Love What Matters recently shared a post written by Miriam Gynne that speaks volumes of the capacity of special needs children everywhere. Society often views them as handicapped or learning-impaired, but as her eye-opening story unveils, we are the ones that can be learning a valuable lesson from them.
“Like every mum I was terrified when my baby started full time school. Even as I dressed her in her shirt and tie I wondered yet again if mainstream was going to be the right place for her.
I had more reason than most to worry as she left that day still unable to dress herself and not yet potty trained, diagnosed with autism and selective mutism, and despite having had an extra year at nursery already, she was still one of the smallest children.
On top of all that she carries a heavy burden wherever she goes even at the tender age of five.
I often wonder if professionals realise the daily weight that siblings carry on their shoulders every day?
As well as her own diagnosis my beautiful blue eyed girl is the twin sister of a boy with even more complex needs. He has tumours, severe autism, challenging behaviour, global delay and is non verbal. She has to live with that at the fragile age of five.
How would she manage without him as his school placement was 14 miles away from hers? How would anyone know to meet her personal needs if she was unable to talk? Would her anxiety, vulnerability and tiny size make her an easy target for bullies? Would her home life stress cause issues with her learning?
I worried. And wondered.
But something changed that first week she started school. And one day her classroom assistant told me that my special, fragile, silent girl had actually changed that whole class of new starts without even saying a word.