Growing up, the way in which movie stars were discovered, was always a topic of conversation; now we have TV series’ like The Voice where people compete to have celebrity musicians recognize their talent, and give them special attention. The reality is that we all have special gifts and talents, what if everyone got ‘discovered?’ That’s the concept behind a…

When my cousin Joanne was born in1951, her parents were told her life would be short.  Back then, the estimated life expectancy for a child with Downs was 12 years; Joanne passed away at age 14. In the 1950s her life expectancy wasn’t the only limiting factor; public schools could simply prevent a disabled child from attending.  Joanne attended the…

How often do we find ourselves in the midst of the blame game? Whether in the media, in the workplace, or in the personal comfort of our own homes—sometimes it feels as if deflection or the lack of ownership is unavoidable. We blame others for the privation of our progression, and others blame us; frustrations circumvent over and over from…

I was 18 when the voting age changed from 21 to 18; I vividly remember conversing with my mother about how excited I was at my first opportunity to vote. I asked her for advice on how to get involved and stay informed; I also remember conversations with my grandmother, and her educating me on Susan B Anthony. Susan B.…

The KenCrest family joined the Nation this week in recognizing and celebrating the hundreds of thousands of amazing direct support professionals (DSPs) around the world. DSPs are special people who provide support to many individuals who come to us with the hope of care, and a meaning-filled life. Although the title of this position has changed over time— from counselor,…

  Back in July 2016 I blogged about my friend Carl. He was pretty awesome, to say the least. Carl was an avid shopper although he couldn’t read; his desire to learn continued well into his 80s. This was a man who loved his sweets, and was in later life diagnosed with diabetes. By then, he was very inspired to…

My friend Connie told me a story of her youngest child—he was a good kid. He seemed happy but never had much to say…UNTIL his older siblings left home; then he became a big talker. Later in life Connie realized that he wasn’t really a quiet kid, he just couldn’t get a word in edgewise when his siblings were around.…

One day last week, I got home late and needed to do as little as possible to unwind. I had been battling traffic from Bridgeport, CT to Media, PA which left me tired but restless. I decided to surf the TV stations and stumbled across the show, “Born This Way,” a show where young adults born with Down syndrome pursue…

I never dreamed of the concept of an annual vacation until I got married.  We camped at the shore; borrowing tents and camping equipment from my parents. One of our favorite places was Indian River Inlet in Delaware; where you could fish right from and camp right on the beach,  and it wasn’t a far drive. Because of that place,…

For the people and families we support we create plans around choices. Some of those discussions about choices are awesome. When we support new parents, we use an approach called routines based practice. This involves collaborating to find ways to encourage development within the families’ regular daily routine.  At the center of these choices is a belief and hope in…