#Cerebral Palsy Advocate

[staringinthestars]

Official Diagnosis Of Scoliosis+Cobb Angle

Good morning everyone. It’s been a minute since I have written on here. School started back and it has been both hectic and exciting at the same time. This semester, I am finally going to start being the co-clinician in my school’s speech and hearing clinic. I am elated about that. One day I was thinking about my back and how I forgot to go to the hospital to get the x-ray series with…

[mindorabydisha]

Rj Mitte has Cerebral Palsy? Understanding Cerebral Palsy: A Psychologist's perspective

- Disha Arunagiri

Counselling Psychologist

Yes, RJ Mitte has cerebral palsy

Mitte was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age three. He wore casts for six months to straighten his feet and used crutches and leg braces for most of his childhood. Mitte has used his platform to advocate for representation of people with disabilities in the media and arts. He has also sought out acting roles that would educate people about his disability.

Understanding Cerebral Palsy: A Psychologist's perspective

This October 6th was considered as World Cerebral Palsy Day, we join hands globally to raise awareness about cerebral palsy.

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder that affects movement, muscle tone, and posture. It is caused by damage that occurs to the immature brain as it develops, most often before birth. This condition affects individuals differently, with varying degrees of severity. Understanding cerebral palsy is crucial for fostering a more inclusive society where everyone can thrive.

What is Cerebral Palsy?

Cerebral palsy (cp) is a group of disorders that impact a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. The term "cerebral" refers to the brain, and "palsy" refers to weakness or problems with using the muscles. It is the most common motor disability in childhood.

Causes of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is often caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain. The damage can occur before, during, or shortly after birth. Some potential causes include:

1. Prenatal factors: Infections during pregnancy, maternal health issues, and genetic mutations.

2. Perinatal factors: Complications during labor and delivery, such as lack of oxygen to the brain.

3. Postnatal factors: Early childhood infections, brain injury, or events like strokes.

Types of Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is classified based on the type of movement disorder involved. The main types include:

1. Spastic Cerebral Palsy: The most common type, characterized by stiff muscles and awkward movements. It is further categorized based on which limbs are affected.

2. Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy: Involves uncontrolled movements, which can be slow and writhing or rapid and jerky.

3. Ataxic Cerebral Palsy: Characterized by problems with balance and coordination.

4. Mixed Cerebral Palsy: Some individuals exhibit symptoms of more than one type of cerebral palsy.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

The symptoms of cerebral palsy vary greatly among individuals. Common signs include:

- Delays in reaching motor skill milestones, such as rolling over, sitting, or walking.

- Abnormal muscle tone, either too stiff or too floppy.

- Poor coordination and balance.

- Involuntary movements or tremors.

- Difficulty with fine motor skills, like writing or buttoning a shirt.

Diagnosing cerebral palsy involves a combination of medical history, physical exams, and various tests such as MRI or CT scans. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial for managing the condition effectively.

Treatment and Management

While there is no cure for cerebral palsy, various treatments can help manage symptoms and improve quality of life. Treatment plans are tailored to individual needs and may include:

- Physical Therapy: To improve strength, flexibility, and mobility.

- Occupational Therapy: To assist with daily activities and enhance fine motor skills.

- Speech Therapy: To address communication challenges.

- Medications: To manage muscle spasticity and other symptoms.

- Surgery: In some cases, to correct physical abnormalities and improve function.

Despite these challenges, individuals with CP often lead fulfilling lives with the right support and resources.

As a psychologist, the focus is often on the mental and emotional well-being of individuals with CP, as well as their families. Understanding the psychological impact of CP is crucial in providing comprehensive support and fostering an inclusive society.

Psychological Impact on Individuals with CP

1. Emotional Well-being: Living with CP can sometimes lead to feelings of frustration, isolation, or anxiety, especially if there is a lack of understanding or support from society. It's important to acknowledge these emotions and provide spaces where individuals can express and manage their feelings.

2. Self-esteem and Identity: The visible nature of CP can affect self-esteem, particularly during formative years. Positive reinforcement, inclusive environments, and highlighting strengths and abilities are essential in building a strong sense of self.

3. Social Relationships: Forming and maintaining relationships can be challenging due to physical limitations or societal stigma. Encouraging social interactions and providing inclusive opportunities for engagement can help build meaningful connections.

Supporting Families of Individuals with CP

Families play a crucial role in the lives of individuals with CP. They often face their own set of challenges, including emotional stress, financial strain, and the need for continuous caregiving. Psychological support for families can include:

1. Counseling and Therapy: Professional guidance can help families navigate the emotional landscape of raising a child with CP, providing coping strategies and emotional support.

2. Support Groups: Connecting with other families in similar situations can provide a sense of community and shared understanding. These groups can be a source of practical advice and emotional solidarity.

3. Educational Resources:Providing families with information about CP, available therapies, and adaptive technologies can empower them to make informed decisions and advocate effectively for their loved ones.

Promoting Inclusion and Awareness

On World Cerebral Palsy Day, it’s vital to emphasize the importance of inclusion and awareness. Here are some steps we can take:

1. Education: Educate ourselves and others about CP to dispel myths and reduce stigma. Awareness campaigns and educational programs in schools and workplaces can promote understanding and acceptance.

2. Advocacy: Support policies and initiatives that promote accessibility and inclusion. Advocacy can lead to improved services, better accessibility, and greater recognition of the rights of individuals with CP.

3. Community Involvement: Encourage community activities that are inclusive of individuals with CP. Participation in sports, arts, and social events can provide a sense of belonging and achievement.

Cerebral palsy is just one aspect of a person’s identity. By understanding the psychological impact and providing comprehensive support, we can help individuals with CP lead empowered, fulfilling lives. On this World Cerebral Palsy Day, let’s commit to raising awareness, promoting inclusion, and supporting the mental and emotional well-being of those affected by CP. Together, we can build a world where everyone, regardless of their abilities, can thrive.

I hope this helps everyone to educated about Cerebral Palsy. Thank you for reading.

Disha Arunagiri

Counselling Psychologist

Follow me on Instagram for more content

DM for free 30 minutes consultation

[trans-axolotl]

also in regards to that last article about varied ways of thinking about psychosis/altered states that don't just align with medical model or carceral psychiatry---I always love sharing about Bethel House and their practices of peer support for schizophrenia that are founded on something called tojisha kenkyu, but I don't see it mentioned as often as things like HVN and Soteria House.

ID: [A colorful digital drawing of a group of people having a meeting inside a house while it snows outside.]

"What really set the stage for tōjisha-kenkyū were two social movements started by those with disabilities. In the 1950s, a new disability movement was burgeoning in Japan, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that those with physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, began to advocate for themselves more actively as tōjisha. For those in this movement, their disability is visible. They know where their discomfort comes from, why they are discriminated against, and in what ways they need society to change. Their movement had a clear sense of purpose: make society accommodate the needs of people with disabilities. Around the same time, during the 1970s, a second movement was started by those with mental health issues, such as addiction (particularly alcohol misuse) and schizophrenia. Their disabilities are not always visible. People in this second movement may not have always known they had a disability and, even after they identify their problems, they may remain uncertain about the nature of their disability. Unlike those with physical and visible disabilities, this second group of tōjisha were not always sure how to advocate for themselves as members of society. They didn’t know what they wanted and needed from society. This knowing required new kinds of self-knowledge.

As the story goes, tōjisha-kenkyū emerged in the Japanese fishing town of Urakawa in southern Hokkaido in the early 2000s. It began in the 1980s when locals who had been diagnosed with psychiatric disorders created a peer-support group in a run-down church, which was renamed ‘Bethel House’. The establishment of Bethel House (or just Bethel) was also aided by the maverick psychiatrist Toshiaki Kawamura and an innovative social worker named Ikuyoshi Mukaiyachi. From the start, Bethel embodied the experimental spirit that followed the ‘antipsychiatry’ movement in Japan, which proposed ideas for how psychiatry might be done differently, without relying only on diagnostic manuals and experts. But finding new methods was incredibly difficult and, in the early days of Bethel, both staff and members often struggled with a recurring problem: how is it possible to get beyond traditional psychiatric treatments when someone is still being tormented by their disabling symptoms? Tōjisha-kenkyū was born directly out of a desperate search for answers.

In the early 2000s, one of Bethel’s members with schizophrenia was struggling to understand who he was and why he acted the way he did. This struggle had become urgent after he had set his own home on fire in a fit of anger. In the aftermath, he was overwhelmed and desperate. At his wits’ end about how to help, Mukaiyachi asked him if perhaps he wanted to kenkyū (to ‘study’ or ‘research’) himself so he could understand his problems and find a better way to cope with his illness. Apparently, the term ‘kenkyū’ had an immediate appeal, and others at Bethel began to adopt it, too – especially those with serious mental health problems who were constantly urged to think about (and apologise) for who they were and how they behaved. Instead of being passive ‘patients’ who felt they needed to keep their heads down and be ashamed for acting differently, they could now become active ‘researchers’ of their own ailments. Tōjisha-kenkyū allowed these people to deny labels such as ‘victim’, ‘patient’ or ‘minority’, and to reclaim their agency.

Tōjisha-kenkyū is based on a simple idea. Humans have long shared their troubles so that others can empathise and offer wisdom about how to solve problems. Yet the experience of mental illness is often accompanied by an absence of collective sharing and problem-solving. Mental health issues are treated like shameful secrets that must be hidden, remain unspoken, and dealt with in private. This creates confused and lonely people, who can only be ‘saved’ by the top-down knowledge of expert psychiatrists. Tōjisha-kenkyū simply encourages people to ‘study’ their own problems, and to investigate patterns and solutions in the writing and testimonies of fellow tōjisha.

Self-reflection is at the heart of this practice. Tōjisha-kenkyū incorporates various forms of reflection developed in clinical methods, such as social skills training and cognitive behavioural therapy, but the reflections of a tōjisha don’t begin and end at the individual. Instead, self-reflection is always shared, becoming a form of knowledge that can be communally reflected upon and improved. At Bethel House, members found it liberating that they could define themselves as ‘producers’ of a new form of knowledge, just like the doctors and scientists who diagnosed and studied them in hospital wards. The experiential knowledge of Bethel members now forms the basis of an open and shared public domain of collective knowledge about mental health, one distributed through books, newspaper articles, documentaries and social media.

Tōjisha-kenkyū quickly caught on, making Bethel House a site of pilgrimage for those seeking alternatives to traditional psychiatry. Eventually, a café was opened, public lectures and events were held, and even merchandise (including T-shirts depicting members’ hallucinations) was sold to help support the project. Bethel won further fame when their ‘Hallucination and Delusion Grand Prix’ was aired on national television in Japan. At these events, people in Urakawa are invited to listen and laugh alongside Bethel members who share stories of their hallucinations and delusions. Afterwards, the audience votes to decide who should win first prize for the most hilarious or moving account. One previous winner told a story about a failed journey into the mountains to ride a UFO and ‘save the world’ (it failed because other Bethel members convinced him he needed a licence to ride a UFO, which he didn’t have). Another winner told a story about living in a public restroom at a train station for four days to respect the orders of an auditory hallucination. Tōjisha-kenkyū received further interest, in and outside Japan, when the American anthropologist Karen Nakamura wrote A Disability of the Soul: An Ethnography of Schizophrenia and Mental Illness in Contemporary Japan (2013), a detailed and moving account of life at Bethel House. "

-Japan's Radical Alternative to Psychiatric Diagnosis by Satsuki Ayaya and Junko Kitanaka

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

Let's play a little game, shall we? ("Professional Advice for the Disabled" edition)

Context:

Back in September, 2012, I came upon an online pamphlet titled "Living With C.P." from The Ontario Foundation for Cerebral Palsy.

And in the middle of the pamphlet was a paragraph that was just two (moderately long) sentences.

The Game:

It's a one-question multiple choice quiz. I'll give you the first sentence, and you pick the sentence that you think comes next. Because it's a long sentence, and I'm not sure it'll fit in Tumblr's poll fields, I'll write each choice out in full, marked "1," "2," "3," "4," and "5," and paraphrase in the poll itself. Okay?

The First Sentence:

It can be frustrating for adults to deal with a health care system that appears to have little knowledge or interest regarding the changing needs of aging with a disability.

What Comes Next?

A healthy, well-balanced, diet, combined with as much exercise as you can manage, and a regular sleep routine, is beneficial to your mental and physical well-being.

A trusted friend or family member, who knows you and your symptoms, can help explain your situation to your healthcare provider.

Maintaining a strong social network, especially among your fellow patients, can help reduce stress, and combat feelings of loneliness.

A positive attitude makes a big difference, and developing relaxation techniques and coping skills can have a beneficial effect on mental and physical health.

A diary of your daily routine, especially keeping track of your changing abilities, can be a useful tool for you and your healthcare provider.

Let's see if we can match with with Service Professionals (I'll reveal the actual answer at the end of the week, once the poll closes).

If you vote, please reblog, to get this outside my private corner.

[birdofmay]

What's the difference between nonverbal and nonspeaking?

I have posts about nonverbal autism, but none about the single topic "What's the difference between nonverbal and nonspeaking?" So this will be a handy linked blog entry for my pinned post.

All summed up: There is no real difference, it's a matter of preference. Please ask us what term we prefer and respect that choice. It's a sensitive topic because there has been a lot of discourse around it ☝🏼

Alright. First things first: Nonverbal is a medical term not exclusively for autism. In the medical field, "nonverbal" simply means that your speech is extremely impaired or fully absent. Yes, there are many meanings of "nonverbal", but this is what doctors mean. Did you know that there's nonverbal cerebral palsy too? (External link)

But let's focus on autism. Autistics who can't speak are said to have "nonverbal autism".

Discourse #1 - the mind is intact

There are many reasons why some autistics never learn to speak. One reason can be non-acquired apraxia (i.e. not due to a stroke, TBI, Alzheimer's, etc.), which leads to limited motor control. If it affects the mouth and throat only, individuals "know what they want to say", but their mouth doesn't cooperate. They either struggle to get words out clearly/don't get anything out at all, or their mouth seems to have "a mind of its own" - they say things they didn't want to say. If apraxia affects the whole body, this goes for actions too. Either they can't make their body do what they want to do (e.g. they want to point at a ball but their arm won't move) or their body does things they didn't want to do (e.g. they want to point at the ball but instead their finger points at the floor).

As you can imagine, this situation is really unfortunate when a therapist wants to test your intelligence. You can't get words out, so they ask you to show them what a triangle is. You know what a triangle is, but your body does its own thing. You point at the circle instead of the triangle, and your therapist concludes that you don't understand simple instructions. They assume intellectual disability. You're misunderstood all your life and everyone thinks that you can't learn to communicate, that you don't understand language. You're frustrated.

Luckily, at some point some people realised that these autistics CAN learn to communicate and in fact are very capable and understand language just fine. That was when apraxic autistics talked about this misunderstanding online. They talked about how they were mistreated and underestimated, that people should always "presume competence". They coined a new term for themselves: "Nonspeaking". In their opinion, "nonverbal" doesn't describe their experience and makes it sound like they can't learn to read or write. "My mind is intact, I can make intelligent choices about my life!" (External link)

Sounds good? Well, it may be surprising to know that most of us on Tumblr who can't speak either don't mind being called "nonverbal" or actively prefer nonverbal over nonspeaking. How can that be?

Discourse #2 - the mind isn't always intact

There are other reasons why some autistics never learn how to speak. Most of the time, in contrast to "nonspeaking self-advocates", we do struggle to understand language and our mind is not "intact". We have language disorders, brain damage, slow processing speed, often ID. The latter is why most of us aren't on any social media. My ability to communicate isn't average for us, it's an exception!

When the "say nonspeaking" wave reached Tumblr, I think at first most of us who are on social media liked that idea. We spread awareness about how terminology is a preference thing, that "nonspeaking" is about overcoming years of mistreatment and about empowerment. That some of us think that "nonverbal" sounds like we can't communicate and can't understand language, when that's not true. But, as I said, most autistics who never learned how to speak aren't online and therefore can't participate in this discourse. "Nonspeaking self-advocates", on the other hand, are on social media and love to participate. But they are a minority among those who can't speak.

The result? At some point it got a little ableist. The mindset "We are intelligent and understand language" turned into "You guys with ID and language disorders make us look bad" and THAT turned into speaking over and ignoring us. Or harassing even. "You have to call yourself nonspeaking, otherwise you're a bad person!" and so on. We responded "No, you say you're intelligent and your mind is intact. Good for you, but ours isn't. You erase our existence and we don't relate to your experience. We don't identify with your word." It was worse on other platforms, at some point the term "nonspeaking supremacist" was coined similar to "aspie supremacist".

Discourse #3 - free interpretation of a term that's NOT loosely defined??!

And last year, a really strange thing happened: Speaking autistics somehow mixed up the "To me personally, nonverbal sounds like I can't learn to communicate and don't understand language at all" and incorrectly informed others "So there's a difference between nonverbal and nonspeaking. Nonspeaking means that you can't speak and nonverbal means that you also can't communicate in other ways".

They took it as a fact and informed us that we "by definition" actually are nonspeaking because we can communicate via text. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I repeat: Most of us who can't speak aren't on social media. So this misinformation again spread everywhere because we weren't enough, we weren't loud enough. We can't ever be loud enough because, exactly: Most of us aren't on social media.

Now we weren't harassed by fellow nonverbal/nonspeaking autistics, nope, NOW suddenly speaking autistics from ALL over the world tried to inform us that we shouldn't call ourselves nonverbal - NOT aware that by now "nonspeaking" got a slightly ableist connotation in the process 😵

Here's an example of how wild things were last year...

And that's not enough: Suddenly everyone assumed that autistics who can't speak due to apraxia MUST call themselves nonspeaking because that's where the movement started. No, even apraxic autistics sometimes prefer "nonverbal", and they have every right to do so!

As things are now...

So, that's why most of us on Tumblr prefer nonverbal. Oh, and by the way:

Whenever someone isn't aware of this and makes a "To me, nonverbal means..." post, all I think is "Oh, not again, please not again", and I see this war flashback meme in my mind's eye 😅

Every "To me, nonverbal means..." post that ends with "And that's why I prefer nonspeaking" has the potential to get loud and start this harassment and misinformation all over.

Every new post that tries to define nonverbal and nonspeaking could start this all over again.

Because nonspeaking supremacists are very very loud. And speaking autistics are usually very very uninformed about us. And most nonverbal/nonspeaking autistics aren't on any social media.

[stele3]

I have this one client who is disabled and needs caretakers. Recently a new nurse has started working with him, a guy named T*. Today we were getting to know each other better and he mentioned being from northern Ethiopia.

It took me a couple of seconds to connect and then like the autistic idiot that I am, I blurted out, “Oh shit! Did your family survive??”

Thankfully he was mostly surprised that I’d even heard of Tigray (which I discovered I had been pronouncing wrong: it’s tig-RAI, not TIE-gray) or the genocide carried out there by the Ethiopian government. He then related that he was one of about a dozen people in the States who raised awareness of what was happening, showing me a picture of him and other advocates standing with U.S. senators in DC. He also said that he could never go home again because of his advocacy work: the Ethiopian government has his name and those of every other person who went to the U.S. government to get them to stop the genocide.

Basically I met a goddamned hero today. He probably saved millions of lives and there he was sitting across from me, helping to keep my client with cerebral palsy from involuntarily rolling off my massage table.

(*name withheld for safety reasons. He wasn’t worried about the Ethiopian government coming to nab him but I’m not about to take that chance, especially not after what happened to Hardeep Singh Nijjar.)

[thebuckleyhans]

what did lesbianrobin say that was ableist?

I'm going to assume this is a genuine question and answer as such

Christopher Diaz has cerebral palsy.

The way many people in the fandom, but especially the Buddie portion of the fandom, treat his character is infantalizing. Which is a very real problem people with disabilities like cerebral palsy have to deal with on a daily basis.

Many people treat Christopher like he's an extention of Eddie (or Buck) rather than a character of his own.

We've had several instances of Christopher acting out to have independence. Both in general and specifically independence from Eddie. (Ditching an after school club and lying to Eddie sneaking and playing games with friends when grounded, running away to Buck, calling his grandparents and leaving ect).

To say that Christopher needs to come back (for Eddie's sake is implied) or he'll get beat 'whooped' is inherently ableist. Its ignoring the ability of this character to be able and capable of making his own decisions.

They wouldn't be saying the same thing if they saw Christopher as a character with his own motivations and feelings and trauma. They don't care about Christopher Diaz, they only care about Eddie

Its also advocating for child abuse but thats an internet argument for another day.

lesbianrobin has said a lot of awful things but this one is pretty distasteful.

[scroogemcducksbastardchild]

it scares me how quickly so many supposed leftists have turned away from palestine, and how similar their language is to the people they say they're fighting.

how is calling for the violent death of palestinian children because you say they're terrorists any different from attempting to justify the murder of a black boy who was acting "suspicious"? how does ignoring and ridiculing the suffering of palestinian women make you a feminist, and why does the argument that they "deserve it" sound so familiar? how can you claim to advocate for disability rights and then pass over a child who starved to death just because he had cerebral palsy and he was "at risk anyway"?

this is a genocide happening in real time, and the world will not forgive you for ignoring it. we CAN'T ignore it.

being part of an oppressed group does not excuse you from oppressing another. saying that all people supporting palestine are antisemitic is wrong and insulting. we're not calling for the death of all jews, we're calling for the safety of all palestinians. the fact that you think jewish and palestinian lives cannot exist together says more about you than it does the people you're fighting against.

why does someone who lives on the other side of the world have more right to the land than someone who has lived there their entire life? that's colonist rhetoric, and it's the same ideals that were used in the manifest destiny when the u.s. expanded west and attempted to eradicate hundreds of indigenous cultures. that's bad!! forcing 2 million people- individual lives, each with dreams and hopes and a family and secrets and favourite school subjects- into a "safe zone" they can't evacuate from and then carpet bombing them is bad! it's fucking unfathomable to me how people have gotten so stuck on the false dichotomy of freedom for israelis or freedom for palestinians that they're excusing a genocide. they asked for your help and when you demanded proof, they gave it to you. you said it wasn't enough and they gave you more, the fucking israeli army gave you more. and you're still sitting here reblogging iof thirst traps and calling yourself a leftist.

palestine is a feminist issue. palestine is a disability issue. free palestine 🇵🇸 🍉

KEEP TALKING ABOUT PALESTINE.

[honey-crypt]

☺️I’m back☺️

This is for the Harvey x Cerebral Palsy reader 💕😣

Its called Left Hemiplegia, and preferably I’d like it to be spastic because that’s what I deal with , thank you so much🙏🙏🥺 literally a angel when I saw you do a lot of disability awareness stuff I literally squealed giggled and kicked my feet)

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

a/n: i’m so happy that you’re happy!!! i pride myself on disability awareness, advocacy, and activism haha. anywho, enjoy :3

warning: ableism

★ harvey with a farmer who has spastic left hemiplegia ★

★ harvey has been your biggest advocate and supporter when it comes to living with your disability

★ he gets you connected with the specialists, battles the insurance companies, and helps you get the assistive technology needed to run your farm

★ you have your hard days and it frustrates you deeply, especially since you have a farm to run, but harvey always reassures you that you’re doing your best

★ you often use a walker and getting around the farm can be a pain in the ass but harvey helps you get the layout modified to your needs, such as a ramp for the farmhouse and stable paths

★ harvey does physical therapy with you, not as a doctor but as a partner, encouraging you and looking out for you while you do your exercises

★ he does the exercises with you and combined with aerobics, he gets stronger

★ gets you cute stickers for your walker, such as stickers themed around your favorite shows and favorite color

★ you would think harvey would be too timid to confront ableists but for you?? he becomes an attack dog

★ he doesn’t yell at ableists but rather, he makes them look stupid as fuck

★ “mayor lewis, you shouldn’t undermine (y/n) when your last physical was subpar and they can lift a goat”

★ you can lift a goat on your right side; after all, you depend most on that side of your body

★ loves to hug you, he’s very touchy behind closed doors and he needs a hand or something on you at all times

★ always researches ahead of time if a place is accessible before he takes you there for a date

★ more than happy to work on the farm after marriage, he loves to feed the animals the most

★ harvey loves you and you love harvey, he would go to the ends of the earth for you if you asked

[oatmealaddiction]

Personal rant time: Right now the United States is seeing a huge erosion in small childcare centers, particularly family run centers which are unable to contend with the lack of teachers and care providers, as well as enormous demands from government licensing. It's going to lead to an uptick in corporate centers because many states do not acknowledge preschool as an imperative. This is terrible for working class families, especially those who don't work during the day and who rely on family centers. Parents will either have to quit, or use under the table childcare that's not been properly vetted. This is again because of the belief that raising children is a mother's job, and a push back against women entering the workforce. The work is continuously undervalued, and there is no appreciation for people who work with young children. Early Childhood Education is across the board, one of the lowest paying degrees a person can get. This had lead to the staffing crisis, it's lead to centers being shut down, and parents waking up to find out they're going to have to quit their jobs because there's no centers near them with any room. And while this is what a lot of conservatives want, the problem is we've hit a point where families with two working parents is a necessity for most people. Mother's can't just quit and rely on their husbands income. It is not possible.

Inside centers too, the demands put on teachers (a largely female workforce) is really unreasonable. Our hours often go over what are agreed upon, we're often pressured to work sick, and you'd be shocked to hear how many teachers have wet themselves on the job because using the bathroom meant leaving children unattended and there was no one available to get them a break. We're also micromanaged to hell and back because nobody seems to understand we're professionals who were trained in child care. Everything we do falls under immense scrutiny, and there's not a lot of protection for us. A lot of teachers also feel pressured to stay in their jobs because leaving could mean the center shuts down due to lack of staff.

Strict regulations also make it awful on the children. I once had a teacher who worked with largely autistic children, children with down's syndrome, or children with cerebral palsy, and she said that when she started, licensing regulations essentially stipulated the children be strapped in a car seat in an empty room with no toys. She had to fight tooth and nail to get children blocks and outside time and a classroom pet, only to retire and have all of the materials she'd worked to get be removed the second she was gone. I work at a center right now that says any book with a tear in it should be considered unusable and it's making it difficult to find books to read for my class, let alone toys that meet all the strict regulations. Which in the case of family centers, being unable to meet all of these demands often means being closed and families losing their childcare. (It should be noted corporate day cares are not held to the same standards as small private day cares. I worked at a corporate center where children were being served expired food.) And the biggest victims in all of this are the children. Like, what does it say about us that childcare centers are closing in mass and children are being pushed out of the public sphere that much more? That we're so concerned about the safety of children we've taken away their books and toys and pushed them back into their homes. The ability to have safe childcare is going to be restricted to the upper class and even they are going to be fighting tooth and nail over what little resources are left. Meanwhile, working class families could be forced to use a dangerous under the table center or have to uproot their entire family to make ends meet. It is legitimately a crisis. Childcare is a necessity, it is something we cannot neglect. Support universal preschool, volunteer at small centers if you can, and advocate for regulation that protects workers and children vs. regulation that continues to restrict childcare.

[tittyinfinity]

A black deaf man named Tyron McAlpin is assaulted by a white man, Derek Stevens, in a convenience store

Employees call the police on Stevens for attacking McAlpin

The cops show up, Stevens claims that McAlph is the one who assaulted him first, the cops immediately believe him without questioning ANY of the witnesses

They jump McAlpin without even letting him respond to the situation

Within seconds of first addressing McAlpin, who is deaf, officer Benjamin Harris jumps out of his vehicle and begins punching McAlpin, followed closely behind by officer Kyle Sue, who presses McAlpin into the ground and repeatedly punches him as well, the footage shows.

Cops being white supremacist pieces of shit like always. Abolish the police NOW.

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

Shortly after I started this blog, I learned that March is "Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month." Today, I got curious about which group advocated for that, and when (were they just an Auti$m $peaks copycat, or did whoever campaigned for this have a different philosophy?)

A quick Internet pulled up this webpage, and it seems like the group behind it (The Cerebral Palsy Advocacy Group) is a little more progressive, pushing for systematic changes in healthcare, education, and employment, rather than "fixing" the people with cerebral palsy themselves.

I just wish this article didn't keep using the word "Suffering" when talking about C.P.

[birdofmay]

To everyone who's not disabled by their autism: Don't mix up having a disability with being disabled by it.

I have very mild cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a physical disability. There's no way that cerebral palsy is not a disability.

But I'm not disabled by my symptoms. My muscle stiffness is a nuisance sometimes, but it's not disabling.

Still, it's considered a disability. It's absolutely important that it's considered a disability, because there are many people who are disabled by their cerebral palsy ONLY (not because of comorbidities), and without it being considered a disability, they wouldn't get the support they need.

Autism is considered a disability too, for a reason.

It's absolutely important that it's considered a disability, because there are many people who are disabled by their autism ONLY (not because of comorbidities), and without autism being considered a disability, they wouldn't get the support they need.

Advocating for autism not being considered a disability would make it impossible for those autistics who are disabled by their autism, and only by their autism, to get support.

It's considered a disability because it CAN be disabling to some - doesn't mean it has to be disabling to everyone. It's just so that those who need it can get support.

Just because you have something that's considered a disability, doesn't mean that it still has to be disabling to you today. Symptoms change. Maybe it was disabling as a toddler, but not now. Maybe the other way around. Maybe never. Maybe always.

I'm not disabled by my cerebral palsy, but I have a disability (cerebral palsy).

I'm extremely disabled by my autism - and if it wasn't considered a disability, it wouldn't be taken seriously.

So everyone of you who isn't disabled by their autism - that doesn't mean that it never is a disability!

You can have something that's considered a disability because it CAN be disabling to people without actually being disabled by it yourself.

It's important that you make that difference ☝🏼

[cripvideoproductions]

World Cerebral Palsy Day 2024

Happy World Cerebral Palsy Day 2024 from Crip Video Productions! 🎉🌍

Today, we celebrate the vibrant achievements of individuals with Cerebral Palsy (CP) around the globe! CP is considered a form of neurodiversity, highlighting the unique ways in which individuals experience and interact with the world. At Crip Video Productions, we are dedicated to depicting characters with CP living full and vibrant lives, ensuring that people with Cerebral Palsy are actively involved in all our film productions.

We apologize for not always posting on World CP Day, but thanks to a fan’s reminder, we’re making it a priority to share annually! 💚

Special thanks to all our supporters for helping spread awareness! For more information about Cerebral Palsy, check out our "About Page" here: Crip Video Productions About Page.

Be sure to check out our films: 🎬 Drama Sighted 🎬 Only Those Who Limp Allowed 🎬 Crips Not Creeps 🎬 A Stroke Of Endurance

These films focus on the fictionalized personal experiences of individuals with Cerebral Palsy, shedding light on their unique stories and challenges. Plus, don’t miss our public speaking videos like Insights For Educators and Cerebral Palsy Awareness to further your understanding, activism, and advocacy!

Please share our films with those you love who have Cerebral Palsy or want to learn more about it! This month, we have several public speaking engagements focused on educating the community about the needs of individuals with CP. We'll keep you updated on these events!

On September 24 2024 I spoke to more teaching students. We discussed music and dance accessibility in classrooms, implementing IEPs, integrating special education disabled students in general education classrooms and accommodating anxiety disorder and Cerebral Palsy and Autism in classrooms. We discussed the challenges teachers face in providing the right support, and the importance of proper diagnoses for students.We discussed how teachers are often not given the right information to assist disabled students and how students may not be properly diagnosed. This led to some students and the instructor saying they were seeking a proper diagnosis for themselves. 

Let’s continue to advocate for a world where everyone is celebrated and valued as a human being!

[dollarbin]

Shakey Sundays #39:

Trans, At Last

She could not speak, not to me, nor to anyone else. And she was always in such terrible pain...

I want to wrap up our three-, or maybe it's four-, part exploration of Neil Young's Trans on a fairly serious note. Long before I took up residence in the Dollar Bin and even before I became a teacher, I spent my 20's working with people with disabilities. I served as their social worker, boss, employee, supporter and advocate. At one point I directed programs that included around 100 wheelchair users and around 20 of their aides.

So, while I am blessed to be non-disabled myself and equally blessed to be the parent to three non-disabled children, I do know a little bit about what Neil Young went through in the early 80's when he put his career on autopilot and focused his heart, hands and soul on trying to help his young son Ben, who was born with Cerebral Palsy, find a way to speak and thrive.

I quit my work with adults with physical disabilities 20 years ago when I felt called to teach; but I also quit because I realized that, try as I might, I'd never come close to truly meeting any of those people's needs. In short, I gave up.

And she was one of the 100 people I left behind. I'll call her Jane here as it feels wrong to use her real name. "Jane" was a powerful and brilliant woman in her 40's who could not talk or walk or make any complex needs known. She had no teeth left in her mouth: they had not been removed; rather, they'd all been ground down to the roots by a lifetime of uncontrollable muscle strain, her jaw clamped down hard by both her disability and her fury at the world around her.

I remember our first conversation well. Like all the other non-verbal people at my work she had a communication board: a laminated paper grid with 60 or so black and white cartoon icons, each of them part of a potential message: Me. You. Food. Want. Bathroom. Angry. Please. Some of the boxed icons carried entire phrases, ready to go as needed. I Am In Pain. Leave Me Alone.

The system was simple: you'd stand before them and hold the board up for them to see, then point to each column one at a time, left to right, and wait for a sign. Some would holler wordlessly when you got to the right row; others would nod; Jane would strain every responsive muscle she could access, her body going rigid against her chair's multiple restraints, her eyebrows surging upward. There was no misunderstanding Jane.

Once the column was identified, you'd work your way down it, finger pointed to each icon in turn until you found the single word or phrase they sought. It'd take a few minutes of this work for them to complete a sentence. "I. Need. Help." "I. Angry."

Jane's first sentence for me was a doozy: "I. Not. Stupid."

The implication was clear. While trying to get to know her I was treating her like she was stupid. And she wasn't. She was smart enough to see right through me and then chew me out.

In case you don't know, Cerebral Palsy is related to spinal cord damage, usually from childbirth or pre-birth. For half of the people it affects there is no mental impairment of any kind. Even so, such people often struggle to become educated - for example, Jane could not read. This was not because she was unable to do so; it was because no one had ever taught her.

Jane had spent the decade or so before I showed up with the world's dullest and most insulting job. Six hours a day, five days a week, and 50 or so weeks a year, she watched someone with a mental disability stuff envelopes. That was the whole job.

Occasionally the person she was watching would screw up. Maybe an insert was wrong side up; maybe they'd missed an envelope. If so, it was her job to do her thing: straining every muscle available until one of the able bodied staff members took note and came over to correct the mistake.

This terrible job wasn't unique for Jane, nor was it unique for the person she watched. Indeed, that's how your junk mail was processed 20 years ago. And both Jane and the envelope stuffer made just 30-40 dollars for their work, total.

Sounds pretty bad huh? Well guess what? That 30-40 dollars was the sum total of their annual pay. I'll do the math for you: they each made 2.5 cents an hour.

(Arrangements like this are no longer legal in much of our country. It's crazy that they were ever legal to begin with. After all we supposedly ended slavery 160 years ago.)

Anyway, the good people who hired me to work with Jane and her peers knew this whole thing was evil and pointless. So they tasked me with figuring out what we should do for these people instead. I had no idea! But, happily, I was smart enough to realize who would know what we should do for them: them.

So I asked them. And that led to Jane telling me that she wasn't stupid.

Well, I made a ton of mistakes in the years that followed, and I never really came up with a solution. But we did bring in a ton of the computers these people asked for and we set up some classes they requested and we begged and pleaded with regular old businesses to give them regular old jobs and treat them like human beings. Occasionally a business said yes.

But I couldn't find a job for Jane. She had no tangible skills other than her intelligence and her fearlessness. "What can we do for you?" I'd asked her. "How can we improve your days?" She'd always sigh and go slack in response, her head falling forward. It was her way of saying I don't know.

Then, one day we both figured it out. I honestly don't remember if it was her idea or mine. But there was one thing I was constantly doing in my job and that was hiring new staff people. The pay was terrible and the work was hard so of course there was tons of staff turnover. And so I always had openings to fill and I often, out of desperation, hire someone who was just wrong for the job.

At some point Jane and I both recognized that I needed help. So, we put her in charge of my hiring decisions.

Our system was simple. I'd sit the applicant down, then wheel in Jane, then start asking the questions Jane and I had settled on. Once that was all done I'd dismiss the applicant and turn to Jane with a simple question: should we hire them?

Twice I overruled her. Twice she told me not to hire someone and I did it anyway. Jane didn't care about our staffing shortages; she would rather we had no staff than have anyone around her and her peers who was unworthy or incapable.

The first person I hired despite her no vote turned out to be a sex worker on the side. I've received some wise feedback regarding the language and judgment I used for that person in my original post. So let's just leave it at this: Jane enjoyed telling me "I. Was. Right.You.Wrong." when they lasted less than a month on the job.

It was more of the same with the other poor woman Jane and I disagreed about. She turned out to be a severe alcoholic and wound up in the hospital, dying shortly thereafter. Jane had the decency not to laugh at me about that one.

But I'm supposed to be writing about Neil Young. So let me make the connection: Neil Young wanted to utterly transform his son's life. He wanted to give Ben the joyful independence all humans deserve by coming up with a communication system that was personalized and all-powerful: he wanted to see his son overcome Cerebral Palsy through the "push of a button."

Like Walter Lee Younger, the passionately intense and hopelessly pie-in-the-sky father at the heart of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, Neil Young wanted to lift his seemingly doomed child up in his arms and reveal their future as impossibly bright: "Son, I give you the world!"

Neil hired a whole team of people to make it happen. He bought machine after machine and threw himself into hours of daily therapy with Ben. Remote control technology was invented and later patented which allowed Ben to "run the show," operating a whole barn worth of toy trains through that mythical "push of a button".

That was Neil's life in the early 80's. And so it's no wonder that he wrote an entire obscure album about the quest:

But listen: remember what I told you about Jane's role in our hiring decisions? That was one of my few successes. I worked my ass off for a decade and, at the end of it, Jane, and most of her peers, still did not have consistently meaningful and fulfilling lives. They were not "running the show" in the way Neil dreams of in Transformer Man. Jane was still in constant pain. She still could not talk. Every morning when I looked in her eyes I was not electrified with the joy Neil describes in his song and his quest; rather I was burdened with my own failure.

He sings "sooner or later you'll have to see the cause and effect... so many things still left to do but we haven't made it yet." Well, the people I worked with were not kids like Ben; they understood cause and effect far better than you or I ever will. Their disabilities caused them to be marginalized and miserable; their disabilities made them burdens instead of contributors. There were always "so many things still left to do."

But I'm being far too negative. Ben Young, somewhat famously, became an egg farmer. He used a corner of Neil's ranch to let his happy hens run wild in ways that he never could and he delivered their eggs all over the Santa Cruz mountains. And before that he attended the world's very best school for children with Cerebral Palsy, a school founded and funded by his famous parents.

We've covered a lot of ground in nearly 40 Shakey posts. I think I've demonstrated that Neil is plenty of things, all of them delightful: he's unhinged, unpredictable, utterly independent and capable of every mood from the spiritual to the boneheaded, often in the same song.

But I think his quest with Ben and the story behind Trans shows what is perhaps Neil's most admirable quality. He loves so deeply. The planet, his cars, his son: Neil Young is fiercely, maybe even insanely, dedicated to protecting and positively transforming the people and things that he loves.

I'm not fit to compare myself to Neil in this sense. But, more than once, I hosted an after hours staff party at my house and Jane always showed up, ready to sit in the middle, guzzling a cocktail or two through a straw. She was a fully accepted and vital member of our earnest team. I didn't help her much. Rather, I let her help me. And that's a transformation I'm proud of.

I saw Jane just one more time after I left that job. I invited her to my high school and asked her to speak to my students about people with disabilities, about their struggle and their perspectives. She showed up with a new communication device that day, a computer in place of the old board. She operated it through a head switch she could strain to wack, thereby initiating the speech that she'd prepped.

"Hello," her Trans voice began, a big grin on her face as she caught my eye in the back. "Let me start by telling you what I told your teacher the first time we ever met. I told him I was not what he or you think I am even though I am in this chair and even though I need this computer to talk for me. I am not stupid."

[digitaldetoxworld]

Special Needs Of Education In India Building Resilience Social Skills Development

 Special needs of education in India  schooling refers to tailor made educational practices designed to meet the particular desires of youngsters with various disabilities, inclusive of bodily, intellectual, emotional, and learning challenges. This field pursuits to offer equitable get rid of entry to fine training, fostering an inclusive environment where in every child can thrive. Understanding wishes training is critical now not best for educators and parents however for society as an entire, as it promotes diversity, acceptance and aid  for individuals with disabilities.

The Importance of Special Needs Education

Equity and Access:

Every baby has the right to an education that incorporates their unique needs. Special needs schooling ensures that children who may struggle in a traditional learning environment acquire the aid important to prevail.

Individualized Learning

Children with unique needs regularly require custom designed teaching techniques and gaining knowledge of plans. Individualized Education Program are evolved to define precise goals, resorts, and the sources needed to support every child mastering.

Social Integration

Inclusive education promotes social interplay amongst college of all abilities. This interplay fosters expertise, empathy, and collaboration, crucial talents for navigating the wider international.

Empowerment

Providing children with the competencies they want to achieve existence academically, socially and emotionally empowers them to attain their full ability. It desires education equips student with the gear vital to advocate for themselves and pursue their dreams.

Types of Special Needs

Understanding the extraordinary types of disabilities can assist educators and dad and mom provide suitable guide

Learning Disabilities

Conditions like dyslexia and dyscalculia affect a child's capability to read, write, or perform mathematical duties. Tailored teaching techniques can help those kids improve their educational skills.

Intellectual Disabilities

Children with highbrow disabilities may additionally revel in obstacles in cognitive functioning and adaptive behaviors. Instruction is regularly centered on lifestyles capabilities, verbal exchange, and social interplay.

Physical Disabilities

 Conditions which include cerebral palsy or spinal wire accidents can affect mobility and coordination. Physical variations in the school room and access to assistive technologies are important for those students.

Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Students with situations like ADHD or tension problems can also conflict with emotional regulation and behavior. Supportive classroom environments and individualized behavior plans can help manage them demanding situations.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

ASD is a developmental sickness affecting verbal exchange and social interaction. Specialized coaching strategies and support can decorate getting to know for these students.

The Role of Educators

Educators play a essential function inside the achievement of special wishes training. They need to be knowledgeable, empathetic, and adaptable to successfully meet the various wishes in their college students

Creating Inclusive Classrooms

Teachers must domesticate an environment that welcomes diversity. This includes the usage of teaching techniques that accommodate various studying patterns and capabilities.

Collaborating with Specialists:

Teachers regularly paintings alongside special training experts, therapists, and counselors to broaden and put in force effective IEPs and aid structures for college students.

Continuous Professional Development

Educators have to are trying to find ongoing education in unique wishes education, staying updated on great practices, new research, and innovative techniques to help their college students.

Building Relationships

Establishing robust relationships with students and their households is essential. Communication and collaboration foster trust and make certain that everybody is working in the direction of not unusual goals.

The Role of Parents and Caregivers

Parents and caregivers are vital partners within the unique needs education manner. Their involvement can notably impact a baby's academic experience and outcomes

Advocacy

Parents frequently serve as advocates for his or her kid's needs, making sure they receive the necessary services and inns. This can contain attending conferences, taking part in IEP discussions, and speaking with educators.

Support at Home: 

Parents can improve studying by using presenting a supportive home surroundings. This consists of helping with homework, encouraging social abilities, and facilitating verbal exchange.

Understanding Resources

Familiarity with nearby assets, along with help businesses, therapy offerings, and academic programs, can empower dad and mom to make informed choices about their child's schooling.

Emotional Support

Providing emotional help and encouragement is crucial. Parents can assist youngsters build self-esteem and resilience, important additives of achievement in unique wishes schooling.

Challenges in Special Needs Education

Despite the development made in special desires training, numerous demanding situations persist:

Funding and Resources

Many schools face price range constraints, limiting the supply of specialized packages, staff, and sources essential for effective unique needs education.

Stigma and Misunderstanding

Misconceptions about disabilities can result in stigma, affecting how college students are treated by way of friends and educators. Raising cognizance and promoting inclusion are critical steps closer to decreasing this stigma.

Training Gaps

Not all educators receive adequate training in special needs education. This can avoid their capability to put into effect powerful teaching strategies and provide necessary help.

Balancing Inclusion and Support

While inclusion is essential, a few college students might also require extra individualized support than what a mainstream lecture room can offer. Striking the right balance is essential for each student's success.

Best Practices in Special Needs Education

Individualized Education Programs (IEPs): 

Developing tailored IEPs ensures that every toddler gets personalized help based totally on their specific desires, strengths, and demanding situations.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL): 

This framework promotes flexible teaching methods that accommodate various inexperienced persons. By imparting a couple of manner of illustration, expression, and engagement, educators can aid all students.

Collaborative Teaching Models

Co-coaching, in which standard and special schooling teachers work together, can beautify the studying revel in for all college students. This model lets in for differentiated preparation and shared information.

Assistive Technology: 

Utilizing generation together with speech-to-text software program, audio books, and verbal exchange gadgets can significantly decorate mastering possibilities for students with disabilities.

Social Skills Training: 

special needs education courses incorporating social abilities education into the curriculum facilitates students with unique needs increase essential interpersonal skills, fostering better relationships with peers.