Continuing our focus on Disability Pride Month, I started thinking that we all are different, but is disability just another form of different?

It’s one thing for an adult to stare at me in my power wheelchair and make unintentionally insensitive comments such as, “I wish I had one of those today!” or “Do you have a driver’s license for that?”

The reality is adults should know better, but such comments open the doors for a constructive conversation and teachable moments.

Yet how do we talk to children about people living with disabilities? About people who, in their minds, seem “different.”

The immediate reaction from their mannerly parents often is a stern, aggressively whispered phrase like, “Don’t stare! That’s not nice.”

Is this the ideal way for parents to react? How should parents handle these situations with their children?  

Join us for this episode as Dan and I have a thoughtful conversation with Erica Miedema about the best way to approach this subject with her almost 10-year-old son, Maximus. The three of us delve into different approaches to talking with children who are curious about people with disabilities and how to turn their questions into truly teachable moments.

P.S. You may remember Maximus when he was our podcast guest who interviewed us in Episode 51: From the runway to Walk MS. :-)

Here are links to sites to help you continue this conversation:

• Respecting Differences: How to Talk With Your Child About Disabilities

• 10 Strategies for Talking to Kids About Disabilities

• People First Language

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