Guest guest Posted March 15, 2008 Report Share Posted March 15, 2008 I, too, remember a boy on my block in the northwest suburbs in the 60's who we only knew as " Tommy. " No one knew where Tommy went to school. We were afraid of him and called him a " retard. " He rode his bike around all day, singing harmlessly. Now that I have a 16-yr-old son with autism, I know that many kids also are afraid of him because he acts strangely. But I know, like Tommy's parents must have known, how sweet and gentle he is. If you haven't yet watched Fremd High School Soren Palumbo's speech about his sister, and the continuing use of the word " retard " and how kids today are still afraid of those with disabilities, here is the link to his speech on You Tube. He first presented his speech to his peers at the high school. Soon afterward, he presented it to the IL General Assembly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9ut2feg2GU & feature=related I have taught high school for 22 years, and I'm happy to say that more and more kids, like Soren, are starting to understand the need to be respectful toward the disabled. I use " The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time " in my senior Contemporary Lit. class -- you would be pleased to know that many teachers now use this book to teach teens about autism and disability culture. My students are always fascinated by the book and love to learn about my son. Kate H. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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