Every Wednesday, the school cafeteria serves Fried chicken as part of their hot lunch menu. Charles loves Fried chicken and every week looks forward to having it. However, one Wednesday as he went up the lunch line, the child nutrition staff sadly told Charles that there was no fried chicken served for the day. She offered him other choices. Charles, with his food tray in his hand, all of a sudden, threw his tray up in the air, ran outside the cafeteria and kept screaming “Fried Chicken! “ Obviously, Charles was very upset that he did not get his usual Wednesday lunch. It took quite some time until Charles tired himself out jumping and screaming. After a few breathing exercises and a story about what had happened was written and presented to him, Charles eventually calmed down. This was how he learned that it is perfectly fine not to have fried chicken on Wednesdays – this makes Charles special.

Charles is one of the many children I work with in our Special Education class, diagnosed with Autism. To be identified as “special needs” is commonly based on what one cannot do. It may mean having a mild to severe learning disorder, a developmental delay, a behavior issue, or a physical disability. These deficits may pose challenges to families and the community.

However, with the onset of technology and the proliferation of knowledge in the field, a lot has been done to provide the proper services and treatment to address these needs. Families of special needs children may seek advice from medical providers, school district staff and community workers. There are a lot of opportunities nowadays for special needs children to become a part of the mainstream society. Medical treatment and rehabilitation programs are accessible at private facilities or community centers. Resource classes, Special Day classes, Independent Living Skills programs and Workability programs are offered at school districts. Behavior workshops and seminars are available as well for the children and their families.

Every special needs child has a set of goals to attain. Despite their weaknesses, lies strength and perseverance to reach these aspirations. The journey to fulfill these goals is what makes every triumph sweeter for these kids.

I am fortunate enough to be part of Charles’ journey. I am amazed with Charles’ silver lining. Despite his anxiety towards change, Charles has the patience of a mountain when he works. Charles currently participates in his school district’s workability program at a local gym. He folds a little over a hundred towels in an hour for customers to use when they work out– this makes Charles more special.

Special needs children are often identified more by their challenges; but, what some people may not know is the fact that these children offer way more than what we think that they can do. You will be surprised by the memory of one autistic child I met. He will engage you in a conversation about trains, but more than that, if he was given the opportunity, he could offer help at a train station to customers who can’t figure out what train to take and what time to board. This is simply because he has memorized the train schedule by heart. There are more ways than one to make these children feel appreciated regardless of their disabilities. It begins with simply accepting them for who they are. Believing in their capabilities follows suit. To be proud of every achievement they make, even if it was as simple as being able to independently cross a street or to be able to unload a dishwasher, may help them feel proud of themselves as well. There is hope for these children to be the best they can. They may need that extra help and support of people around them to realize a positive outlook in life. It will just entail awareness of what is out there offered for them. There are several organizations that promote consciousness and encourage involvement in the lives of Special Needs children. You can find more information on the following links: www.autismspeaks.org, www.autismkey.com and www.cde.ca.gov/sp/ .

We can look at it this way : On a cold winter night, if it takes just one blanket to keep a person warm; a special needs child will likely need two or more layers to feel the same warmth and coziness for a good night’s rest. They would need a little bit more in general. However, that would not matter if most of us have always that something extra to give anyway.

To be a special needs child is obviously not a choice. To make him or her feel special is definitely the right choice.

By: Lana Juan