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In her own words: a chat with editor-in-chief Robert Epstein - Cover Story - Maria Shriver discusses her three books, in particular her latest, 'What's Wrong with Timmy?' - Interview

Psychology Today, July-August, 2002 by Robert Epstein

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Robert Epstein: What's Wrong With Timmy? is an unusual book, as are all three of your books.

Maria Shriver: This book is somewhat of a sequel to one I wrote a few years ago called What's Heaven? That book tells the story of a little girl asking questions about her great-grandmother's death. Parents still come up to me, saying it had a profound effect on their lives and the lives of their children. Since then, parents have asked me to write books about other issues.

I have spent my life around people with developmental disabilities and the Special Olympics, and my own children have asked me the question, "What's wrong with that kid?" So I thought that this would be a good subject to broach. This is a way of getting parents and their kids into discussion.

What do you think of the movies "Forrest Gump" and "I Am Sam?"

I love them. Particularly "I Am Sam," which shows a person with a developmental disability holding down a job and offering the same kind of love and parenting that all of us strive to give our own children. Both films are very moving and helpful in terms of understanding and breaking down stereotypes.

When I was reading your book, a very old memory popped into my head: I was friends with a young man, Willy, who was developmentally disabled. He wasn't in school, and he lived with his parents. My mom was uneasy about my friendship with him. But he taught me how to make a parachute with Saran Wrap and how to repair bicycles. He was a great friend.

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You should share this with your own children, because I think children are very interested in their parents' stories and how they deal with issues. That's why, in my book, I had Kate asking her mother, "So you had the same experience? You also were scared and tongue-tied?" Kids feel safer when they recognize that their parents have had similar experiences.

Absolutely. And there's a long process involved in destigmatizing any disability.

Or any kind of difference. This book came out three weeks after September 11. I feel strongly about using it as a teaching tool about accepting differences, whether it's a disability, religion, skin color or gender. I am talking about tolerance and acceptance and inclusion. These are important issues to discuss with kids. More and more, we are seeing articles about mean girls, exclusion and bullying.

When we talk about the developmentally disabled in the mainstream, aren't we talking about the exceptional ones? The ones who are very high functioning?

No. About 90 percent of people with developmental disabilities can be full members of society. That means they can go to school, hold down a job, have friends and get married. We have a slogan at Special