One of the most special things in our journey of advocacy, inclusion, awareness and everyday life with Zach is seeing the abundance of “real”, natural, easy friendships he has been gaining with kids who do not have special needs. At first, it was merely family friends or neighbors or friends of his little sister. But […]

There are few “jobs” in this world as difficult — and as rewarding — as being a parent. Life and destiny hand you a small human and an unpredictable 18 to 85 years, God willing, to create a kind person and to lay down the foundation for a future that is full of potential and kindness and joy. That in itself is ridiculously challenging and can be incredibly lonely. Factor in a child with special needs and you can feel absolutely alone. I love the idea of supporting other parents and offering a sense of community for those of us who face battles daily and mostly behind the scenes.

I believe so strongly in the power of talking about and educating others on Down syndrome. You can’t fully understand something if you don’t get your questions answered about that subject. And while I love taking in questions about Zach and Down syndrome in general, I also know that there are a lot of things […]

We have made a huge and exciting — and slightly terrifying — decision for Zachary: Next year, he will attend his local school, fully immersed and fully included in classes with his typical peers.  In the past year, Z-Man has split his days in a Maryland Learning for Life program at a school about 20 […]