Out of the Box!

I guess being a special educator means having to think & work differently quite often. 'Normal' teaching methods & techniques might not always work with the kids I work with. This is something not many people outside our field understand at all.

Worst, they think all we do is to babysit, change diapers & clean up poo & mess. Yes, we do all this but we also teach. Kids with special needs can also learn & they sure need to be given the opportunity to be taught & taught well. Teachers & parents can help to develop the potential in a child to the fullest, no matter how severe the disability might be.

You need to learn how to modify lots of stuff to meet their specific needs. E.g. modified utensils for feeding for someone who has limited movement in his or her upper limbs, enlarged photos or pictures for those with low vision or even concrete objects & textured materials to bring certain concepts across.

It is not easy at times. You might even get frustrated coz you just do not know what to do.

Especially if the child just screams, tantrums & rolls all over the floor non-stop. Or the child self-injures him or herself by bitting, scratching or hitting him or herself till there's blood everywhere.

But you know what?

When you manage to help a child who was not able to walk at all but is now able to walk very fast on the K-walker & even toddle 2-3 steps independently, it is worth it.

When you have a kid with a deliberating skin condition who started going to school only at the age of 5 but in 1.5 years time, has been transferred to mainstream kindergarten, it is worth it. The child's mother has also been equipped with the 'know-how' to educate other parents & children about her child's condition.

When a child who is very floppy with poor muscle tone is able to sit upright by himself without any support at all, it is all worth it.

No words can express how I feel when such miraculous moments take place.

Nobody also sees the bruises, bites, scratches, kicks, struggle & drama that goes on behind every behaviour that has been modified, every skill that has been picked up & generalized & every milestone a child has achieved.

But you know what? It is still worth it.