I was walking home with my daughter Penny and her friend yesterday. We had invited the friend over for a last minute play date. I overheard the friend say to Penny, "You keep asking the same question." Penny has Down syndrome, and sometimes it is hard for her to think of a new way to express what she ...

The short story: on Thursday and Friday, you can listen to a broadcast of a conversation ("Special Kids, Special Needs") on Family Life Radio with Dennis Rainey and Bob Lepine who interviewed Jennifer Shaw (singer/songwriter and author of Life Not Typical) and me a few months ago about raising children ...

I haven't done any speaking events this past year, intentionally. I knew the travel would be too much for me and for our family. But as the winter wore on, I agreed to a few events this spring–a talk at St. Luke's in Darien, CT, last Sunday, a local book club next week, and a few more local venues in ...

When I was a pregnant 28-year old, I didn't hesitate as my doctor offered a screening test for various genetic conditions. I figured it couldn't hurt me or my baby, and that the information the test provided would most likely allow me to check a box off my mental list. I was hoping for reassurance ...

I have a new post for the Atlantic, in which I argue that North Dakota's Ban is a Bad Way to Stop Selective Abortion. I hope you'll join the comments over on that site or offer your own here. Here's one paragraph to peak your interest:

But to argue for my daughter's value based upon her abilities is ...

Seven years ago, on December 30th, our firstborn daughter came into the world. It was an easy delivery—a little early, but not premature, no signs of distress or trouble, just a shock of black hair and a puffy face, and eyes the color of the sea on a cloudy day. But two hours after Penny was born, we ...

In honor of World Down Syndrome Day, I was asked to write a short post for Not Alone, a website and blog that aims to support and encourage parents of children with special needs. My post appears alongside three other mothers of children with Down syndrome, as all of us reflect upon how our children ...

My name is Alicia Llanas, I'm 29, and I live in Monterrey, México with my husband and two kids, Elías (8) and Eva (5) both with Down syndrome.

I had a smooth pregnancy and it was a surprise finding out our newborn had Down syndrome. We were not angry at God, and we didn't ask "Why me?", but the fear ...

In honor of World Down syndrome Day this Thursday, I am running a series of guest posts from around the world to describe what it is like to have Down syndrome in various places. Yesterday's post reflected on life in Poland. Today we hear from a mother in Zambia, who was interviewed on my behalf by ...

In honor of World Down Syndrome Day, celebrated this Thursday, March 21st (3/21 because Down syndrome occurs as the result of the presence of 3 copies of chromosome 21), I will be running a series of guest posts and interviews with people from around the globe who have family members with Down syndrome. ...

In the seven years since my daughter was born, we've taken thousands of photographs. At various points along the way, we've even involved professionals. But it is rare that the professionals capture what I see when I look at her – the bright expression of delight and interest, the alternately mischievous ...

A few posts and articles from the past few weeks that are worth passing along:

God Made Boys to Play with Dolls by Caryn Dahlstrand Rivadeinera, Caryn offers a wonderful defense of boys playing with dolls and links it to the God who loves us as a father.

Another great piece by George Estreich on societal ...

Last week, Amy Julia had a column featured in The Atlantic discussing the advances made in prenatal testing for Down syndrome. Her editor titled it, "Better prenatal testing does not mean more abortion." The headline can be excused. It is a misunderstanding that equates termination rates ...

This guest post is one in a series I run every so often called Perfectly Human. These essays provide a picture of life with a disability in all its possibilities and limitations, gifts and struggles. 

We were standing on the steps outside the "wibrary," which is her favorite place.

If she could, my daughter ...

I have a new post on the Health site of theatlantic.com. They named it Better Prenatal Testing Does Not Mean More Abortion, but my favorite part of the post is this paragraph:

In retrospect I wonder why I spent so much time convincing myself that the test results would be negative. I spent no time thinking ...

This post is part of a series of posts about prenatal testing that I am running in conjunction with the launch of my new ebook, What Every Woman Needs to Know About Prenatal Testing: Insight from a Mom who has Been There. For the other posts in the series, please go to the end of this post for links. ...

I was thrilled when George Estreich offered this piece that compares two recent Today Show segments, both related to Down syndrome. If you don't know of George's writing already, I commend it to you for his thoughtful, careful, elegant approach to words and ideas. His memoir, The Shape of the Eye, will ...

Yesterday, Penny had a two hour delay from school. We took Marilee and William to their school, ran a few errands, and then shared a snack at our local coffee shop. She jumped in a few puddles in her snow boots (we still have about 18 inches left from last week's blizzard, along with sloppy melty stuff ...

I chose to run this post today, one in a series of personal experiences with prenatal testing, because it speaks to some of the problems with prenatal diagnoses and some of the solutions as well. Many people commented on last week's anonymous post about terminating a pregnancy after a diagnosis of Down ...

There is so much I want to write in response to yesterday's post (I Tested and I Terminated and I Do Not Regret) and the comments here, on Facebook, and in my email inbox. Thank you to everyone who has participated in the conversation so far, and please continue to do so. I want to write about my decision ...