Recently, I saw a post on social media that said instead of telling your children not to stare, why not encourage your children to say hello and offer a smile? I would take that a step further and suggest more meaningful ways to connect with the special needs community. It might be an invitation to include a classmate (and her mom) in an upcoming group playdate or outing you are planning. This simple act of kindness can open the lines of communication with another parent in your neighborhood or preschool class, and it can be the beginning of a beautiful friendship among your children. Or, maybe plan to volunteer as a family this year and choose to serve those with special needs.
Auburn and Opelika are blessed to have various organizations that could use volunteers, like Lee County Special Olympics, Expressions of a Braveheart, the Miracle League of East Alabama, and The Exceptional Foundation of East Alabama. Being a Miracle League buddy at bat and helping a player around the bases would be a gift of a lifetime to the participants and your children who volunteer and give back to the special needs community. To learn more about these opportunities and others, take a look through this month’s Special Needs Guide, where you will find local and regional resources and recreational programs in East Alabama.
As you explore this month’s magazine, I encourage you to read our feature article, Talking to Kids About Disabilities. The author provides insightful ways to open up the conversation at home. One of the most profound points she makes is to teach your family that everyone is different, yet all the same. Isn’t that what is so wonderful about life? No two people are exactly the same, and these differences create diversity and a blending that is much needed throughout the community. What one person brings into a relationship, another brings something else. But finding the commonalities makes it all work and can be the foundation for something special.
Teaching our children about the things that make us all different and opening the conversations toward understanding can create an atmosphere of acceptance and empathy for those different from us. Start by looking at differences that are seen, like needing a wheelchair to move around, and then move to those that are unseen, like hearing and speech differences and cognitive impairments. Even with these differences, encourage the finding of commonalities from favorite foods and movies to hobbies and talents. Friendships start from the similarities and likeness, and then balance and grow in the differences. This understanding and appreciation of diversity can enlighten us all.
From one parent to another… get the conversations going at home and build a sense of acceptance for others in our community. Finding ways to look at the similarities in others is a big step toward teaching our children empathy and understanding throughout life.
