10 Things Kids With Disabilities Should Know

Life Is Like A Rollercoaster

Life is like a rollercoaster. One minute you feel like you are on top of the world with everything working well in your life and then the next minute you are speeding down a hill as you feel sad as you deal with an unexpected challenge. Everyone goes through it; kids, teens, and even adults; but how you deal with it determines if you continue to stay at the bottom of the hill or if you climb the next hill back to the top of the world. Many people, find different ways to overcome their challenges like seeing it from another view, stepping away from it for a little while, or even get advice from a friend, but what do kids with disabilities need to know when they are facing a challenge?

What Do I Need To know...

1. You are unique 
2. Your disability is just one piece of you
3. You are your best advocate
4. Many people around the world have disabilities
5. You won't outgrow your disability, but you will develop strategies
6. Some people still don't recognize or understand disabilities
7. Not all parts of your disability are bad
8. Everyone has challenges
9. It's ok to be open about your disability
10. You can be anything you aspire to be and more

What Do These Mean To Me?

You Are Unique 

To me, when I think of the words " you are unique"  I think of being yourself. Each of us is different from one another. We all have different parts of us that make up our personality which then makes us unique in our own way, but I believe it goes further than that. When I think of being unique in my life, I don't look at my disability as being unique, but in the way in which I live and grow with my disability as being a unique part of me.

Your Disability Is Just One Part Of You

There are so many different parts that make you who you are as a person. Yes, you have a disability whether it be physical or mental, but it is just one part of who makes up you. Let me ask you a question. What do you see when you look in the mirror? When I look at myself in the mirror yes I see my disability, but I also see many different that shows how I am a fun, creative, thoughtful, and honest person which makes up the rest of my personality.

You Are Your Best Advocate

The only person in your life that knows you better than you. Deep down you know how you learn best, how you best accomplish tasks, and overall the tools you need to be successful in life. Sometimes the things you need with come easy and other times you may have to work hard for it. When the timing is right, you will know. Just trust and believe in yourself.

Many People Around The World Have Disabilities

You are not the only person with disabilities.  I know it may feel like it, trust me, I felt like i was the only one with a disability when i was going through school, but tons of people around the world have some sort of physical or mental disability. You are not alone.

You Won't Outgrow Your Disability, But You Will Develop Strategies

You are always going to have disabilities. It's something that you follow you for the rest of your life. I always accepted the fact that my disabilities were a part of my life and as I got older I started creating my own strategies for how to do different tasks with one hand.

Some People Still Don't Recognize Or Understand Disabilities

Have you ever had kids not play with you or did they invite you to play with them and change their minds as soon as they see how you walk? I have a few different times. At first, I thought that they were just being mean or didn't like me. It took my mom sitting me down and telling me that it wasn't me; the other kids just didn't understand what a disability was or how to react. 

Not All Parts Of Your Disability Are Bad

Your disability is a gift believe it or not. It may not seem like it sometimes with the challenges you face on a daily basis. The way you deal with your disability actually helps and inspires others. Not a lot of people have the strength and bravery to go through what you and I have with our disabilities.

Everyone Has Challenges

When you are disabled it is easy to feel different or even invisible to others. I have felt this way in many different situations. The thing to remember is that everyone goes through challenges in some form on a daily basis even if they don't have a disability. 

It's Ok To Be Open About Your Disability

I encourage that you be open about your disability and talk to others about it. As a child, I was very open about my disabilities and talked openly about it to teachers, kids, and even parents when they asked me questions. I wasn't afraid of how they would react because my disability is a part of who I am and I wanted people to get to know the full me and my true self. In fact, all of my friendships started after I talked openly with other kids and they got to know me. Don't hide your disability from the world. Embrace it, be open to talking about it, and people who are willing to sit and hear your story will come into your life.

You Can Be Anything You 

What do you want to do when you grow up? Think for a minute or two. If you could do anything in the world with or without your disability; what would you choose? For me, I have always had a strong desire to help other people whether it be giving them advice, helping them complete a challenging task, doing small things like grab items for them, or showing them how to do something was my idea of time well spent. The thing was I didn't know exactly how I wanted to help others. After many years of trying different things; I then came across this idea of writing a blog on different topics to help kids, teens, and adults who have disabilities. Once I put my mind to it; I was then able to make it into a career path.





You are an amazing person, who is going to wonderful things in this world. Trust yourself, be open, and remember that the challenges you face in life are there to make you stronger and prepare you for your future.