Helping Teachers and Children
Understand Disabled Children
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Children can be either very cruel or very kind to a child who is different. They may
be cruel by teasing, laughing, imitating, or even doing physical harm. But more often
they are cruel simply by not including the disabled child in their games or activities,
by rejecting the child, or by pretending she does not exist.
Often children act in a cruel way because they fear what they do not understand.
When they gain a little more understanding, children who may have been cruel or
felt uncomfortable with the child who is different, can become that child’s best
friends and helpers.
It is important that children in every neighborhood or community have a chance to
better understand persons who, for whatever reason, are different from themselves—
in color, in dress, in beliefs, in language, in movements, or in abilities.
One way to help a group of children gain appreciation of the disabled child and
learn ways to be helpful is Through CHILD-to-child activities.
CHILD-to-child is a non-formal educational program in which school-aged children
learn ways to protect the health and well-being of other children—especially younger
children and those with special needs. The children learn simple preventive and curative
measures appropriate to their own communities. They pass on what they learn to other
children and their families.
The CHILD-to-child program began during the International Year of the Child, 1979.
David Morley (author of Paediatric Priorities in the Developing World and See How
They Grow) brought together a group of health workers and educators from many
countries. They designed a series of ‘activity sheets’—or guidelines—to be adapted
by teachers and health workers for children in different countries and situations.
Thirty-five activity sheets for children,
including 5 activity sheets about
disabled children, are available in a book
called Child-to-Child: A Resource Book from
Teaching Aids at Low Cost (TALC), PO Box 49,
St. Albans, Herts. AL1 5TX, United Kingdom.
The activity sheets in the packet include:
• Children with disabilities
• Helping children who do not see or hear
well
• Mental handicap and children
• Polio
• Helping children who experience
war, disaster or conflict