The Importance of Inclusion

This week as we studied the importance of including children with special needs I was reminded of a few experiences I had. I was born prematurely which caused many health complications, the main ones being Hydrocephalus and Cerebral Palsy. I have tried my entire life to be like other children my age and not let my limitations stop me from being like other children. When I was in eighth grade I had my Achilles Tendon lengthened at the end of the school year after cheer season had ended. I was in a cast and walking boot for the last month of school. I remember shortly after I got the cast removed I went to an activity and I was limping because my leg was weak and because my left leg is a half an inch shorter than my right leg. At the activity we were walking quite a bit and I was getting tired so I was limping more and more as time went on. A girl walked up to me and asked "Why do you walk like this?" Then she proceeded to show me how I walked. I was devastated and started crying. I didn't understand why someone would be so cruel to imitate how I walked without walking a day in my life. One of the leaders put this girl in her place and we went on with the activity. Although she probably didn't realize what she said was hurtful I can still visualize how I felt in that moment.

The second experience I can recall is in ninth grade I had brain surgery that caused a stroke. I spent about a year trying to recover and regain functions I lost due to the stroke. The months before the stroke I made many friends at school and was excited to see what the future would hold for my friends and I. Shortly after my stroke my friends dropped me like a worn shoe. When I was well enough to attend the last month of school for a few hours each day I honestly wasn't excited because I knew I would be all alone. That first day of school after my stroke it was almost like people thought they could "catch a stroke" from being around me. All of my "friends" avoided me like the plague and wanted nothing to do with me. This made that last month of school very hard and I was nervous I would never find friends again. Finally, almost two years later in my junior year of high school i met a great group of friends and we still do catch up on occasion.

So, what does this have to do with including those with special needs? Although I didn't have major special needs I learned how difficult life can be when you aren't included in conversations, hang outs, or just normal day to day activities. Children with special needs may seem different but all they want is to be included. I can tell you children with special needs have the biggest hearts and will brighten your day if you allow them in your life. Special needs children can teach us so much about ourselves and about life. We should always strive to include everyone whether they have a disability or not they can teach us valuable lessons.


~Kolbey 

Thinking back on this week

As I think back to this weeks experiences learning about "Exceptional Students" all I feel is love. Children with special needs deserve to be treated like a normal person and should be respected and accepted in society. I have had the opportunity to work with special needs children and I can tell you there is a spirit about those children that just makes life better. I could be having a bad day and go to work and my day would immediately get better. I love how each of the talks we read this week had something special in them that i needed to hear. I think it is very important that we do our best to accommodate and include special needs children so they feel loved and included no matter what is going on. Special needs children have helped me in my life and I know we can all learn a great deal from them if we are given the opportunity to learn from them.

That's all for now.


Kolbey