Learning From Autism

I have just written a children's book that describes a relationship between an autistic boy and a typical little girl. I love this story because it is near and dear to my heart.  The little girl I describe is my daughter Jessie and the boy is her best friend Jesse.  The main reason I wrote this book was to teach each and every child to  truly understand how much we can learn from children with special needs. 

There are people out there that view children with special needs as useless or without value.  Doctors may use this perspective as an excuse to give counsel for terminating a pregnancy.   My dear readers I wish I could give you a glimpse at the transformation Jesse Boy has made on my children's lives.  Even though they are not perfect (he doesn't have super powers) but because of Jesse they are more compassionate, they befriend the special needs child in school, they have patience and they understand that God made them for a reason.

Both my daughters have a special needs child in their class.  Jessie, my fourth grader, asks "Mike" to sit by her at lunch and invites him to play with her at recess.  Her teacher says she is the only one who can sit by "Mike" and not complain.  The teacher even forgets that she needs to monitor him because Jessie has taken over the job to guide him and redirect him.  Jessie didn't need to be coached or trained, because she "gets it".  She is now explaining to her friends how to understand with him and how to be apart of his life. 

My youngest daughter, Becca, is in kindergarten and has a child in her class that can be really difficult because of her special needs.  Becca came home the other day and said "Hayley" hit her hard in the stomach.  I knew this child so I explained that "Hayley" was like Jesse Boy and she doesn't mean to hit, she is just trying to make friends.  But because she learns different she is not sure how to play and make friends.  Once she made the connection that "Hayley" was just like Jesse Boy she had a totally different attitude toward her.  The next day she asked to play with "Hayley" at recess and used her words if she thought she was being too rough.  It worked.  She "gets it". 

I could never have taught my children how to understand special needs kids if it wasn't  for our best friend Jesse Boy.  People with special needs are really just people who, if given the opportunity, can transform your life.