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We adults – Educators – Parents - Therapists – Society all must never internalize messages that these special children are less. They are not!
Today is her first day in our school. Her name is Tanaya and she is 3.5 yrs old with ADHD. Her parents looked worried and happy at the same time. They seemed to have mixed feeling over sending her again to another new school. They have been hopping from school to school since last 8 months. They were searching a suitable classroom where she feels included & is accepted the way she is.
Her parents want her to make friends; play with them; eat with them and learn things like other normal kids do.
There is no such special school in the locality for her to fit in. So, can we become special and fit into her world otherwise? Great challenge isn’t it?
There have always been many more humiliating judgments from outside for her parents and for herself. They heard enough.
We enrolled her for a counselling activity class first. We kept her timings same as that of other preschoolers so that she could share common play time, eating time & some learning time.
Definitely Tanaya is more attention demanding in the classroom. She always looks for excitement in the classroom. Alas! Exciting moments are few. She is curious and energetic, doesn’t want to sit, she wants to explore; rules, routines, monotony is always bad.
It’s been six months now with her. We as adults–in-charge in the classroom understood this and continued working because she deserves a good education and her parents too deserves a humiliating free life.
Tanaya undoubtedly needs a specifically designed learning environment which intermix structural, intellectual, interpersonal and emotional engaging curriculum where she is allowed to unlearn & relearn certain things on her way and also recognizing her way of doing it. Reinforcement – Calm – Comforting attitude acts like a therapy for her.
School Or Learning should not be a nightmare for her.
Now, she participates well in the classroom. She started building rapport with other kids, shows responsible behaviours (sometimes even more accurate than other kids around) and gradually she has been accepted by her friends as well. Now she hums; make dancing steps; hold hands; make eye contacts and tries to communicate in a much better way and surely she will go much ahead than this.
We adults – Educators – Parents – Therapists – Society all must never internalize messages that these special children are less. They are not! They are bright and capable in an environment that does bring out the best in them.
The only thing is in urgent need that we adults must consistently be evolved, involved and emotionally intelligent.
Children and parents should not be humiliated that their child is not “Normative”.
Image source: By Nilimage from Getty Images Pro, Free for Canva Pro
I am an educator, Soft-Skill Trainer & a mother. read more...
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