071: Celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness & Inclusion and Redefining Potential with Amy Julia Becker

During pregnancy, parents usually imagine what their child will be like and everything they’ll get to do together. You get excited about all the traditional milestones and look forward to experiencing this new reality. 

But for parents who receive difficult news after the birth of their child, such as an unexpected Down Syndrome diagnosis, this reality is shattered in a matter of seconds. Even the most understanding of parents are faced with grieving and adjusting. 

Amy Julia Becker (an award-winning writer and speaker on Disabilities and Family) experienced this first hand at the birth of her first child, Penny. Today, Amy Julia is sharing her family’s journey: from grieving the child they “thought” they’d be receiving, to adjusting to their new normal, to eventually realizing all the beautiful things that come from embracing our humanity as is. 

In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Amy Julia shares useful tips on things she wished she knew when her daughter was diagnosed, and on navigating the nuances of raising a child with different abilities. 

This episode is perfect for any parent who is currently feeling overwhelmed, alone, or nervous about their child’s disability and I hope you or someone you love and you get a ton of value from it.

Key Takeaways with Amy Julia Becker

• The importance of Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
• Navigating a Down Syndrome diagnosis.
• Grieving and adjusting to the reality of parenting a child with disabilities.
• Finding community through shared parenting experiences.
• Dealing with pain, guilt, and shame as a parent of a child with a disability. 
• Validating the feelings of parents going through disability journeys. 
• Looking beyond the tragedy and negativity surrounding disabilities. 
• Hierarchy vs Mutuality: an inclusive approach to disabilities. 
• How to support your partner through a difficult diagnosis. 
• The growth opportunities in every challenge. 
• Accepting (and embracing) the uniqueness of every diagnosis. 
• Focusing on the present in order to find joy. 

Show Notes:

Get Full Access to the Show Notes by visiting: MatteasJoy.org/71.

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