Nurturing Diversities Africa

https://youtu.be/Sjoke442sos

The Weight Blanket I made this video after we bought a weight blanket and I was the first person to use it in my household. It really soothed me and I was really enjoying, it u...

Autism is a neurological condition.
It is expressed differently in people.
It is a spectrum; mild, moderate and severe.
It can co-occur with other conditions.
Autism is not:
a label
a disease
a sentence to doom and inachievability.
Early identification and support help to bring out the best in Autistic persons.

Autism is presented in individuals differently.

We at Nurturing diversity advocate education for all irrespective of condition, status or location because the threat to democracy and society lies in the individuals that are not included within them... Education is seen as a preparation for participation in the future society. Children that fall outside the scope of education are tools to shape and form the future society, they are also implicit threats to the future society (Magnússon, 2019).

Gillian is a seven-year-old girl who cannot sit in school. She continually gets up, gets distracted, flies with thoughts, and doesn't follow lessons. Her teachers worry about her, punish her, scold her, reward the few times that she is attentive, but nothing. Gillian does not know how to sit and cannot be attentive.

When she comes home, her mother punishes her too. So not only does she Gillian have bad grades and punishment at school, but she also suffers from them at home.

One day, Gillian's mother is called to school. The lady, sad as someone waiting for bad news, takes her hand and goes to the interview room. The teachers speak of illness, of an obvious disorder. Maybe it's hyperactivity or maybe she needs a medication.

During the interview an old teacher arrives who knows the little girl. He asks all the adults, mother and colleagues, to follow him into an adjoining room from where she can still be seen. As he leaves, he tells Gillian that they will be back soon and turns on an old radio with music.

As the girl is alone in the room, she immediately gets up and begins to move up and down chasing the music in the air with her feet and her heart. The teacher smiles as the colleagues and the mother look at him between confusion and compassion, as is often done with the old. So he says:

"See? Gillian is not sick, Gillian is a dancer!"

He recommends that her mother take her to a dance class and that her colleagues make her dance from time to time. She attends her first lesson and when she gets home she tells her mother:

"Everyone is like me, no one can sit there!"

In 1981, after a career as a dancer, opening her own dance academy and receiving international recognition for her art, Gillian Lynne became the choreographer of the musical "Cats."

Hopefully all “different” children find adults capable of welcoming them for who they are and not for what they lack.

Long live the differences, the little black sheep and the misunderstood. They are the ones who create beauty in this world.

I am different, not less—Temple Grandin

Autism, like a rainbow, has a bright side and a dark side and even though it can mean rough weather, it can be beautiful!—Stuart Duncan

Not everything that steps out of line, and thus “abnormal”, must necessarily be “inferior”—Hans Asperger

Autism is not a disability, it's a different ability—Stuart Duncan

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a complicated condition that includes problems with communication and behavior. It can involve a wide range of symptoms and skills. ASD can be a minor problem or a disability that needs full-time care.

People with autism may have trouble with communication. They may also have trouble understanding what other people think and feel. This makes it hard for them to express themselves, either with words or through gestures, facial expressions, and touch.

Early identification and support is required for people living with ASD to be able to maximise their potentials.

Information is power. This post attempts to give a brief information about down syndrome.
Always remember that, special need conditions do not indicate that such person cannot be included in the mainstream society. Early identification and support as well as inclusive education have been identified to impact their potential positively.
Please ask for help when in doubt.

Down Syndrome: Causes, Types, and Symptoms Down syndrome is the most common genetic condition in the United States. We’ll explain the causes, symptoms, and outlook of this condition.