IndependenceChick's Nest – You are entering the Independence Zone!

Next Steps Part 3: Who Gets to Speak, How, When, and Why?

Hello, readers, Happy spring! My area of the country has experienced some unexpected frigidity but will be warming up soon. I'll actually miss said frigidity, but well, you can't have…

Blog Bonus/Next Steps: Smart in Their Own Way: Getting It Out of the Way

Happy Friday and ding-ding-ding! Welcome to the bonus round! In the interest of moving on to "bigger" Next Steps topics, we're going to devote this bonus to another trope. This…

Next Steps, Part 2: Unmasking “Secretly Smart”

Hello readers, I hope everyone had a marvelous weekend. I know I did. My six-year-old niece's first dance competition took place Saturday morning. Her team took second overall in her…

Next Steps Part 1: Presenting and Respecting All Support Needs

Hello and happy March, readers! I'm hoping for at least a little more winter, being located in one of the only areas of the country that's unseasonably warm at the…

Maturity, Hygiene, and Other Odd Standards of “Normalcy”

Hello readers, Well, February has certainly gotten off to a busy start! Between Valentine's Day, my mom's birthday (happy birthday and much love, Mom)!, and a brand new writing course,…

Compliance, Obedience, and People with Disabilities: A Constant Conundrum

Hello readers, To close out January, I have a topic that may be tough. Yet, it's ubiquitous among disability-adjacent people. It directly affects people with disabilities, and there aren't that…

Bringing More Respect to Autistic People

Hello readers, Well, one monster article draft, one January cold, and a lot of "life stuff" later, I have returned. And as promised, today I'm going to be talking about…

You Give Advocacy a Bad Name: When PWDs are Legitimately Jerks

Hello, readers, New week, new post, and in some ways, I feel like a new me. I had a birthday Saturday (yes, I'm 37). No, I hope I don't look…

Acknowledging the Light and Dark in the New Year

Happy New Year, readers! January second, time to get back to work! Part of me regrets this. My house has been de-Christmased, and it still seems a little sad/dull. My…

Your Christmas Book Bonus!

Ho, ho, ho! Hello, my Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa-celebrants! I hope you've all been good, because today you get a book bonus! Yes, it's time for another pro-disability book list.…