Adventures in Independence is the story of Sean McElwee’s journey into independent adulthood. It is a story unique to Sean, his parents Sandra and Rick, and the village that supports him, but it is also a story recognizable to many. It is about the love of parents willing to do whatever it takes to make a better life for their son – told through a series of poignant and often hilarious anecdotes.

    Since this is Sean's birth week, I wanted to share what happened after we found out he had Down syndrome.       Rick had to call the person doing our birth announcements with Sean's stats: "9 pounds 3 ounces, 21.5 inches long, etc."...

Twenty-One years ago today I learned what being a mother truly meant.

Becoming a parent to a child with disabilities isn’t so different to becoming a parent to any child. You go into labor, push, push, push.  End up with a C-Section anyway, but in the end, there is a baby.  The baby is a baby, he’s my baby. I love him more...

Sharing what you have learned and articles, and information that support your philosophy with the educators can go a long way to fostering their support for inclusion.I took handouts from seminars I attended, articles about inclusive topics, evidence-based research...

     Since Who’s the Slow Learner? A Chronicle of Inclusion and Exclusion has been out I have heard from many parents who are still struggling even at the kindergarten level with gaining acceptance by their school districts to include their children...

When Sean was in first grade I created a book on our computer to introduce him to his first grade classmates.  We had encountered a few children who were afraid they could 'catch' Down syndrome, they couldn't understand his words and and we also needed to enlist...

Accommodations and modifications need to be individualized for students, based upon their needs, and their personal learning styles, and interests.  It is not always obvious what adaptations, accommodations, or modifications would be beneficial for a particular...

Ok…the book hasn’t even been out for a week yet, but I am getting a few emails and posts on Facebook that are making me breathe easier. By writing a book, you really put yourself out there. It’s a risk…will people like it? Will they learn from it? Will they be entertained?

     Be sure the IEP goals are meaningful to the student.  When Sean was a Senior in high school the Occupational Therapist gave us the final report and discharged him from OT. He still could not button buttons.  He had ruined a couple of...

So, what is so different between Inclusive Education in the neighborhood school in a Regular Education classroom versus a Special Education classroom in a central location away from your neighborhood with everybody being taught at their supposed level of...

Some things I learned over the years, you get more bees with honey than with vinegar. So we brought food to the IEP meetings! If it was an afternoon meeting, we brought cookies–and if I was home, I baked them right before the meeting–they smelled great and were still warm. For morning meetings, we brought bagels and cream cheese.

     The Individualized Education Plan is the blueprint for success. The only legitimate focus of an IEP meeting is on the special needs of the student and how those are to be addressed. If the student is not present at the IEP meeting a...

When Sean was 16 we were looking for volunteer opportunities for him.  This was a requirement of the UCLA Pathways College Program for adults with disabilities.  The DSA of Orange County hosts a Breakfast with Santa every year for parents to bring their...