By Julie Peters I was going to tell you about the Christmas gift drive for residents of Sheltered Village. Then I was going to ask whether you could find it in your heart to donate to the cause. Sheltered Village is an intermediate care facility for developmentally disabled adults, located right here in Woodstock. Most […]
The last time I wrote this column, I wrote about standing at the edge of my driveway and watching the school bus pull away for the very last time. I wrote of looking across the frontier of the unknown, wondering how to navigate an uncertain future for my special-needs son. This time, I’m contemplating a […]
“Special needs” is a tricky phrase. On one hand, it means nothing. On the other, it means everything. Nothing, because it attempts to label and classify a huge range of ability and disability. Everything, because it’s a shortcut It’s code. When I say I have a special needs child, everyone knows what I mean. My […]
My son flaps his hands and makes loud noises in public. Usually people are very kind about this. They smile. They give us space. I can’t remember the last time I perceived a look of distain. When he was younger, his sounds and occasional tantrums got different reviews. Some people didn’t see his disability. They […]
Larry Lough is editor of The Independent and reports local news.
Janet Dovidio has been a freelance correspondent for The Independent for eight years.
Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008.
Tricia Carzoli is a freelance writer and photographer that on community news.
