ECSE 421 Reflection Blog #3

This week's class periods and discussions were very powerful to me. After talking about the definitions of an impairment and disability and the medical/social model, I got thinking about my views of those with special needs and how I can have a positive impact on our world today that focuses on the negative and is far from where we need to be when it comes to special education. The day that we talked about how in Denmark and Iceland as well as the US are encouraging women to abort their babies that might have the "possibility" of having downs syndrome, I felt sick to my stomach that that was a thing and was happening in our world. Later that day, I came across a speech given by a man with downs syndrome about his right to live. I was deeply moved by this speech and shared it all over social media, trying to spread awareness of how special those with special needs are. They deserve to live 100% and are the most special people in the world. I wish that everyone could understand that we all have some type of disability and when we talk about equality we are talking about those with disabilities as well.

Weekly Quote:

"I completely understand that people pushing this particular final solution are saying that people like me should not exist. That view is deeply prejudiced by an outdated idea of life with down syndrome".-Frank Stevens Speech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQJEoRhkapw

This quote really stuck out to me in this video because part of it comes from that fact that people just aren't educated about those with special needs. However, if we can educate them on the resources available and educate them on how keeping a child with down syndrome or any other disability is not child abuse and they still can have great, rich, fulfilling lives just like we do.

HWD:
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/581577_2
(Reichman, Corman, Noonan, Impact of Child Disability on the Family. 2008).

I found this article that briefly talks about the impact that a child with a disability can have on a family. There are positive impacts and negative impacts. The positive impacts include strengthening the family bonds, encourage community relationships and connections, a better awareness, etc. The negative impacts can be the financial costs and stress, other children feeling neglected, increased divorces, etc. As I continue to study this subject, I am curious to find what the best practices and approaches are for the parents to implement so that they can effectively balance both children.