Educational Media Reviews Online

These three videos, Lily: A Story About a Girl Like Me, Lily: A Sequel, and Lily at Thirty, provide an intimate look at the life of a young woman with Down's Syndrome. Lily's mother, Elizabeth Grace, has recorded the struggles and the rewards of living with someone with this condition. She has included her perspective as a parent, as well as Lily speaking her own thoughts at different periods of her life.

Beginning when Lily was ten years old in 1977, Lily: A Story About a Girl Like Me, focuses on the classroom, where Lily was one of the early participants in mainstreaming. We see her playing with friends, reading, making pottery, and participating in the chorus - just like any other ten year old girl. We hear Lily's thoughts on how she loves the chorus and being with her friends. Her mother, Elizabeth, narrates at times, filling in the history of Lily's birth and the effect her disability has on the family.

Ten years later, when Lily is 20, Lily: A Sequel was recorded. Graduating from high school is a major turning point for Lily and her mother. Just like any recent graduate, Lily expresses her joy at completing her high school degree, and longs for a more independent lifestyle. Her mother reveals her own apprehension about Lily becoming more independent, although she knows it is the right thing to do. Lily begins life in a group home that provides a training program to help disabled people learn independent living skills such as managing money, making appointments and doing household chores. Lily gets a job at a fast food restaurant and after two and a half years has successfully learned how to live on her own. She has a dream of living in her own apartment and to having a boyfriend. Her mother's dream is to see her daughter have an interesting life that maximizes her talents and skills.

Part of Lily's dream is realized in Lily at Thirty. The video begins with Lily walking the picket line with her co-workers from Safeway, a grocery store where she has worked for the past three years. Lily is obviously happy with her work, and her lifestyle, living alone in her own apartment. Her family and friends are extremely important to her. She has an independent living counselor who visits her once a week to make sure her bills are paid, groceries are bought, and things are moving smoothly. Lily talks about her life and what it means to live with Down's Syndrome. Some things are still hard for her, but she accepts them and moves on with her life with a strong positive attitude.

All three of these videos are shot with a "home movie" style ambiance. This helps to reinforce the intimacy of the programs. The sound quality is good, but a slight echo is detected on the first program. The short 15 minute length of each of these programs make them ideal for classroom viewing and discussion. Each one gives a snapshot of Lily's development. Highly recommended for college level classes in Education, Special Education, and Social Work.