Yes, Im venting, and yes, you can give feedback if you want. Either way, Im doing this regardless. Why must people test this special needs, Mommy? Even when I know they might not intend to, but still, I just dont get it... They know Im a special needs parent, which means they obviously must know Im a STRONG mama grizzly bear. Not only am I that, but I have a special education degree, as well as consider myself to be an advocate for my son, myself, our life, other special needs children/people and their parents and families. I believe in doing whats RIGHT, and will fight for that regardless. A couple weeks ago it was a teacher (of sort) telling us my son was horrible and just not like the other kids at all. Today, it was a different scenario that was not directed at my son or I, but was made my business by doing it around us. Pure ignorance with a huge foot in their mouth! Here it is... Let me set-up the scenario for you... Were at therapy in the big gym. The big gym has curtains all around that can be used to block off spaces, as well as a distraction deterrent from other children who may be receiving therapy with other therapists at the same time. Raine has back-to-back therapies on Mondays. He was finishing up with one therapy, and the other therapist was coming in to gather him up to take him to another smaller and secluded room for his second therapy of the day. As the second therapist is HOLDING RAINES HAND getting ready to walk down the hall, this is the conversation between the first and second therapist... 2: What happened to the curtain? (There was a foam work-out type mat there, instead.) 1: Something happened to it, so they ordered a new one. The new one had a bunch of bright colors and stuff, and I felt like that was just as much of a distraction for the kids because it was pretty to look at, so we just put the mat up to block the hallways off for now. 2: Why cant they just order a neutral plain color one like all the rest? 1: (Im not sure her response as to why they couldnt, or if there were no neutral ones to be ordered. She did respond back though, I just dunno exactly what she said.) 2: Well, thats retarded. Ummm, wait... What? What did you just say?! Those were my exact thoughts in my head, even though I didnt vocalize it like I normally would, simply because Raine was standing right there holding her hand. I didnt want to draw anymore attention to that word. Instead, I excused myself for a second, walked down the hallway, had a couple tears fall, and regained my special needs Mommy strength that also turns/doubles into anger when I feel pain/hurt for him, myself, or others living this same life due to others meaningful and sometimes not so meaningful ignorance. I did immediately look at him when it happened, though, to see if it registered with him. Thankfully, I dont think it did, but who really knows? Im not sure if hes ever even heard that word before, because we surely dont use that word in my home, and God help the first person that ever calls him that. The thing that gets me is she wasnt using this term as in talking about someones special needs, etc, she used this term in a derogatory way... In the wrong scenario... While she was holding my sons hand, who just happens to be ID!!!! This is her profession... She went to school for this. She works with and around special needs children and their families everyday. A word like that, being used in this way, should NOT be in her vocabulary, and if it is, it definitely shouldnt be used like that at work... Around special needs children! I dont care how you talk to your colleagues, but as far as Im concerned, you wont do it around us or any other special needs families. They dont even use that term anymore, anyway, even if she were using the term in the right way! MR (mentally retarded) has been thrown out, and now ID (intellectually disabled) has taken its place, due to the old label being politically incorrect. That was done for a reason. The thing is now days people just spout out thats retarded, thats gay, etc, so much that they dont even know what theyre saying, or even how it may effect others. They think its ok and the norm to speak this way, and its NOT. These therapist, of all people, know that or should know that, atleast. I think I was so taken back by it, because of whose mouth it came out of, and the fact I truly looked up to her and thought very highly of her. Out of all his therapists, shes been mine and his absolute favorite. Shes great. But, this is the same place and people we go to for comfort, to be understood, education, ACCEPTANCE and EQUALITY... Yet this is how they talk amongst themselves, and sometimes like today, AROUND us??? What? Am I missing something here?? Yup, that one hurt. #ThatWordMakesMySkinCrawl #ItsLikeAddingSaltToAnAlreadyExistantWound #AwarenessIsTheFirstStepToAcceptance #AndYesIDidSpeakWithTheDepartmentManager #AndYesSheIsGoingToTakeCareOfIt #SheWasVeryApologetic #TheDiariesOfASpecialNeedsMommy
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 17:41:47 +0000