Disabilities and respecting children is something that needs taught. It must start at home and continue into the classroom. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2014-2015 children between the ages of 3-21 receive special education services. This is 13 percent of all students in public school. And, of these students, 35 percent have specific learning disabilities.
A disability comes in various shapes and sizes. Therefore, children need to learn about and befriend a child with a disability. Empathy and understanding is a learned skill. Basically, everyone understands that people have differences. Many children do not accept the child or student that is different. So, we need to teach the acceptance of differences. Because, children with disabilities simply want friends that understand.
Disabilities And Teaching
Teaching about disabilities prevent children from being labeled or called names. Children need to be taught tolerance in order to accept the differences in each other. They must understand that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. And, it’s the strengths that must be the focus.
Schools need to include disability awareness in the curriculum. There are many resources and books that serve as an excellent resource for the classroom or home library. Counselors, nurses and doctors are also a great resource for advice and information.
What We Can Do
• Have children find things in common. Finding something in common develops interactions.
• Teach it’s okay to ask about the disability. However, questions must be respectful. Communication is important to understanding.
• Encourage all children to help. They can retrieve needed materials or provide notes or assignments if children misses class.
• Lead by example, teach by example.
We must recognize, appreciate, understand and love all children. And, all children are special. However, some children are special in a way that creates a challenge. Therefore, we must teach tolerance. When children do not understand, tolerate, empathize and befriend children with disabilities, they show the greatest disability of all.
