Of note

Sam's Top Secret Journal: Book 1 -- We Spy

Sam is a middle school girl determined to solve Seattle's mysteries with her gadget-savvy little brother John. Sam also happens to have Down syndrome. Written by an orthopedic surgeon who has a teenage daughter with Down syndrome.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down is one of my favourite books. It's beautifully written and captures the cultural divide between Hmong parents who believe their daughter Lia's seizures have spiritual origins and Western medicine. This piece acknowledges the recent death of Lia, at age 30, and the loving way her family cared for her: Life Went On Around Her, Redefining Care by Bridging a Divide. Thanks for the link Donna!

A Terrifying Way to Discipline Children

A chilling piece on the rise of seclusion rooms and restraints from the father of a six-year-old with language delays who had nightmares after being repeatedly placed in a closet for up to an hour a day.

"At school, her mother and I found Rose standing alone on the cement floor of a basement mop closet, illuminated by a single light bulb. There was nothing in the closet for a child — no chair, no books, no crayons, nothing but our daughter standing naked in a pool of urine, looking frightened as she tried to cover herself with her hands."

What I've learned about the compassion of children

A mother writes about a friendship club created by her son's schoolmates.

Surviving the pain at the roots

A first-person account of how anxiety can lead to compulsive skin picking and biting and hair pulling.