thought for the day

[Payne Aaron]

Hi everyone,

In high school all of the disabled kids were put into a common
homeroom for the first half hour of the day. Up to that point I had
not been around other disabled kids. I didn't want to be lumped with
"them" and so I protested. The administration responded by
distributing the disabled kids among the other homerooms.

Only in college after I forced myself to engage in a disabled students
organization did I start to accept that part of myself and other
disabled people.

The idea I want to pass on is to socialize your kids with not only
"normal" kids but with disabled kids as well.

You might ask why I say that I never met another disabled person until
high school when my dad and I share SJS. I just saw him as dad and
not a guy with SJS. It is important to let the meet their peers.

Your thoughts?

thanks,
aaron

aaronpayne.com

[Elizabeth G.]

I couldn't agree more! However, I can see why you objected in HS. I
think it is more important for normal ppl to engage with disabled ppl
because then they can take away knowledge to share with their future
children.

I went to the MDA summer camps in the summer, so I interacted with
children with disabilites all the time. It was the best part of the
summer and if you have that program available to your child, I HIGHLY
recommend it (plus you get a week or two off and you totally deserve
it!)

I personally teach my child to accept everyone. I tell her that God
makes everyone different and special. That, eventhough you don't know
them, you have something in common and you won't know what that is
until you talk to them.

There is a fine line between 'be friendly to everyone' and 'don't talk
to strangers'. She is only 3 though, so I am with her ALWAYS. She
hasn't noticed any differences in ppl yet, except if you are a boy or
girl, or if you have a bright blue mohawk! haha! I'm sure the
questions are coming, so when I see someone I *think* she may ask
about, I start to prepare the response in my head.

What I love most is that she just sees me as "Mom" and not someone who
can't do everything - she still thinks I'm super.

[Desirae Rausch]

I’m right there with you. My mom taught me that I was capable of doing
anything I set my mind to. I knew things where always more difficult
for me then other kids but I knew I could do it if I tried hard
enough. In third grade a boy made fun of me for being the only one in
the class who couldn’t climb the rope. A few days later I got fed up
and did it. Took me only 5mins to get to the top of that darn rope,
but ended up costing me a week in the hospital. It wasn’t until
recently that I’ve started using the term disabled. It’s such an ugly
word to me. College slapped the label on me and I’m most defiantly not
used to it.