Empty Nest
August 5, 2024
Today, our son left home.
What can I tell you,
apart from this impossible emptiness
welling up in my chest?
In Taosim, they call it Wu
Emptiness––
The ultimate reality. … More Empty Nest
Category: Uncategorized
What’s a Language Rich Environment and Why Does Your Child Need One?
December 16, 2020
Research shows that “parents with children with special needs are uniquely qualified to help one another cope with feelings of isolation, despair, and anxiety. These parents act as buffers and they provide much needed emotional, social, and practical support” (Kerr, SM and McIntosh JB). So starting this month, I joined other parents with children who are … More What’s a Language Rich Environment and Why Does Your Child Need One?
The Illusion of Inclusion: When your son texts you an hour into his first day at a new school to say, “I don’t have an interpreter!”
August 10, 2018
This is how we started off the new school year. Over the summer, we moved 214 miles in order for Micah to attend the Florida School for the Deaf in St. Augustine. Well aware that studies show that Deaf students in hearing schools often experience greater isolation and psychological difficulty, my family took the plunge … More The Illusion of Inclusion: When your son texts you an hour into his first day at a new school to say, “I don’t have an interpreter!”
7 Reasons Why Your Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Child Should Take STEM Classes
June 6, 2017
A couple of weeks ago, Micah broke his wrist trying to land a skateboarding trick. Despite the setback, he’s recently decided he wants to become a pro-skater, and yesterday I caught him googling “skateboard college.” He watches X-Games online, styles his hair long, wears ripped Vans sneakers and sports his Volcom hat backwards. While … More 7 Reasons Why Your Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Child Should Take STEM Classes
For Beginners
February 21, 2017
8 Things I wish I knew earlier about being a hearing parent of a deaf child. … More For Beginners
Siblings of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children
January 31, 2017
“From the time they are born, our brothers and sisters are our collaborators and co-conspirators, our role models and cautionary tales.” –Jeffrey Kluger … More Siblings of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children
When Nothing Adds Up
January 5, 2017
This morning, I woke up and realized Micah was born hearing. While this is a conclusion my husband came to months ago, the truth of it settled with me only today as I was packing school lunches and making coffee. All this time, prior to this morning, I had told myself and everyone I knew, … More When Nothing Adds Up
The Glory Days of Summer
November 3, 2016
I heard from a good source that while Micah was away at camp last summer, he relished in dirt. I heard he even went to bed one night with dirt caked on his teeth. Maybe that’s what summer is all about. Small rebellions, wonder, and freedom. In the summers of ’86 and ’87, I packed … More The Glory Days of Summer
Beating Drums of Resistance
October 20, 2016
Recently, I attended a drum circle with my local Deaf community, and the experience solidified my belief that being part of the Deaf community is a lot like being part of an indigenous tribe. When we first learned that Micah was profoundly Deaf, we accepted the traditional medical perspective on deafness; the script that says … More Beating Drums of Resistance
On Deafness 