Kids With Disabilities Deserve To Be Treated As Normal As Those Without

I went to a Mavs game recently and learned some things. The Dallas Mavs played the Houston Rockets and NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Durant. The game was amazing, and it was an honor seeing Kevin Durant and him reminding us he is greatest scorer of all time. The Mavs had a great game, won and was overall a great experience. The couple sitting next to us had 2 kids with them and we were able to have conversations and get to know them. One of the kids the 12-year-old son had Autism, and it was amazing how much love they showed him and how much fun he was having. Being in the mental health field I have seen kids with Autism and being around a couple, but this experience opened my eyes to something I wasn't aware of before.

The love that kids with Autism get may be different because of their disability but that doesn't mean they aren't normal. They are not weak and may need more attention, but they are just like everyone else. The kid was a Mavs fan even though his parents were going for both teams and him expressing how much he hated the Rockets was a site to behold. During the timeouts in which people were having fun and expressing themselves he was encouraged by his parents to stand around and dance. Seeing how much fun he was having with no fear of being judged or seen differently was a great sight. During the game, his dad would occasionally explain what was going on and the concepts of the game. Having a kid with a disability like Autism or others may not be the easiest but these kids deserve all the love given. I was told that these kind of kids were more in tune with things other human beings may not be, and it is true.

Their brain being wired a little differently to me is a blessing and something of an advantage because they see things in ways others may not. Of course, the circumstances are different for everyone. I see parents who are unable to fully be there for their kids with disabilities because some of them may be aggressive and behave in ways parents have no idea to regulate. I have talked to a family with a 19-year-old who is physically aggressive and is a danger to himself and others around him. He is diagnosed with ADD and is on the autism spectrum and they don't know what to do with him. He has been taken to hospitals and have also tried to get him into facilities but one thing I have realized with disability services especially here in Texas is they are not the best.

I have met people who have been on waitlists since they were kids and now full-grown adults. It may have something to do with the costs or just how much goes into it but lots of families don't get the help they are needing. A lot are left stuck trying to figure out what to do with the person with the disability. I applaud this family I met at the game because they are doing the best they can, and their son was one of the happiest kids I had seen in a long time. I wrote about this generation of kids suffering nowadays and that is true. Kids these days are struggling mentally, emotionally and aren't growing up in the best of conditions. Change starts in every little way possible, and it can be done.