Parents Reaching Out

This weekend Lisa (another gal in the program) went to a family's home. We were paired with the family because this family has a child who has special needs. For my Special Needs class, we are working with Parents Reaching Out, an organization of parents who have children with special needs. The parents educate, collaborate and provide/share resources with future educators, doctors, nurses, and all types of students who will one day work with children with special needs.

Lisa and I spent two hours with (I'll call them the Jones) the Jones family. The mother talked about her experience raising an autistic child, and her journey and struggle with the public education system. We met Harry, and played a game of cards with him and his little brother.

Upon leaving, I felt I had learned a lot more about autism than I would have if I would have read it in a text book. I also was in awe of how much this mother loved her son, and how much of her own life she had sacrificed to raise him. She had given up her career, had not been able to work full time since having him, and worries, cares, and is always looking for a better method or route to connect with Harry and teach him. I really admired her strength and devotion. Harry is a lucky boy to have such a mother.

Previously, I always felt a little nervous around special needs people. As an aspiring teacher, I am most freaked out about having special needs in my class, because I know so little about them, and it seems like they can make things difficult and crazy. After Saturday, I feel like it can be an adventure, a good adventure to have kids like Harry in my class. I'm not as afraid as I was before, and there is a lot to learn from kids like Harry. They are people, and they have their own gifts to share. I'm glad I got a hands on opportunity with autism this weekend.