Blog Archives - Amy Quonce, author

Farewell Developmental Disability Month...Hello Sexual Assault Awareness

3/30/2011

As March comes to end, so does Disabilities Awareness Month. I truly hope that everyone has learned just a little bit about what it means to have a disability, and how it does not mean that we cannot succeed in life. It is just a different way of living for some of us. Tomorrow kicks off Sexual Assault Awareness Month and with that I wanted to start with a transition between the two events. As you all know my daughter has developmental disabilities, and also fell victim to being sexual assaulted. These have been two of the hardest things that I have had to face as a parent and I want to bring light to both of these issues.

Statistics show that 15,000 to 19,000 people with developmental disabilities are raped each year in the United States. 15,000 to 19,000 people! This is an alarming number and I am proud to say that I am someone who is taking a stand against this horrific crime. I am hoping that after you read a few more statistics you will also take steps towards helping those who cannot help themselves.

DID YOU KNOW??
*Among adults who are developmentally disabled, as many as 83% of the females and 32% of the males are the victims of sexual assault.

*15.2% of children who are sexually abused have disabilities.

*Only 3% of sexual abuse cases involving people with develomental disabilities are ever reported.

*88 to 98% of sexual abusers are male and are known by the victim/survivor who has disabilities.

*33% of abusers or acquaintances, 33% are natural or foster family members, and 25% are caregivers or service providers.

Please help me raise awareness of these numbers by clicking the like button and sharing the information with all of your friends. This simple can make a difference in somebody's life!

Closer look at Aspergers

3/30/2011

Now that I have introduced you to some of the famous faces behind the labels, I would like to dig a little deeper into just what they are living with each day. Today I am going to focus on those affected by Aspergers. Do you remember who it was that thrived inspite of their disability? It was James Durbin, Robin Williams and Tom Hanks.
Aspergers falls within the Austism Spectrum and often causes people to be unable to read other's body or facial clues causing them to lack significant social skills. They have a hard time with changes in their daily routines and often appear to lack empathy. People living with Auspergers may not understand when people are joking and find it hard to make eye contact with others. They are often preoccupied on one or two of their favorite subjects and will talk about them endlessly. They can suffer from heightened sensitivity and become overstimulated by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes or textures. Often they have delayed motor development which will cause them to have trouble walking, catching a ball or riding a bike. Wow...who would of thought that somebody with the odds stacked against them would succeed so well in this world? I knew that they could, and so did everyone else who has a loved one with this disability. Good luck tonight on Idol James!!!!

American Idol & America's Next Top Model

3/29/2011

Reality shows are all the craze lately. We find ourselves glued to the television, and can't wait to cast our votes on our favorite wanna be's. But did you know that behind some of these contestants amazing capabilities are the faces of people who have been diagonosed on the autism spectrum?

Let's start with the current hopeful (and the one I'm rooting for), James Durbin. After being rejected for his audition in season 8, James returned in 2011 with a set of pipes that has currently landed him in the top 11 spot to become the next American Idol. He was diagnosed with Tourettes and Aspergers when he was 9 years old but per sued his dream of performing and starred in Broadway shows and was the lead singer of a band called The Hollywood Scars.

Jonathan Jayne has a mild form of autism and appeared briefly in season 6 of American Idol. While he did not make it very far on the show, he did appeared on several television programs such as "Jimmy Kimmel Live!".

Heather Kuzmich was one of the final five contestants on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 9. Having been diagnosed with Aspergers at the age of 15, she dreamed of becoming a model, despite her difficulties with communicating with others. Although she did not win the competition, she did win nine CoverGirl of the Week awards and appeared on 'Top Models in Action' of ANTM cycle 12.

A big thank you for each of these individuals for showing America that each one of us are unique in our way!

Quotes

3/28/2011

Well doing reasearch for today's blog I came across a website that offered quotes from famous people on their views about those with disabilities. There is nothing that I could have said better myself, so I copied and pasted some of the ones that touched me the most.

"Disability is not a brave struggle or ‘courage in the face of adversity.’ Disability is an art. It’s an ingenious way to live." - Neil Marcus

"It is a waste of time to be angry about my disability. One has to get on with life and I haven't done badly. People won't have time for you if you are always angry or complaining." - Stephen Hawking

“Each handicap is like a hurdle in a steeplechase, and when you ride up to it, if you throw your heart over, the horse will go along, too.” - Lawrence Bixby

"II discovered early that the hardest thing to overcome is not a physical disability but the mental condition which it induces. The world, I found, has a way of taking a man pretty much at his own rating. If he permits his loss to make him embarrassed and apologetic, he will draw embarrassment from others. But if he gains his own respect, the respect of those around him comes easily." - Alexander de Seversky

"Disability is a matter of perception. If you can do just one thing well, you're needed by someone.” - Martina Navratilova

"The only disability in life is a bad attitude.” - Scott Hamilton (MY PERSONAL FAVORITE)

Read more: http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/disability-quotes.php#ixzz1HqfkTOR9

Robin Williams and Tom Hanks

3/26/2011

Good Will Hunting, Dead Poet's Society, Forrest Gump, and Saving Private Ryan. Just a small example of movies that have captivated millions with the brilliant work done by Robin Williams and Tom Hanks. Two actors who have shined in Hollywood and shared a common impairment, Aspergers. This syndrome falls within the Austism Spectrum and typically hinders social intereactions with others, and often will cause obsessive compulsive tendencies. These two American icons refused to allow their disability to define them and made a name for themselves that will be remembered long after they are gone. We are fortunate to have these positive role models to encourage anyone living with a disability to look beyond the clinical diagonsis and reach for the stars...you may even find a few more "stars" on the Hollywood walk of fame!

Two athletes and an actor

3/25/2011

Today I wanted to feature three more people who were very successful despite of having devlopmental disabilities. The first is Carl Erskine who was born with autism. Carl was the pitcher for the Dodgers baseball team from 1948-1959, and in the years of 1942 & 1956 threw two no-hitter games...way to go Carl!

The second is Loretta Claiborne who lived with developmental disabilities. Loretta was the first person with mental retardation to serve on the Special Olympics International Board of Directors, and is also believed to be the first person with mental retardation ever awarded an honorary doctoral degree.

Finally Chris Burke, who also had developmental delays, grew to become an actor that held the main role in the tv series Life Goes On. All of these people did not accept their 'label' as a limition and persued their dreams to become very successful in their fields. They are an inspiration to us all!

Presidential ABILITIES

3/24/2011

Ask any child what they want to be when they grow up and I'm willing to bet that a good portion of them will say that they want to be president of the United States. Is that a goal that is out of reach for somebody who has been given a diagonosis ? Well, three of our founding fathers have proven that it is possible. Thomas Jefferson, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy have all been said to have learning disabilities, yet they have become three of the most powerful and influential people in history. Our dreams are never farther than our desire to reach them and we need to start looking at our ABILITIES. Capabilities and Possibilities.... not Disabilities.

Famous People with Disabilities

3/23/2011

Developmental disabilities are birth defects that cause lifelong problems with how a body part or system works. A small example of such diagonosis include austism, down syndrome, retts syndrome, and fragile x syndrome. Children and adults living with these disorders face difficulties but can live a very productive life and many important people in history have overcome the same obstacles. Did you know that Walt Disney had dyslexia and that Albert Einsteen, Ben Franklin and Issac Newton all had a form of Autism? In an effort to finsih out Developmental Disabilities Awareness month I have decided the for the next few days I would like to feature more historical figures that have successfully learned to live with their disabilities. Stay tuned each day as we uncover what people are able to accomplished despite of their limitations

"Hooking" my readers...

3/23/2011

Monday's class was all about learning how to hook our readers so that we leave them anticipating what will come next and leave them wanting more. There were alot of really good examples provided by the instructor and it forced me to go back and revisit my work. I spent months (literally) perfecting my hook for my query letter to agents, but did I spend just as much effort trying to hook my readers during the first chapter of my book? I admit that looking back this was something that I needed to work on. Already the revisions are shaping up nicely and I am much more confident in my first chapter than I was previously. I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to attend such an informative class that allows me to take what I have learned and apply it to my work. In two weeks we will be sharing our first chapters to our classmates and I plan on spending much of my time trying to perfect what I have started. I am extremly nervous about verbally sharing what I have due to the taboo subject matter, but I feel that I need to show that I am willing to break the silence and take a stand against sexual abuse.

Inspiring class tonight!

3/21/2011

Waves of emotions were going through me during the short time I sat in class tonight. So many of the words spoken during class inspired me to made suddle changes to my work, in hopes of giving it a whole new aspect to my readers. We talk about what makes a good hook and what will hold people's attention to leave them wanting more. I may just have to sit down and re-think my chapter one! After the excitement of already having starting my revisions (oopps...did I just admit that I was doing this during class??), the class was asked to share what they planned on writing their memoir about. I think I actually stopped breathing for a moment! Do I dare share the true reason behind my passion for writing and risk exposing my little secret? It is one thing to write about (or blog about) the abuse my daughter had endured when you can hide behind a keyboard, but to look a person in the eye and tell them...well that takes a whole lot more strength. After my legs stopped shaking I stayed after class and talked with Bob and Lisa Buske and they gave me the courage that I needed to commit to "coming out" and not let my emotions control me. THANK YOU !!!
So my plan for the next 2 weeks is to be totally honest with my classmates (and myself) and devulge the truth about the sexual abuse that accured within my family. I am willing to take this risk because I believe that it has happened to more people who have not yet admitted to being victimized. So I am going to "break the rules" and stop the silence. It is only when we open talk about this epidemic will it get enough attention for people to take steps towards stopping it.