Today is the fifth annual day of awareness, sponsored by the
R-Word campaign, to end the use of what
the New York Times calls “a word gone wrong” in its Sunday
article about the organization. What used to be an outdated clinical, even
medical, term has over time become an ugly derogatory slang that simultaneously
stings most and desensitizes others with every utterance.
In the article, Lawrence Downes writes that, “To those with
intellectual disabilities, it sometimes seems the battle is just at the
beginning, when little victories — like an end to insults — are hugely
important.”
So what can we do? Even little victories lead to big rewards, so I suggest we start early and build. One way to encourage your kids and get the discussion started is through books about bullying. Read together and talk about how the situations make them feel. How would you handle the situation if this happened at your school? What should you say when you encounter a bully or if someone else is being bullied?
Fred Bowen’s latest, Perfect Game, is a great place to
start. The story follows Isaac, a star pitcher, who is so preoccupied with pitching
a perfect game that he can’t even celebrate his team’s victories — he’s stuck
on the mistakes that were made.
When Isaac gets the chance to work with a Unified
Sports basketball team made up of intellectually challenged and average kids
all playing together, his definition of a perfect game finally starts to
change. For more on Perfect Game and the Special Olympics, check out Fred’s
website here.
Labels: Middle Grades, News and Events, Sports