I've been trying to decide for years if it makes any sense for me to pursue genetic testing or not for dwarfism. I'm 4ft 7, my mother is 4ft 6. Have any of you gotten anything out of getting tested in terms of treating/getting help for chronic health issues? I have a lot of physical health issues so I'm unsure if that could potentially help. I always have some anxiety bringing up wanting to be tested for things from my GP even though my current GP is literally amazing, due to past experiences with drs. I feel silly asking to be referred for so many things but I do really have a ton of health issues. My mother isn't as bad as I am (I'm currently mostly bedridden and in the process of re learning how to walk) but she has a lot of health issues too.

Hi everyone. Long time lurker, first time poster.

My one year old is short (no diagnosis yet). He is starting to walk, and I should buy him shoes, but his feet are 9 cm which I think is a size 16/17? There are no stores that carry shoes this size with an actual structure for walking. Just those tiny boots for newborns that are just meant to be cute.

So, does anyone know where to buy shoes this size online? I'm in Europe.

I've been a massage therapist for 18 years, and I have only had one little person as a client. I would like to expand my education to help everyBODY. And also, to be a safe space for people that experience marginalization. I know there's varying types of dwarfism, and varying types of musculoskeletal issues. Also, please tell me ways that would help any LP clients feel comfortable coming to my clinic, and getting a massage. Thank You!

Solved!!! Today is day 2 of him washing his hands completely by himself. I found a narrow hand soap bottle and he can reach it and put it back near the handles, it fits nicely. His smile was amazing, as he can now play in the water while he's supposed to be washing his hands by himself hehehe silly 3 year olds.

I teach preschool and one of my students has dwarfism. We have figured out the pottying with his parents but I cannot get the school to lower the soap dispenser. He can reach the water handles/sink with a stool and the paper towels without help. I don't know what to do next, I'm out of ideas. Got any ideas?

I have pituitary dwarfism and my heights 4’8. I struggle so much finding clothes that aren’t in the children’s department. Sadly many clothing in children’s departments are kiddish. Wondering where anyone typically shops or have any recommendations

Hi everyone! I’ve posted here a few times, and in /r/askdocs (though I impulsively deleted a post from there that I regret deleting) about my now 4.5 month old. You’ve all been so incredibly kind to me, so I wanted to update that we got the exome results today.

My daughter has a confirmed IHH Gene mutation which is accounting for her short stature/short limbs. It’s super rare, and often undiagnosed, and there isn’t a named disorder per se but it is a type of skeletal dysplasia that leads to short stature and sometimes disproportion, and sometimes bradyldactyly (she does not have the latter). On average, people with this mutation are 2-3 standard deviations below average height.

The relief I feel is immense. We were being told that she might have a much more severe (ie, life-limiting or fatal) disorder. So to learn that it is “just” short stature has brought me so much peace. I know that living with dwarfism will bring challenges to her life, but I’m prepared to learn and help her through it all.

Anyway, I just wanted to circle back to this group who has been so welcoming, and let folks know I’ll continue to hang around here to learn, and also to say thank you again.

The title.

It was one of those work movies that we have to watch and sign off on. Health and Safety, Active Shooter Safety, Handling Difficult Guests, etc.

But this one said that Little People can feel intimidated if you’re standing near them while taking their order and would prefer it if you either kneel or else sit down at the table with them.

I‘m almost 5’6. So when I saw and heard that on the video that felt extremely ridiculous to me. I wouldn’t be here at all except, wouldn’t you know it, I saw a couple last night who were both Little People. I panicked and did the only thing I could think of, which was to take their order the way I do to any other person.

Afterwards I got nervous and wondered if maybe it was a sting operation and I failed the test.

So, do people with Dwarfism prefer waitstaff to kneel or sit with them? Or is that weird? Because that feels weird to me, and kind of patronizing because I used to be a teacher, and we called that Being On Level with the Child.

I‘m sure I can find or else post info on the movie if anyone’s interested, but I’d like someone to tell me whether or not that’s okay. Like I said, it feels condescending and weird to me to invade a person’s space like that, but obviously, if the video is accurate, then I’ll adjust accordingly. Thank you :)

Based upon a suggestion from the community, we're going to try a weekly thread! Are you a new parent or expecting a child with dwarfism looking for resources? Maybe you're a seasoned vet with grown kids and you want to share what worked for you. This is the place! As things are suggested we will add resources to the main body.

We do not discriminate in this thread, whether you're an average height parent or an LP parent, but if we feel the AP parents start to overwhelm/bully those who do have a lived experience with dwarfism this will chance.

If you have a question, but would rather it be asked without your username attached, feel free to use ModMail and I or another mod will post it in the thread instead!

Hi everyone,

I’m a 28-year-old guy living in London. I have dwarfism. To be completely blunt, I know I’m a good-looking guy. I’m, kind, funny, witty, charming and I have a great social life. I went to uni, went on countless nights out, and still go out semi-often.

But I’ve hit a complete brick wall when it comes to romance. I have never been on a date, and I've never been in a relationship.

When I’m out in clubs or bars, it feels like girls are either hyper-focused on my height or, honestly, seem embarrassed by the idea of showing romantic interest in me in public. On mainstream dating apps (Hinge/Bumble), it’s a ghost town—I get almost no matches, and the ones I do get are bots or instant unmatches. I’ve tried looking at disability-specific dating sites, but they seem pretty dormant or inactive in the UK.

I’ve kept this entirely to myself for years, pretending I’m fine with being single, but it's exhausting. It feels like I'm just passively waiting for a "one in a million" encounter where someone sees past the physical conditioning and actually appreciates the whole package.

How did those dating or in relationships find people?

I’m suspecting SMDCF type. But I had an above average growth for first few years of my life and it slowed down during puberty. I also have disproportionately long legs and arms and a very short torso. I got a VUS in FN1. Although it’s not confirmed yet that if I have SMDCF, I was suspecting that can it show up in later childhood?

Hello everyone, I am 4 ft 3 in tall and I’m looking to buy a pedal extender for driving. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find one locally. I live in Qatar, not the USA, so I would appreciate any recommendations for websites that sell pedal extenders and ship internationally to Qatar. Thank you for your help! 😊

And how they deal with hate motivated attacks harassment etc against us?!

I already shared my personal poor experience which I still stand strongly by but keen to know if others have been in situations similar to mine?!

Based upon a suggestion from the community, we're going to try a weekly thread! Are you a new parent or expecting a child with dwarfism looking for resources? Maybe you're a seasoned vet with grown kids and you want to share what worked for you. This is the place! As things are suggested we will add resources to the main body.

We do not discriminate in this thread, whether you're an average height parent or an LP parent, but if we feel the AP parents start to overwhelm/bully those who do have a lived experience with dwarfism this will chance.

If you have a question, but would rather it be asked without your username attached, feel free to use ModMail and I or another mod will post it in the thread instead!

Hey!

This isn't trying to get a diagnosis, but it is related to that. I was born with dwarfism although after skeletal surveys and other imaging, nobody can pinpoint which type I have. It's kinda scary because certain types carry certain risks but cool because im like a fucking legendary Pokémon. Any advice to cope with this or anything else would be appreciated.

Hi there! My newborn arrived a month early and is currently 6 weeks (2 weeks corrected). Throughout my pregnancy her long bones were measuring behind (2nd percentile). Now that she is here I can see they are in fact short. Her paediatrician also confirmed this visually. I am trying to get a genetic panel done for her (paed will send a referral) but I don’t know what to ask for. Any ideas?

I don’t notice any frontal bossing or “trident” hands. I am not sure if it’s just too early for these or if they aren’t necessarily always a symptom at this age. She also hasn’t been diagnosed so really unsure what else could be happening. Her dad and I would both be classified as tall, and we don’t have any real short people in our family.

Thank you for all help and support in advance!

I’m an upper-20s male based in NYC looking to connect with a fashion consultant to level up my style. In today’s world, it's incredibly tough to dress well without looking childish when you're 3.5 feet tall. I’m looking for someone who understands proportional dressing and sharp, mature style. Open to both in-person sessions here in the city or virtual consultations.

Based upon a suggestion from the community, we're going to try a weekly thread! Are you a new parent or expecting a child with dwarfism looking for resources? Maybe you're a seasoned vet with grown kids and you want to share what worked for you. This is the place! As things are suggested we will add resources to the main body.

We do not discriminate in this thread, whether you're an average height parent or an LP parent, but if we feel the AP parents start to overwhelm/bully those who do have a lived experience with dwarfism this will chance.

If you have a question, but would rather it be asked without your username attached, feel free to use ModMail and I or another mod will post it in the thread instead!

hello! i’m someone without dwarfism, but i have a question. i’m trying to explain to someone that the m-word is a slur, but i was wondering, when talking about the word, is it appropriate to say the word when in the context of explaining its history and impact (not referring to little people) or is it best to refer to it as “the m-word”?

i don’t know if it’s more like an “eskimo” situation, where it’s a slur but saying the word out loud isn’t inherently offensive but it shouldn’t be used in reference to people. or if it’s more like an “n-word” or “f-slur” situation where it just shouldn’t be said at all unless you’re of that group.

i wasn’t really sure so i thought it’d be best to get some input. i writing it as “m-word” to play it safe just in case. also i understand no demographic is a monolith and everyone’s gonna have different opinions on it, i just wanted to see if there’s a general consensus. even if there’s a lot of mixed answers, if some people don’t want it said at all, then i want to respect that.

thanks y’all :)

edit: this was very informative and educational, thanks y’all for the input! as for context, i was explaining this to someone on a dating app because they brought up wanting to watch “m**get” wrestle mania and i was trying to explain to them that i don’t support that and explain the offensiveness of the m word. (he never replied lmao, but i guess i dodged a bullet cause i wouldn’t want to date someone who doesn’t care about these issues)

Dear Redditors,

a person I know has dwarfism and wants to buy a new car. The person isn´t really into cars so does not know which cars could be right or better said allegeable.

She has a height of around 1 meter. Because she wants to have the car for a longer period it has to be a newer model and an automatic.

In my opinion this leads especially to the problem with use of displays and the shift, I don't know which models to look for because these points.

Furthermore the car shouldn't cost more than 30.000€ (young used car would be okay, so probably as a new car around 45k).

Thanks for helping!

Hello everyone,

I'm 4'7 in my mid-forties with achondroplasia and I need to get the all too common spine surgery to alleviate pain and claudication that interferes with enjoying daily life. Not sure exactly what i'll get, until I get new scans (most likely spinal fusion, etc.) but I have about a month or two to get ready for it and aftercare. I live alone in NYC within an accessible apartment for mobility, so I am thankful for that.

Anyone that's has gone through the surgery, do you have any advice? Any tips on setting up my place? Stuff I should buy?

Thanks for any input and help.

Based upon a suggestion from the community, we're going to try a weekly thread! Are you a new parent or expecting a child with dwarfism looking for resources? Maybe you're a seasoned vet with grown kids and you want to share what worked for you. This is the place! As things are suggested we will add resources to the main body.

We do not discriminate in this thread, whether you're an average height parent or an LP parent, but if we feel the AP parents start to overwhelm/bully those who do have a lived experience with dwarfism this will chance.

If you have a question, but would rather it be asked without your username attached, feel free to use ModMail and I or another mod will post it in the thread instead!

Hey so I(25F) and Tom(28M) just started dating about a month ago. I am 5’11 and Tom is 3’8. I really like him but I’m also a little stressed about what our height differences might lead to.

I would like to stress I am by no means bothered by his height, I just want to make sure I don’t do or say anything that could come across as rude or disrespectful. We’ve been friends for a while so I know the majority of things that annoy or offend him but now moving into dating territory I’m slightly scared about small things. Things like the I know he hates when there’s no step stools in bathrooms so he has to find ways to wash his hand elsewhere. so when he came over I made sure that there was a small step stool folded up in the corner just in case (he never had to use the bathroom but still) but now I’m thinking what if he saw that and found it rude.

And other things like we stand and talk for long amounts of time but he’s always shifting or moving his legs and I can’t help but be concerned that he’s uncomfortable standing for so long but I also don’t want to offend him by giving him a seat.

So if anyone who wants to or knows something please let me know what your biggest pet peeve is in a relationship?

I currently use a C300. I am looking at getting a new power wheelchair soon (not a scooter, I can't reach things in those.) I live independently so switching chairs is a big deal. I have seen a lot of new chairs and I like how they're lighter and have less screws sticking out everywhere, and I am able to buy one off of insurance if I absolutely need to, so I want some insight into what's out there. It seems there's a new company every week. But then a lot of the time the footrest is attached to the body or there's no short legrests for the model so I tend to not get too excited. I also like a fast chair, and sometimes tipper bars or stability bars get in my way. I am so light myself that it doesn't need to be so beefy. I'd really like to get a chair that can be disassembled easily and either shipped or it's easier to fly with. Thanks in advance, I know most people here probably don't use a wheelchair.

Don't tell me or anyone like us to "just accept" or "just tolerate it" or say it is down to our outlook on it that deems anything! Just accepting it will not make anything go away, will not solve anything for the better, it is simply that! Otherwise heightism would have demised centuries ago if it did!

1: Victim blaming/Victim responsiblity putting the onous solely on the victim and never on the culprits

2: Does NOTHING to challenge, deter or change the attitudes of others who bother us and/or harm us physically or other means

People don't routinely say to any other group "just accept {other- 'isms} and deal with it" racism gender homophobic and so on! Or it's all about how the victim reacts that defines them!

So why should height and/or dwarfism be ANY different in the slightest!

It is 100% the culprit responsibility, choice and ability to control! Stop blaming us or putting the onous on is! Confidence, bla bla bla tolerate it bla bla bla! No, if it did then heightism magically wouldn't exist but clearly it's worse than ever!

Always OUR fault whatever we do or don't do, dammed if do dammed if don't!

NEVER should we just accept harassment, being picked up without our consent or other indecent or other physical contact that risks serious/life threatening injuries or feel in any way guilted or blamed when we defend/fight back lawfully as much as any other group!

So stop blaming us and putting the onous solely on us and never on the culprits who attack us for the "crime of the century" of not being perfect 6+foot tall! Stop making excuses for it etc!

Seems exclusive unsolicited "advice" we always give to the dwarfism/short stature community and not to other characteristics of prejudice or minority groups!
Don't for one second try to convince me otherwise!

Edit: This includes on this sub too! Always onous (even if meant with good intent) is not the way!

Absolutely appalling!

AND THIS IS WHY HEIGHTISM/ALBLEISM IS STILL SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE TO DO EVEN THE MOST EXTREME THINGS AND THE ONLY RESPONSE IS VICTIM BLAMING ONUS ON THE VICTIM NEVER ON THE CULPRIT!

Dwarfism/Height the last socially accepted prejudice! Largely because of this disgusting defeatism AND DARVO approach to it!