Living with Cerebral Palsy hasn’t stopped Irene Dashiell from running her own counseling practice and making a difference in the lives of others.
“I’m Irene and I happen to have CP, but it’s not my full identity and it never will be.”
From the perspective of what it was like as a child to an adult, Irene connects with you on the deepest level by openly talking about her disability and sharing her raw experiences.
In this special episode, hosted by Dr. Christine Astarita with Breakthrough Intensive Physical Therapy, listen firsthand to Irene speak her truth about what it is like living with cerebral palsy.
Episode 10: Living with Cerebral Palsy (Part II): Sharing Experiences, Outlook, and Challenges with Irene Dashiell, LCSW:
Last March, we spoke to the amazing Irene Dashiell, LCSW who runs her own counseling practice in our community with the goal of helping those with disabilities be the best they can be. Irene lives with Cerebral Palsy but she doesn’t let that define her or stop her from making a difference in the lives of others.
Irene shares with us her experience growing up with CP and tells us about her experience of transitioning back to public school.
“I think the other kids knew that I was different and wondered why, and because there wasn’t a lot of explaining, certain assumptions were made…I think that if my classmates had known a little bit more about CP, it would’ve made it easier for them to understand and accept.”
“That’s why I’m so thrilled to be talking with you today. I think there needs to be a lot more awareness and people need to talk openly about having disabilities. People with disabilities are a very large minority group in our world but we are not seen very often and we need to be more visible, definitely. And that starts at a young age and understanding that it’s okay to talk about a disability and to really explain it on the level that people can understand.”
In this episode, you will hear Irene discuss how she grew to accept her disability for what it is and how she turned it into a positive for not only herself but for others.
“Growing up was challenging. I just wanted to erase my disability…and when I was younger, at one point, that was my goal and the joke was on me because I couldn’t do that. That was an unattainable goal for myself. But what was obtainable was learning to adapt and accept who I am.”
She also talks about how her mother helped establish the mindset that her disability is not an excuse and she can still take accountability and make the most out of every situation because she has a disability but is not disabled.
“My mom was always an incredible advocate for me. I think she was very much a forward thinker.”
This is such a unique chance to get a look into what it is like to grow up with a disability and see it from the perspective of both a child and adult as Irene discusses her journey through school and into running her own practice.
Irene is an incredible woman with an amazing story to share so we hope you enjoy listening in!
If you want to listen to more episodes or find some more helpful resources and information, visit our website: www.breakthroughptli.com
► ►Listen Now to Irene’s Story ◄◄
About Dr. Christine Astarita, PT, DPT
Dr. Christine is the founder of Breakthrough Intensive PT; Long Island’s intensive therapy center focused around the whole family. Throughout her career, Christine has worked with children from the NICU all the way into adulthood and knew there had to be a better way to serve them. So, she’s taken her passion and direction in life to serve the special needs community by offering intensive therapy programs, group fitness programs, parent support, and educational programs, as well as sibling support programs to enhance and improve the quality of their lives.
When not working at Breakthrough PT, reading, or researching ways to improve the business, you can find her out with her family hiking the trails or preparing for her next half or full marathon! Christine loves running and believes it to be her method of meditation all while keeping her in shape to eat all of the ice cream and french fries she wants! She believes her true purpose and calling is to help this underserved community in a BIG way.
Thank You!
We want to wrap up by extending our gratitude to thank you for stopping by today!
Are you a parent or caregiver to a child with cerebral palsy or a person living with cerebral palsy?
If yes, what’s your biggest takeaway you can share about your journey to help others?
We’d love to hear about it in the comments below. ♥
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