THEY DO GET IT!!!!

THEY DO GET IT!!!!!

SO MANY TIMES WE AS PARENTS ARE THWARTED WITH THESE PEOPLE WHO "HANDLE " OUR KIDS AND ITS ALMOST AS IF THEY HAVE PITTY ON US BECAUSE THEY JUST DONT SEE THE POTENTIAL THAT WE SEE---OK OK THEY DONT LIVE WITH OUR KIDS 24/7   AND SOME TIMES OUR KIDS WILL EVEN DO THINGS FOR THEM THAT THEY WONT DO AT HOME   BUT ISNT THAT WHAT THEY CALL "NORMAL"? WE SHOULD BE THRILLED; THANKFUL CUZ WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING IS WHAT TYPICAL PARENTS  HAVE EVERY DAY AND THEY  GET FRUSTRATED. 

I CANNOT EXPLAIN THE OMINIOOUS FEELINGTHAT SOMEONE LIKE ME HAS WHEN YOU WALK INTO AN IEP MEETING {INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN}  TO HAVE TO SIT THRU GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND HAVE MY CHILDS ABILITIES REDUCED TO ACHIEVING A GOAL THAT MAY NEVER HAVE ANY PURPOSE IN HIS LIFE! WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT??

WHEN YOU HAVE  YOUNG DISABLED CHILDREN YOU ARE SO HELL-BENT TO EXPOSE THEM TO ACADEMICS --I THINK ITS THOSE DEEP SEEDED  THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW WE AS KIDS HAD TO GO THRU THE ROUTINE OF MASTERING SUBJECTS AND ACHIEVING SOME KIND OF GRADE COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT WE ARE TRYING TO SHOW THOSE "KNOW-IT-ALLS" THAT OUR KIDS ARE NOT RETARDED AND HAVE ABILITIES THAT THEY EITHER CANT SEE OR WONT ACKNOWLEDGE---WORSE YET ; TAKE THE TIME TO DEVELOPE

BUT AS OUR KIDS GROW, I KNOW FOR ME, THE PERSPECTIVE HAS CHANGED.FIRST OF ALL I WANT MY CHILD TO BE HAPPY AND AS COMFORTABLE AS HE CAN BE IN HIS SKIN, I WANT HIM TO BE ABLE TO DO WHATEVER  HE WANTS-- FREEDOM OF WILL {MAYBE SOME WOULD CALL THAT NORMAL--WHAT IS NORMAL ANYWAY??} SO WE HAVE TO TAKE EXTRA STEPS TO ACCOMODATE THEIR NEEDS AND WANTS BUT TO EXPOSE THE COMMUNITY AROUND THEM TO BE TOLERANT. I MAKE A DISTINCT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INCLUSION  AND TOLERANCE. YES IF WE LIVED IN A PERFECT WORLD ALOT OF THINGS WOULD BE DIFFERENT  BUT THE FACT IS EVERYONE HAS HANGUPS OR  PERSONALITY FLAWS AND MOST ARE ACCEPTED  FOR SOME REASON  OUR COMMUNITY JUST HASNT GOTTEN TO TOLERATING THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE AUTISM [AND MANY OTHER DISABILITIES]  IT IS ABSOLUTELY UP TO US TO START THIS PROCESS AND  IT STARTS IN THE SCHOOLS. TEACH THE "OTHER" KIDS TO AT LEAST HAVE SOME WORKING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT OUR KIDS. DONT JUST SPEAK TO THE TEACHERS AND STAFF  ASK THAT YOUR CHILD BE ABLE TO GO TO A CLASS EVEN IF IT IS 10 MINUTES EVERY OTHER DAY  TANTRIUMS FITS AND ALL BUT GO TO THAT CLASS ROOM AND TALK TO THOSE KIDS AND TELL THEM ABOUT YOUR CHILD.TELL WHAT TO EXPECT  WHAT THEY MIGHT SEE AND TELL THEM THAT ITS NOTHING TO FEAR. DO IT BEFORE YOUR CHILD STARTS COMING TO THE ROOM THEN YOU HAVE SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCESS. MAKE YOURSELF ACCESSABLE TO EXPLAIN ANYTHING THEY MIGHT HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT;LIST A PHONE NUMBER OR EMAIL ADDRESS  GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO ASK AND EDUCATE THEMSELVES.

THIS IS PREPARING THE COMMUNITY FOR OUR KIDS!

WHEN THESE KIDS LEAVE SCHOOL IT WONT BE A UNKNOWN  SUBJECT  IT WILL BE SOMETHING THEY CAN DRAW ON AND MAYBE EVEN TALK TO OTHERS ABOUT. THATS HOW WE SHAPE THE COMMUNITY FOR OUR KIDS LONG AFTER THEY GET OUT OF SCHOOL. AND FOR MOST OF OUR CHILDREN THEY WILL BE OUT OF SCHOOL MUCH LONGER THAN THEY ARE IN SCHOOL.

SO THE NEXT IEP  TRY A PLAN  FOR INTRODUCTION OF YOUR CHILD INTO THE "COMMUNITY  OF SCHOOL" I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE LUCKY TO HAVE YOUR CHILD IN FULL INCLUSION OR MAINSTREAMING BUT EVEN THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE  A SDC {SPECIAL DAY CLASS} THINK ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE AND THINK ABOUT EDUCATING THE "TYPICAL" STUDENTS ON "COMMUNITY" BECAUSE OUR KIDS    DO  GET  IT   AND THEY DESERVE TO   SHOW IT !