Module 4 Ettiquette Exercise 1

The exercises in this particular module require more time than given. Since we are close to the end of the semester, there is no way to complete all of them.

The first exercise says to invite someone with a disability to your school and speak with kids about their experiences and write about it. I have a real problem with this exercise. There has to be a reason to invite someone with a disability to talk to a class. It's even harder when you aren't in a class room. Besides the difficulty of making arrangements without having a class to invite a person to, I realized it was potentially an awkward situation to put a person with a disability in. I couldn't ask someone I knew with a disability to come in and talk about their experiences with strangers without some sort of context. For me, the person I know with a disability is my child with autism. She has learned some words, but is considered nonverbal because she does not initiate communication. Inviting her or someone like her who has speech would seem more like exploitation.

I have spoken to a class with teachers and guidance counselors in training in a special education class. I shared my experience as a parent of a child with autism. I talked about her behaviors, our experiences together, IEP meetings, some milestones and things she has achieved. Even though life can be stressful, difficult at times and exhausting, I have learned so much from her,
and every day I am a stronger, more devoted advocate on her behalf. I think the first exercise needs to be revised because the suggestion is too vague, reads like an idea for show and tell and like some kind of spectacle and parade of people with disabilities. I didn't find it respectful of differences.