My friend’s son had Spina Bifida, our daughter has Down syndrome. We decided to write the book we wished we had as a resource when we were starting life with our kids. In here, you will find over 1000 practical tips for parenting disabled kids.

When I founded the first Day Program in our town in 2006, I did so in part because I noticed our population was typically under-served, with minimal enrichment programming. Seeing sheltered workshops and groups sitting around for hours without engagement bothered me. But, since the participants didn’t complain, and families were grateful for any help available, most programs didn’t offer more.

Our adult daughter, Vanessa, needed a routine eye surgery. I wanted the doctor to understand her beyond her Down syndrome features and the few facts he learned in Medical School.

When I founded and Directed a day program (WINGS) I was against coloring in coloring books as an activity during Program. This was 2006, before ‘Adult-Coloring Books’ became popular. It seemed like a cliché activity for adults with I.D.D. (Intellectual/developmental disabilities). It seemed (my bias) age-inappropriate for adults, non-creative, limiting and mind-less.

I was focused on using “Best Practices” by trying to move away from stereotypic activities toward ‘enrichment’ activities.

Some people gain weight because of their body’s reaction to the medications they are taking. For some the weight sneaks up on them a bit each year. But, Vanessa’s overweight situation was mostly my fault.

Ever since Vanessa’s birth I’ve been interested in pushing back at any barriers which appeared for her. For me it was natural to ask over and over; “Why?” “When?” and “Why not?”

A few hours later the doctor came into my room, the nurse wore a creepy smile while she came to the bed trying to hold my hand…I pulled it away…The doctor said they had completed an x-ray because he wanted to be sure the forceps hadn’t caused brain damage…the xray looked good, and the crack I heard was her broken collar bone but it would heal quickly on its own, “The only thing is….”

As he spoke, it seemed like the two of them were conspiring to snatch my first baby out of my arms and replace her with a new baby who he said was ‘handicapped’ and had a ‘disability called Down syndrome’.