Katie Wirth

November 22, 2015

ED 348 Dr. Jo-Anne Lau-Smith
Reflection #5: The Elephant in the Playroom
Top 5 Messages
1. The first message I took away from our text came from You Cant Rush a Good Thing
by Lorie Bricker; her son is not responsive to their fast paced lifestyle and therefore
slows down their morning routine. However, when they make a move and get their
routine under control Alec begins to respond to her requests much more positively.
The whole section about thinking differently really resonated with me because I am
constantly trying to differentiate my thoughts and lessons so that it not only makes
sense to me, but makes sense to others. In addition, the section made a point to
acknowledge different ways to handle certain situations and I really appreciated that it
showed that sometimes it will take a couple tries before we come to a final
conclusion. Lorie was able to slow down her routine and take notice of how she
needed to adapt her parenting style in order to better communicate with her child. I
am sure that was a very rewarding moment for her, as well as the other parents in the
stories.
2. The second message I found to be really powerful came from Only Human by Marla
Davishott. The story tells about a mothers struggle with her sons anxiety and
nonverbal learning disability. Marla gives the honest truth of her relationship with her
son and the struggles she had to face and overcome. I appreciated how honest she was
about how she first reacted and the irritation she faced/faces. The title of the story,

Only Human, was the message that really continues to be present in my head; the fact
of the matter is we are all only humans and we all are trying to do the best we can in
our present situations. While what Marla said to her son was wrong and insensitive, it
was not meant to be taken to the heart but rather just out of her frustration for not
being able to be Levis mother and not being able to communicate with him properly.
This is a prime example of a human doing the best they can and realizing that they are
only human. This is probably my favorite story from the whole book, and my favorite
section in general.
3. The third message I really enjoyed was from Dark Times Can Be Followed by Deep
Joy by Maryrose Sylvester. The story tells of young Julianna and her hearing loss
journey from her familys point of view. One aspect that really touched me in this
story was how the family really grieved together for Julianna when they were told she
would suffer from severe hearing loss. I am all about family and being family
oriented and I strongly believe that what you go through personally, you also go
through with your family. And just as the title recognizes, Juliannas family found
their deep joy once they were able to find a solution that would help their child to feel
better and function better.
4. The fourth message that I found memorable was from You Do Exist by Stephanie
Dolgoff. The story tells of Stephanie and her adult brother who happens to have
autism. Stephanies brother is 44 years old and residing in a center for independent
living in Maine while she resides in New York City. The story actually only recalls on
Stephanies life growing up with an autistic brother and what she experienced as a
sister; moreover, she encounters a family later on who have the same dynamic and

she sheds some light on the lifestyle with another sister of an autistic brother. I loved
that this story was told from a siblings point of view, instead of a parents point of
view. All family members matter and all family members are impacted by the other
members of their family. Even if the teenage girl in the airport didnt exactly respond
to Stephanie, I believe that she did feel a sense of relief that someone else might
understand what she was going through. I really appreciate when strangers help other
strangers out, even if it something as small as a conversation letting them know you
understand what theyre feeling.
5. My fifth and final message that I took away from our text is from The Big Moment by
Derrik Eichelberger. Derrik and his wife worked very hard, in collaboration with his
teachers and school, to help their son Jared make it to his 6th grade graduation
ceremony. Right before Jareds ceremony he began to have a reaction to the
medication he had been taking over the years. Derrik and his wife feared that Jared
would end up having an episode on stage and were very worried about the ceremony.
However, Jared was able to to make it through with only a minor set back. And to his
parents surprise, the audience was very encouraging as he received his diploma. I
loved this story! I really do not approve of children with disabilities being singled out
of every event and viewed as different or viewed as a problem. However, Jareds
school community just showed how proud they were and how happy they were that
he would be able to move onto middle school with them. I appreciate that Derrik
recognizes that his son has climbed metaphorical mountains in his development and
really become a role model for all children with disabilities. I love seeing parents

express their pride for their children, because as a child I know that must be an
incredible thing to a recipient of!