-pride-and-power.html

Until next time,
Debbie