https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8 SPED 500 en-us 2021-07-17 21:40:46 UTC 2025-11-18 07:01:42 UTC hello@padlet.com annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1653482371 Care Work is a book of essays by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. I am still working through this book, but already so much of it has stuck with me. This book gives a first hand account of the disability justice movement, which centers Black, Brown, queer, trans disabled and sick people. This is a movement that, while incredibly powerful, was largely ignored by mainstream media. Piepzna-Samarasinha's identifies as disabled and sick and their essays provide a model for what true and meaningful care, love, empathy and compassion look like. I think this book is a must read for anyone in our line of work and honestly anyone in general! ]]> 2021-07-17 21:41:28 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1653482371 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1653482935 Crip Camp is a documentary that came out on Netflix last year and was nominated for an Oscar. The movie documents the journey of campers at Camp Jened, a camp in the Catskills for people with disabilities. Many of the campers, including Judy Heumann, went on to be activists and leaders in the disability rights movement. This movie captures the powerful and close knit community at Camp Jened that catalyzed a movement of activists determined to fight against ableism and for accessibility and disability rights.

I was especially excited to watch this movie because it features two of my family friends, Denise and Neil Jacobson. I have known them my whole life because they go to my temple in Oakland. However, I did not know many of the details of their experience and story until I watched Crip Camp. I think this is an important move for everyone to watch in that it documents immense progress made in the disability rights movement with a focus on those disabled activists that worked to make it happen. However, I think it should be watched along with resources like Care Work that document concurrent struggles and activism happening in LGBTQIA and BIPOC sick and disabled communities that is often overlooked by mainstream media.]]> 2021-07-17 21:44:11 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1653482935 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1653484377 This book was written by a 13 year old autistic boy, Naoki Higashida. It was initially written in Japanese and published in English in 2013. From the unique format of questions and answers to the imaginative stories throughout, The Reason I Jump is a remarkable book that I could not put down and ended up reading in one sitting. In the book, Naoki speaks directly to educators and care givers who support and work with people with autism. Reading this book influenced the way that I see my role. 

When considering this book, however, it is important to consider the context in which it was written. Higashida wrote the book in Japanese. The book was then translated to English with no involvement from Higashida. The translator had a great amount of influence on the style and diction of the English version that I read. While the translator is a parent of an autistic kid, he is not himself on the spectrum. 

The book has now been turned into a movie. It is on my list to watch. ]]> 2021-07-17 21:50:23 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1653484377 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1653486258 Parenthood is a TV show that ran on NBC from 2010-2015. It is about an extended family that lives in Berkeley, CA. One of the siblings in the family has a son, Max, who is autistic. I watched Parenthood when it came out (it ran from 2010-2015) and it is definitely one of the first shows I ever saw that depicted an autistic character. I imagine many other people of my generation felt the same way. 

 In researching for this project, I learned that the showrunner of Parenthood has an autistic kid and created the character Max to reflect his own personal experience as a parent. While the actor who plays Max is not autistic himself, he did fully commit to the role and gain the favor of many in the autistic community with his portrayal. The show depicts many important aspects of raising an autistic kid, such as first having the conversation with your kid about what it means to be autistic. While this show is not perfect, I do think it depicted Max and his family's experience as relatable and generally raised autism awareness given the wide reach of this NBC show. ]]> 2021-07-17 21:58:34 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1653486258 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1657382007 Love on the Spectrum is an Australian reality TV show that follows young autistic people as they navigate the world of dating and relationships. I was highly skeptical when I first saw this show on my Netlix feed, as my thoughts turned to American dating reality shows I have watched, like the Bachelor, which are overly dramatized at the cost of any genuine depiction of the participants. However, this show ended up exceeding my expectations. The characters on the show are relatable and loveable. I found myself completely empathizing with their experiences dating. The show felt like a celebration of differences and a call for compassion, while being honest about the hardships of forming romantic relationships on the spectrum or not. I also appreciated that the show represents queer relationships without making it a big deal or over analyzing like some American shows do. 

After watching, I did read some reviews written by autistic people that pointed out some downfalls of the show. There are many moments that are infantilizing, such as when a couple that has been together for a long time and is moving in together are asked if they have "consummated" their relationships. The show often includes more interviews with family members than with the autistic person themselves. Further, the relationship counselor in the show does not give realistic advice. She teaches specific behaviors, such as pulling out a chair for your date, that come off as unnatural and ingenuine in practice. ]]> 2021-07-21 18:44:30 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1657382007 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1657399804 I found this video really helpful in understanding the experience of ADHD. Salif’s twist of ADHD and heightened involuntary attention as an evolutionary gain, adaptive for survival, is really powerful. He also lists a bunch of talents that he sees himself as having with ADHD, like his ability to brainstorm ideas quickly and effectively. He can navigate outside of his comfort zone because he is so motivated to explore and figure out what he likes, loves, and hates. He also talks about being resilient from the experience of having ADHD in this society. He can move away from negativity really quickly and adapt to different experiences and situations. He makes a point at the end that depression being associated with ADHD is in large part due to the way that others respond to people with ADHD. I would really love to show this video to parents and teachers of students with ADHD. Salif is funny and smart. He speaks so genuinely and honestly about the struggles, but also the huge advantages, to living with ADHD. ]]> 2021-07-21 19:14:43 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1657399804 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1657404642 I have only watched the trailer for Music, but I included it in my project because I vividly remember when this trailer came out and the outrage in the disabled and autistic community. Music was created by the Australian pop star, Sia. The main character in Music is autistic, but played by a neurotypical actress and dancer. The film also depicts physical restraint of the autistic character that could be triggering for many viewers. When the trailer came out, Sia was criticized for not casting an autistic actress to play the main role. Rather than apologizing and self-reflecting, Sia responded by defending the choice and claiming that an autistic actress could not have played this role. This caused even more outrage. 

Despite autistic actors and activists criticisms, the movie still came out and was nominated for a Golden Globe.]]> 2021-07-21 19:20:55 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1657404642 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1657415358 Luca, the newest Pixar movie, is about an Italian sea monster who runs away from his family to live in the human world. It is a sweet movie about friendship and acceptance of differences. One of the characters, Massimo, the father of Luca's human friend, is a fisherman with a limb difference. He reveals during the film that he was born with one arm, but it is not a central plot point. I think this casual inclusion of a disability is important and could be seen as a model for other films. Characters with disabilities can, and should, be included in movies that aren't about disability. Massimo is a character with one arm, but he is also a loving father and a talented fisherman. This is also an important counter point to other kids movies that depict characters with limb differences as evil villains (e.g. Captain Hook). ]]> 2021-07-21 19:39:44 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1657415358 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1657420604 While doing some online shopping, I noticed a model with a limb difference. This felt really important to me as it was the first time I had seen a model with a visible disability. This clothing company is known for using sustainable materials, transparency in how their clothing is made, and a focus on making a positive change in the world. I really appreciate that they include models of many body types, including models with limb differences. I hope other clothing companies follow their lead and break away from the idea that a model must look a certain way. ]]> 2021-07-21 19:49:32 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1657420604 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1658781454 Rightnowish is a KQED podcast that recently did a series of episodes called Roll With Us that features various sports on wheels. One of the episodes was about Wheel Chair Motor Cross (WCMX) and featured two leaders in the chair skating community in CA. I really appreciated that this podcast introduced WCMX as they would have any other sport and heavily featured the voices of the athletes. It was awesome to hear their first hand account of chair skating and doing tricks. ]]> 2021-07-23 00:35:26 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1658781454 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1658829504 99% Invisible is one of my favorite podcasts. They have done a few episodes about disability, but one that really stuck out to me is called Curb Cuts. The episode goes into details about Ed Roberts journey to UC Berkeley in a wheel chair and how he fought against ableism. It then documents a specific history of disability rights activism by disabled organizers that eventually resulted in the ADA. I appreciated that this popular podcast did an episode on this specific history that is often forgotten. ]]> 2021-07-23 01:09:44 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1658829504 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1658842565 I really like to bike and I get a newsletter in my email inbox each week about biking. It usually features some article to read with a quick description. This article about Walter Greaves was in the most recent newsletter with the caption "What Disability?" I found this caption to be completely ableist. It follows the all too popular narrative that disability is something to overcome or to fix. The article itself tells an exciting historical narrative about a cyclist who lost an arm in a car accident and went on to bike more miles in year than anyone had ever ridden before. However, the caption "What Disability" made me unsubscribe from the newsletter. ]]> 2021-07-23 01:17:39 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1658842565 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1659588188 I really liked the show Sex Education on Netflix. In the second season, we are introduced to Isaac. Isaac is a confident and witty trickster and a wheel chair user who becomes friends with one of the main characters, Maeve, when he and his brother move into her trailer home park. Isaac is played by  George Robinson, an actor who broke his neck in a rugby accident when he was 17. This accident resulted in his paralysis below the neck. I read an interview with George Robinson where he spoke about growing and learning through playing Isaac's character. ]]> 2021-07-23 18:11:22 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1659588188 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1659596899 This article was published in Oaklandside in April 2021. I remember reading it and appreciating reading a parent's open and honest perspective around navigating her son's special education services in OUSD from when he was 3 years old til now, graduating high school and handling the "transition." One quote in particular stood out to me, "If we parents and guardians can figure out how to share our knowledge more often, in more ways, with more people, maybe we can lessen the obstacles for others in the future." The author continues by acknowledging that many parents don't have the time and energy to be a squeaky wheel, and her worry for kids who don't have an advocate. I often wonder about how we as special educators can make sure to lessen this inequity by not focusing only on those parent's who are always in our faces and support parents who don't have as much bandwidth. I think this is an important, relatable read for all parents as well as teachers. ]]> 2021-07-23 18:30:36 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1659596899 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1659603710 Crosscurrents is one of my favorite podcasts for local Bay Area news and stories. This episode from 2017 interviews some members of an outdoors adventures group for people with physical disabilities. They go on hikes, camping trips and other outdoor adventures around the Bay. I liked that this podcast did not at all fall into the "super hero" disabled narrative, but rather just talks about disability as a way of life. I loved hearing about disabled participants supporting each other, such as a wheel chair user guiding someone who is visually impaired. ]]> 2021-07-23 18:47:28 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1659603710 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1659610469 I don't normally watch horror movies, but I did watch A Quiet Place with a friend when it came out in theatres. The movie is about a family living in an apocalyptic world where they cannot make noise, or else they will attract killer creatures. The daughter in the family is deaf and played by a deaf actress, Millicent Simmonds. The family communicates throughout the movie using ASL, both for their daughter and because talking would alert the creatures. In the end, the daughter's cochlear implant ends up allowing them to defeat the monsters. It is powerful to have such a widely watched, mainstream movie almost entirely in sign language and often without sound. ]]> 2021-07-23 19:03:55 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1659610469 annatreidler https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1659622934 Atypical is a show I recently started watching about an autistic teenager. The actor who plays the main character is not autistic, but the show hired some autistic actors to play his friends after receiving criticism. I found the show to be an accurate portrayal of one autistic persons experience, but am disappointed that they did not cast an autistic actor. ]]> 2021-07-23 19:33:57 UTC https://padlet.com/annatreidler/px2xwbdmcwh3kxh8/wish/1659622934