"The Ashley Treatment"

For a couple of months now, we have been struggling with what is now being called: the Ashley Treatment.  By now, you have probably read about or heard about Ashley.  She is a little girl from Seattle who was born with a challenging set of support needs.  When she began to show signs of early puberty, her family talked with doctors and lawyers about the idea of making Ashley's future more physically comfortable.

Before you go read any further, we would suggest that you visit the family's web blog to read for yourself exactly what the family went through and what their goal was: click here. 

Our project is focused on family support and we don't try to tell families how to live their lives.  As a parent of a now teenager who is growing bigger every day, I understand how size and hormones impact living with a child with a disability.  But is that really any different for any parent?  Did Ashley share her preference at all?  If her preference is hard to determine because of her disability, did the family seek advice from teenagers or adults with disabilities about what this might mean to them?  The one thing that is absolute is that many of the things done to Ashley are irreversible and very invasive.  I myself do not understand how Ashley is described as having incredible spirit and connection to her family members - and still her family felt it was better to surgically alter her to improve 'her quality of life'.  If she was able to voice her preferences in some way, would they still have done this?  Couldn't a case be made that it would be easier for any teenage girl to not have to go through the pain of PMS?  But, most would say no - of course not - because we don't want to make permanent choices for someone who is not yet an adult about their future choices.  Others might say, that is an equal part of life that provides a way to learn to cope, plan and grow.

Does Ashley's disability take away her personhood so much that she doesn't deserve to experience the full span of what life is for all of us? 

Check out what another family's experience has been by visiting their website that celebrates their son, Martin's strengths and how their family finds ways to meet their support needs. Click here to visit their website.

As a parent and a professional in the disability field, I thought it was important to provide the link to Ashley's family website so you can read for yourself.  If you have the time to visit Martin's family website, you will see a very different perspective.  If you have thoughts you would like to share, please contact us by phone at (800) 871-8004 or by email by clicking here.

- respectfully submitted by Jill Smith