Authors: Jason Kingsley, Mitchell Levitz, Joan Ganz Cooney
ISBN-13: 9780156031950, ISBN-10: 0156031957
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date Published: March 2007
Edition: Revised New Afterwords
JASON KINGSLEY graduated from high school in 1994 and in 1997 from Maplebrook School, a postsecondary transitional program. He has received the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation Families Award, among many others recognizing his contribution toward better understanding and acceptance of people with developmental disabilities. He lives in Hartsdale, New York.
MITCHELL LEVITZ graduated from high school in 1991 and is now a consumer issues specialist at the Westchester Institute for Human Development. He also serves on the board of directors of the National Down Syndrome Society. In 2004 Mitchell received the Daniel Piper Self-Advocacy Award. He lives in Cortlandt Manor, New York.
At ages nineteen and twenty-two, respectively, Jason Kingsley and Mitchell Levitz shared their innermost thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams, their lifelong friendshipand their experiences growing up with Down syndrome. Their frank discussion of what mattered most in their livescareers, friendships, school, sex, marriage, finances, politics, and independenceearned Count Us In numerous national awards, including the EDI Award from the National Easter Seal Society. More important, their wit, intelligence, candor, and charm made a powerful and inspirational statement about the full potential of people with developmental disabilities, challenging prevailing stereotypes.
Now, thirteen years later, the authors discuss their lives since thenmilestones and challenges, developments expected and unexpectedin a new afterword.
Foreword | ||
Introduction | 1 | |
1 | About This Book: "Every Single One Counts" | 10 |
2 | Who We Are: "People Like Me for My Charm" | 15 |
3 | Our Friendship: "It Will Always Be There" | 29 |
4 | Having Down Syndrome: "There's More to It Than I Expected" | 35 |
5 | At School: "Easy Steps to Get to Hard Work" | 45 |
6 | Having Fun: "I Feel Happy and Hoppy" | 57 |
7 | Girls and Sex: "The Tummy Is Sexy and the Shoulder Is Friendly" | 71 |
8 | Marriage and Children: "A Together Bed for You and Me" | 88 |
9 | Important People in Our Lives: "The Kind of Person I'd Like to Be" | 106 |
10 | Beliefs, Traditions, Loss, and Grief: "Calmly Relaxing Angel" | 119 |
11 | Politics and World Affairs: "Citizens of All the World" | 126 |
12 | Becoming Independent: "Get Off My Back Please!" | 142 |
13 | Our Future Plans: "It's the End of a Story, but a New Chapter in Our Book" | 162 |
Afterword | 181 |