this workshop will take place *** IN PERSON ***. location will be sent to registrants two weeks before the event.

Positive identity development is essential for children to thrive. For children with disabilities and developmental delays a positive relationship with their identity as disabled people fosters a sense of empowerment, improved self esteem, and sense of connection to community and culture. When children are denied access to information about their disability, only exposed to euphemistic language (e.g. ‘special needs’, or ‘differently abled’), and when their disability is only discussed in terms of deficits they are deprived of the opportunity to develop a positive relationship with their disability and with the disability community and its rich history. Fostering disability pride is an important part of nurturing positive disability identity development for young children with disabilities and developmental delays. 

In this interactive and beginner-friendly workshop, we’ll explore societal messages about disability and strategies for nurturing positive disability identity in young children. We’ll learn about disability affirming language, the importance of representation, strategies for supporting families in reflecting on their perspective on disability, and about the power that is unlocked when we embrace disability as an identity, rather than framing it as a deficit.