If you are a neurotypical person who makes fun of or teases neurodivergent people please donât major in psychology and/or plan to work with children with special needs. Seriously. Donât do it. Even if youâre only making fun of âoddâ people solely online.
If âweirdâ children or adults freak you out, maybe psych isnât the field for you. If you made fun of your classmates in special ed or shared memes about âspecial ed kidsâ, maybe you shouldnât be working in special education. Whether youâre at a school or working for a therapist, youâre going to be with these kids for a good chunk of the day. The last thing they need is someone who thinks theyâre a freak.
They also donât need someone who sees them as an inspirational tools for your self growth, or as strange entertainment. Even if they do things you perceive as really strange or gross, that doesnât give you a right to film or blog about them for the Internet. These children will become adults one day, and they donât deserve to have their most vulnerable moments public on the Internet forever. I donât care how odd or weird these children may be, they are still people and they deserve the same rights as you.
Working with special needs children isnât something you do just because it makes you look good or even makes you feel good. You are shaping the future of these kids and how they view themselves. Would you have wanted a teacher who hated kids or thought they were lazy/stupid? No? Then donât become that kind of teacher for children in special education.
Disabled children already have hard enough lives thanks to mean peers and a society that hates them. The last thing they need is more bullying and trauma from grown adults.Â