Friday was my first full day at the Temple University - Institute on Disabilities - Competence and Confidence Partners in Policymaking for Families with Children in Early Intervention program (birth - preschool), otherwise called C2P2 - EI. As I am completely wiped out and need to be back bright and early for the next full day, I will share very quickly some of the information that I learned today.
The term basketcase that many of us use frequently (myself included) to describe ourselves or others who have literally or figuratively had a mental breakdown originated in WWI. Soldiers who came home with no arms or legs were placed in baskets in order to be mobile. I will never use that phrase again.
I learned that I will probably spend some time perusing the NEC TAC website (National Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center HERE and the Office of Special Education Programs HERE
We learned about the history of the Independent Living movement and the Parents movement to fight for the rights of our children with disabilities. You can watch the video that we saw on the history of disability in the US HERE (and you should). You will need to download a free RealPlayer and then click the Modules 1-4 to see the videos.
We learned about disability right's leader Judy Heumann (my new hero) who said,
"When I speak out about the oppression of people with disabilities, some professionals will ask, 'Is she bitter about being handicapped?' The answer is yes, "I am bitter about being handicapped, but not about having a disability for it is not my disability that handicaps me. It is society that handicaps me and my brothers and sisters, handicaps us by building inaccessible schools, theaters, buses, houses, and the list goes on. All this helps keep us in our place."
I added the books Angel Unaware by Dale Evans Rogers (married to Roy Rogers, they had a daughter with Ds) and The Child Who Never Grew by Pearl S. Buck to my list of must reads.
Weird trivia knowledge of the day: During an activity where we shared something about our family I learned that people can and do cook turkeys in a trash can. Don't believe me? I think I may have to try this, just to say I did.
Love this quote: "There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose time has come." ~Voltaire
Day 2 looks like it will be a big day and I promise to post about it soon.
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4 comments:
Cool! I hope to hear more about it.
Love,
-Mark
Very neat opportunity! I'm sure you are LOVING all the info and adult interaction. :o) Soak it up, girl. If anyone can be (good) dangerous with knowledge, it's you! xo
PA is the ONLY state to have a C2P2 training that focuses on EI (birth - 5). I am exactly where I am supposed to be. You're so sweet! Love you friend
---Jen
p.s. Dear Husband, thank you for keeping watch over the monkeys. We'll catch up soon, after football.
Wow, I had no idea about that term "basket case." I think I will never use it again, either. Yikes. Thanks for the lesson!
I'm really looking forward to hearing more about this training, too. So amazing.
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