Susan's Blog

Monday, May 5, 2014

Watch Me on PBS 5/6/14!

On May 6, the PBS show “America ReFramed” will be airing the new and unusual documentary “Rachel Is,” about a young woman with an intellectual disability and her last year of school. Rachel and her mom try to find a good living situation for Rachel — outside of her mother’s house. Rachel’s sister Charlotte Glynn filmed this honest and sometimes uncomfortable doucmentary.

Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Amy Harmon and I are the panelists who will discuss the documentary and issues around autism, after the film (this is the America ReFramed format). Natasha Del Toro hosts. Check your local PBS listings for specific time in your area.

posted at 8:06 pm 1 comment

1 comment

I hate that I could identify with this mom in the documentary so strongly! Thanks for sharing this (I think!) I can’t seem to quit thinking about it. Even though my son is higher functioning, he is still on the side where he has to have, and will always have to have, some help. So, higher or lower, not sure it makes a difference when you have to have the help to live.

Great interview with you and Ms. Harmon at the end.

Hope they will do a follow up in a year…as you know very well, you are always holding your breath for that phone call about a problem that’s come out of nowhere and the whole, carefully structured situation comes tumbling down. I hope for Rachel and her family that she can thrive in her new home.

I hope this is a wake-up call to all the parents out there who have not yet reached that “what do you do at 22?” phase to become very, very active, involved advocates with their respective states.

Thanks for sharing.

— added by Sue Lowery on Monday, May 12, 2014 at 10:22 am