EMBRACE THE DIFFERENCE

The society has been cajoled into believing that children with special needs cannot excel to greater heights or make meaningful contributions in the field of sports, arts, medicine etc. This is a fact that is very much debatable. Amongst the highly successful people in the world, Whoopi Goldberg the rich actress, writer and producer, had dyslexia in her early years while the world champion swimmer Michael Phelps was diagnosed with ADHD in the 5^th grade. Every human being has some sort of disability or the other, no man is perfect only God is the perfect being.

We all use “sticky notes” stuck in front of our computer screens or write down to-do-lists on our  notepads and devices but some are quick to criticize an autistic child when he or she uses the PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) to organize their day. People get drunk on alcohol or hard drugs and display inappropriate behavior, but they are quick to criticize the special needs child when they throw tantrums or have a meltdown simply because they are trying to let off some steam. A lot of us have repetitive habits, some like to sit on a particular sofa to watch their best TV shows while others cannot miss a particular meal every time but will describe an autistic child as having “ insistence on sameness” when they also want to enjoy such little luxury of life.

Let us all take a deeper look at our lives, our habits and our desires and we will surely see that we are not too different from these loving children. we all have some level of “special needs” in us, the only difference is that we are not giving them a chance. Let us all try to embrace the difference.

#embracethedifference

AUTISM THOUGHT

AUTISM QUOTE

FUN AND EDUCATIVE ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

The Easter holiday has come to an end and children will be returning to school. This a time teachers  need to keep their pupils busy. After hours of classroom work and therapies, children need activities that will be entertaining but also educative. Children with special needs can easily relapse after a period of redundancy, so our priority as teachers will be to keep our children in tune with their educational needs while still having fun. Below are some activities that children can participate in.

Throw and catch is an outdoor activity which can be organized at the garden with two or three participants. It involves throwing a small ball at each other while the person in turn throws to another partner. Apart from the children getting fun out of this, it also helps them build their fine and gross motor skills.

Blowing and chasing bubbles is another outdoor activity which the kids will love. Most children love bubbles and it gives them pleasure to blow and chase after them. This does not only make them active but it can help them with speech and language difficulties.

Water gun is a good fun game for children; they can play amongst themselves or with teachers spraying water at each other. This sport, apart from helping to build their physical fitness and gross motor skills, the squeezing action of the water gun trigger also helps in developing their fine motor skills.

Paper cut is another way to keep the children engaged. The children can be given picture clips or shapes and told to cut out the shapes using a pair of scissors. These cut-outs can be used to make PECS. The cutting procedure helps them in building their fine motor skills. For toddlers who cannot handle the scissors, they can be made to tear the paper. This will be real fun for the kids.

The playground cannot be left out of this article; it is a great resource for fun and learning for special needs children. The “tunnel slide” is a very popular playground equipment and good tool to keep the children occupied and happy. It also helps children with sensory issues. The friction on the child’s body while sliding works to reduce over sensitivity.

These are some hand-picked games for your children but be sure to take into consideration your child’s peculiar needs. Adequate safety checks and procedures must be put in place.

APRIL IS AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH