With inclusion, All Kids Can
You might or might not know that my youngest CJ has Down Syndrome, heart disease, Celiac disease, Alopecia areata, orthopedic problems, learning disabilities, severe speech delays and a hearing problem. Some would say he’s disabled, I prefer the terms differently abled and special needs. No matter what you call it, we as a society have an overwhelming need to increase awareness for all children with disabilities and special needs.
March is Disability Awareness Month. With the goal of making the lives of children with disabilities easier, CVS Caremark has created a program called All Kids Can. CVS Caremark All Kids Can is a five year, $25 million commitment to donate money to community nonprofit organizations that offer programs and services focused on helping children with disabilities learn, play and succeed in life. The money is to help achieve three goals -
1 - to educate the public and increase awareness about matters such as the importance of inclusion
2 - enable all children to play together regardless of ability by promoting the building of barrier free playgrounds
3 - ensuring that necessary medical services and rehabilitation programs are in place
Children are so precious and they deserve to be able to make the most of every day in life. Imagine what a child with disabilities must feel like when they are not able to participate with other children in some way. Inclusion would go a long way towards making these children feel good about themselves, no matter whether it be in the school or at home. I think parents talking more with their children about inclusion and disabilities would really help.
We as parents have a responsibility to teach our children what’s right and wrong. Our children aren’t born with values, they learn them from what they’re taught and from what they see. We teach our children that racial prejudice is wrong. Why aren’t more people teaching their children that all people are of value regardless of their abilities and appearance? My October article on the New Jersey Moms Blog touched upon this very subject.
A tip for parents. Open conversation with your children. Let them know that disabilities aren’t anything to fear. Teach them not to label others. Teach them to think before they speak. Teach your children to be open minded and compassionate. Teach them that disabled children are people that have value and feelings. Teach your child to be a person you’ll be proud of – the kind of child that is able to see past the differences and see that everyone has feelings and a right to feel valued, happy to help someone who needs a little assistance, and willing to stand up for someone who needs a friend. Teach them that with inclusion, all kids can.
Thanks to Twitter Moms for spreading the word about the All Kids Can campaign!
@ Marya - He had to have an upper endoscopy. It’s a very tough diet, hard on him and hard on the wallet at times. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Great post
How did you determine your son had celiac disease?
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Thank you for such a great post, and thank you for your comment on my “Mama Bear Gets Chatty” blog. I know that our acceptance of others, regardless of their differences, comes from parenting. Even if we didn’t learn it from our own parents, we can and MUST still teach it to our own children. I believe that the Lord allowed my son’s disabilities to happen, so that my son would have a wonderful testimony to share with others who might not “hear” the Gospel any other way.
God bless!
Angie
This is an excellent piece pf writing–backed up by first hand research, reading, and experience. Many, many years ago in a word of black or white, even the public words like retarded used to describe special needs lwere harsh. Children were pplaced in institutions early on. The world did not often visibly see its trainales, its educables. And there the problem worsened.
Most people fear anything that is different. Why? I think because they do not understand it. Most people learn from what they see and experience. It makes babies grow. It is how they walk, talk, and in time mirror how they were nurtured. The community accepts only that which it is familiar. That is how evil men like Hitler couold enhiliate millions and millions. The victims of many holocausts were not only Jews.
It is important for special needs children to be a part of the world. Of course they take from the world at large. But they give so much too. Too many parents remain in denial hoping for things that may never happen. They must still take the child out into the world
so he or she can. It is something that should begin at birth and continue throughout life.
Being a couch potato may be both comfortable and safe; nevertheless, it is not the best for anyone.
@Stimey - Exactly. All children (and people) have value and can learn from each other. Yes special needs children can learn from typical children but the reverse also applies. So many people don’t see that. Thanks for reading and commenting.
@Kim - It’s great that you look at it that way. Thanks for reading and commenting.
For a while my boys attended a private school due to some academic concerns at our public school. They are now back in public school and I appreciate that they are exposed to and interact with a more diverse group of students than they did at the private school.
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This is a great post. I completely agree with you. I have an autistic son, and I think it is wonderful for my “typical” children to be around all kinds of diversity, including people with special needs.
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@mannequin - You understand my meaning exactly. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
I don’t quite know what to say because reading your words, I felt your heart and I felt the hurt of a child being excluded. I just cannot fathom what an incredibly difficult feeling that must be for a child to have to deal with, with everyone around laughing and playing.
It’s such an important lesson to teach our kids and CVS, Twitter Moms and moms like you are doing a great service not just to challenged or special needs kids but to all kids.
It all comes quite natural for a child to look beyond any differences but they need to be taught how to approach those differences. I think that may be the hardest part for kids, not in the acceptance and celebration of differences, but in the approaching a child that they don’t want to make feel awkward. That’s where we come in as parents and role models.
They’re kids and they all may have different needs but they all need acceptance, opportunity, laughter, guidance and love.
That’s quite a thought provoking post; thank you.
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