The winner of Britain’s Got Talent this year is…
The Lost Voice Guy!
He is very funny, but his message is serious (which makes for brilliant comedy.). As he says, “I was disabled before I was popular.” Furthermore, “People were laughing at me even before I became a comedian.”
One fan on YouTube has compiled this vignette of his journey:
We’ll let him tell of the rest of his journey!
All of us at Advancing Opportunities wish you, our consumers, families, and supporters (including those of you who have generously followed this blog!) peace and happiness for the holidays:
And just in time for the holidays, here’s a special treat. Overcoming her autistic social fears, this lovely ten-year-old girl gives a stunning rendition of Hallelujah that would have made Leonard Cohen proud.
The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation have made their recent webinar, “Parenting with a Disability: Know your Rights and Take Action” available on YouTube, and it contains important information on what parents of a child with special needs need to know to advocate and self-advocate.
More good things from my new feed. He couldn’t speak and he couldn’t respond. For the first 15 years of his life, Gordy Baylinson’s parents thought their son didn’t understand what they were saying to him. via ‘This is not a cry for pity’: Non-speaking teen writes profound letter explaining autism — Global News
More and more, art produced by people with disabilities is gaining recognition by galleries and among the people who visit them, especially in Canada. The Tangled Art Gallery has opened a new venue, the first permanent space in Canada to show the amazing art people with disabilities, in downtown Toronto. Other shows are appearing this spring in Edmonton and Winnipeg, the latter in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Another venue, Deaf and Disability Arts symposium, titled Cripping the Arts, will take place at Ryerson University, Toronto. The same excellent article describes seven facts everyone needs to know about art by people with disabilities.
Meanwhile, a 2006 film called SHAMELESS: The ART of Disability continues to make the rounds across Canada and elsewhere.
In the US, one of the most well-known artists with a disability is Dan Keplinger, who has cerebral palsy. He became famous, thanks to an excellent documentary, King Gimp, a 1999 documentary that won an Academy Award.
In this powerful video, Malala has hope that the Syrian child refugees will survive and one day be able to return home. That hope, however, is dampened by the grave concerns she has for what may be the irreparable damage that has been done to these young lives. The statistics are as staggering as they are frightening, especially among children with disabilities, as well as emotional damage (which will probably be the majority).
Malala tells their story for the world to hear.
It doesn’t have to be that way! Syrian children need money for an education. Let’s help them come home and rebuild their country. That’s what Malala is advocating for.
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’
Today, we honor the spirit of the great Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He dedicated his life to the service of others, advocating for marginalized people everywhere. His spirit inspires our service to others every day.
In 1981, Fred Rogers had a simple, yet profound message for Jeff Erlanger, a boy who was permanently disabled during a complex surgery. The sincere positivity of both Jeff and Mister Rogers shone through.
“Fast forward” some 20 years latter, and Fred has a surprise reunion with Jeff, now a young man. Said Jeff. “You know, when you tell people that ‘It’s you I like,’ you know that you really mean it. And tonight, I want to let you know that, on behalf of millions of children and grown-ups, it is you that I like.”
Just recently, the online magazine and blog, Petzoid, reminded us how Fred Rogers has touched the lives of so many children, who as adults never forget the kindness of this of a very special man.
In Part I, I gave an overview of a book that, despite its 10-year anniversary, is still highly relevant. Kids Need Love When They Deserve It Least: A Review of It’s So Much Work to Be Your Friend, by Rick Lavoie. As I concluded, “Social miscues become “teachable moments.” Or, to quote, Mr. Lavoie, “Kids need love most when they deserve it least.” This sentiment, as well as the use of the term friend in the title, reflect Mr. Lavoie’s deep compassion and understanding of children, seeing issues from the perspective of the child, for which he has earned fame and respect in his early PBS videos, How Difficult Can This Be?: The F.A.T. City Workshop and When the Chips Are Down.” Here, in Part II, Mr. Lavoie explores why these children with learning disabilities and accompanying social skills deficits “do the things they do.”
Children with learning disabilities (LD) are often misunderstood, particularly regarding the fact that LD is more than an academic problem, “it is a life, language, and learning problem that affects every moment of the child’s day.”
Children with LD Are Wired Differently
Children with LD have difficulty with visual/special, as well as auditory perception. Many also are challenged in needing to inhibit their behavior or reactions. Furthermore, most children with LD have a deficit in their executive functioning: memorization, punctuality, perseverance, and social control. With all these emotional challenges, these children are inflexible: brain research has demonstrated that emotions play a critical role in decision-making ability.
Anxiety: A Cause and Consequence of Social Isolation
Children with LD experience five types of anxiety disorders:
Positive reinforcement, cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation and meditation, and physical exercise can help these children with these forms of anxiety.
Language Difficulties: Getting & Giving the Message
Children with LD often have difficulty expressing themselves and receiving messages, both oral and written. These deficits extend to pragmatics, the “social side of language”:
This area presents a major challenge. Adults should teach these important skills by providing positive examples and reinforcing them with opportunities to applied them in real-life contexts.
Paralinguistics: Body Language That Carries the Emotion
Most children with LD have great difficulty with the nonverbal aspect of language, including the following:
The Social Side of ADHD
Lavoie speaks of “the social lives of the unhappy wanderers.” ADHD includes several combinations of hyperactivity, inattention, impulsivity, sleep problems, and a poor sense of time. All these challenges comprise academic, social, and emotional aspects of children with LD.
Part III will cover :Social Skills on the Homefront: Dealing with Parents, Siblings, and Other Strangers.”
Celebrating Individual Abilities 