After much consideration and weighing of my options, I have officially decided that after I graduate I wish to pursue a degree in which I would be counseling children and adolescents with special needs, specifically those that fall on the autism spectrum. People have told me that this will be a very hard demographic to work with and I know this to be very true, but I also know without a doubt in my mind that this is the demographic that I would love to try to help and one that desperately needs someone to be the voice for them. Children in general are often silenced and it is often see more with these children because some may not be able to communicate their problems or concerns in general. After making my decision I thought about the special needs community as a whole and realized that even in the modern world that we live in that there is still much unknown to most people about this community and the resources that they may need, especially that for children in school, is often unavailable. We have many preconceived ideas of what it means for a child to be special needs and these ideas then guide how we look at these children and our efforts to assist them, or lack thereof.

There is much reform needed in the education and counseling fields in regards to special education. No child should ever feel like they are the odd one out and it is our job to make their lives easier and to be able to best educate them, even if there are a few bumps in the road. They will often face these concerns due to the children in their classrooms. They will be bullied for something that they have no control over and it breaks my heart to see this still going on in classrooms today. It makes me even more upset that it is not just the children that give these children hard times about their disorder or disability, but adults do as well. What someone may seem as just a harmless comment may stick with the child for the rest of their life. We should be setting the example for the next generation how to be inclusive and to be a friend to those who may be different from us, but instead grown adults give these children a hard time for something they cannot control. The problem is these children often grow up to believe that there is something wrong with them or that they are a burden. This is a mentality that we must end once and for all. No child should ever feel this way, no matter what circumstance they may be in and what life they may live. On multiple instances I have heard grown adults belittle someone who would be classified as a special needs child and it absolutely disgusts me. This can be present when a child may have an outburst in public or because they may not grasp something the same way as another child might or it may take them a little more time to understand what we may think is something simple. How can we expect our children to be accepting of this community if we do not do so ourselves? How can we expect this community to be successful in life if all we do is demean them and make them feel like they are unable to amount to any success in their life?

Our problem in regards to special needs stems from the fact that many often do not know what is actually classified as special needs and what the true definition is. According to Oxford dictionaries, special needs is defined as "particular educational requirements resulting from learning difficulties, physical disability, or emotional and behavioral difficulties". This encompasses many disorders ands disabilities that we may not consider as special needs in our minds and therefore if that is what the child is labeled as they may then be looked at differently. A child may be considered special needs because they are diagnosed with dyslexia and need help reading and writing. They may be special needs if they are diagnosed with cerebral palsy and need help with the basic tasks they use in the classroom. They may also be special needs if they are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and need accomidations in order to learn eaiser such as smaller class sizes and chances to get up and move around during the day. They may be special needs if they are diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome and need help with learning social cues. Due to most peoples misconception about special needs is often why there is less tolerance and acceptance of those while they struggle. Those who around these individuals may often not understand that they are classified as special needs and therefore become more impatient or just believe that they are stupid, lazy, or weird.

We need to understand that just because a child may be considered "special needs" does not necessarily mean that they are less intelligent than the other children in their class. In some instances they actually may be more academically intelligent, for example, those with Asperger's syndrome often have an average or above average IQ level. Not all children with special needs are classified as such due to an academic hindrance, some may be due to a psychological or developmental reasoning. We cannot judge these children based on preconceived ideas of what they are capable rather than their actual talent and potential. We often have the problem of hearing that a child is classified as special needs and automatically put them in a label that indicates that they are "less" than the non special needs children. We cannot take away the possible potential of these individuals because we think that they may not amount to the things that everyone else can. This is one of the parts of special needs and special education that needs reform the most, the need to label these children and the terrible stigma associated with them. Stigma and the labels are also one of the main reasons parents do not want to admit that their child has special needs and may cause the child to not receive the medical attention that they need or the help may be received later and therefore cause the child to be farther behind academically, socially, physically, or psychologically.

These children may need alternative ways of learning, but as long as you are patient with them and give them the positive motivation they need, eventually they will grasp what you are trying to teach them. They may need extra time to grasp the material or understand what you are explaining to them. They may need a few moments to themselves if they cannot handle the situation they are in. Do not get mad at them if they have an outburst, it is something they may not be able to control. Do not get frustrated with them if it doesn't come to them right away, I promise you that they are probably giving 110% of their effort and want to succeed just as much as you want them to. It is necessary to know when you are dealing with these children, whether that be in a school or counseling setting or just while out in public, that yes some of these children you will be able to notice right away that they have special needs and act accordingly. The most common thought when someone mentions special needs is to think of someone with Down Syndrome or very low functioning autism. But if it is something you cannot notice based on physical elements or extreme behavior than one may not know that a child is suffering from the same thing, such as those with psychological disorders such as ADHD or one more socially influenced such as Asperger's syndrome. A child with ADHD may be more fidgety than one without it or they may be easily distracted. A child with Asperger's syndrome may not be able to look you in the eye when they speak with you or may have a harder time picking up social cues and understanding what is or is not socially appropriate behavior. That does not mean that we should belittle said children and not treat them with the care that we would any other special needs child.

The one thing these children want more than anything else in life is to be understood and accepted for who they are and to be loved just like every other child is. It hurts my heart so much that these children experience so much pain and hardship for something that they have no control over. It hurts me that they experience endless bullying just because of who they are. They are told and shown that they are not as worthy as the other children and learn to believe that they would be better if they did not have their special needs. These children may be different but that does not make them less of a child or a problem child, it is what will make them special and unique. These children truly bring beauty to the world and make the world a better place because they are in it. It hurts me that we live in a society that preaches of inclusiveness and acceptance and yet we treat special needs children like they are a problem and we must "fix them". We need to help them, yes, but in my opinion there is nothing that needs to be fixed and honestly if more people understood the world like these individuals the world would be a kinder and more tolerant place. Our ideas of these children and our impressions are what these children pick up and notice and will soon begin to feel that way about themselves. We must learn to acknowledge all special needs in the same way and treat all children, both special needs and non special needs with the same kindness. We must learn to see things from these children's point of view and to treat them the same way that we would treat a child without special needs.

Special needs children are some of the greatest kids I have ever met in my life. They are the sweetest people in the world and have the biggest hearts. These children are the first to run over and give you the biggest hug you have ever had. They are also some of the most honest and will tell you how they see things, no filter. Seeing their faces light up and the smile that graces their face is what makes every hardship that I will face worth it. To those who may be considering working with special needs children it is important to understand that it will not be an easy job. But I can promise you with all of my heart that it will be one of the greatest experiences you ever have. These children are truly God's little miracles and because of them I smile a little more and can truly see the pure beauty in life. Once I graduate I will do everything in my power to not only help these kids in any way that I can, but also to hopefully begin to start the conversation and end the stigma about what special needs really means. Children are children no matter what and they should all have the same opportunities to learn and be helped. All children deserve to feel loved and know that they have the potential to do anything they set their mind to. Special needs should no longer be seen as a negative "life sentence" but instead be embraced and our society needs to realize the true beauty that these children can bring to each and every one of our lives. My life will forever be changed by someone with special needs and without a doubt in my mind it was changed for the better.