Reading & Writing . . . so very exciting!

Books related to disabilities? I've read my fair share, to educate myself, and to try and find answers to the many questions I've had over the years about Carter's 

challenges.

These three books (that I really enjoyed) have protagonists who use AAC to communicate:

I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson 

           Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper          

             Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

 Here are a few more I've enjoyed that have characters with disabilities:

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

                                                      Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Yes, the disability books I've been reading lately are all fiction: middle grade and young adult novels. 

And why is that? 

Because you're supposed to read what you want to write. And for some time now, I've been working on my own middle grade novel.

Writing a book is a lofty goal. I thought the book I would someday write would be the story of Carter's life. I've told a lot of that here, including his journey with AAC, but I wanted to step away from memoir writing. 

Instead, my story is about two young girls who are total opposites. One is a neat freak and the other, not so much. 

It came out of a writing prompt. I started writing and never looked back. Go where the writing takes you (or so they say). That's what I did and guess what? It didn't take me down a path that had anything to do with AAC or disabilities.

Maybe someday I'll try and tackle a story like that. For now, I'm happy to share, promote, and recommend the books above. 

I'm also happy to share something very exciting...

(Drum roll, please.)

Last year, I submitted the intro of my middle grade novel to CANSCAIP's Writing For Children Competition and I was long listed! What a huge and wonderful surprise! 

If I'm ever going to finish my story, I'd better get back to it!

Happy reading!

Is AAC Going to the Dogs?

Meet Stella, the Catahoula / Blue Heeler. She uses a sound board to talk.

A dog who uses AAC to communicate???

Yes, a dog who uses AAC to communicate!

This article in People tells all about it.

There's video imbedded in the article that shows Stella in action, or you can go to the Hunger 4 Words YouTube channel here.

You can read more at Hunger For Words, where Christina Hunger, speech language pathologist blogs about teaching her dog to talk!

You can also follow @Hunger4Words on Instagram to watch Stella do her thing.

                                      

"Pandemic" a Poem by Lynn Ungar

I've seen this posted on a few blogs that I follow. I thought I would share it here as well.

Pandemic

What if you thought of it

as the Jews consider the Sabbath—

the most sacred of times?

Cease from travel.

Cease from buying and selling.

Give up, just for now,

on trying to make the world

different than it is.

Sing. Pray. Touch only those

to whom you commit your life.

Center down.

And when your body has become still,

reach out with your heart.

Know that we are connected

in ways that are terrifying and beautiful.

(You could hardly deny it now.)

Know that our lives

are in one another’s hands.

(Surely, that has come clear.)

Do not reach out your hands.

Reach out your heart.

Reach out your words.

Reach out all the tendrils

of compassion that move, invisibly,

where we cannot touch.

Promise this world your love–

for better or for worse,

in sickness and in health,

so long as we all shall live.