I am inspired once again by your newsletter! Thank you for your valuable thoughts.  I have a story to share on the importance of "Presuming Competence."

A friend of mine was looking through a book alongside a young man with a cognitive disability. As she came to pictures of animals, she quizzed him on their names. She turned to a picture of a horse, and said, "What is this?" The young man took a good look and promptly said, "It's a Percheron." She responded, "No, try again. The young man repeated, "Percheron." My friend responded, "No it's not a Percheron—it's a horse."

Imagine her chagrin when she later found out that the breed of the horse in the picture was definitely a Percheron! I have thought of this many times over the years and have used it often to remind others to always Presume Competence—what a gift that would be!

Glynda