Emma: Something to share

Salam and hello again!

okay okay. I know I just uploaded a post on my segment. But I stumbled upon this video that a friend of mine uploaded on the infamous Facebook.

this video really made me cry. it's about a girl who's had autism since she was around 2. and usually kids with autism somehow will have to grow up with the existing stigma the society has against them. Kids with autism suffer delayed development in 3 areas; namely, Social Skills, Language Development, and Behavioral Repertoire. typically, symptoms appear before the age of three. but they are all different from each other.

A little background of me: I currently work as a therapist for children with autism. when I first started, I thought I wouldn't be able to do it. But I always wanted to keep trying and keep improving my skills. To be frank, I LOVE this job. It makes me happy everyday to go to work and anticipate what kind of sessions will I have with them. I haven't been working for so long (only 4 months so far) and honestly I've seen so much improvements in them. and every single time they are able to accomplish a task in any of the 3 areas, I couldn't help but say my prayers and feel gratitude for all the hard work and effort put forth for them.

if you realized, I don't refer to them as "autistic kids" because by doing so would be an act of 'labeling' them with such a disorder that already had stigma attached to it. these kids are special. and I mean 'special' in a sense that each of them are able to do something that most of us people with normal development cannot do.

I've seen a boy who can build the best train track that I've ever seen. one boy can build airplanes that could blow your mind away. and one can talk about the planets & the outer space with information that could leave you asking for science lessons from him. one possess great knowledge in sea animals, with every species of fish that he can name. and most of them communicate well, with good eye contacts established in conversations.

this video also serves as an eye opener and a reminder to all of us about how these kids are potential geniuses. everyday I go to work, my love for them increases. and often times I feel so motivated to do my very best thinking that my effort contributes to their development. when we come across them, try to not treat them as 'mentally retarded' or 'slow' kids or what not. just remind yourself that they are kids too. and kids are special, every one of them. and they are indeed different compared to one another.

p/s: should any of you wanna ask more about autism or the kind of work that I do, do comment or drop us an email at theawesomeproject@hotmail.com

Love,
Emma.