March is Disability Awareness Month, and I have a special book recommendation in its honor.
I discovered Laura Wifler on Instagram several months ago and have soaked in her wisdom ever since. As a special needs mother, she advocates for the disabled and recently released a children's book titled Like Me. I immediately bought it and read it with my kids. The story follows a day in the life of a boy and his disabled brother, including visits to the therapist's office, sledding, and so much more.
I though Laura explained the meaning behind her book best, so I grabbed a screenshot from her Instagram to share with you:
While my kids have outgrown most children's books, we all found this book incredibly helpful. Very often, I think my son feels as if he's the only brother in the world with a special needs sibling. He's had to adapt to his sister's needs while also trying to fit in with his peers and help them understand his sister while he, too, has lots of questions.
I occasionally share updates about our daughter's health, especially when it comes to big moments (like her seizure last year), but I rarely share the day-to-day reality of what life is like for my Curly-girl. I'm hyper-sensitive to sharing anything about her that could be misconstrued, criticized, or misinterpreted. I don't ever want her to look back on one of her mother's blogs or social media posts and have any thought except, “Wow, my mom sure loves me.”
My role as a "special needs mom" is to equip her for life. But while society often focuses on how children with special needs can conform (how to talk properly, eat properly, socialize properly, etc.), there is less discussion about how to equip my son to adapt to his sister and others like her. I can tell you that I felt a palpable weight lift from my son's shoulders as he read this book and realized that someone out there, in this great big world, understood him, too. They both remarked how much the therapist's office looked like the one Curly-girl attended!
Like Me gently guides both able-bodied and disabled children through a day filled with adaptations, finding joy in the little moments we can all share, no matter our differences, and highlighting how God has created each of us uniquely. I highly recommend this book to everyone, whether you have special needs in your family or not. It's a wonderful resource. So for Disabilities Awareness Month, I invite you to read this book. I know you'll love it.
Thank you for reading!
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