Children understand about special needs.

Last edited Mon Feb 22, 2021, 12:46 PM - Edit history (2)

My daughter (KK) and her friend (Austin) were about 7 years old and living the summer of 2006 playing all over the house and the neighborhood.
We were living on Ft. Benning, GA and most of my neighbors were with me in Iraq and had just returned from deployment. My daughter KK and Austin were the best of friends, another couple had a Down Syndrome teenager, named Sami, that was able to communicated with some ASL, no vocal abilities to express herself but never the less she would play with all the kids. She had an open invitation to all the houses in the neighborhood as she didn't understand they belonged to different families.
One summer afternoon, KK and Austin were in the Livingroom wanting to watch either Sponge Bob or Barnie The Purple Dinosaur. I was just watching the interaction between these two children as it was entertaining. The argument about what to watch escalated to pushing and then to blows, I was about to stop them from beating each other up when the door open and Sami walked in and sat in front of the TV.
Both children, KK and Austin, looked at each other and picked up the Scooby Doo VHS tape (Sami's favorite cartoon), without a word, Austin put the VHS tape in the VCR, both went to the kitchen, made snacks for all three of them, juice and chips with PB&J sandwiches, went back to the Livingroom and sat down to watch Scooby Doo. Sami finished her juice and with her hands indicated to KK that she wanted another one. KK went to the kitchen and got another juice and brought it to Sami.
Both seven year old kids knew that Sami had some limitations and needed special care. I went to the living room to join them and got a snack from the tray the kids have brought for Sami and I was reminded that those snacks were for Sami and if I wanted some I should get my own.

I just wanted to share this short story with you.

Thank you.