I was given the opportunity to work with kids who are in a special education program in Sutton, Mass. I got to work with 5 kids: Cameron (the oldest as he was going into eighth grade), Zoe (going into sixth), Charlie (or Charlotte, who was my one-on-one for the summer and was going into sixth), Tristan (going into fifth), and Taryn (going into fifth). Not only was this a learning experience for me, but it also gave me insight about what I really want to do with my life. I knew I wanted to teach, I just hadn’t decided if I wanted to work with special needs kids.
What I learned from my experience is that the stereotypes about different disabilities are wrong. They aren’t what you think they are.
Some of the stereotypes about people with different needs are:
“* Always happy
* Always loving
* They are angels
* God gives special children to special parents
* They can’t live independent lives, have a job, or marry
* They are perpetual (never ending or changing) children
* Because they have an intellectual disability, they cannot be smart
* They are a burden to their families”
These are not true!
My one-on-one, Charlie, has Down Syndrome. This summer was my first time working with someone with Down Syndrome, and my experience was not like those I’ve read about.
The stereotypes of “always being happy and always being loving” were not true. Charlie was not always happy. In fact, she would often get frustrated with her work. If she got something wrong, she would start to lose her compliance. And the more she lost her compliance, the more aggressive she would become; but it was never physical aggression, it was always verbal. Compliance was important for Charlie as she worked on a reward system. When she finished her work, she got to do something she wanted (except go home, like she often wanted to). But, she would always pick reading, as she enjoyed this very much, just like most of the kids.
Another stereotype that Charlie disproves is about her intellectual disability. She is one of the smartest kids I’ve ever met. Is she behind for her grade level? In a way, yes—but she learns quickly and works effectively. We worked a lot on her counting this summer and every day that I worked with her, the more I saw her improve. She blew me away with how quickly she learned and how much she enjoyed learning.
Charlie is one of the nicest, sweetest and most friendly kids I’ve ever met. She is nice to everyone she meets—she gave me hugs when I saw her and when I left. She would always be really happy to see me and went so far as to call me her best friend. Having this experience with her was an amazing opportunity, and I hope I continue working with children just like her. Hopefully I’ll get that chance this upcoming summer since I’ll be working there again!