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When the rocket scientist Yvonne Brill died in March, The New York Times celebrated her as the maker of a "mean beef stroganoff" and "the world's best mother." When my 4-year-old daughter, Ellie, a wildly creative and interesting girl, finished a year of preschool last week, her teachers gave her an award for being the best dressed.
The protests in Ferguson, Missouri, set off by a policeman's shooting of an unarmed black teen last week, appear to be spinning out of control - not because crowds are rioting nightly but because law enforcement is operating as though they are in a war zone.
by David M Perry Every morning, I watch my son fail to comply with the rules. He's a nine-year-old boy with Down syndrome and he rarely conforms to expectations. He's not great at standing in line, so he either charges ahead to be first onto the bus (then lingers once inside, blocking everyone), or else waits until everyone else has boarded, and then has to be urged up the stairs.
Advice Why the 'customer service' lingo in academe is bad for students This month Texas A&M University at Kingsville posted a new job ad for a faculty member in early-modern/Renaissance literature. The first line of the "job summary" reads, in all capital letters: "PROVIDE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE."
Nico (who has Down syndrome) with his little sister Ellie. A few weeks ago, though, Ellie asked me the one question I've been preparing for since before she was born, but was still not ready to answer: "Daddy, what is Down syndrome?" Ellie's 8-year-old brother Nico has Down syndrome.
The last time it happened was in the grocery store. A scowling woman closed in on me and my son, Nico, in the produce section. Glaring, she waved at my son's face and said, "His nose!" And then she mimed wiping with furious gestures. I sighed and pulled a tissue from my pocket.
Giving the anti-vaccine advocate a platform is dangerous. Please consider disabling it for our site, or supporting our work in one of these ways Subscribe Now > Last week, the state Supreme Court of Wisconsin upheld the reckless homicide convictions of Dale and Leilani Neumann. Their daughter, Madeline, had diabetes, a 99.8 percent treatable condition.
Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa in 'Mad Max: Fury Road' (2015). Courtesy of Warner Brothers Pictures Mad Max: Fury Road is, as you'd expect, a powerful and frenetic post-apocalyptic action movie full of dusty roads and trackless desert with the occasional fire tornado.
"Nico will get to participate as an audience member." With those words, the teacher explained why my son, a second-grader with Down syndrome, wouldn't be part of the end of the year performances. These were just little informal plays that emerged from reading groups, groups in which my son was supposed to be included.
Kit Harington as Jon Snow in 'Game of Thrones.' Photo courtesy of HBO Warning: If you aren't caught up on season five, spoilers abound. Game of Thrones presents a classic example of a heroic fantasy that lacks just one thing: actual heroes.
At the National Prayer Breakfast, President Obama made a statement that you wouldn't expect to be controversial: violence in the name of religion is a global problem and it's bad. He referenced the war in Syria, the killings in Nigeria, anti-Semitism's resurgence in Europe and religious violence in India.
By David M. Perry Photos by David M. Perry My son, Nico, loves the zoo. He's eight years old, and going there inspires, engages, and delights him in a way that few other activities or places can.