"normally") I could walk as a kid, this scene resonated with me like no other. As someone who was constantly trying to show a barrage of doctors and therapists how "well" (i.e. This, in turn, makes Ray so self-conscious that, trying to make himself walk "normally", he weirds out his crush at school. It's clear that the Speechless team consulted with either an actual PT or someone who's had extensive experience with PTs in childhood for this scene (I can't help but wonder if Micah Fowler himself contributed a few notes about having extensive PT in childhood). So, in order to make the most out of every penny, Maya makes Ray go to PT instead, where the PT promptly criticizes his pronated feet and basically tells him to walk heel-toe. But if we paid for PT outside of school? You better believe my mom would be trying to make the most out of every penny. We didn't have much money when I was a kid, so I got all my PT and OT in school, unlike a lot of other kids with disabilities I knew. We get physical therapy." is a line I could absolutely see my mom saying.
First of all, "We pay for physical therapy. I loved that this show has never fallen into that trap (so far, please let it continue!).Īnd my god, did that lead to the funniest scene of all time. I was really happy to see the show portray JJ as a regular teenager who might want to break the rules sometimes! Too often, kids with disabilities are portrayed as saintly angels who never do anything wrong, or devils who cause trouble for everyone around them. That's a phenomenon called dignity of risk in special ed/disability circles, and it's super, super important. And Kenneth let him, because ultimately it's JJ's decision. But it's usually more co-morbid disorders than CP itself, and I don't want this show to give people any wrong impressions about CP.Īll of this is not to say I didn't love this episode! I did! I loved that JJ skipped his PT appointment, even though it wasn't the right thing to do. Some are, and there's nothing wrong with that. It would have made more sense to say "My son has epilepsy and may have a seizure that requires medical attention." (Not all seizures need medical attention.) Epilepsy IS a very common co-morbid disorder with CP! My fear is that without further context, it might give off the impression that all people with CP are medically fragile. Maya gave them a whole speech about having a special needs child who may need medical attention, but we've been given absolutely no indication that JJ is medically fragile. I also thought the beginning of the episode, with the life-alert buttons, was weird. In this situation, Kenneth should have been acting only as JJ's translator (or re-voicer, as some people with communication disabilities call it) so that HE could talk to his mom.
I do! Mothers who will call their disabled children whenever they go anywhere without their parents, freaking out and going "Where are you? What are you doing? Do you need to go to the bathroom?" Or even worse, call their aide and speak directly to them. (A thought I just had - why is the principal dealing with the accommodations and not the special ed department? Does this school not have a special ed department?)Īt the same time, I know mothers like this. But you never look a gift horse in the mouth! If the principal is willing to give your child the accommodations he needs, you hightail it out of there before she changes her mind! You'd think Maya would have learned that by now. I get that Maya is kind of looking for a fight, because she wants to be a warrior mom for her son. The argument with herself, trying to get the principal to be more hard-ass, was bordering on bizarre. But if the show continues like this, Maya could get real annoying, real fast. I didn't feel it so much last episode, maybe because it was the pilot.
I started to agree with some people this episode that said Maya was too over the top. On this episode of Speechless, JJ gets a new aide, Maya has an argument with herself, Dylan and Jimmy prank the neighbors, and Ray becomes a PT's bitch.
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