This last
week I was given the opportunity to understand mental disabilities a little
more. I was told I could only eat foods that were brown and yellow. I thought
this assignment would have been so easy, it actually was not. I struggled to
remember the entire day, but also to explain to others why I could not eat
something I normally would love.
My day
started out normal, with a protein shake and a banana. I tried to do everything
I could to make it as normal as possible. But it was absolutely not the purpose
of this, and it was impossible to do that. From the beginning it was impossible.
When it comes to someone with a
mental or physical disability it is not possible to make it completely normal.
When I was with my friends having lunch that is when I really felt it. People
would offer me a snack or something and I almost forgot. I had it in my hand,
and I had to go no I can’t. Its not brown or yellow. Which is an oddity.
When you have a mental disability, especially
people who have Autism it makes every social situation harder. As I continued
through the day I started thinking okay, what do I have that I can eat. And it
was not easy to think of things, even for just one day. It made me think how
hard it must be for the parent to think of eating options for that child. It
makes it really hard to have them eat nourishing foods. There are only few
fruits and vegetables that are either brown or yellow.
Many times, that means that they make
and entirely different meal for that child. Especially in homes with multiple
children. It makes it hard for parents both in private and in public. Sometimes
it can be embarrassing for parents in public situations. When children refuse
to eat food that is offered for them. Or when you are grocery shopping you have
to literally look for certain colors.
These
different opportunities I have had through various classes to try to understand
the smallest bit of what this child must go through every day. Whether or not
they notice it personally or not has been eye-opening. For the different people
that are in these children’s lives. It also shows me that there is no reason to
feel weird about what your children eat, do and want.
We have to
realize as a community that there is no wrong way to do things. You have things
that you prefer, and you will have different ideas on how to parent and how to
address things. We should not be embarrassed about little things.
No comments:
Post a Comment