Why Do We Look At Special Children As If They’re Aliens From Some Other World?

What is our first response when we see a special child around us? We usually tend to nudge our companion and point at the child as if it is a piece of art at a museum or some animal at a zoo, not in the least caring what the child or his mother feels due to our immature behaviour.

It has become a norm in society for special children to become pointed or stared at, be it at a casual shopping mall or formal dinner.

And this is not “only” what the special children and their families have to go through…..be it a missing hand or a stuttering speech, these children become a target of mockery not only by their fellow school children but unfortunately in some cases, also by their teachers….

Also mothers often have to hear insulting and heartbreaking remarks(regarding the flowers of their eyes) and are often considered “manhoos” by the society for giving birth to such a child.

What we do not realise is that these children are “special” and they need “special” attention…and its neither their nor their mother’s fault that they are what they are.

They could easily be in our place and we could be in theirs. If Allah has made them special, he could have made us too. Alhamdulillah if we are normal then it is our duty to thank Allah and help those who are less privileged than us instead of treating them in an inferior manner.

We do not realise how much damage we cause to a mother and child’s life through our inconsiderate actions. We should also keep in mind that if a child does not have a leg or an arm or he is deaf or blind, he does have a mind thus he can feel it when you make fun of him or even if he is mentally disturbed his parents can still feel it when you insult their child….I personally know a mother who did not want people to see her child even after he died due to fear of people making hurtful comments about him.

The actions which apparently entertain us for a few minutes can easily break someone’s heart for life….

A child may not be able to grow into a successful adult just because of the negative behaviour it has to face in society. We need to understand that children have sensitive minds and can easily develop amazing or depressing personalities, depending on the behaviour of the people around them.

We have many examples of successful people with disabilities in their childhood such as Marlee Matlin(an academy award winning actress who was deaf) and Stevie Wonder( a musician and singer who was blind).

These children and their families need our attention,  not our mockery to help them move on.

So come, lets change our attitudes and create a society with a brighter present, a brighter future, and a brighter Aakhirah!