Got it? Flaunt it!

I think I first heard about Meg Zucker in Parents magazine, or maybe it was on the Today show (and, really, take a moment to check out her interview).  Though the specifics escape me now, I was impressed with her writing and her attitude.  Meg was born with ectrodactyly, a genetic condition that resulted in having one finger on each hand and one toe on each foot.  She is lawyer, a writer, and mother to three children (two with elctrodactyly).

Her blog, “Don’t Hide It, Flaunt It,” is a great one to keep up with because she often opens with a “Preface,” a story from her past about dealing with a difference, and then ties it into a more recent experience.  These are not stories of how she struggles or manages with everyday tasks, but most often the attitudes that she faces out in society.  It’s illuminating.

Her site also includes “Guest Flaunt” posts which have been written by adults and chronicle their struggles and acceptance.  My favorite area though, and one with tremendous clinical value, is “Kids Flaunt.”

This 500 word posts are written primarily by school aged children and cover a wide range of challenges.  Though there are a few specific “speech” type posts, just reading through the variety of difficulties faced is empowering.  Imagine showing a child a post by someone reflecting on the same issue.  Imagine showing a child that every single one of us has a difference, whether it be weight, adoption, Asperger’s syndrome or a stutter.

The site is just slightly difficult to navigate because the posts scroll down indefinitely (and, unfortunately, in Meg’s blog the dates don’t include the year).  My suggestion is to go to the “Kids Flaunt” section and do a “find” search of the child’s name  to locate a specific post.

The ones I found most helpful to my clinical setting are:

Child’s name

Challenge

Adina Severe articulation/phonology or apraxia
Henry Asperger’s syndrome
Hannah Brother with autism
Zoe Dyslexia
Aaron Stutter
Charlie Accent
Sarah Processing

 

Also, if you look under “Guest Flaunt” and search for “Michelle Veloso,” you will find a post by Henry’s mom (above).

I’ve started a Pinterest board called “Regular People in ExtraOrdinary Lives.”  Let me know if you have a link you think should be added!

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This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. Kristin Mosman

    Interesting blog! I love the idea. Very inspirational posts. I do wish it were a little better organized- like, there’s gotta be a way they could put the diagnosis or difference in a filter or in the title or searchable on the sidebar? Anyway, I ran down the first 25 or so looking for some that are about adults with acquired differences. That would be a great addition to her blog! (Btw, apparently Asperger’s is no longer a term, right? Just ASD according to DSM5. I find this to be more confusing and less helpful even though it is supposedly more correct.) Anyway- love your blog, as always!

    1. admin

      Kristin,
      That would be a great addition. Maybe you could contact her with a submission from one of your patients? And I totally missed the Asperger’s term; although I’m guessing many parents and therapists will continue to use it since it offers some accuracy for certain kiddos that the more encompassing ASD doesn’t. In any case, it is used on her blog, so it’s easy enough to run a search with that term. Thanks a million for the feedback! Hope you are having a great summer. Kim

      1. admin

        Kristin, thanks so much for this sweet comment. I’ve so admired your passion for your practice, so it means a lot! Kim

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The views expressed in this blog are my own and are intended to inspire other speech-language pathologists in their own practice. If you are a parent, teacher or other educator, these ideas are not intended to take the place of treatment by a certified clinician. Read full disclaimer here.