When it comes to minority groups, getting the words right is important. Tessa Prebble explores the popular term ‘special needs’ when it comes to being a parent of a child with disabilities, and asks whether in using that term we are doing our children a disservice. Disability is not a dirty word. So why do … Read more
Spinoff Parents columnist and advocate for children with disabilities Tessa Prebble writes about ableism and why the able-bodied community need to stop ignoring or excusing it. Picture this: you’re looking for a place to live for you and your partner and your three year old daughter. You look for months and then finally find something … Read more
Mother’s Day is a time for sleep-ins and massages and home-made cards for a lot of parents. But for one group of parents it’s an especially painful time. Tessa Prebble writes about being a mother on Mother’s Day when your child has died. When I was pregnant with my daughter a friend lent me their … Read more
Should we stop using the term ‘special needs’? Spinoff Parents columnist and advocate for children with disabilities Tessa Prebble looks at a new campaign to retire the phrase, launched to mark World Down Syndrome Day. In the world of social justice, language is important. I consider myself fairly woke, or if I’m honest, in a continuous … Read more
Without the lived experience of having a child with health complications you can never truly know what it’s like. One who knows is Tessa Prebble, who shares how it feels to hear the words ‘as long as it’s healthy’ now. At baby showers all over the world you’ll hear the same five words: “As long … Read more
We have a word for children who have lost their parents, but no equivalent for parents who have faced the agony of losing a child. Tessa Prebble writes about the limbo of being a mother with no child to parent, 18 months after the death of her daughter Eva. What does it mean to be … Read more
Many parents make the reasonable decision to terminate their pregnancy following an in utero diagnosis of Down Syndrome. But as more sophisticated tests make it easier and less risky to diagnose early, Tessa Prebble wonders whether we’ve really thought through the consequences. When I found out I was pregnant, my GP immediately handed me a … Read more
For Tessa Prebble, whose own daughter was born with congenital issues, the story of Aria evokes only sadness – and anger at a medical system that let a struggling family down. Tessa Prebble is a force. She writes with great courage and she’s changing the world. Here she shares her views on a heartbreaking story … Read more