WRITING CONTEST

Children With Disabilities

A DISABILITY IS
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some

combination of these. A disability may be present from birth, or occur during a person's lifetime.

INCLUSION IS
having the same choices and opportunities for recreation activities that

other people have regardless of the presence of a disability.

being accepted and appreciated for who you are as a unique individual,
including your strengths and your weaknesses. being with friends who share your leisure interests, not your disability.

ALL KIDS ARE DIFFERENT

Some kids can run faster than anyone else in their class; others are

unable to walk and may use a wheelchair.

Some kids win spelling bees or math contests; others learn differently than their peers and need a little extra help. Some kids sing solos in a school concert; others may not hear or be able to talk.

W H A T A R E S P E C IA L NE E D S ?
Special needs describes the extra amount of personal care and attention that is needed to help kids with any type of disability or

challenge, so they can lead a comfortable lifestyle.

EXAMPLES OF SPECIAL NEEDS

Special needs can be anything from getting daily shots for children with diabetes to requiring certain bathrooms and classrooms in schools for kids with physical disabilities. Some special needs are: Medical conditions, like epilepsy, cerebral palsy, or diabetes Learning disabilities, such as dyslexia Mental health conditions, like anxiety disorders or obsessivecompulsive disorder (OCD)

Speech or hearing difficulties

Physical disabilities, such as paralysis or muscular dystrophy

DIFFERENT OR NOT?
Kids with special needs are not really different; they just need extra

help doing certain tasks. Some of your best friends might have special
needs and you wouldn't know just by looking at them. Some people have special needs that you can notice, like someone

who uses a wheelchair or a cane.

OBVIOUS OR NOT?
Tony has difficulty breathing and uses a nebulizer, a treatment

device that helps him to breathe easier. He often runs out of breath
when playing sports during recess. Tony's teachers have mentioned that he has "special needs," which is why he can't run a lot during gym

glass, can't always play outdoors, and has to go to the emergency

department sometimes when his breathing gets bad. Tony has severe

asthma, and when it flares up, it can be hard for him to breathe.

OBVIOUS OR NOT?
Sara has a condition called cerebral palsy, so it is difficult for her to

walk and move like everyone else. She uses a motorized wheelchair to
get around. She enjoys school, likes to read, and has lots of close friends who know she's a great person. But sometimes she needs extra help, like having her books brought to her, having doors held open for her, and using ramps to get into buildings. If places she tries to go to

with her friends aren't accessible by wheelchair, there's no way for Sara
to get inside with everyone else.

OBVIOUS OR NOT?
Carlos does not understand why he is good at drawing, yet he struggles

to learn how to read and write. Many of his friends have called him mean
names, like dumb, even though he is bright or intellectually gifted at

some things, like puzzles and art. He often feels the frustration of his
learning disability. He can't understand why he can't perform as his

parents and teachers expect him to, and he feels isolated and alone in his
problems. Because he cant see if others around him are struggling like

him, he thinks that he is the only one with this problem. He does not
have many friends.

OBVIOUS OR NOT?
Louie has tics. Tics are involuntary muscle movements that are

repeated over and over. Louie rubs his eye brow two times left and right,
then three times up and down. He also pulls his shirt collar away from his neck. Sometimes his tics change. When he was in third grade, he flicked his fingers over and over, and sometimes the teacher thought that he was doing it to be bad. Louie also used to tilt his head to the left and raise his

left shoulder. These movements makes Louie feel very frustrated and
annoyed. He takes medication daily to reduce these tics.

HOW TO HELP
Although each person is different, we all have one thing in

common. We all have or want to have friends. It's important to help your friends and others with special needs. You can do
this by offering your help and making them feel okay about their disability.

HOW TO HELP
If some of your classmates are teasing your friend, you can help by talking to a teacher or telling them to stop. If a friend feels depressed about his special needs, give him your time and

listen to his feelings and thoughts.

Help friends or classmates who have physical needs by asking if you can

push their wheelchair or get their school supplies if they can't do so

themselves.

Remember to treat your friend with special needs just like you would your
other friends. Invite your friend to have pizza or go to the mall with you.

THE END

Why do some children with disabilities not get invited to social events such as sleepovers
and parties? What can you, your friends, your school, the community groups in which you are involved and your town do to increase the inclusion of children with

disabilities?