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Tonight, my kids got on stage in front of over 200 people. They sang, spoke and celebrated the birth of Jesus. This is heartwarming in and of itself but my tears seemed out of place to those that didn’t know me.
My son has speech apraxia. It’s a nasty disorder that makes people unable to articulate their brilliant thoughts and emotions. My son understands everything that is said to him but he can’t always speak his mind. Sometimes his motor skills are delayed because of this apraxia. I hate this disorder and we fight it with everything we’ve got everyday. Just when we thought we were out of the woods, a severe stutter plagued my son this past October. His progress has been steady but slow. I know God will fully restore his speech and give him a confidence that lacks arrogance.
Many people have insisted on labeling him. I have fought to keep him from being categorized as someone that should be pulled out of class and thrown into a “special needs environment.” Why? I have seen how people quickly pass judgment on children needing these services.
So imagine my rage tonight when I read a post on a friend’s wall.
"Remember the boy in our children's class last year with a mental/social disorder and his "violent" outbursts? Well, my oldest has another one in her class this year. He always has a Para following him, too. “Daughter’s name here came home last month and told us she almost got jumped by him. During class, she felt a pair of eyes blazing at her while listening to the teacher's lessons. She glanced to her left and all of a sudden he lunged towards her! Good thing she has quick reflexes and got out of her chair fast. Got escorted out with the Para. He had another episode during PE where he grabbed a girl and scratched her arm. And NOTHING is provoking this kid! I DO have a problem with the parents thinking that their child with "special needs" needs to be integrated with the public when the child has violent tendencies. I am all for meds if they need them. Private school is tempting and might have to research the high schools nearby. Not worried about the guns, but those "kids" with the guns and their future."
Our nation experienced one of the worst, most horrific tragedies ever this past Friday. We later learned that the shooter had aspergers. We learned that he had serious mental health issues and yet our nation decided to engage in a huge debate about gun control rather than how we help those with poor mental health. I don’t know this person so I can’t ask her questions to clarify exactly what she meant. However, I’ve heard so many people say things like this and have come to learn that their motives were hateful and ignorant.
The first boy mentioned in this post was a child I encountered quite often. He was scared, overwhelmed and out of control. The first time I experienced one of his outbursts, I went under a table because I thought a shooting had broken out. When I got to know more about his story, I tried desperately to help de-escalate his fears. It took courage but my heart broke for this young man. I felt that the school was taxed on personnel and resources to properly help this child but I never considered him “another one of those.”
America, wake up! Stop wishing that children with special needs would disappear into the back rooms of the school... or attend a different school entirely. All children are blessings. All have special talents and gifts. Many of the children with special needs have incredible gifts and talents that this world misses out on. Stop referring to children by their diagnosis. Your child is not an aspie, autistic, a stutterer, or bipolar. Your child is a blessing that might be afflicted by a disorder. This is not their identity! Children that experience spectrum disorders are not automatically a risk of committing atrocities like those witnessed over the past few weeks. The children at risk are those that are ostracized rejected, judged and made to feel that they aren’t good enough. The biggest problem in this country isn’t guns, a fiscal cliff or other political issues. It’s a lack of compassion and an unwillingness to help those at risk. Before you write to your senator, examine your heart and your actions.
My son has speech apraxia. It’s a nasty disorder that makes people unable to articulate their brilliant thoughts and emotions. My son understands everything that is said to him but he can’t always speak his mind. Sometimes his motor skills are delayed because of this apraxia. I hate this disorder and we fight it with everything we’ve got everyday. Just when we thought we were out of the woods, a severe stutter plagued my son this past October. His progress has been steady but slow. I know God will fully restore his speech and give him a confidence that lacks arrogance.
Many people have insisted on labeling him. I have fought to keep him from being categorized as someone that should be pulled out of class and thrown into a “special needs environment.” Why? I have seen how people quickly pass judgment on children needing these services.
So imagine my rage tonight when I read a post on a friend’s wall.
"Remember the boy in our children's class last year with a mental/social disorder and his "violent" outbursts? Well, my oldest has another one in her class this year. He always has a Para following him, too. “Daughter’s name here came home last month and told us she almost got jumped by him. During class, she felt a pair of eyes blazing at her while listening to the teacher's lessons. She glanced to her left and all of a sudden he lunged towards her! Good thing she has quick reflexes and got out of her chair fast. Got escorted out with the Para. He had another episode during PE where he grabbed a girl and scratched her arm. And NOTHING is provoking this kid! I DO have a problem with the parents thinking that their child with "special needs" needs to be integrated with the public when the child has violent tendencies. I am all for meds if they need them. Private school is tempting and might have to research the high schools nearby. Not worried about the guns, but those "kids" with the guns and their future."
Our nation experienced one of the worst, most horrific tragedies ever this past Friday. We later learned that the shooter had aspergers. We learned that he had serious mental health issues and yet our nation decided to engage in a huge debate about gun control rather than how we help those with poor mental health. I don’t know this person so I can’t ask her questions to clarify exactly what she meant. However, I’ve heard so many people say things like this and have come to learn that their motives were hateful and ignorant.
The first boy mentioned in this post was a child I encountered quite often. He was scared, overwhelmed and out of control. The first time I experienced one of his outbursts, I went under a table because I thought a shooting had broken out. When I got to know more about his story, I tried desperately to help de-escalate his fears. It took courage but my heart broke for this young man. I felt that the school was taxed on personnel and resources to properly help this child but I never considered him “another one of those.”
America, wake up! Stop wishing that children with special needs would disappear into the back rooms of the school... or attend a different school entirely. All children are blessings. All have special talents and gifts. Many of the children with special needs have incredible gifts and talents that this world misses out on. Stop referring to children by their diagnosis. Your child is not an aspie, autistic, a stutterer, or bipolar. Your child is a blessing that might be afflicted by a disorder. This is not their identity! Children that experience spectrum disorders are not automatically a risk of committing atrocities like those witnessed over the past few weeks. The children at risk are those that are ostracized rejected, judged and made to feel that they aren’t good enough. The biggest problem in this country isn’t guns, a fiscal cliff or other political issues. It’s a lack of compassion and an unwillingness to help those at risk. Before you write to your senator, examine your heart and your actions.
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