Category: Disabilities - Amy Quonce, author

Dream Night at the zoo

6/7/2013

Have you ever had the chance to pet an elephant, watch penguins being fed or spent an exclusive night at the zoo while it was closed to the public? Neither have I until tonight.

Our Dream Night at the zoo (hosted by the Rosmand Gifford Zoo) was a spectacular evening for families who have a loved one with a disability to spend quality time with the animals in a sensory friendly environment. Special demonstrations, exhibits, and fun activities were planned for all, including dinner and snacks (glutten free as well!).

This staff and volunteers at tonight's event did a marvelous job and despite the mild rain, there was a huge smile on everyone's face. My favorite part of the night? Nearly getting eaten by a tiger...but that's a story for another day!

Local authors share their work

5/22/2013

A big thank you goes to the Mexico Public Library for hosting a local author's night! Lisa M. Buske, Alyshia Hull, and myself all had an opportunity to share our work to the public.

Lisa brought her two books- When The Waves Subside and Where's Heidi. Both these stories about finding hope in the wake of sadness.

Alyshia shared her novel A Thousand Miles. At only 15 years old, this brave young girl took to writing about her 8th grade year which at first she feared, then found what she feared the most was the though of it ending.

My books Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child and Breaking The Silence (A.L. Daniels) were also availble for sale.

It was a wonderful night for the community to come together and celebrate the success of local writers and those who love to read. I look forward to meeting everyone again soon.

Happy First Anniversary

11/12/2012

It's hard to believe that this Saturday, November 17th, will mark the first anniversary of Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives With a Special Needs Child.

The idea for this book came to me after many years of searching for answers about child's disabiity, and feeling alone in my situation. I knew that there must be others who also felt isolated, so I set out on a mission to unite all of these families. Regardless of what our child's disabilites are, we all still struggle to understand and feel acceptance.

To celebrate you can now purchase the book at 50% off ! Simply visit CreateSpace.Com/3703816 and enter the discount code:F9RGRB28. This offer will good until Saturday November 24th, 2012.

I want to thank everyone who contributed a story to the book. Your words have helped others to realize that they are not alone in their journey.

We didn't run away- A story by Amy Julie Becker

9/13/2012

This morning while trying to multi-task by blow drying my hair and trying to surf the internet I came across an article that immediately caught my attention. Straining my neck to get closer to the computer screen without pulling the blow dryer cord out of the wall my eyes scanned the words that hit so close to home. "We didn't run away."

Now I don't normally repost other people's work on my website but I felt that this one needed to be passed on. A woman named Amy Julie Becker wrote about her feelings after she found out her child had a disability. Feelings that I'm sure every parents in similar situations have felt as well. I must let you know that I did look over the article to see if there was a caveat about not re-posting the work and I did not see one, but just in case I will apologize in advance for sharing this wonderful article without the direct permission from the author.

Amy Julia Becker
Author, 'A Good and Perfect Gift: Faith,
Expectations and a Little Girl Named Penny'

WE DIDN'T RUN AWAY

My husband and I found out that our daughter Penny had Down syndrome
two hours after she was born, and we shared the same instinct. We wanted to run
away. Within minutes, I had the route planned out from the hospital room to my
grandparents' summer cottage, three hours north, at the end of a secluded dirt
road that would be abandoned in the wintertime. No matter that the cottage had
no insulation against the December cold. It represented a familiar and safe
place that would take me far away from everyone else, and I wanted to get there
as quickly as possible.

For years, the memory of that desire haunted me, until I finally realized
that every time I had envisioned our escape, I envisioned us as a new family of
three. In other words, I wanted, desperately, to run away from the doctors who
were predicting a life of difficulty and hardship, from the nurses who I
imagined whispering about our situation, and even from friends and family who, I
suspected, just wouldn't know what to say or how to think about us as anymore. I
didn't want to run away from Penny. I wanted to run away from everyone else.

And I wanted to run away from the future. I was scared of the labels that had
all of a sudden been added to our family. I was scared of therapy and
specialists and perhaps most of all, special education. I was scared that Penny
wouldn't learn, wouldn't make friends, that school would be a source of stress
rather than a community in which she could flourish.

We didn't run away. Looking back on it, there were some reasons to fear.
People still use words about kids with disabilities as jokes and slurs. In
Penny's short lifetime, that list includes everyone from high government
officials to TIME magazine to high school kids walking past me on the street.
And plenty of people still see Down syndrome as a source of suffering or assume
that Penny's life will be impoverished as a result of her extra chromosome.

But I've also found a host of people who want to see Penny succeed, and if
there is any place that she has been accepted and supported it has been at
school.

It is six and a half years later, and we just moved to a new town. A few days
back, Penny and I visited her new school. She stuck out her hand to introduce
herself to the women who work in the front office. We noted the fresh green and
blue paint on the walls. And we met Penny's two teachers, one of whom has
training specifically to support students with special needs. If first grade is
anything like kindergarten, Penny will thrive. She will make friends and read
chapter books out loud and squirm her way through art class and yearn to grow
tall enough and strong enough to do the monkey bars all by herself.

Forty years ago, Penny might have been denied access to a free public
education. Forty years ago, we might have been advised to institutionalize her
upon birth. But in recent years, parents, teachers, and legislators have worked
to ensure a place for kids like Penny in our nation's classrooms. It isn't
always easy or pretty. Plenty of kids still suffer the injustice of unequal
resources, abusive classroom aides, the social ostracism that can come from
peers and teachers as a result of their disabilities. But the doors are open to
them, at least in legal terms. And countless families can attest to the value of
including kids with special needs in our classrooms, both for the kids
themselves and for their peers.

This morning, our whole family walked down our new street to wait for the
bus. We stood alongside four other kids from our neighborhood, and when the bus
finally arrived, Penny raced to board it, hand in hand with a third-grader who
volunteered to be her buddy.

Six years ago, I wanted to run away with my little girl bundled up in her
receiving blanket to keep her protected from the world of Individualized
Education Plans and reading assessments and behavioral modifications. Today,
with gratitude, I watched my little girl run away from me.

A caregiver's cookout

9/2/2012

Opening their home to host a BBQ for all of the caregivers that have stayed at David's Refuge, Warren and Brenda Pfohl have once again outdid themselves. Families were welcomed with a yard full of activities to entertain the children, while the adults had time to connect with one another and make new friends. Little ones worked off their energy in the bounce houses then tried their hands at some carnival games. A colorful parachute waved in the air as kids ran under and over it whi
Toby was a hit with both the kids and adults!

The tent provided shelter from the sun while we dined on delicious foods. Volunteers made sure that each guest was well taken care of. We were given a chance to sit back and simply enjoy the day with our children. I could easily get used to being papered like that on a daily basis !

For those who needed some quite time away, they could escape to the santurary of nature. The grounds offer a stunning view that is bound to let all your stress slip away.

Are you a caregiver of a child with a disability or life threatening disease and could use a getaway? David's Refuge is a nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for the caregiver. Visit their website to learn about their mission and book your free stay at their beautiful Bed & Breakfast. http://davidsrefuge.org/

A visit to Frog's Whisker Lane

8/15/2012

Last night I became a cowgirl. Donning my helmet, I brushed my steed and then led him out to the corral. I mounted, took hold of the reins, and pushed my girth into him as I stared in the direction I wanted him to go. We moved as one as my trainer taught me how to command my horse to follow my directions. It was the most exhuberating experience I have had. Despite the stormy conditions, I didn't want to leave my saddle. Up there the weight of the world escaped me.

My friend on the other hand, had a bit more intimate experience with her thoroughbred. Let's just say her horse exposed her to a new way of feeling free and hanging out!

Prior to living out our western dreams, we had checked into a beautiful bed & breakfast and were treated to a massage (which in retrospect we should have done after our workout with the horses!) After we were settled in our host gave us a tour of the grounds and was nice enough to print out directions to where we would be dining that night. Little did he know that two blondes in a car together would require more than 2 gps systems, printed directions, and verbal directions on two different occassions. But no need to worry because by 8pm we finally found our way to dinner.
(I won't mention that it was only 8 minutes down the road, which took us 1 1/2 hours to navigate)

Upon our late return to our quarters, we rifled through our welcome gift basket and broke open a delicious bottle of red wine. Needless to say the giggles broke out after that and we were like two teenagers at a slumber party. Aahhh, to be young again!

The next morning we awoke to an elaborate (and delicious) breakfast and enjoyed some adult time together before heading back to reality. We were two caregivers, my friend and I, each with our own worries and challenges. Together, we visited David's Refuge and temporarily were able to focus on ourselves for once, allowing us to come back to our loved ones a better person.

This was the dream of two people; a couple who raised and lost a little boy with special needs. They know what it is like to be constant caregivers, feeling alone, and needing a place to temporarily escape to. Together they made this dream come true for families who are raising their own child with special needs/life threatening illnesses. In honor of their son, they run a non-profit Bed & Breakfast named David's Refuge. Here you can customize your own retreat. They offer many ammenities to pamper and relax their guest. You can get salon treatments, take dance lessons, go kayaking, sailing, horse back riding or even skiing. There is something for everyone!

Do you know someone who could benefit from a retreat? Warren and Brenda Pfohl hope that you will visit their website @ http://davidsrefuge.org/. "It goes without saying that being the parent of a child with special needs is demanding. As a result of this stress, marriages fail, families crumble, and very often hope is lost. During your stay at David’s Refuge you will be pampered, encouraged, and reminded that you are not alone, that God loves you, and that what you do really matters." ~David's Refuge

Do you have a story to share?

7/21/2012

People have been asking me if the next book is out yet and if there is still time to submit a story before it comes out. The good news is that if you have been thinking about writing a story, there is still time to get it into the book!

Is there a person you know who has overcome unbelievable odds? Perhaps their story could inspire someone else going through a similar situation. The best comfort in a person's life is knowing that they are not alone.

Stories can be up to 2,500 words long, and anonymous submissions will be accepted for those who are worried about privacy. Changing names will also allowed allowed for the same reason.

Because I am trying to get as many wonderful stories to this next book as possible, I do not have an exact date set for publication. However, I do anticipate that it will be within the next year. Any questions feel free to contact me at WindingRoadBook@aol.com, or facebook.com/WindingRoadBook.

Here are a several of the Amazon.Com reviews from Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child:

I was unsure when I first opened this book just what I would find. But, when I finished it....I said, "This book needs to be sold along with a box of tissues." Some of the stories will make you cry and others make you laugh.

The stories are from individuals who live with, or affect by, children who were born different in various ways. Each story tells how a family adapt their everyday life to the ordeals which become 'normal' in their household. And, it spreads beyond that one child born, beyond the parents and siblings; it affects aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, teachers, clergy, bus drivers...and beyond.

These children teach us as much as the other way around.

The one thing that resonates in this book is...love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This book shows the ups and downs both the parents and the children go through in life with disabilities. One story you would die laughing and the next you'll be crying your eyes out. Finished this book within a day. Just couldn't put it down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just read this entire book from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down! There were times when I wanted to cry, and times I wanted to laugh. It shows how each family's situation is unique. There is no mold for a special needs person, and no one right path to take to deal with them.

This book is one that should be read and then shared with others.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a mother of a child with disabilities, I picked up a copy of this book in hopes of relating to other families who are dealing with similiar situations. The stories inside made me instantly feel connected. Some gave me hope, others melted my heart. I laughed, cried, and smiled throughout the entire book. It reminded me of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. A wonderfully easy read for any busy cargiver who is raising a special needs child.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Could the title, not be any more perfect?!??!!

I am so proud of Amy and the initiative she took in self-publishing this book. She wanted to find a way to connect her story with others, and this book is going to encourage and bless SO MANY families.

Having any kind of special needs child or family member can be overwhelming at times. Unless you are physically living in their individual situations, it is so hard to comprehend all of the variances they experience on a daily basis. This book not only brings light to the hardships hese families face but also the triumphs and delights that these unique children bring into their little corners of the world.

This book offers hope, inspiration, and ultimately support, to let you know.... you are never alone. You are not, the only one. There are people that understand and will be there to cheer you on in the best of times, and help you pick up the pieces in the worst. Being an advocate for your child and helping others that also need it, can bring the greatest satisfaction and purpose in your life.

EVERY child is special. Special needs kids don't require extra love, just unconditional love..... just like any other child does.

Fun at the Autism Walk

4/28/2012

The frigid weather didn't keep nearly 500 people from venturing out into the cold to support and educate the community on Autism.
The kids got to enjoy bounce houses, balloon animals, pop corn and free raffles. Adults gained information from local agencies who offered information on services that could help their children. Many teams gathered and walked a mile on the outdoor track to support their cause.

My daughter and I had a table with flyers on how families can submit their stories to the next book. We met alot of new friends and caught up with some old ones as well. Couldn't make it out but still wish to submit a story? No problem! You can email me at: WindingRoadBook@aol.com or find me on facebook/WindingRoadBook.

As of right now I have not set a deadline for submissions. I will be accepting them through the summer and once fall comes I will have a better idea of a timeline.

What kind of stories could you write about?

*friendship
*achievements
*inspiration
*success
*humor
*loss

Autism Walk

4/22/2012

April 28, 2012. Oswego County residents will gather at the Oswego High School track and walk three miles in an effort to raise awareness on Autism.

From 11-2, the family fun walk will be hosted by the Oswego County Task Force. Activities for the day will include music, face painting, and balloon animals. The mission: To educate people on the disability.

Statistics show that 1 in 88 children are diagonosed with Autism. The spectrum ranges from high functioning to non verbal tendencies, yet each is unique in their own way. This Saturday they will all unite to show the world how beautiful they are.

Agencies and organizations will also be in attendence with information on how they can offer support to families. Tickets for the Brianna Bowl will be for sale, with proceeds going to the Brianna Cahill scholorship, which helps to send an Autistic child to college. I will also be there offering the opportunity for people to sumit stories to the sequel of Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways: Our Lives with a Special Needs Child.

We are hopingfor a huge turn out this year, so come on our and show your support!

Has Autism affected your life?

4/6/2012

218 people read yesterday's blog post that contained an excerpt from the Sometimes The Wind Blows Sideways book that talked about Autism. Today I am offering another snip it from the same title that gives offers a different look at what life is like for autistic children when they grow up.

........I am comforted by a story that a woman once told me about her autistic grandson.
     He had lived at home after aging out of school, and when he turned 30 his parents felt that he was finally ready to live on his own. When they approached him with the opportunity, he was adamantly against it. Now amount of reassurance about his capabilities would change his mind. Then one day the grandmother called her grandson and asked him why he idd not want to become independent and move out of his parents house. HIs response was simple. He did not want to be forgotten. If he was to leave his parents home, they woudl surely forget about him and that was more than he could bare.
                                           The grandmother gently assured her grandson that he would never be forgotten, for their love for him was too strong. They would still go shopping together, come together for family functions, and see one anotehr as often as they wished. She reminded him of all their other relatives who did not live iwth them, yet remained a vital party of their family.
                                         The grandson took this new knowledge and let it resonate overnight. When he woke the next morning, he anounced to his parents that he was ready for his own place. Transitioning first to a group home, then to a place of his own, this boy is now thriving as an adult. The challenges were vast over the years, yet he overcame each obstacle just as any ordinary person would. He may have taken the long road, but his destination was the same regardless.

To read more of this story and others, pick up a copy today from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Createspace.com, Kindle, or locally at the River's End Bookstore.

Estore:
https://www.createspace.com/3703816

Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Sometimes-Wind-Blows-Sideways-Quonce/dp/1466419180/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321650454&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble.com:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sometimes-the-wind-blows-sideways-amy-quonce/1036936317?ean=9781466419186&itm=1&usri=amy+quonce