
About this episode
Danilyn Rutherford discusses her experiences of mothering a multiply-disabled child and the challenges of communication without language.
How do you care for someone you struggle to communicate with ... and can never fully understand? That's the question anthropologist Danilyn Rutherford has been wrestling with for decades — ever since it became clear that her daughter Millie would never speak, sign or use symbols to express herself. Danilyn talks with Anita about how mothering a multiply-disabled child challenged her beliefs about the importance of language for human connection. Meet the guest: - Danilyn Rutherford is the author of “ Beautiful Mystery: Living in a Wordless World ” Read the transcript | Review the podcast on your preferred platform Follow Embodied on Instagram Leave a message for Embodied
People in this episode
Guest: Danilyn Rutherford
Topics covered
- communication
- motherhood
- disability
- language
- human connection
Keywords
- communication
- disability
- motherhood
- language
- human connection
- Danilyn Rutherford
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Beautiful Mystery: Living in a Wordless World
More episodes of Embodied
- Building A Queer Life In The Country · June 11, 2026 · 50 min
- Faceblindness & A Journey To Rediscover Your Brain Midlife · June 4, 2026 · 50 min
- Making The Kid Decision ... And Learning To Live With It · May 28, 2026 · 50 min
- Why The Former ‘Fastest Girl In America’ Wants To Change Sports · May 21, 2026 · 50 min
- Stuttered: Diversifying The Way We Speak · May 14, 2026 · 50 min
- The Case For Taking Humor Seriously · April 30, 2026 · 50 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Embodied podcast page.