Road Map to Holland: How I Found My Way Through My Son's First Two Years With Down Syndrome is an intelligent, warm story of a mother who struggled in a very realistic way with a child born with Down syndrome. Jennifer Graf Groneberg tells what followed the birth of her twins, step-by-step with the aftershocks and emotions of misunderstanding his diagnosis and what his future would hold. She continues on as a strong woman advocating for Avery, her son with Down syndrome. Jennifer touches people everywhere she goes, and Avery has a real hand in helping her. I am proud of him. I feel as if he is my brother because of our extra chromosome. When my son was born, I didn’t know how to be a parent and was scared. However, when he opened his eyes, I knew just then that my life had changed for the better. My son was not the one with the diagnosis… It was me! I have Mosaic Down Syndrome (MDS). I relate to others who travel that unknown road and draw blue prints to map with them. As I read Road Map to Holland, I wanted so much to reach through the words on each page -- just to hug her and say, “Jennifer, it’s going to be okay!” I loaned my book to my father. He loved it just as much as I did -- as a full cycle of parent to child to parent. The words inside this book are a genuine piece of majesty. They are a continuation of Emily Pearl Kingsley’s world-renowned poem, “Welcome to Holland!” I know about Holland; I live there. Reviewed by Casey Morton, IMDSA’s Self Advocate & Spokesperson Learn more about MDS at the International Mosaic Down Syndrome Association at http://www.imdsa.org/.

A church without people with disabilities is itself disabled. Buy levitra cod, – Jürgen Moltmann

"The class filled up right away. Not one class member missed even one hour – great discussions, Colorado CO Colo. , Online levitra, " the Rev. Craig Modahl said about his course that will be offered again this January at the Chicago Theological Seminary, kopen goedkope levitra. Buy levitra, After first teaching "Theology of Ministry with People with Developmental Disabilities" in January of 2008, Modahl will again be teaching the course in an adjunct faculty position and the ongoing offering of his course, buy levitra online cheap. Ordering levitra online without prescription, The Dr. Scott Haldeman, Professor of Worship, will co-teach, buy levitra cod.

"Leaders of faith communities and spiritual guides need to be aware of the implications of disability in the lives of all people they support, billig kaufen levitra, Levitra pedido en línea, " Modahl said. "We need to be able to fully embrace individuals of all abilities through our words, Kaufen levitra, Nebraska NE Nebr. , actions and beliefs."

A 2006 CTS graduate, he has worked with the seminary regarding developmental disabilities in a variety of settings over the years, order levitra no prescription. Om levitra online, "Many experiences within the church have not been supportive, helpful, levitra prescription, För levitra online, or inclusive," he said, levitra online kaufen. Where to buy levitra, "That is what brought me to a seminary known for its political activism and inclusion of the excluded."

Through lectures, assigned readings, levitra farmacia a buon mercato, Buy cheap levitra, conversations with advocates and self-advocates, and active engagement, order levitra c.o.d., Buy levitra no prescription, future pastors and ministers will explore the multiple issues facing people with developmental disabilities and their loved ones. Buy levitra cod, Experiential learning is an important part of the week long intensive. Members of the disability community share experiences and insights, pharmacy levitra. Levitra no prescription, Individual student projects involve engaging the lives of individuals with disabilities.

In addition to being executive director of a nonprofit organization serving individuals with developmental disabilities in a variety of community based settings, buy levitra cod, Købe levitra, he and his wife have for the last two decades provided a home for two men with developmental disabilities.

Craig Modahl serves throughout Wisconsin Conference, cheap levitra overnight delivery, having been ordained by the Southeast Association to a disabilities ministries specialty. He is a member of the board of directors of the United Church of Christ Disabilities Ministries (UCC DM), buy levitra cod.

"God also is definitely still speaking at Eden Theological Seminary," Ryan Mathews said when telling about a new course offered at the seminary that will explore injustice, inhumanity, and institutional ableism.

"Disability Justice and Spiritual Health: On the Road to Dismantle Ableism in Faith-Based Practice," will address God’s mission of healing, wholeness and reconciliation in the church and in the world.

Mathews said the primary course goal is the pastoral formation of leadership for communities of faith that practice hospitality, inclusion, mutual interdependence, and right relationship.

"The ability to articulate the relationship between inequity and spiritual loss will be fostered," he said. Buy levitra cod, "Both language and tools will be provided to help in the dismantling of such oppression."

Mathews, a second-year Eden seminarian who also serves on the UCC DM board of directors, noted that one of the co-teachers is a person with a mobility disability.

The course will be taught by the Rev. Dr. Marilyn Stavenger, Eden Professor Emerita of Field Education and the Practice of Ministry and Dr. Karen Hagrup, Assistant Professor, University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Education.

Similar posts: Buy soma no prescription. Buy cialis no prescription. Order cheap cialis online. Order cheap levitra online. Soma over the counter. Buy cialis c.o.d..
Trackbacks from: Buy levitra cod. Buy levitra cod. Buy levitra cod. Buy levitra cod. Buy levitra cod. Buy levitra cod.

Order levitra without prescription, WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Oklahoma OK Okla. , Senator Barbara A. Mikulski today introduced “Rosa’s Law,” a bill that will eliminate the terms “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” from the federal law books, buy levitra from canada. U.S. Senator Michael B, order levitra without prescription. South Dakota SD , Enzi (R-Wyo.), Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Idaho ID , Labor and Pensions Committee, Cheapest levitra, is the Republican sponsor of the bill.

Under Rosa’s Law, those terms would be replaced with “intellectual disability” and “individual with an intellectual disability” in federal education, Tennessee TN Tenn. , health and labor law. Louisiana LA , The bill does not expand or diminish services, rights or educational opportunities. It simply makes the federal law language consistent with that used by the Centers for Disease Control, levitra pills, the World Health Organization and the President of the United States, Buy levitra online without prescription, through his Committee on Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. Order levitra without prescription, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2009

Contact:
Annie Acosta
The Disability Policy Collaboration
(202) 783-2229/ acosta@thedpc.org

The Disability Policy Collaboration Applauds the U.S. Senate’s Introduction of Legislation to Use the Term “Intellectual Disability”

Washington, D.C, buy levitra online. – The Disability Policy Collaboration (DPC), Ordering levitra online, a partnership of The Arc of the United States (The Arc) and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) to advance federal disability public policy, applauds today’s introduction of “Rosa’s Law,” a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S, purchase levitra online. Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Michael Enzi (R-WY). Levitra no prescription, Modeled after a recently enacted law in the state of Maryland, this legislation would substitute the outdated, stigmatizing terms “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” with the terms “intellectual disability” and “individual with an intellectual disability” in federal health, order levitra online without prescription, education and labor policy statutes.

The term “intellectual disability” covers the same population of individuals who were previously diagnosed with the term “mental retardation,” and “mentally retarded.” Therefore, the change in terminology would in no way alter the eligibility requirements for services and supports, order levitra without prescription. Utah UT , “This bill is very important for people with intellectual disabilities who understand that language plays a crucial role in how they are perceived and treated in society and are actively advocating for terminology changes in federal and state laws. ‘Retard,’ ‘retarded’ and ‘retardation, price of levitra,’ once accepted medical terms, Order levitra cod, are now often used to demean and insult people,” stated Peter V. Berns, levitra prices, Chief Executive Officer of The Arc. Purchase levitra, “The Arc believes that changing how we talk about people with disabilities is a critical step in promoting and protecting their basic civil and human rights.”

According to Stephen Bennett, President and CEO, UCP, Køb discount levitra, “By using the term ‘intellectual disability, Ordering levitra without prescription, ’ we expect citizens of the U.S. Order levitra without prescription, and the world to understand and treat people experiencing this condition – whether it is a result of genetics, injury, illness or unknown causes – with dignity and respect. The descriptions of people are very important and imply how we value people, and the Senate’s introduction of ‘Rosa’s Law’ is aligned with the aim of UCP and its nationwide network of affiliates to ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in every facet of society.”

Senator Mikulski’s statement to the U.S, Pennsylvania PA Penn. . Senate upon introduction of the bill is available at: http://mikulski.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=319975&. Alaska AK , While the DPC supports the U.S. Senate’s introduction of Rosa’s Law, it is only the first step in a lengthy process towards enactment, παραγγείλετε online levitra. The Arc and UCP will continue to work together to ensure the bill’s introduction in the U.S, order levitra without prescription. House of Representatives and its progression through the entire legislative process. Buy levitra cheap, About the Disability Policy Collaboration

The Disability Policy Collaboration (DPC) is a partnership of The Arc of the United States (The Arc) and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) to advance federal disability public policy through a merged government affairs office, which combines resources and talent from both organizations. Begun in 2003, the collaboration assures cost-effective performance for its parent organizations, while combining for a more powerful voice for people with disabilities. The DPC leads efforts in mobilizing chapters, affiliates, self-advocates, families and other supporters to become active players in national public policy. Order levitra without prescription, The Arc is the largest community-based nonprofit working through a network of 732 state and local chapters and their members to advocate on behalf of and serve people with intellectual and related developmental disabilities and their families. The Arc works to improve systems of supports and services, connect families, inspire communities, and influence public policy. It is the only organization that supports persons from pre-natal care through end-of-life issues and over 100 diagnoses that may include the effects of intellectual and developmental disabilities, including Autism. For more information, please visit www.thearc.org.
UCP is a leading service provider for adults and children with disabilities. UCP’s mission is to advance the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with disabilities through an affiliate network, and its services reach over 176,000 adults and children daily through its network of approximately 100 affiliates in the U.S., Canada, Scotland and Australia, order levitra without prescription. For more information, please visit www.ucp.org.

# # #

The Disability Policy Collaboration of The Arc and UCP
1660 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 200136
p. 202.783.2229 | f. 202.783.8250

.

Similar posts: Buy cialis cod. Order soma no prescription. Order aricept online cheap. Buy levitra no prescription. Buy cafergot c.o.d.. Buy cafergot cod.
Trackbacks from: Order levitra without prescription. Order levitra without prescription. Order levitra without prescription. Order levitra without prescription. Order levitra without prescription. Order levitra without prescription.

Buy soma no prescription, Strategies for balanced living for parents of children with special needs: www.specialneedsparentcoach.com

Free articles, blogs, teleseminars and other resources are available. Købe soma online. South Dakota SD . αγοράσετε soma έκπτωση. Cheap soma online. Georgia GA Ga. . Arkansas AR Ark. . Oklahoma OK Okla. . Soma over the counter. Delaware DE Del. . Arizona AZ Ariz. . Ostaa halvalla soma. Køb billige soma. Goedkope soma apotheek. Billig kaufen soma. North Carolina NC N.C. . Bestill soma online. Soma generic. Cheap soma online cheap. Ordering soma online. Soma online kopen. Pharmacy soma. Nebraska NE Nebr. . Soma prescription. Colorado CO Colo. . Soma online kaufen.

Similar posts: Buy levitra cod. Buy aricept c.o.d.. Buy levitra c.o.d.. Order aricept. Buy aricept without prescription. Buy levitra online cheap.
Trackbacks from: Buy soma no prescription. Buy soma no prescription. Buy soma no prescription. Buy soma no prescription. Buy soma no prescription. Buy soma no prescription.

Order soma, From the notebook of the Rev. Linda Bigler, soma pharmacy, North Dakota ND , pastor of Humboldt Congregational UCC in Iowa and a member of the United Church of Christ Board of Directors:

September 26, 2009

The Homecoming Court

Homecoming wouldn’t be Homecoming without a King and Queen, ordering soma overnight delivery, Where to buy cheap soma, and Humboldt is no exception of course. Each girl and boy being considered for King or Queen rode in their own convertible in the (Homecoming) parade, New Mexico NM N.Mex. . Buy soma online, Of course they were all dressed to the nines and were having fun waving to all of us along the way.

But our Homecoming Court story made news throughout the state and maybe it will make the national “feel good” news, buy soma, Utah UT , too.

A boy named Brent was one of the candidates for Homecoming King, order soma. Since the day he started school, buy soma c.o.d., Pennsylvania PA Penn. , everyone has loved him: teachers, students, buy soma online, Indiana IN Ind. , coaches – everyone. What makes this story different is that Brent is a Down’s Syndrome child, Wyoming WY Wyo. . Buy soma no rx, His classmates took them under their wing at an early age, protecting him from teasing and other slings and arrows children – and grownups, soma pills. Florida FL Fla. , – with a disability are subjected to. Order soma, Teachers included him in school activities without question. He is on the wrestling team and works out with the football team at his own pace, soma discount. Discount soma, His enthusiasm for school and people and life in general is well known and loved here.

Last night at half-time, αγοράζουν online soma, Cheapest soma, Brent learned that he had been voted Homecoming King. They showed video of it on the news last night, comprare soma sconto. Cheap soma online, The expression of surprise and delight on his face was priceless. And the news comes out of Des Moines here – not some repeater station in the middle of nowhere, kopen goedkope soma. New Hampshire NH N.H. , WHO TV may have the video on their website; so also may KCCI.

O, buy cheap soma online, for a world where even grownups with disabilities could be loved, nurtured, respected, and appreciated like this boy has been.

Similar posts: Order cheap cafergot online. Buy cialis online cheap. Order cheap aricept online. Buy aricept cod. Buy soma c.o.d.. Buy aricept online cheap.
Trackbacks from: Order soma. Order soma. Order soma. Order soma. Order soma. Order soma.

Buy aricept without prescription, Kevin Pettit, a theology student at Iliff Seminary in Denver, has been involved in PHAMALY, the Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artists League (www.phamaly.org) for the last four years.

"I am more proud of this company than almost anything I have done, Kaufen aricept, Farmacia aricept baratos, " he said. Theology is Pettit's second career, Kjøp Discount aricept. Aricept online, His first, as a physics professor, halvalla aricept apteekki, Comprare aricept, was cut short by an accident that caused serious brain damage.

View an ABC's World News Tonight video clip of and commentary on the theatre company's present production, Utah UT , District of Columbia DC D.C. , "The Man of La Mancha," at http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex??id=8327964, buy aricept no rx. Aricept. Washington WA Wash. . Acheter aricept. North Carolina NC N.C. . Kjøpe aricept. Købe aricept online. New Jersey NJ N.J. . Generic aricept. Missouri MO Mo. . Kansas KS Kans. . Cheapest aricept in the world. Kjøpe billig aricept. Aricept farmacia a buon mercato. Buy aricept from canada. Order aricept overnight delivery. Acheter en ligne aricept.

Similar posts: Order cafergot. Buy cheap levitra online. Buy soma cod. Buy cafergot no prescription. Buy cafergot. Cafergot over the counter.
Trackbacks from: Buy aricept without prescription. Buy aricept without prescription. Buy aricept without prescription. Buy aricept without prescription. Buy aricept without prescription. Buy aricept without prescription.

Buy aricept no prescription, The goal of Developmental Delay Resources (DDR) is to integrate conventional and wholistic approaches to learning and behavioral problems. The network hopes to meet the needs of children with developmental delays in sensory, cheap generic aricept, φτηνές φαρμακείο aricept, motor, language, goedkope aricept apotheek, Buy cheap aricept, social and emotional areas.

Visit www.devdelay.org, buy aricept online legally. Generic aricept. Acheter aricept discount. Wisconsin WI Wis. . För aricept online. Texas TX Tex. . Aricept without prescription. Minnesota MN Minn. . Buy aricept online. Cheap aricept without prescription. Aricept prescription. αγοράσετε aricept. Bestill aricept online. Kentucky KY Ky. . Oregon OR Ore. . Aricept prices. Buy aricept online without prescription. Køb billige aricept. Purchase aricept online. Order aricept online cheap. Cheap aricept no prescription.

Similar posts: Buy soma online cheap. Buy cialis cod. Order soma no prescription. Order aricept online cheap. Buy levitra no prescription. Buy cafergot c.o.d..
Trackbacks from: Buy aricept no prescription. Buy aricept no prescription. Buy aricept no prescription. Buy aricept no prescription. Buy aricept no prescription. Buy aricept no prescription.

Aricept over the counter, Below please find excerpts from Timothy Shriver to the Special Olympics movement is with a heavy heart that I write to let you know that my mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, passed away early this morning [August 11, 2009]. Michigan MI Mich. , .... As I write to you, Koop korting aricept, California CA Calif. , her extended family of the Special Olympics movement that she loved so deeply, it is hard not to recognize that [the traits of faith, comprar aricept baratos, Colorado CO Colo. , hope, and love] that sustained her at the time of her death had fulfilled and motivated her throughout her lifetime of advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities -- or as she always said, cheapest aricept prices, Cheap aricept, her "special friends."

Her faith in the athletes of Special Olympics was unfailing, even from the very start, Mississippi MS Miss. . Order aricept cod, When she was young and Special Olympics was still just an idea, few people particularly cared or knew about people with intellectual disabilities, Georgia GA Ga. . North Dakota ND , Fewer still shared or understood her dream to awaken the spirit and denied potential of this forgotten population. And yet, though others could not see, she still believed, conceiving Special Olympics in her heart before she could unveil it on the field of play, aricept over the counter.

She believed that people with intellectual disabilities could - individually and collectively - achieve more than anyone thought possible, aricept online kaufen. Vermont VT Vt. , This much she knew with unbridled faith and certainty. And this faith in turn gave her hope that their future might be radically different, Jotta aricept verkossa. Aricept no prescription, Her faith in them allowed her to hope for an army of supporters - coaches, volunteers, købe aricept, Order aricept, donors, fans - that would emerge and grow and become the foundation upon which a worldwide human rights movement would be built, Om aricept online. Aricept over the counter, It allowed her to envision a world of formerly skeptical people who would witness the accomplishments of our athletes and say "Yes. Buy aricept cheap, I understand!" Hope allowed her to see the invisible, fight for the isolated and achieve the impossible, order aricept. Aricept pharmacy, But mostly, it was her unconditional love for the athletes of Special Olympics that so fulfilled her life, comprare aricept sconto. Køb discount aricept, As Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk and social activist reminded us: "the beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, Osta aricept online, Billiga aricept apotek, and not to twist them to fit our own image, lest we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them."

Her love for the athletes of Special Olympics was always just like that. She never hoped that people with intellectual disabilities should be somehow changed into something they were not. Rather, she fought throughout her life to ensure that they would be allowed to reach their full potential so that we might in turn be changed by them, forced to recognize our own false assumptions and their inherent gifts, aricept over the counter.

She fought the good fight, she kept the faith, and though she knew the race for equality was not finished, she knew that the army of supporters she had hoped for long ago had become a reality that would carry and someday complete her vision. On her behalf, as we prepare to say our last goodbyes, my family and I thank you for your shared commitment to that dream.

My family and I would be proud and honored if you would take some time to learn more about her life, share your own remembrances about her, and read the remembrances of others at a website that was recently established to honor her legacy, www.EuniceKennedyShriver.org. In the spirit of her hope that everyone would share in the power of Special Olympics, I hope you'll not only read and contribute to the site, but share it with friends.

With great appreciation,

https://www.kintera.com/accounttempfiles/account402023/images/tim.jpg

Timothy P. Shriver
Chairman & CEO
Special Olympics

From the Committee on Disabilities - National Council of Churches, USA. nccusa.org

For more, search Shriver at uccdm.org

.

Similar posts: Buy cafergot cod. Buy soma. Buy levitra cod. Buy aricept c.o.d.. Buy levitra c.o.d.. Order aricept.
Trackbacks from: Aricept over the counter. Aricept over the counter. Aricept over the counter. Aricept over the counter. Aricept over the counter. Aricept over the counter.

Order cafergot without prescription, The AJIDD is targeted for researchers, clinicians, practitioners, students, and other professionals in intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Read more about the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (aaidd) at www.aaidd.allenpress.com/, Idaho ID . Order cafergot online. Buy cafergot online. Cafergot prescription. Buy cafergot without prescription. Buy cafergot online cheap. California CA Calif. . Massachusetts MA Mass. . Cafergot farmacia a buon mercato. Order cafergot pills. Cafergot. Acquistare a buon mercato cafergot. αγοράζουν φτηνά cafergot. Nevada NV Nev. . Ohio OH . Order cafergot without prescription. Cheap cafergot online without prescription. Cheap cafergot from canada. Buy cafergot. Købe cafergot online. Cafergot cheap. Bestill cafergot online. Kansas KS Kans. . Osta cafergot online. Comprare cafergot sconto.

Similar posts: Buy cialis online cheap. Order soma. Order cheap aricept online. Buy aricept cod. Buy soma c.o.d.. Buy aricept online cheap.
Trackbacks from: Order cafergot without prescription. Order cafergot without prescription. Order cafergot without prescription. Order cafergot without prescription. Order cafergot without prescription. Order cafergot without prescription.

Written by Barbara J. Newman This book gives teachers practical tips for helping students welcome kids who have disabilities into their classes at church or at school. Children with special needs are part of God's family. This book gives you practical tips for helping students welcome kids who have disabilities into their classes at church or at school. Chapters address specific conditions such as autism, visual and hearing impairments, emotional impairments, learning disabilities, language disorders, AD/HD, and much more. Also included are guidelines for churches, sample lesson plans, and devotions for families. Publisher: CRC Pubns (June 1, 2001) Also by Newman:

Autism and Your Church

More at Friendship Ministries Website: http://www.friendship.org.

Written by Barbara J. Newman This unique resource will help your church to embrace people with autism into the full life of your congregation. Autism has evolved from an unfamiliar term to an everyday reality for millions of people. Bookstore shelves are filled with resources that address how Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) affect children and adults at school, work, and home. But what about the church? What about your church? How can it become a welcoming place for individuals and families affected by ASD? This resource offers practical ways to welcome and include individuals with ASD into the full life of your congregation. It will enable your church to appreciate those with ASD as persons created in God’s image learn about five specific disorders included in ASD discover ten strategies for including people with ASD develop an action plan for ongoing ministry. Publisher: Faith Alive Christian Resource & Friendship Ministries (May 9, 2006) Also by Newman:

Helping Kids Include Kids with Disabilities

More at Friendship Ministries Website: http://www.friendship.org

Visit http://www.prayingwithLior.co/clergy.html for reviews of this DVD about an inclusive community and the religious coming of age of a young man with Down's syndrome. Ilana Tractman, producer and director

"On a typical Monday morning at an atypical high school, teenage boys yanked open the glass doors to the First Baptist Church of Decatur, Ga. Half-awake, iPod wires curling from their ears, their backpacks unbuckled and their jeans baggy, the guys headed for the elevator. Arriving at Morning Meeting in the third-floor conference room, Stephen, his face hidden under long black bangs, dropped into a chair, sprawled across the table and went back to sleep. The Community School, or T.C.S., is a small private school for teenage boys with autism or related disorders. Sleep disturbances are common in this student body of 10, so a boy’s staggering need for sleep is respected. Nick Boswell, a tall fellow with thick sideburns, arrived and began his usual pacing along the windows that overlook the church parking lot and baseball diamond. Edwick, with spiky brown hair and a few black whiskers, tumbled backward with a splat into a beanbag chair on the floor." Read the full article by Melissa Fay Greene at www.nytimes.com, it is necessary to register (free) on www.nytimes.com. Search Melissa Fay Greene or Reaching an Autistic Teenager Publication date October 17, 2008

November 29th, 2007

There is something really special going on in our midst, something that might easier happen in a small church than in a larger one. This is the confirmation class for Walter Boyles.

Walter is an autistic child on the low functioning side of the spectrum. He is almost non-verbal and has a number of mannerisms. He also has a warm smile, a deep sense of belonging to our church, great parents, and quite a network of supporters within our church family. Now he has reached confirmation age. But what does one teach a young person in Walter’s condition? There are no special needs confirmation class curriculums for Walter’s level. Walter’s mother, Sandy, and I knew only one thing: We would not want to pursue Walter’s confirmation just for the sake of the ritual. The Elders of the church supported us in this. Early on, they expressed concern that the curriculum for Walter would not just establish requirements for Walter to pass. This would contradict our understanding of God’s grace. Instead, the Board of Elders wished for a curriculum that focused on Walter’s potential for learning and growth in the faith. Back in 2005, this sounded well intended but also very ambitious. However, before we knew it, we received help from two great sources. The library of the Boggs Center at the University of Medicine and Dentistry in New Jersey provided sample curriculums for higher functioning children. Rev. Bill Gaventa, the leader of the Boggs Center, helped us compile a list of learning goals and objectives. This was then reviewed by a member of our church, Heather Epstein, and her husband, Dan. Both are special education teachers and fluent in a teaching approach called Discrete Trial. Finally, Heather and Dan translated the curriculum into the language of Discrete Trial. Thanks to their work, we soon had four lessons divided in numerous sessions, all compiled in a thick three-ring binder with spreadsheets. Each session contains learning tasks broken down into sequences of ten trials each. The outcome of each trial is recorded on  a spreadsheet. This makes success measurable.           Walter has made tremendous progress in these sessions. Since May, 2007, he has learned the following: 1. To go alone from Fellowship Hall to the sanctuary when prompted. 2. To recognize the cross as a special object. 3. To distinguish our pew Bibles from other books. 4. To recognize us pastors. 5. To sing the Gloria Patri together with others. One of the most exciting features of Walter’s confirmation class is the involvement of other church members. Some have served as distracters to help Walter distinguish between a pastor and a layperson. Our seminary professors, John Coakley and David Waanders, have served in addition to Susan and me as robed pastors during our sessions. This has helped Walter realize that there are many pastors. Other church members have helped teaching a particular trial session or filling in the spreadsheets. We teach twice a week, Friday evenings at our home in Jamesburg, and Sunday mornings before church. Come spring, we will celebrate Walter’s confirmation. By that time, it will be a feast for our entire church family because so many of us have taken part in these classes. What a powerful manifestation of God’s love this is. Thank you, First Church!    

Dr. Rev. Hartmut Kramer-Mills

Since 2000 he and his wife serve the First Reformed Church in New Brunswick, New Jersey, as co-pastors.

Camp of the Heart at Hartman Center A United Church of Christ Conference, Camp and Retreat Center Milroy, Pennsylvania My name is Kara Druckenmiller. I’ve been a special education teacher for four years. During college, I worked at Hartman Center as a counselor and met a family that had several children, one of whom was autistic and mildly mentally retarded. He always wanted to stay when his brother and sister came to camp, but never could. It was my inspiration and motivation to try and make it so he could come to camp. So three years ago this summer, I started the first summer camp at Hartman Center for special needs individuals from ages seven to adult. The campers had various disabilities including autism, Down’s syndrome, mental retardation, some physical handicaps and other various disorders. The maximum number of campers was 12. Campers were allowed to bring a family member or caretaker if they wished. If not we had volunteers, enough for one-to-one companionship. We also had our own nurse who went everywhere with the camp. We stayed in a handicap-accessible building, where we slept, had Bible/study time and sang songs. We went to the dining hall, which is accessible, to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with the other campers from various other themed camps, that is, hiking camp, junior camp, junior high camp and family camp. We also went fishing. To get out to the pond, which is quite a distance, some of the campers walked, while others were driven in the camp’s golf cart. We went on hayrides. We swam, did crafts, participated in the talent show, cookout, had campfires, played games and enjoyed many other activities. Bible studies included a scavenger hunt looking for various nature things: flower, sticks, pine cone, rock, etc. We then talked about how these items represent God and how we could see God and Jesus in nature. Campers, volunteers, camp staff and other campers from other camps involved with Camp of the Heart have said how much it has changed them, how much fun they had and how rejuvenated they felt in mind and spirit after camp. This camp is rewarding for those who are involved. Camp of the Heart is the perfect name for it because the camp is just that. Everybody shares a piece of their hearts, as well as a piece of God because God shines through us all. Campers have returned consecutive years. More and more interest is being gained to join Camp of the Heart. What an awesome ministry for the campers and for the volunteers.

"New Developments: New Angles on Developmental Delays" is a newsletter published by Developmental Delay Resources, a resource network integrating conventional and holistic approaches. Volume 14, Number 1, Fall, 2008 Newsletter Contents Wisconsin Integrative Hyperbarics Center .......Page 1 Executive Director’s Column................................Page 2 Today’s Warriors: Dan Millman and Jenny McCarthy News and Comments.............................................Page 3 Education..................................................................Page 4 The Power of Silence in the Classroom Diet............................................................................Page 5 Twinkie, Deconstructed Motor........................................................................Page 6 Spelling, Movement, and Vision Nutrition...................................................................Page 7 The Mighty Mitochondria Revisited Upcoming Events....................................................Page 8 Visit www.devdelay.org

A new interfaith resource guide on autism is available for congregations, clergy and families. Title: Autism and Faith: A Journey into Community The guide provides an introductory, empowering resource for use by clergy, religious educators, and families to develop inclusive spiritual supports for children and adults with autism and their families and recognize the unique gifts that congregations and people with autism can offer to one another. The fifty-two page guide for including individuals with autism in faith communities was developed by The Autism and Faith Task Force of The Boggs Center and The Center for Outreach and Services to the Autism Community (COSAC) with funding from The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation. The Task Force worked for more than two years collecting stories and experiences from families, best practices and strategies from clergy and human service professionals, and resources from around the country. The guide features more than fifteen short articles written by clergy, parents, professional experts on autism, religious educators and people with autism, illustrated by numerous sidebar stories and examples from families who shared their experiences, both positive and negative, with their own faith communities in New Jersey. It is interfaith, including examples from Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Muslim communities. The guide is edited by Mary Beth Walsh, PhD, Alice Walsh, MDiv, and Bill Gaventa, MDiv. Dr. Walsh is Roman Catholic and a graduate of Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY. Rev. Walsh is United Methodist, and a graduate of Drew Theological School, Madison, NJ. Both are parents of children with autism. Rev. Bill Gaventa is associate professor of Pediatrics and director of Community and Congregational Supports at The Boggs Center, and editor of the Journal of Religion, Disability, and Health. The editors were assisted by an interfaith editorial review committee, copy editor staff at The Boggs Center and COSAC, and members of The Autism and Faith Task Force. The guide is expected to be available at the COSAC conference in May. It will be disseminated to faith groups, families, and disability organizations in New Jersey for free and to anyone outside New Jersey for a nominal fee of $5. Ordering information will be available on The Boggs Center’s web site at http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter. For more information, please contact Rev. Bill Gaventa, director of Community and Congregational Supports at The Boggs Center, 732-235-9304 or email billgaventa@umdnj.edu<../../RisleyRE/Local%20Settings/Temp/bill.gaventa@umdnj.edu>. Visit The Boggs Center website at http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/boggscenter or call 732-235-9317.

A request has come to UCC Disabilities Ministries for resources for children with autism, aspergers and adhd. The inquiry is focused on confirmation material. Our experience has been to tailor a course in basic content to the individual as each youth has specific gifts of understanding. Much depth can come with simplicity. Meet your young person where he/she is in understanding. Persons who wish to share what they have done in preparing youths for confirmation are invited to make a comment and/or contact the webmaster if you have notes or other resources that can be put on the website. I worked individually with a young woman who was in a similar situation after brain surgery. For us, it worked to be together 15 minutes at a time. Those minutes were focused on one topic to help her to concentrate. She responded well to art and concrete forms of symbols. We went through the basic material of confirmation in short form but enough so that she could connect and have a level of understanding appropriate for her. I believe that God does not require a test but comes to us with open-armed invitation. As a young child, I was allowed to grow in my understanding of Holy Communion at my own pace. What I remember clearly today about this experience was the loving hands that carefully lowered the plate of bread and held the container of juice cups as they were passed in the pews. My family was busy in the choir and at the organ bench so I sat "at home" anywhere and with anyone in our church. I did not grasp the fine points of symbolism but you can be certain that I caught the essence of the act and the holiness of the moment. I was included without reservation in the family of God. db

This article raises an important question. It is not designed to give "The" answer, but to encourage discussion around a very real and growing issue we as people with disabilities and society face today.   What is Normal? Recently, while wandering through my local grocery, I turned the corner, heading up the cereal aisle. I had no more walked ten feet when I caught the attention of a stranger--a young man in his mid-twenties--walking toward me. Upon seeing me, his face lit up and a smile spread from ear to ear. I smiled in return, his pace quickened and he marched straight over to me and with a welcoming voice said, "Hello, how are you?" I stopped, we exchanged a few friendly words and then after a hardy “goodbye,” he moved on to greet the next person similarly. Within a moment, an elderly couple followed, keeping an eye on the young man who, I quickly surmised was their son. The grinning mother said, "He's very friendly!" I laughed, that was an understatement! I stood there silent for a moment, my spirit energized by this unusual and yet most human of encounters. This young man was very different from me as I don't normally greet the strangers I meet each day in such a friendly and familiar manner. His congenial nature was heartwarming and he seemed to have a sincere appreciation for other people simply because they were - well - people. This man was, simply stated, better than I. Oh, he was different; he had Down syndrome but as a human being, he was still better than I. He loved without reservation or condition; he did not judge others based on what they looked like or what they were wearing; he understood the gift of human touch and kindness and was ready to share this gift with everyone he could. He was not the least bit self-conscious much less self-absorbed. There was no guile in this man. He was far closer to innocence than those of us who are "normal." I thought about that young man as I read that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has begun recommending broader prenatal testing for Down syndrome among younger pregnant women. As Joni Eareckson Tada recently reported in World Magazine, "Up until this year, they recommended that only older women who were pregnant be tested. But now, all mothers-to-be are routinely tested. The results? Over 90 percent of pregnant women who are given a Down syndrome diagnosis choose to have an abortion." That's right, 90 percent of children diagnosed in the womb with Down syndrome are being killed before they can be born. There is a subtle and sinister shift underway in our culture that is redefining the basis of human dignity and what it means to be human. The Judeo-Christian basis for human dignity rests on the belief that since all men are created by and equidistant from God they are therefore of equal worth before God. Gilbert Meilaender, the Duesenberg Chair in Theological Ethics at Valparaiso University and member of the President's Council on Bioethics adds, "We are equal to each other, whatever our distinctions in excellence of various sorts, precisely because none of us is the 'maker' of another one of us. We have all received our life--equally--as a gift from the Creator." However, this aforementioned "shift" in thinking seeks to establish a new basis for human dignity that is cut off from this theological and religious foundation. Secular society still seeks to uphold human dignity, however set adrift from its religious moorings there follows a serious crisis in the structure of society's beliefs and its ability to uphold an equitable and true basis for human dignity. Under the new scheme, human dignity seems to inevitably rest on a "comparative" basis. Meilaender points out that this comparative basis does not see human dignity as a democratic idea equally applied to all but rather "it directs us to speak in terms of worthiness, honor, and nobility: In all its meanings it is a term of distinction. ... In principle, it is aristocratic." While there is no doubt that some excel above others in areas of performance and potential, these are distinctions of human excellence not human dignity. Under the comparative basis, full dignity depends on the extent to which one realizes [or is able to realize] their potential for human excellence. The biblical basis is "non-comparative" and egalitarian. This brings us back to those infants diagnosed prenatally with Down syndrome. Using the comparative basis for human dignity; those with Down syndrome are obviously limited in their ability to achieve excellence in some areas of performance and potential. The result? These children are not afforded full human dignity and thus the decision to terminate their lives is justified. You may be tempted to think that this is all very philosophical and has little to do with you personally. Not true. If you are a follower of Christ, then there is the matter of truth, which you and I are bound to assert and defend. The truth revealed to us in Scripture gives us insight into what it means to be human--a creation of God for God. Knowing this we can then assert and demonstrate an egalitarian basis for life and human dignity that affords proper care and consideration to all human beings including those with disabilities, either congenital or otherwise. On a practical note, if these comparative distinctions become the consensus then you yourself may become the victim of such thinking when you grow old and your "potential" is exhausted. Finally, Meileander offers this, "In a speech of 1858, Abraham Lincoln, while granting many human inequalities, also captured something of the problem we have with an inegalitarian concept of dignity: 'I have said that I do not understand the Declaration of Independence to mean that all men were created equal in all respects.... But I suppose that it does mean to declare that all men are equal in some respects; they are equal in their right to 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'" Lincoln went on to acknowledge that many may think the black man inferior, when speaking comparatively in 1858, however, in defiance of the prevailing culture he rejected this basis saying, "He is the equal of every other man, white or black!" Using the biblical basis for human dignity, human slavery could be both opposed and successfully abolished on reasonable grounds. Conversely, using the secular basis for human dignity, abortion on demand became accepted and codified, the imperfect are being denied their right to life, and soon the aged and infirmed will be put to death when their potential for human "excellence" has diminished. My life was enriched by my encounter with this young man with Down syndrome. My life has also been made much better and far richer with the birth of my precious daughter, Madeleine who was born with Moebius syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that renders her face paralyzed, her sight and speech affected. As her father, I challenge anyone to lessen her human dignity; as a follower of Christ, I will assert and defend the truth of human dignity whenever and wherever I can. "Probably the most truly handicapped people on earth are those who imagine themselves free of any limitation--mentors for a new race of supermen." - Steve Talbott, Devices of the Soul: Battling for Our Selves in the Age of Machines Michael Craven Author and Speaker Founding Director of the Center for Christ & Culture What is Normal?

Down's Syndrome By Amy Harmon DETROIT, MI Sarah Itoh, a self-described "almost-eleven-and-a- half," betrayed no trace of nervousness as she told a roomful of genetic counselors and obstetricians about herself one recent afternoon. She likes to read, she said. Math used to be hard, but it is getting easier. She plays clarinet in her school band. She is a junior girl scout and an aunt, and she likes to organize so her room is very clean. Last year, she won three medals in the Special Olympics. "I am so lucky I get to do so many things," she concluded. "I just want you to know, even though I have Down syndrome, it is O.K." Sarah's appearance at Henry Ford Hospital here is part of an unusual campaign being undertaken by parents of children with Down syndrome who worry about their future in the face of broader prenatal testing that could sharply reduce the number of those born with the genetic condition. To read entire article, go to http://www.aapd.com/News/bioethics/070510nyt.htm Source: New York Times

Down' Syndrome By Amy Harmon SARAHLYNN LESTER, 32, considers herself a supporter of abortion rights. She gives money to the National Abortion Rights Action League and volunteers for Planned Parenthood. But as a woman who continued a pregnancy after learning that her child would have Down syndrome, she also has beliefs about the ethics of choosing, or not choosing, certain kinds of children. To read the entire article, go to http://www.aapd.com/News/bioethics/070514nyt.htm. Source: New York Times ________________________________________________________________ For more bioethical news issues, see: http://www.aapd.com/News/bioethics/indexbioethics.php

copyright by Bruce Ritchie 1997 Don't ask my child to fly, for he has not wings. Don't ask my child to see the glint on the eagle's beak, for his vision has been diminished. Don't ask my child to remain calm amid the din, for her ability to screen out the noises has been taken away. Don't ask my child to be careful with "strangers", for he is affectionate with everyone and prey for the unscrupulous. Don't ask my child to "settle down", for the clock which works for you and me, does not exist for her. Don't ask my child to not play with the toys of others, for he has no concept of property. Don't ask my child to remember you tomorrow, although you met today. Don't ask my child to heal your wounds, for her hands cannot hold a scalpel or sutures. Don't ask my child to meet the challenges set by society, for you have denied her the tools. Don't ask my child to forgive you for standing idly by, while he was in trouble in his mother's womb, for he will, but He may not. http://www.acbr.com/fas/dontask.htm 9/12/03 Posted here without prior permission.

This Manual for Congregations from Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services is an 80-page resource for congregations planning the development of disability ministries. The construction-theme manual contains chapters on developing a vision, recruiting leadership and volunteers, community evangelism/marketing, teacher training and a "toolbox" of assessments, evaluations forms and other helpful items. See http://www.blhs.org/resources/spiritualResources/catalog/item.asp?item=Building%20a%20Developmental%20Disability%20Ministry%3A%20A%20Manual%20for%20Congregations.

She Said: Haddayr Copley-Woods on parenting a special needs child There are days when I think I am completely unable to cope. I suppose every parent comes to this realization at some point. That's when those who don't believe in spanking find themselves smacking a bottom, the ones who went through years of yoga connecting with their inner centeredness start screaming until their lungs hurt. Or, if you're lucky, it's the moment the kids have finally stopped whining for a drink of water or demanding another story and you can stumble downstairs and stare at the sink full of dirty dishes and pour yourself a large, stiff drink instead. My most recent realization that I could not cope came last Tuesday when my son Arie's therapist sat my husband Jan and I down and firmly but gently presented the evidence that Arie not only has Tourette Syndrome (he was diagnosed last January), but also Asperger Disorder. The diagnosis wasn't terribly surprising. I have several friends who are Aspies, and I have read about it. I pay close attention to my children, and I am smarter than your average bear. But when it was confirmed by a professional, I mentally curled up into a tiny ball and started babbling. I was amazed to hear myself saying calmly: Yes, I'm not surprised; we were expecting something like this. I watched my hand patting my husband's knee consolingly. It's not like it's cancer, I said. There are times (when Arie is flailing, shrieking, hissing and spitting in public because his sleeves have become slightly twisted inside of his coat) I wish I had a T-shirt for all who stare disapprovingly in my direction: "My child has Asperger's, Tourette's and Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors with just a dash of ADHD," it might read. Or, more simply and more to the point: "F... y..." I've been having a lot of these "f...-y.." moments lately, and in the strangest places: at work where a colleague talks about how his vacation was ruined, simply ruined, by the bad weather and all they could do was sit in the child-free cabin, reading and sleeping. On the phone with the parent of a neurotypical kid who, on a whim, let her stay up late to watch a movie. At parties where people tell me they've read about Asperger's and Tourette's and it isn't all that bad, really-or conversely, perhaps your son should be in a special school? Oh, how awful, I say, or: How nice for you, or: Yes, I've read that, or: No; kids like mine are mainstreamed. Instead of: Stop whining, or: Well bloody good for you. Because I'm a Minnesotan. We don't say that to people. Since news of Arie's additional diagnosis hit, an astonishing number of people have said: "I can't think of anyone who is better equipped to handle this-Arie is lucky to have parents like you." This makes me laugh out loud. What do I look like from the outside, I wonder, besides a little too thin for Minnesota tastes, freckled and harried? I must look strong, flexible, tough, kind or perhaps creative. But inside, I am none of those things. I am so tired of schlepping Arie from one appointment to the next that when they say to me brightly: "We have so many interventions that will help Arie and you're lucky to have a diagnosis at such an early age!" I want to wail: "He's already getting three interventions a week!" I feel helpless, stunned, exhausted, overwhelmed and incompetent most of the time. But I can do one thing no one else can: I can love my son. Jan and I can stand there and talk to principals who rear backwards as if they've been bitten when we say "Tourette's," and we can love our son far, far more than others fear him. And we can hold up our weary hands to fight for him, or (and we have been enormously blessed in this regard) shake hands with people who want to help him almost as much as we do. We can learn from him and about him, and apologize when we lose our tempers, dispense hugs and kisses, and then we can put our heads down and slog ahead some more. Why anyone thinks that we are uniquely suited for this task is beyond me-we are plain, ordinary parents. He is ours, we are his, and that will have to be enough for now. Haddayr Copley-Woods is a mom and writer living in Powderhorn Park. FFI: Asperger Disorder www.asperger.org Tourette's Syndrome www.tsa-usa.org

In January 2008, the Chicago Theological Seminary will be offering a course by Craig Modahl called “Theology, Ministry and People with Developmental Disabilities.” This course will explore the multiple issues facing people with developmental disabilities. Central to the course will be the implications for ministry on the part of religious leaders and their communities. For more, visit Craig's Comments (#6) on Seminaries and Seminarians in the Networking category of this web site.

"Snapshots" of the Adventures In Community Camp, Outdoor Ministries shared by the Disciples of Christ and the United Church of Christ in Burwell, Nebraska. Camp chaplain, Rev. Bob Brauninger, admires the rapport between particularly challenging campers and companion camper Jeannette Blaser. "Jeannette is good at sensing the fine line between doing something for someone and knowing when they can do it for themselves." "Developmentally challenged persons do not come with a recipe card," the retired school teacher/superintendent from Columbus says. "We try this and we try that. Each one is special, a person first." She mentions a man from her cabin. "Neat as a pin. Everything had to be right. His parents had planned his life. By camp's end, he was really opening up. When I asked if he was coming back, he said, `Are you going to be here?' I said, "Next year, try tubing.'" Bob appreciates the honesty of campers' feelings about themselves and the rest of the world. Despite all that has happened to them, most feel secure that God is, and that God is watching over them. Some lack verbal capacity to reflect on scripture, others can. All get involved with their own faith through cabin group conversation at devotions and vespers. He admires the tenacity of campers despite the challenges confronting them, particularly when physical and developmental difficulties are combined. "Some have a hard time walking as well as a hard time figuring out what to do. Their determination often results in accomplishing what they set out to do." He prized the perseverance, understanding, and accepting attitude of one camper-very slow to form his thoughts. When he was ready, people listened and respected him. "Through the years as his physical challenges increased, I learned to understand their power. As much as we both wanted him to participate, we had to find a more comfortable participation level. Once, I asked what in his life allows him to just get up and keep going after each time he falls? He said, "God walks with me. I'll just keep going and be all right."' Judie Luther, Conference/Regional Minister for Outdoor and Youth Ministries, sees AIC challenging campers to walk and do out-of-doors things they normally would not do - tubing, canoeing, time with farm animals. A camper who manages the task of eating feels much better than if someone else assumes that she needs assistance and takes over for her. Another, who cannot speak clearly, is invited to share what is on his mind. He appreciates and grows from that. The camp dance gives some who stumble when walking another chance at self-expression. Joyful in the love campers have for the camp, each other, and the leadership, Judie also recognizes AIC as a fine alternative camping opportunity for companions who give something of themselves. Campers range in age from 18 to 70 and can manage personal needs. About 75 are returnees. "Their able-bodied, companion campers need not be athletic," Judie says: "Older high school student aids; university students from developmental classes, and retirees, some in their early 70s, find themselves patient companions who are interested in understanding what this person is all about and what that person's challenges are." For art show entries or questions, contact Dee. Please inform her about artwork, poetry, sculpture, or a reflective paragraph from anyone acquainted with disabilities. Entries will be considered for an Annual Meeting display that will increase awareness and understanding. - db Reading the Signs columns are Can-do Forums about accessibility for the whole church family shared by the Nebraska Conference for your use.

Kamp Kaleo is the United Church of Christ Nebraska Conference/the Disciples of Christ Regional Outdoor Ministry Facility in Burwell, Nebraska.

Developmentally challenged persons do not come with a recipe card. We try this, we try that. Treat Adventures campers as you do everybody else, according to abilities.” – Jeannette Blaser First, God is somebody who accepts and affirms us. It is okay to have limitations. – Jeanne Tyler I admire AIC camper tenacity. Most believe that God is and that God is taking care of them. –Bob Brauninger We get bogged down. They put things into perspective. AIC campers show us how to experience our world freely. –Ruth Albrecht I see joy in their love for camp, each other, and the leadership. -Judie Luther

The first camp of the Kamp Kaleo season is Adventures in Community (AIC). Its name, coined by Carl Burkhardt, a Disciples of Christ pastor, reflects the spirit of the thriving 25-year-old camp in the Nebraska Conference UCC/DOC outdoor ministry program near Burwell. Camp wisdom encourages local churches to offer the ministry of community from, for, and with developmentally challenged persons. AIC campers feel welcome. Companion campers from our churches are not as interested in structuring campers’ lives as in doing things with them. With two or three campers to one companion, all play together as family. Except for morning watch, which the chaplain does within several small groups, they follow regular camp schedule. Highlights include a sack lunch at the fish hatchery, contact with farm animals, fishing, crafts, skit night, and “The Dance.” The companion campers enjoy a chance to help someone else so the camp has a mission project. “Campers learn that God is love by the love that is shown by others,” said Alice Ulch. “Bob Essig is always around. The guys love to go fishing at the lagoon with this caring and gentle man.” A blind woman in Alice’s cabin was strong-minded enough to tell her how to guide. At first she tried to guide by arm then found she could guide by speech. The woman’s glow while explaining how she uses her cane changed camp attitude. “When somebody does something good, everybody is happy about it,” said Ulch. “Everything relating to God is tender and generic,” said Bob Brauninger, chaplain at the first of two, four-day sessions. What he notices each camper can do enters his prayers. “Campers teach us that God enables us to find a way to get through and to find meaning in the process of our imperfections,” he continued. AIC wisdom translates to local church ministry with developmentally disabled folk. Practice the art of accepting, befriending, and meeting others where they are without placing too many demands. Schoolteachers, trained to adapt to individual levels, can help in leader training. Involved with AIC from its genesis, Gwen Hurst-Anderson recalls a counselor who spent most of the camp patiently feeding “Marilyn.” Coming late one noon, she found Marilyn feeding herself. “We had difficulty understanding her speech,” said Gwen, “but figured out she was telling us it was easier (and more fun) to have the counselor feed her! Marilyn taught us not to underestimate campers’ abilities and to ask first what they need.” Part of AIC success is camper selection. Those whom the camp fits best can get the most out of it. “You never really know until the next year the impact you made,” said Jeanette Blaser, retired school administrator. “That same person you wondered if even cared they were here, returns, gives you a big hug, and says, ‘I couldn’t wait to get back.’” AIC’s outreach brings companions not ordinarily at Kaleo. “The local church’s mission,” said Judie Luther, Conference regional outdoor ministries and youth minister, “is to send a companion as well as pay tuition.” “What we do best at this camp is create and nurture community and friendship among people we might never meet otherwise,” said chaplain Jeanne Tyler. “In community with each other, we experience strength that emerges from our prayers and songs, we know acceptance that comes from knowledge, and we know compassion that longs for justice. “The power of community lies in its capacity to hold trust dear and to offer wholeness and holiness. Instead of a sign of weakness, helping one another becomes a way of life, a pilgrimage to wholeness/holiness. The whole of the community becomes that which is holy.” From UCC DM Newsletter Archive, written by Dee Brauninger

The Disabilities Ministries Awards Luncheon provided the occasion to honor leaders in disabilities ministries, Van Brandt, Janet Fadley, and Robert DeBlois. Van Brandt of Worthington, OH was honored along with a rich network of family and wider church that recognizes his gifts, a network comprising the Ohio Conference, Southeast Association, Dublin Community UCC, the former United Church Boards for Homeland Ministries (UCBHM) and World Ministries (UCBWM), and parents Bill and Laura and family. Born with Down syndrome, Van Brandt served in 1981-82 as a volunteer missionary for the former UCBWM in Japan and the Philippines. He was an example to Philippine families with Down syndrome children who spoke publicly of their needs for the first time. In Japan Van challenged perspectives and raised understanding of human dignity for the Japanese, many of whom had believed persons, like Van, had no value. Van served on the Building and Grounds Committee of Dublin Community Church and attended Ohio Conference Lay Ministry training weekends, especially weekends centered on ministries of persons with disabilities. Van has volunteered at General Synods. Van, with his distinctive contributions, was recognized as a true disciple among us. The Ohio Conference is a true witness among us for being a catalyst, recognizing Van's gifts and calling them into service within the UCC. Van read a very meaningful poem at the luncheon that he had written. Honoree Janet Fadley who is a member of North Congregational Church UCC, Columbus, OH, was introduced with these words by Jeanne Tyler (NE), UCCDM Co-Chair: "You, Jan, are a woman of great courage and great persistence who has created a present different from her past. Hope is an awesome gift because we cannot really plan; we can only go on faith. Nevertheless, hope opens up the future to life." Despite severe financial limitations, a profound hearing loss, times of depression, and the impact of an abusive marriage, Jan Fadley summoned the courage to move to a new community and worked her way out of poverty. She has obtained an undergraduate degree and is now working toward a Master's degree in community services. She works at the North Central Mental Health Services as a caseworker. From experience and study, Jan understands the ingredients for a mentally healthy life. Jan's pastor nominated her for her contributions as a VISTA worker with the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill as the Coordinator of Project Religious Outreach. Jan responded, "It is the little things that give us that hope to hang on, little things like a dog and a hearing aid. I aim to focus on people's abilities not what they or others think they cannot do." Acting both as a mentor and as mental health case worker, Jan said, "It is the being that I am that seems to be the most help to other people in their own living. What you see and what you do is bigger than the words you say." Honored in absentia was Robert DeBlois, an active member of the Seekonk Congregational Church of Seekonk, Massachusetts, part of the Rhode Island Conference. Robert is founder and director/principal of the Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program (UCAP), an alternative school for at-risk youth in the Providence area. Because of the high success rate of UCAP students, Robert has been named outstanding principal of the year for Rhode Island. During college, Robert sustained a spinal chord injury. Robert is mobile by wheelchair but is unable to use his legs and arms. Outspoken advocate for inclusivity issues at the Seekonk Congregational Church (MA) and gifted educator, Rob sent this response that was read at the luncheon: "Like many in this room, my physical condition has helped me realize that a handicap does not need to be a barrier to happiness. Likewise, having a handicap does not mean that one cannot contribute to the well being and happiness of others. All of us need the help of others. I have been able to play a small role in helping others. As a result, my disability is not a tragedy or a definition of who I am. It's mainly just an inconvenience." The three Awards Luncheon honorees were affirmed in these words from Rita Fiero (CT), UCCDM Co-Chair: "When we read the stories of award nominees, we see how far we have come, how much has been done, and how many are out there doing the Lord's work in disabilities ministries. That tells us why we still do it and why we invite the church to enjoy our gifts and celebrate our gifts as we celebrate theirs." From DM Newsletter Archive

Editors Note: Although the following article by Henry Reiff focuses particularly on persons with learning disabilities, it is a helpful contribution to our understanding of all persons who have disabilities.) Although much of my training 25 years ago as a special educator had a decidedly pathological orientation, we focused on all the problems kids with handicaps had. It was as though a handicap was some kind of disease and we would learn how to cure it, or, perhaps, help the patient cope better with symptoms. This all sounds like ancient history, and quite patronizing if not downright degrading. Of course, times have changed. We no longer speak of "the handicapped.' We reject the term handicapped as pejorative (it literally stems from a time when persons with disabilities had to beg in the street with "cap in hand"), preferring disability because it has a specific focus on functionality. We don't say "disabled persons." It's the person first, who happens to have a disability, so we refer to persons with disabilities. The public school system has moved from main-streaming (where the handicapped had to earn their way into spending sometime with "normal" children) to embracing inclusion (where students with and without disabilities share the same classrooms, activities, and teachers). In 1990 President Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. Taking his cue from events in Eastern Europe, he welcomed persons with disabilities into the mainstream of American society by proclaiming, "Let the shameful wall of exclusion come tumbling down." Clearly a great deal has changed in the last 25 years. Yet in spite of major legislative, educational, and social advances, I believe we still view persons with disabilities as broken entities in need of fixing. Take a look at virtually any introductory text in special education. Most of the content focuses on all the educational deficits associated with or caused by disabilities. Spend some time talking to teachers who work with students with disabilities. They tell you about all the things with which those students have problems, how far behind they are, how much extra time and effort it takes to work with them, and how it is often unfair to the "normal" kids to have them in the same classroom. Although the ADA has improved employment opportunities and overall access for people with disabilities, many employers still doubt that an individual with a disability is as capable of making the same contribution as a person without a disability. Furthermore, it's not unusual to hear someone grousing that a ramp or a designated parking place is some kind of special privilege. Such disparaging attitudes are rarely the result of overt hostility or conscious prejudice. Patronization of persons with disabilities is largely unintentional, stemming primarily from a lack of awareness and realization of the capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Twenty years ago, when I was teaching children with learning disabilities, I recognized that they had significant difficulties with various aspects of traditional schoolwork, usually in some area of language (listening, speaking, reading, writing, and spelling) and/or math. But I also saw that no two students were alike; I could not begin to make generalizations about these young people. Most importantly, I realized that in spite of their difficulties, all of these children possessed a vast array of skills and talents - in a sense, their hidden treasures. Some who struggled with language had excellent math skills. A child who could only read stories significantly below grade level could understand material above grade level if it were read aloud. Some children were musical, others artistic or dramatic. Some had unbelievably engaging personalities; they could charm their way into, through, or out of any situation. The list went on and on. I began to wonder what happened to these children as they grew up. As a result, I teamed up with other researchers to find out what life was like in adulthood for persons with disabilities. We thought the best research method was the simplest: talk with these adults and try to see the world through their eyes. We began a series of interviews which resulted in a book, Speaking for Themselves: Ethnographic Interviews With Adults With Learning Disabilities. We discovered that adulthood held a whole range of possibilities, the same way it would for anyone. Some of the individuals we interviewed were dearly struggling. Some were doing fine, looking forward to moving forward in their lives. And some had been extremely successful, particularly in their careers. They were respected professionals earning enviable levels of money and respect. These were the same people who had struggled so much in school, often being told they would never amount to anything. Clearly, people with learning disabilities experienced a wide range of possible outcomes in adulthood. Yet society was still focusing on all the things that prevented people with learning disabilities (and disabilities in general) from succeeding. Perhaps we could turn our attention to what people with learning disabilities could do instead of what they could not do, on success instead of failure, on ability rather than disability. Furthermore, if successful individuals with learning disabilities shared traits and experiences related to how they had achieved, perhaps their stories could help others with learning disabilities find paths to success. In order to explore these possibilities, we located 71 highly successful adults with learning disabilities from all over the country. In order to qualify for our study, the participants had to present solid evidence of having had a learning disability and received a high ranking in at least four of five of the following categories: income, education, type of career (i.e., professional), eminence in the field, and job satisfaction. From Connecticut to California, we traveled and met with these people, spending three to six hours interviewing and simply talking to each one. What we found gave us a whole new appreciation of not only learning disabilities, but of the power of the human spirit. The result of our work was another book, Exceeding Expectations: Successful Adults with Learning Disabilities. Before I go into what we learned, allow me to introduce you to a few of these highly successful adults with learning disabilities, to present small snapshots of them and their stories:
(a.) M.T. is one of the most respected executives of his Fortune 500 company. Known as "the hit man" because of his uncanny ability to solve problems quickly with wizard-like incisiveness, he supervises MBAs from Harvard and Stanford. Yet he often feels as if he is an impostor. Why? Because he is still acutely aware of his learning disabilities. School was always difficult. In traditional school, he was not a winner. But in the school of hard knocks, he found success. As a child, he practically had to run his father's butcher shop. As an adult, he rose through the ranks as a salesman. He was a super-performer because he worked unbelievably hard, never gave up, figured out what to do and how to do it on his own, and did not follow routines. As he entered the corporate world, aspects of his learning disabilities evolved into strengths. Because he had learned to simplify complexities in order to understand, in order to survive, he became able to come up with straightforward, workable solutions to seemingly inscrutable problems-hence, "the hit man." (b.) Another successful adult with learning disabilities, K.M., remembers the pain and embarrassment of always being the first child to sit down in a spelling bee. She struggled to read and always looked for the skinniest book for book reports. On the other hand, she was dearly gifted in art, a gift her parents nurtured and supported from third grade on. Nevertheless, others focused on her weaknesses, and by the time she had finally made it to community college a guidance counselor told her, "You have third year college visual perception. But you are retarded in all other areas." Refusing to let this devastating assessment knock her down, she moved on with her life, enrolled in and graduated from an art institute, established a strong reputation as a visual artist, and joined the faculty of the art department at a major university. She has received international recognition for her world. She is a confident, caring individual. Yet the pain of the failures and judgments from her childhood remain with her. (c.) J. C. is an individual who embodies the American dream. He single-handedly built a contracting and building venture that has done as much as $ 50 million worth of business in one year. And for most of his life, J. C. harbored a harrowing secret: He could not read or write. He got through school by "faking it" -- not coincidentally the name of a book detailing the life of an individual with learning disabilities. He did whatever it took to play the game and passed through the system because, as he says, "I'm an athlete, six foot four, blue eyed, and I had adapted socially." He found his calling as a builder and entrepreneur. His visual and conceptual way of thinking may have made it difficult to read and write, but it was ideally suited to his career, particularly a career where he developed his own systems instead of struggling with someone else's. He explains his achievements simply: "The key to success is hard work. Tenacity is more valuable than knowledge and skills." As we interviewed the 71 adults in the study, we heard story after story similar to the preceding ones. We discovered that these adults with learning disabilities shared characteristics and behaviors that led to their success: 1. They all evidenced a strong desire to succeed. In most cases, they credited their parents or someone very meaningful who encouraged and supported them. At the same time, many were so angry at being told what they could not do that they set out to prove themselves, and they were not going to be denied. 2. They had developed a strong sense of goal orientation. They set ambitious but realistic goals, determined pathways to get there, and were willing to go one step at a time, no matter how many steps it would take. 3. They developed a positive appreciation of themselves and their learning disabilities, a process we called "refraining," a kind of specialized self-actualization. They came to know themselves and their learning disabilities well. Recognizing their weaknesses, they also discovered and built upon their strengths. They saw themselves not primarily as disabled but unique. They knew when they would need help, but they also knew when they could go it alone. Equally important, they put this knowledge into action. They planned how they would deal with the world based on an accurate and positive understanding of themselves. 4. They were incredibly persistent and resilient. They worked harder and longer than others. They possessed the ability to persevere, often in the face of seemingly overwhelming obstacles, made defeat almost impossible. 5. They chose careers that maximized their strengths and downplayed their weaknesses. They also chose careers they genuinely loved. This process, which we termed "goodness-of- fit significantly increased the likelihood that perseverance would pay off.
6. They developed individualized strategies-compensations, accommodations, unique ways of doing things, an art we termed "learned creativity." Almost all of these adults made use of various technologies. In addition, they came up with extremely sophisticated and personalized coping mechanisms. A professor who had difficulty reading names did not read the class roster aloud but rather passed it around so that students would initial it. A lawyer put pictures of his clients on their files to associate names with faces. J.C., who taught high school civics even though he could not read, always walked around with a newspaper under his arm and a paperback book in his back pocket. 7. They nurtured and utilized support systems or favorable social ecologies. They recognized the need for support and used it to overcome hurdles. Sometimes support was emotional, frequently the unflagging love and positive reinforcement of a parent or mentor; other times it was practical, such as having a business partner or spouse who would take on the lion's share of reading or writing demands. This model of success is unique to individuals with learning disabilities in that many of the processes are responses to the difficulties imposed by learning disabilities. On the other hand, the characteristics and behaviors that led to success for the adults in our study have applications for people in general. In fact, the qualities displayed by successful adults with learning disabilities share much in common with the construct of emotional intelligence. In his book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Daniel Goleman defines emotional intelligence as the ability to motivate oneself and persist in the face of frustrations; to control impulse and delay gratification; to regulate one's moods and keep distress from swamping the ability to think; to empathize; and to hope. He contends that people with strong emotional intelligence excel in real life-in work, in leadership, in interpersonal relationships. I began this article by commenting that although much has improved for persons with disabilities in the last 25 years, we still have a ways to go before we can call ourselves a truly inclusive society. The success stories of adults with disabilities represent one step in that direction. First, an awareness of success challenges many preconceived or stereotyped notions about persons with disabilities. When we meet a non-disabled individual, we do not generally focus on what we think that person cannot do. Turning our attention from disability to ability simply means that we are viewing persons with disabilities in the same context we view anyone else. Second, the success of adults with disabilities can teach all of us, not just those with disabilities, much about what it takes to make it. As mentioned before, the adults in our study adeptly tapped into emotional intelligence. Their path to success is a direction we all can follow. Finally, what is the connection between my remarks on disabilities and Christianity? One point should be clear: The UCC promulgates a doctrine of inclusiveness founded on Christ's teachings. Christ instinctively drew himself to the most marginalized of citizens, in many cases those individuals who seemed to be weak and in some cases specifically to persons with disabilities. He saw strengths where others saw weaknesses. Sure we are called on to do the same. Moreover, the experiences of persons with disabilities might teach us something about a core element of Christianity. One commonality of the successful adults with learning disabilities is that they have had to face struggles. They have suffered, but they have persevered. And almost all credited their struggles with making them better persons-resilient, more understanding, more compassionate, more loving. This past Palm Sunday I realized that persons with disabilities perhaps walk a step closer to God than many of us when our congregation invoked, "Let these branches be for us signs of his victory; And grant that we who bear them may also acclaim Jesus Messiah by wailing the way of his suffering and cross; That dying and rising with him, we may enter into Your kingdom. Amen." Sidebar: If we begin to turn our attention from what people with disabilities cannot do to what people with disabilities can do, we will be changing our entire outlook. Sidebar: When we open our minds to allow persons with disabilities to inspire, guide, and teach us, our hearts will invariably follow. We will become more tolerant and accepting. We will become more inclusive.
The author, Henry B. Reiff, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Special Education, Western Maryland College, Westminster, MD and an active member of St. Paul's UCC, Westminster

From UCC DM Newsletter Archive