Health, Image, Behavior

Perfectly Impaired: Pair Your Child with a Special Needs Child

Perfectly Impaired: Pair Your Child with a Special Needs Child

 

You know how when you have a teenager you spend most of your days wishing they had a few moments for you?

I spend most of my days wishing the opposite.

Not that I don’t cherish the time I get to spend with my 16 year-old, or treasure the fact that autism has left her with an innocence and naivete few teenagers have, but there are things I wish for her because I know they are what would make her happy.

I wish she got asked to a football game or a friend offered to drive her home from school or that I had a reason to establish a curfew.

I wish she debated over which outfit to wear to the movies on Friday or I had to bug her to be home for dinner once in a while.

My daughter is a lovely, outgoing, friendly teenager who is well loved in her school. But, her evenings and weekends are spent with family. It is a very rare occasion when she is asked to do something outside of school by one of her peers.

She lights up when her phone rings and would drop just about anything for a chance to go to a school-related event.

I wish making these things happen did not involve a parent-driven initiative but it does.

And that is where Stefanie and the amazing community she has build at Ooph comes in.

Stefanie and I would like to create a teen-to-teen (or tween-to-tween) buddy program.

We would love to see Ooph readers begin this conversation in your own home.

Does your teen know any students with special needs in his or her school? Is there a way they could involve them in after school activities?

Begin the conversation at home, help your child see that not everyone is blessed with a full social calendar. This is where we will begin.

In the upcoming weeks you will see more on Perfectly imPaired and how you can get involved. But for now, plant the seed at home, see what your children have to say. We will roll out more formal plans soon but if this post results in the ringing phone of just one teen with autism? Then I can promise you, I won’t be the only mom smiling. 

If you have any questions on how to help your child interact with someone on the autism spectrum you can reach me at fourplusanangel@gmail.com.

 

posted: 02/28/2012

About the Contributor

Jessica Watson | http://fourplusanangel.com/

Jessica is the stay-at-home mom to five children, four in her arms and one in her heart. You can also find her at Four Plus an Angel where she blogs about her journey through life after the loss of her daughter while raising a toddler, two triplets and a teenager with autism.


comments

1. Alaina said:
This is a fabulous idea. My youngest child, age 11, has autism, and I'd be over the moon if kids from school tried to befriend him.

I also have two teens, and I am so thankful for the kind of people they are, largely in part to growing up with a special needs brother. Kindness, compassion, acceptance.....I couldn't ask for a better way to teach them these valuable traits.

So glad I found this blog! :)
03/06/12 01:20 AM - Reply
2. Lanie said:
Brilliant idea! I don't have tweens or teens yet but I will make sure to incorporate your suggestion into my twins world. Thank you.
03/02/12 22:19 PM - Reply
Jessica Watson said:
Thank you Lanie, truly that is all that I could ask for. If we all raise our kids with a little bit more awareness of kids who may have more challenges than they do it will make life much easier for everyone.
03/06/12 22:14 PM
3. Amy Bailey said:
I work with student's with disabilites and have always taken my kids to school with me and they love being around my students. Now at their school they both have befriended some special needs students.
03/02/12 19:38 PM - Reply
Jessica Watson said:
I think that is great Amy, I love that my younger children are growing up exposed to all different kids of people and have great relationships with people with special needs.
03/06/12 22:13 PM
4. Leah Cooper-prockno said:
I can't even begin to explain to you how nice it was to hear another Mom say what I feel guilty for thinking all the time. I have a 13 year old son who is autistic and though I love him with everything I am, I do wish he could , go out and do things without me sometime. My son is extremely friendly and loves being around people and doing things. He needs a friend his age who can model how typical kids interact with one another. there is only so much I can teach him, some things need to be learned by experience and how can he learn without the chance to experience social life outside of me and his school aids.
03/01/12 14:38 PM - Reply
Jessica Watson said:
I totally understand what you mean Leah, as much as I love that my daughter likes being with us, I know she needs that social interaction with kids her age. Hopefully we have great luck with this program and we can provide you with some ways to get this started in your son's school.
03/01/12 23:18 PM
5. Alex@lateenough said:
Wow! This sounds so great but why just autism? Or did I misunderstand?
02/29/12 14:04 PM - Reply
Jessica Watson said:
Thanks Alex, we are really looking forward to getting started. Stefanie and I chose autism because it is something I have background it and a cause she cares deeply about.
02/29/12 18:02 PM