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Special Needs Kids

brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,012
in Vitalogy
A friend of mine posted this message on FB and I thought it was excellent and worth sharing here. Her community apparently is not real supportive of special needs kids. We're very fortunate where I live to have excellent organizations like PRIDE and MORE in our community, folks who work hard to help these kids be a part of, be more accepted in our community by taking them shopping, job coaching and sponsoring social activities. It would be great if more places had organizations and individuals who did that sort of work. I don't have kids of my own but I'll talk to my extended family kids about this myself. Thanks for considering this. The message is:

"I would just like to put this out there! If your kids are not around special needs kids at school and have never been taught that not everyone is the same, then maybe you could take 10 min tonight to explain this to them. Even though they may not be around these kids at school they may see them at church, at the mall, at the grocery store or even at the park. In light of recent events on the exclusion of a child who has autism from participating in a school trip, and a Down Syndrome child being kicked out of dance class because she couldn't keep up, I felt the need to share this. There are boys and girls that nobody invites to fun parties. There are special kids who want to belong to a team but don't get selected because others feel it's more important to win than include these children. Children with special needs are not rare or strange, they only want what everyone else wants: to be accepted !!"
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













Comments

  • whispering handswhispering hands Posts: 13,527
    Awesome!
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,012
    whispering hands said:

    Awesome!

    :hug:
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • AafkeAafke Posts: 1,219
    As a mom of two special needs kids, thanks brainlux...

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    "The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed".- Carl Jung.
    "Art does not reproduce what we see; rather, it makes us see."- Paul Klee
  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,012
    Aafke said:
    As a mom of two special needs kids, thanks brainlux...

    :plus_one:  :hug:
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • EddieshometownEddieshometown Posts: 980
    Thanks for posting  My son has autism.  He is starting to do OK in classes but his classmates pretty much ignore him.  It's so sad. 
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  • brianluxbrianlux Posts: 42,012

    Eddieshometown said:
    Thanks for posting  My son has autism.  He is starting to do OK in classes but his classmates pretty much ignore him.  It's so sad. 
    That is sad.  Kids can be cruel.  But some of it is learned behavior as well.  Some adults can't seem to handle being around special needs kids or adults.  There's really no need for that.  I'm no expert on special needs kids.  I did take one brief special needs class to obtain my teaching credential and I did sub a couple of special needs classes but other than that, no special training.  But the average person doesn't need any "training" to interact with most special needs kids or adults.  It's very simple.  You just smile, say "hi" or, "how's it going" or something normal like that.  99% of the time you get a smile and a howdy in return, especially if they've seen you before and know you're cool with them.  If you see a special needs kids doing some work in a job coaching situation and say, "Hey, good job, looks great," you've very likely made that kid's day. 

    I do some thrift store shopping for books and records and often see special needs kids and adults who are in job training (with varying degree in supervision) and for the most part, these are some of the nicest people I run into.  They generally really dig it when someone is friendly toward them, especially when that friendliness is real and  sincere, not a put on.  I'm sure there are exceptions, but generally speaking, it's just that simple.
    “The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man [or woman] who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
    Variously credited to Mark Twain or Edward Abbey.













  • curmudgeonesscurmudgeoness Posts: 3,988
    I think a lot of the behavior that kids demonstrate toward other kids with disabilities is learned. Kids whose parents and teachers had taught and modeled inclusive behavior were much kinder and more patient with my son (who has Tourette Syndrome) than were kids whose parents acted as if my child's disabilities were contagious.

    That's a message that is relevant in all kinds of life situations: your children are watching you.
    All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.
  • a5pja5pj Posts: 3,893
    Working in schools, it's amazing how many people don't understand why these students or people in general need extra resources, time, accommodations, etc. (Even some teachers). I know we are raising my daughter to understand this, but so many don't because they don't know the struggles since they aren't around it unless they have to see them out.

    Thomas Young's book also highlighted the importance of helping / letting them maintain their independence as much as possible. Like when Ed offered to buy him a top of the line wheelchair, but Thomas said no as stayed with his crappy VA one, even though it almost killed him.
    Wouldn't it be funny if the world ended in 2010, with lots of fire?



  • IamTomIamTom Posts: 1,138
    Given To Live has taken kids as young as 10 up to adults to shows including to Pearl Jam, Queen, BMTH, A7X, Slipknot (twice), Metallica and more. From mild autism to complex LDs to CP.

    We also take people who have mental health issues, a section of society that here in the UK is very ignored. Paranoid schizophrenia, teen depression, people who’ve attempted to take their life multiple times, anxiety and more are issues presented by people we’ve taken to shows. I mention mental health as so often it can go hand in hand with a LD. 

    GTL works to see the person for who they are, to prize them as individuals. Whether a young person who has made attempts on their life or adults battling cancer. There’s a reason we say Because You Matter. Simply this is perhaps the most important thing to a human, to feel like you matter. To be seen, listened to, accepted. 


    Given To Live -

    Latest story - Declan at Slipknot is up on the website now at www.giventolive.com along with Kayleigh at Foo Fighters, Tony at Stereophonics and more.

    Inspired by Pearl Jam, making live music dreams come true.
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