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REVOLUTIONARY COMMON SENSE LIBRARY
Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are,
and doing things as they ought to be done.
John Billings
Welcome!
If you're ready for more new ways of thinking,
you've come to the right place!
Good day! I gave a staff training yesterday on "behavior is communication," and used your What's a 'Behavior'? article. I personally enjoyed the article and felt I had to share it with my staff. We took turns reading a paragraph and it was a great opening for the training. I also used it to close the training. As a result of your article, I've instructed staff to no longer say, "He had a behavior," but to say instead, "He was trying to communicate something." Your article was very concrete, informative, and brief (which is great for my staff). Everyone was able to understand it and relate to it. Thank you, and keep your beautiful words of wisdom coming! Lauren Donato Applied Behavioral Science Specialist Young Adult Institute National Institute for People with Disabilities Brooklyn Regional Psychologist |
We hope you'll enjoy the Revolutionary Common Sense Library---a variety of articles which can lead to positive change. Articles are changed on a regular basis, so check back often to see what's new!
The Newsletter Library also includes a variety of thought-provoking articles to move us in a new direction.
Click on any of the links below and the PDF of the article will open. Please be patient, as some articles have artwork and/or are large files, and some browsers are faster than others.
Please contact me (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com) if you have difficulty opening any article or if you need a plain text version for screenreaders.
If you're interested in using these articles (for personal use or in newsletters), see the information below.
It's Time for Spring Cleaning!
It’s
that time of year again: the grass is greening, buds are blooming, and everything
looks new again. We’re inspired by nature. When springtime rolls around,
we open the windows and let the fresh air in; do some heavy duty cleaning and
scrubbing; and scour our closets and cupboards, getting rid of old, worn out
things.
What if we also performed these rites of spring cleaning in ourselves?
Beware the Retarding Environment
Many years ago, a group of experts wrote about "retarding environments." Who were these experts? Individuals with disabilities who had first-hand experience! We haven't heeded this wisdom, as "retarding environments" may still exist in our homes, schools, and other settings in our communities. But we can change this—do we have the will to do so?
Curriculum Modifications 105—Let's Read!
Children with disabilities who have difficulty with reading may be at risk of “punishment”—they’re given more labels, placed in a segregated classroom, or pulled out of regular ed classes for “remediation” in a resource room. Reading is an important skill, but the inability to read doesn’t mean a person can’t learn, and there are many ways to learn from written material—whether one reads it in large print, listens to it on tape, or by other means!
On a regular basis, we face change. We’re constantly having to adjust to new technology, new rules, or new situations. And the “new”—even though it may be good and/or helpful—may often be inconvenient initially, but it soon becomes ordinary.The same can be true about the inclusion of people with disabilities in schools, jobs, and ordinary community activities...But like other perceived inconveniences, once the “new” occurs on a regular basis, it becomes familiar and ordinary!
Spiderman, Star Wars, and Disability
Our family loves movies! We saw Spiderman and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones on the first day each was released, standing in long lines with other devotees. When we pause and reflect, many movies offer important themes and lessons which can be relevant to the lives of people with disabilities.
Shhhh....Someone's Listening; Watch Your Language
Somehow, many of us lose our sense of manners and develop our own “inappropriate behavior” when it comes to talking about individuals with disabilities. Isn’t it time to find our manners? Isn’t it time to remember that we always need to watch our language? Isn’t it time to remember that people have feelings? So, shhhh—
#5 Home, Sweet Home (and Other Friendly, Welcoming Environments): Vision Supports
Need some visual supports or accommodations? There are lots of great products on the market today, and others you can make at home!
In the Real World, children and adults face difficult circumstances on a daily basis—experiences that constitute being a human being in today’s world. In Disability World, however, children and adults with disabilities are “protected” and may not be allowed to take risks or experience normal activities and environments. And the real barrier isn't usually the person's disability condition, but our fears! The Best Hopes/Worst Fears exercise can help us move in a new direction.
We don't need to make children and adults "do" in traditional physical and occupational therapies. Instead, therapists can focus on ensuring a child or adult with a disability can "be" who he/she wants to be. It's a new way of doing things that works—as evidenced by this interview with extraordinary therapists—and this is a must read for parents, therapists, service providers, and others who are ready to move beyond "therapizing" a person's life!
Inclusive Education: A Principal's Perspective
and
Testimonial on Inclusive Education (from a special ed teacher)
What does it take to create a school where children with disabilities are included in general ed classrooms all the time? Does inclusion work for all students and all teachers? Does it take more money, more training, more paraprofessionals, or more something? You'll be surprised and enlightened by the experiences of a principal and special ed teacher in these two articles.
The Case Against "Special Needs"
Like other words in Disability World, this term is so commonly used we seldom think about what it means. Have you considered that it promotes pity, negative attitudes, and segregation? It's time to throw this descriptor into the junk heap!
President Bush signed the Combating Autism Act into law in December, the American College of Obstreticians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is recommending that all pregnant women be tested for Down syndrome, and "growth attentuation treatment" has been performed on Ashley, the "pillow angel." What do these issues have in common and where are they taking us?
Don't forget to check out the article for children, "Same and Different: Respect for All." It's a two-page document which parents, teachers, and others can use with children, and it's accompanied by ideas and suggestions to facilitate interactive discussions. Click here to download the article. You can also download the article from the bottom of the People First Language page. I'd love to hear your thoughts about the article, and I thank you for helping children learn new ways of thinking!
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Interested in more articles? Check out:
101 Reproducible Articles: Revolutionary Common Sense for a New Disability Paradigm
Two versions of this extraordinary book are available:
The "book only" version ($25.00) allows the purchaser to make copies of the articles, as individual handouts or multiple copies for a training.
The "book/CD" version ($40.00) includes the book and a CD with all the articles in PDF format. This version allows the purchaser to make copies to share as handouts, upload the articles to websites, and/or include the PDF versions in newsletters (using the PDFs "as is" without reformatting).
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Can't find what you're looking for? Articles are changed on a regular basis, so if you visited this page before, read an article, and can't find it now, contact me (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com) with the name of the article, and I'll send you the hand-out version (PDF). See below for information regarding personal use and republication use.
FOR PERSONAL USE OF ARTICLES OR TO SHARE AN ARTICLE AS A HANDOUT:
You may use the PDF version(s) of the article(s) to:
- print for your own personal use,
- make copies to share with others as a handout at meetings,
- share as E-mail attachments and/or on listserves.
You do not need permission to use any article for these purposes (but see below if you're interested in using an article in a newsletter, website, and/or for other purposes). Any article must be copied/shared in its entirety, maintaining all copyright information, and may not be used commercially (e.g., for money-making purposes).
As a courtesy, please tell me when you share with others: contact us (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com) and provide the name of the article, how it's helpful, who you're sharing it with (parents, educators, professionals, etc.), and any other pertinent information. Your information helps me know which articles are the most beneficial and how they're being used.
TO REPUBLISH AN ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER:
You can purchase one or more of Kathie Snow's articles ($4.00/each) for republication in your newsletter. Upon receipt of your purchase, we will send an Email to confirm your newsletter info, followed by an Email with instructions and a plain text (MS Word) version of the article which can be cut and pasted in its entirety into your newsletter. We also require that you send us a copy of the newsletter when it's published. To order one or more articles and to see the titles of Kathie's articles, visit the Disability is Natural Store (scroll down to the "Articles for Newsletters" section). NOTE: Republishing an article without authorization is a violation of federal copyright law.
TO USE AN ARTICLE ON A WEBSITE:
For permission to include an article on a website, contact me (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com), and provide the name of the article, the website address, and other pertinent information.
Pages of this website, including the Revolutionary Common Sense articles, are protected by Copyscape.
To stay on top of the latest articles and products, sign up for the free
Disability is Natural E-Newsletter, at the bottom of this page!
Click here for Adobe Acrobat Reader, needed to open PDF files.
1/19/08
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Our words reflect the way we think, so let's get rid of descriptors like "handicapped, physically disabled, mentally retarded, learning disabled" and other words that focus on the condition instead of the person. People First Language promotes dignity and respect for all!
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