How to talk to your kids about disabilities and the importance of inclusion

I have three children, age 9,7 and 5 and they are simply the most loving children I know (of course they are my little jewels). But all joking aside... I have taught my children that it is very important to love and be friends with childern with disabilities. I explain to them that these children are just like them, except they cannot sometimes do all the things that they can do. I have had many interesting conversations with my oldest about the "cool kids" at her school. That is what they call our special needs children in our elementary school. The older students (one of them being my daughter) can go to their room and help with the kids. Playing games with them, reading to them and just being their friend. At the end of last year, my daughter was given a certificate from their room that said thanks for coming to our room and helping us. It was great. When my children see these kids out and about with their parents, they are always running up to them to say hello and ask them how they are doing. Some of the kids cannot talk, or feed themselves, and have severe disabilities, but my children always tell me that those kids are their friends and they show love toward them, and tell other kids that it is not nice to make fun of those children, because the only difference is that they cannot do all of the same things as we can.

One program that my children have be very supportive of is our Prayer Child program with Gold Canyon. Since the beginning of this school year, the Prayer child Foundation has given $5000 to children in my community, through the sales of our candles for kids program. (You can read more about that in one of my other posts on this blog dated Sunday, January 25, 2009.) These children are children that my oldest daughter helped in the cool kids classroom. The money was given to help offset medical bills, and therapy expenses or general needs for the children. My children let everyone know about the Prayer Child foundation and help me with fundraisers with the program as well...

I think that when children are allowed to interact with special needs children, they get a better understanding of what it is like to live with a disability, and they realize that it is OK for them to be different.

My younger two children are always asking questions about people they see in the mall, or at the store, and my oldest is very quick to try to give them an answer that they can understand, and I love that! What better way for them to learn than from an older sibling who has worked in the classroom with these kids.

I am a school teacher and I, of course, am involved with these kids on a dialy basis - either involving them with my kids, or having them help with laundry and sih washing... The kids love that they can be included with the rest of the children and I feel this is the best way to overcome differences - Include them with the other children.

Also - Be Sure to check out the CVS CAREMARK All Kids Can link to the right for more information on this great program through CVS, as well as www.prayerchild.org for more information on the prayer child program.