(ThySistas.com) You’re out shopping for groceries and see a mother trying to calm her child down. The child is kicking, screaming, swinging at her as you think to yourself “If that was my kid…” and all of the thoughts of disciplining the child comes to mind. We tend to judge a situation without having the full story or any type of insights. What did know about the child prior to now? We do this more times than we think. Chances are we knew nothing about the mother or child we just assumed the child knew right from wrong. That is how life works. If a child looks old enough to know right from wrong we automatically assume they do.
A student comes home and tells you that there is a kid in the classroom that is always disturbing the class with loud noise. He explains that sometimes it is hard for him to pay attention to the 
lesson because of the child and he is tired of it. You ask the student questions about the child’s prior behavior, and he tells you this happens often. You tell your child to let the teacher know and if she does nothing about it you will intervene. The child doesn’t know about children with disabilities, his definition of disabled is someone in a wheelchair, causing the child to judge a situation without knowledge of the other students’ disability.
The child in the grocery store as well the one from school has autism. Autism is classified as mental condition when a person has a difficult time communicating with others verbal or nonverbal. There are many forms of autism. Autistic people do not always show the same signs.
Autistic children are humans too. They want to feel loved, important, and most of all included. Autistic children learn different from others. That is what makes them unique. They do different things from what is considered to be the “norm.”
People must teach children about others with physical and non-physical disabilities. This opens the child mind up to the possibility of making new friends with children with disabilities. Children with disabilities shouldn’t be left alone or excluded from activities or groups. The lack of knowledge someone has can in fact prevent these people from being seen, it keeps them all sheltered and away from other people and only open to certain types of people.
Encourage kids to interact with everyone. Do not just tell children why being different is a wonderful thing but show them by asking questions or researching. I personally find that people with autism are some are the most kind, genuine, and loving people. They are filled with talents and they appreciate the opportunity of inclusiveness.
Communities and schools do a very fine job of welcoming all children to play sports and extracurricular activities. In return this becomes of norm of people accepting every individual. Autistic children need these types of things to come out of their shy shell or knock their trust wall. They just want to know someone cares for them.
Staff Writer; Sha’Nelle V. Harris
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