1942: This newborn grew up to be The Girl Who Talked Too Much, who had a fascinating life despite her disabilities, IDD and Tourette’s Syndrome. Our mother put gardenias in our braids, and posed Linda and me with Kippy, only a few days old.
1942
My little sister Kippy, seen here in my lap with big sister Linda holding newborn Lee, grew up to be The Girl Who Talked Too Much, title character in my soon-to-be-released book, much of which is told in her own words. I was fascinated that she learned the abstract word ‘coincidence’ using the same technique I’d learned about in a graduate Language Acquisition class…..just in months, not in days. She had Intellectual/Developmental Disability, and Tourette’s Syndrome made her talk all the time, opening a view into a fascinating mind.
1943: I was four years old, and was delighted with my sweet baby sister.
I had no way to know that there were people who urged my mother to institutionalize her, or that there were others in the world who would have put her to death. I called her Kippy, and she’s the subject of my upcoming book, The Girl Who Talked Too Much. My mother was an activist who helped get state and local group homes and education for intellectually handicapped people like Kippy.
1957: Kippy was 15 in this picture.
There were still no local schools for people like her, and no assistance for families. She had recently been sent (at the urging of her doctor) to the Gainesville Sunland Training Center, almost 120 miles away from her home. Years later such state institutions were closed for lack of training, harsh treatment of clients, and lack of recreational opportunities. Only then did smaller local group homes become available. She’s the title character of my new book, The Girl Who Talked Too Much.
Kippy loved this shirt….
Mother had painted it with the outline of Florida, the state’s name, cities, and various Floridian items scattered around. Unfortunately, the acrylic paint colors didn’t reproduce well here.
Stay tuned…..the book about Kippy, The Girl Who Talked Too Much, is at the publisher’s, and any day now I’ll be learning when it can be released.
Hard to imagine today, but….
When this baby was born in 1942, there were those in this world who would have ordered her death because of her handicaps. And in our own country, there was nothing available for her care, education or training, nor help for her family in raising her. Doctors advised sending her to an institution, lest she take the parent’s time and attention from the other children. Fortunately, my mother ignored their advice, taught her everything she could, and became one of the activists responsible for getting state and local services for the mentally handicapped. Read my upcoming book, The Girl Who Talked Too Much, to learn her story. Check out my website, anndickinsonsargent.com.
Kippy in Colorado
Kippy, the title character in my upcoming book, The Girl Who Talked Too Much, stands on a balcony in Colorado. She loved that state because she associated it with horses and cowboys.
1942: Sisters Linda, baby Kippy, and Ann
The doctors thought she should be put in an institution immediately, because of Intellectual/Developmental Disability, cleft palate, tongue-tie, a crippled hand, and later, Tourette’s Syndrome. Mother, an early activist who helped get special education available in Florida, insisted we would teach her as much as she could learn. Follow her story in my upcoming book, The Girl Who Talked Too Much.
1942: My baby sister Kippy
1942: This little cutie grew up to be The Girl Who Talked Too Much, who had both IDD and Tourette’s Syndrome. Doctors said she’d only live to be 15, and that she should be institutionalized immediately, for the benefit of the other children. Instead, she was beloved, loving, funny, and unforgettable. Her life is the story in my upcoming book, available soon. Stay tuned!
And I’m so tired I’m making mistakes…..
I said “And I think it’s gook”…..well, who knows? Maybe it is! But what I MEANT to say was I hope it’s good! I’m tired after working on it about 8 hours today, and I guess I’m allowed to mess up a bit!
Ann Dickinson Sargent 