Today’s blogger brings an international flavor to DifferentDream.com. Maggi Gale grew up in England, has lived in Africa, and now resides in the Middle East. In this post, she introduces herself and challenges all of us to use misconceptions about our children to educate them about special needs. Would you join me in welcoming new guest blogger Maggi Gale to the Different Dream family?

Special Needs Misconceptions=Educational Opportunities

“Take that child to a hospital!” The sharp comment from a complete stranger shattered my peace. How dare he? And what did he know?

Lois, my EA/TEF daughter, was coughing, as she was getting over her latest chest infection. I had decided to take her for a walk to the beach. After all, we’d moved to the coast to get her into cleaner air.

By this point, her illnesses had established a regular pattern—first the cold, then the chest infection incorporating up to ten restless nights of coughing through the small hours, then, as she recovered, the daytime cough until it all tailed off again. Since the nighttime cough was such an issue, I was relatively unaware of the daytime cough, despite its distinctive seal-like barking sound. Knowing her body patterns by this point, I was just relieved that she was over the worst of it once more.

This wasn’t the first time unsolicited comments had upset me. Outwardly I held my tongue, but inwardly I fumed. It was time to think of a plan. A verbal reply was too emotive for me. So I sat down and thought through what I would like to say instead.

We believed that God had promised to heal our daughter, but from a human perspective, He didn’t seem to be in too much of a hurry. But He’d begun…her surgery had been successful for a start! So, basing my thoughts on the Bible verse ,“He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus,” I designed leaflets explaining Lois’s condition, and the reason for her unusual cough.

I went on to say how some people’s problems are easy to see, or hear, as in Lois’s case! But isn’t God up to something in all His children’s lives? Then, turning the focus, I asked what’s He up to in your life—after all, we are the clay and He is the Potter.

Was that the last day that we were the brunt of insensitive comments? No way. But it was the last day I left myself so open and vulnerable to them. From that day on, I treated the leaflets as my ammunition, and viewed the comments as my opportunity. Each time one came our way, I gave my leaflets, trusting that something good could come even out of something as bad as blatant insensitivity.

As for the man on the beach—what did he know? Nothing about EA/TEF, obviously. But those of us granted children with challenging problems can educate others, if and when we are ready to take up the challenge. Personally, I felt less defensive and more empowered when I finally took up that challenge. Maybe that will work someone else reading this, too.

How Do You Educate Others About Your Child’s Special Needs?

Maggie’s idea to create a leaflet about EA/TEF was fantastic. Now she’s prepared to educate people who are worried by her daughter’s cough. How do you take advantage of opportunities to educate others about your child’s special needs? Leave a comment!

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