There was this one child my mom taught years back. He was a special child who found it hard to speak at the age of 5. This boy not minding the fact that he was in a classroom, would suddenly stand up from his seat, to dance. Not regarding the stares from his classmates. Sometimes he'll begin to drum a beat, using his pencil on the table. Since I visited the school a lot that year, I was quite fond of him.
Anytime he went out of line, all he needed to get back on track, was the attention from people around him. The moment you paid him attention, smiled or laughed with him and assigned him something to do, or gave him what he needed, he'll be completely fine. I enjoyed spending time with him, and actually seeing him evolve. I can never forget how happy his mom was, when she called my mom, to inform her that he said his first word.
Apart from this little boy, I haven't really had contact with so much special people. Except one. There's this training I attend frequently. At the training, there's this young lady that's autistic. She's undergoing training as well. When I initially started, I noticed how she behaved oddly sometimes and I actually attributed it off to her being younger than she looked or something. Some mornings, she'd come with her tresses looking so dishevelled. She didn't mind if her front hair was springing out of the bun she packed it in the previous day. She'd come, and after sometime begin to cry that she wants to go home. I saw it as weird, but actually waved it off to her age. It wasn't until a fellow learner, laid hands on her file and saw her details, that we knew that she wasn't just younger but actually processed things differently.
There are times when I'll find her staring at me so intensely, I'll smile at her and she'll smile back. Then go back to her work. Many times, when she stands up from her seat, she forgets to tuck in her chair and our teacher detests that. So what we do, the moment we notice her, is to remind her to put her chair back in.
Having come in contact with these two awesome people, at different times in my life, I've learnt one thing. These special people are the rulers of their own world and space. They aren't limited to only the precepts that other people follow, they are always at their truest. For instance, the lady at my training center, could stand up all of a sudden and tell us that she's going to meet our teacher, to report herself that she can't seem to concentrate. Mind you this is a public space, where we are all given assignments and the teacher retires. What we do in times like this, is advice her to do something she finds fun. Unwind. Then later, she can continue at her own pace.
In a world where rationality and logic fuel our actions, these people express themselves in unique ways, that might seem wrong to others. They do things at their own pace and time. So, it is left to us as individuals around them, to show them that even with how their actions may differ from ours in some situations, they aren't any less human. They are infact, very special.
So, my dear people, the month of April has been dedicated to you all. Although the month is coming to an end, that doesn't mean we will stop celebrating you. We are proud of you. Keep being and doing you.
You are seen.
You are loved.
You are appreciated.
This is my entry to the #thoughtfuldailypost community prompt.
Thanks for reading.
Image is mine.
