"I'm a mom. I need help. I actually need to take a shower. I need five minutes just by myself as a mom. But as the caregiver, you don't always get that. There's that guilt of 'I'm not doing enough.'”
- Juli Henderson on parents providing medical care for their children with disabilities
Bodycam footage has not been released, but apparently he came toward the officers with a knife, and three of them shot him. Calls for help should never be met with lethal force. This is the scenario no one wants and everyone fears. There must be a better way.
Printed page of a Washington Post article on a wooden table next to a cup of black coffee. The headline reads, “An autistic man called police for a wellness check. He was fatally shot.” Below the headline is a photo of Alex LaMorie wearing sunglasses and smiling. The article is dated March 7, 2026.
On March 1, a young man named Alex LaMorie was fatally shot by police. He was autistic. According to the Washington Post, he was in the midst of a mental health crisis, and he knew what to do. He followed his wellness plan and called the police for help. 1/
amyjuliabecker.substack.com/i/189691486/...
"The internet told me the wrong story about my daughter. Not wrong medically, but wrong philosophically. Wrong about what a life requires to count. Wrong about what’s possible when you stop measuring a person against a diagnosis and start seeing them as themselves."
I love this father’s wise words on the benefits and drawbacks of using the internet to understand our kids (in general, and our kids with disabilities):
Last week, our family received a video from Penny. She told us about something she had been able to do for herself for the first time. I could hear the pride in her voice. And I knew that this moment signaled a sense of confidence in her ability to try new things, to learn and grow.
Parent + caregiver—many parents of children w/ disabilities know the complexity of these two full-time roles. Juli Henderson joins me on the podcast to talk about:
• Caregiver burnout & guilt
• Creating community (even when you’re exhausted)
• Practicing small acts of self-care
• Navigating grief
amyjuliabecker.substack.com/i/189055404/...
Empire’s way of exerting power is through fear and control. We've been formed by many assumptions of Empire, so we may assume that God’s Kingdom also comes through fear and force.
But God’s way is never coercive.
It is always invitational.
Generous.
Marked by steadfast love.
When we reduce disability to a problem to fix, a tragedy to mourn, an insult to weaponize, or an inspiration to consume, we miss the person in front of us. These myths shrink real lives into manageable narratives, and in doing so, they dehumanize people.
youtu.be/2ctaFoaf-EE?...
“Disability: Tragedy, Inspiration… or Something Else? with Matthew Mooney”
amyjuliabecker.com/disability-p...
"The greatest prophetic voice that my friends with disability have back into my life is that... the good life includes pain and suffering. It doesn't just navigate away from it." - Matthew Mooney
How do we talk about disability in our families? A language shift we’ve made is that we try not to use the language of strengths and weaknesses. Rather we talk in terms of: All of us have challenges and limits. All of us have gifts and possibilities. How can we support each other?
I know that I can’t carry the peace of a retreat center back with me in its entirety, but I did decide that I'll wait to read headlines, check messages, and do anything else on a screen until I’ve had an hour to be with myself and with God in the mornings. 2/2
The design of both the exterior and interior spaces at Laity Lodge invite peace, contemplation, and connection. Simply being present in that place made me want to slow down, made me want more simplicity and less frenetic action in my life. 1/
“I don’t care what you say you believe about disability. I care how you act.” This week on the podcast with Matthew Mooney...
amyjuliabecker.com/disability-p...
You are needed. You are needy. We need each other. We are as intimately and intricately connected to one another as muscle to bone. open.substack.com/pub/amyjulia...
Disability: Tragedy, Inspiration… or Something Else? with Matthew Mooney is live now on Take the Next Step with Amy Julia Becker 🎙️E15 (grateful to create Take the Next Step together with Hope Heals)
amyjuliabecker.com/disability-p...
Disability is not…
• A problem to fix
• A tragedy
• A joke
• An inspiration
Our culture often tells us false narratives about disability through the news, movies, kids' books, ads, etc. There’s a better way to understand disability.
Do you feel like you have to “fix” your child—or make their life an inspiration story? Parents of kids with disabilities are often pushed to 2 extremes: tragedy or triumph. Matt Mooney & I explore a better way—shared humanity and real relationships.
Plus: simple language shifts you can use today.🎙️
"Align your household organizing with your goals. What actually matters to you the most? Start there!" So much wisdom from Angela O'Brien. Her practical tips (including what to do with ALL the paperwork!) are helping me as a mom of a young adult with Down syndrome. Listen and share this episode! 👇🏻
Here’s a beautiful example of a school with a culture that assumes capability and connection. And, within it, an example of how that type of culture leads to flourishing for families:
Gather before you sort. Designate one place for incoming papers during the week. Choose a set time to sit down and go through them. When you know there’s a time to face it, the paper doesn’t occupy your mind all week long.
There's more! amyjuliabecker.com/organizing-d... 3/3
Create a home for it. It doesn't need to be a complicated system; it could be a few binders labeled by category—SSI, state services, medical information, school documents. Or hanging files near your desk. The goal is that every new sheet goes where it belongs.
And then... 2/
