Having a healthy child is what every parent wishes for; and, though minor issues like catching a cold or getting a splinter are simply unavoidable, several parents rarely have to face crucial issues with their children’s health. For some, however, the situation is far not that easy.
Sadly enough, many children are born with physical or mental disorders, which children and their parents will have to fight with for as long as they can.
For many reasons, children with physical or mental disorders often become isolated – not because the society discriminates against them but, rather, because the society has no idea how to treat such children.
In the article titled “It’s not about differences, it’s about similarities,” the author is trying to convey a simple idea that “special” children must be treated the same way by their mates like the rest of the children treat each other, without making clear distinctions between usual and special children and without making the latter outcasts.
Since children tend to copy their parents’ behavioral patterns when choosing their role in society, it is necessary to reconsider the way the adults think about special children to avoid the slightest instances of discrimination.
The article raises several important issues, and the aspect of discrimination among children is by far the most controversial one.
According to what the authors of the article said, the children with physical or mental impairments must not be considered as “special” or “not like the other children” in order to prevent the possible segregation and, therefore, to make sure that no instances of discrimination will ever arise in the children’s mini-society. The given approach seems rather reasonable.
On the other hand, though, a refusal to acknowledge the peculiarities of special children might mean that special children’s rights are being infringed and their demands are being neglected.
Therefore, for the special children not to feel being stepped upon, it is important that the specifics of their physical or mental development should be taken into account.
Hence, the key dilemma stems; it is important to figure out how to explain the rest of the children that their friends with physical or mental impairments must be treated as normal kids and at the same as the children with impairment.
It seems that the solution to the problem might be to teach children to treat their friends with disabilities like every other child, yet to be able to offer the impaired children help when required and not to demand what an impaired child cannot possibly do.
Such lessons might be given either in the form of a lecture or, which is even a better solution, in the process of a game. The key goal is to teach children that the “special” ones have the right to be different.
Another question that one might have after reading the article is whether special children should be taught in state schools or special schools.
While public schools will provide special children with an opportunity to feel that they are just as normal as their peers are, it is still necessary to realize that, unfortunately, most of the modern state schools are not equipped to provide special children with the same amount of knowledge.
To make matters worse, state schools rarely take the specifics of a child individual development into account, tailoring the school program to a single model, which is very hard to change.
Therefore, it is much more advisable that special children should be taught in community schools, which have been created with the assistance of the concerned parents and, therefore, presupposes a specific approach to every child.
The lack of communication with the rest of the children can be compensated during the playtime, when all children can enjoy their break together, playing games and socializing.
That being said, one important question remains unresolved. There is no secret that children with disabilities have serious issues with integrating into society. As a rule, the younger child is, the easier it is for him to be accepted among the peers.
Thus, it can be concluded that the younger the child is, the better (s)he will be accepted. Unfortunately, children with disabilities often need time to be physically and psychologically ready to start socializing with their friends.
Hence, the key problem stems. The given issue, however, can be solved by allowing the child to integrate into the society when (s)he feels is ready to.
Therefore, it can be concluded that, with the proper guidance provided by their parents, children will easily accept the special kids as friends without emphasizing the disabilities of the latter.
Moreover, it will be possible to make the society aware of the problems that special children have to face every day to integrate into the society successfully, which means that people will be able to socialize with special children in a less constrained manner, therefore, helping special kids understand that they are accepted into the society and that they will never be judged by their disabilities.