"In a few days, a lot of creatures will visit your door. Be open minded. The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy might have poor fine motor skills. The child who takes forever to pick out one piece of candy might have motor planning issues. The child who does not say "trick or treat" or "thank you" might be painfully shy, non-verbal, or selectively mute. If you cannot understand the
ir words, they may struggle with developmental apraxia of speech. They are thankful in their hearts and minds. The child who looks disappointed when he sees your bowl might have a life-threatening allergy. The child who isn't wearing a costume at all might have SPD or autism. Be kind, be patient, smile, pretend you understand. It's everyone's Halloween. Make a parent feel good by making a big deal of their special child. ♥" ~ reposted
Thanks, Heather. That is a good post to start Halloween on.
Having a child with SPD has changed me in many ways, but perhaps most profoundly in how I view other people. It has helped me understand other children at our church, issues with kids that I see at work, and it has changed how I treat people as a result.
There is no such thing as "one size fits all" when it comes to how you treat folks. It takes a special person to take a few minutes and observe a person and really try to find out who they are. Life will end one day for all of us and when we are gone all that will be left is the impact we made on others.
YOu are right! I think it is so important when a child with special needs goes into a new classroom that the teacher talks about it with the other kids. I know for a fact from friends of mine that have kids with autism that is has made a huge difference in the way the other students treat that child! Educate educate educate! I think kids make fun of what they don't understand.
I have incredible patience now, I sub and I tell you what I can go into a classroom and spot the kids with SPD or ADHD etc... and when they know you understand their needs their behavior is so much better. Then you have these adult aids that are so ignorant and are saying they are slugs, horrible children, etc instead of looking at it from their persective or as if this was their own child and would you want someone who is supposed to be a professional calling their child a name like that?!?!?! I will consistantly go back to clases I have already had jsut becuase of specific kids, I bring them pencils with quiet fidget toys on top of a pencil, if they are in highschool and they won't keep their head off the desk I find what an interest is, one kid wants to be a mechanic and auto body repair person, well I took car magazines from my boyfriend and brought them back for him, his head never hit the desk. (that was the slug, yes i reported her) There would be less behavior issues if the teachers were not so lame and got the kids interested in the activity! I could go on and on about that, makes me CRAZY! "Oh they're behavior issues...." NO you are a crappy , boring teacher! Ugh! anyway... now that I went on my rant.. have a great day! hahahahaha