Children with Special Needs

Children with Special Needs

Children with special needs such as mental and physical disabilities are faced with a myriad of challenges in socialization because of stigma and negative attention, which adversely affects their confidence and their socialization process. The film Simon Birch is an embodiment of the strenuous social life of children with special needs through the captivating story of the two main protagonists, Simon Birch and his friend Joe. Simon Birch has a medical condition that has symptomized through stunted growth and a squeaky voice, which has made him the Centre of negative attention by the other children. Similarly, Joe is a detached boy based on his family circumstance in which his mother is a single mother and has never met his father. Simon and Joe establish a genuine friendship and spend most of their time swimming, camping, playing baseball, or attending Sunday school. Simon is a funny and optimistic character despite his physical challenge. Further, he holds a strong conviction that his existence is God’s own design and that he has a purpose to fulfill in life. The two young men look up to Rebecca, Joe’s mother, and are devastated at her sudden accidental death at the baseball match. More so because of it, Simon, who made the strike that killed her. Joe forgives Simon and rekindles their friendship while Simon purposes of finding Joe’s biological father.  Ben Goodrich, Rebecca’s last boyfriend, is there to encourage and support the boys.

A physical disability or challenge in children often demands a different parenting approach. Simon had different experiences from different persons in the film. His parents show him an attitude of indifference contrary to the care she receives from Joe’s mother, Rebecca. Simon’s father and mother are exercising a neglectful approach of parenting towards him despite his physical challenges. Children with special needs like Simon Birch require parents who are emotionally available and supportive to enable them to cope with the ridicule and intolerance meted against them by other children and even adults in the society.

Instead, they are indifferent to his suffering and care less about his whereabouts. Furthermore, when Simon and Joe are detained for breaking into a teacher’s house, they do not offer any support to him and are willing to leave him in detention. Also, Simon’s room is in the cold attic, which is further evidence of his parent’s indifference towards his condition. A special needs child requires the utmost attention from the parents and emotional support to enable them to cope with the stigma and emotional challenges associated with their condition. Per Contra, Rebecca’s relationship with Simon embodied a good parenting approach towards a child with a special need. Rebecca supported Simon in the baseball matches and stood up for him when he faced intolerance from adults like Reverend Russel and even knitted him a sweater, which signifies her caring attitude and affection towards Simon.

Simon is incredibly resilient and optimistic despite his physical challenges. He is not cowered by the indifference of his parents, who are emotionally unavailable for him. Also, he is purpose-driven and believes that he is in this world for a divine purpose and is not shy in sharing his convictions with Joe and others in the film. Simon Birch overcomes the intolerance and ridicule of other children and adults and engages in social activities to the best of his ability. For instance, at the baseball matches, he sometimes only gets cheers from Rebecca but still carries on and maintains his confidence. I want to remember resilience and confidence exhibited by children with special needs and not the moments when they are dejected from being faced with insurmountable hurdles, as was the case with Simon after causing Rebecca’s death. Moreover, I want to remember children with special needs being encouraged to engage in social activities, just like Simon was encouraged by Rebecca to play baseball. Finally, children with special needs require an environment to enable them to socialize. Human beings are social beings, and a child with a special need like Simon also requires friendship and care. The film revolves around the friendship of Simon and Joe, which is a crucial point to remember from the movie as it provides Simon with the emotional foundation to cope with the stigma and ridicules.

Children and adults with special needs contend with various stressors such as stigma and a lack of socialization. The individuals are often ignored by family and may find socialization hard based on the stigma associated with mental and physical disabilities. Furthermore, the individuals in the case of children may get bullied at school, which further destabilizes their emotional well-being. My experience with individuals with special needs has shown a great degree of detachment by the individuals who are dealing with the stigma and abuse mostly characterized by bullying. I would love to explore the socialization of children and older individuals with cerebral palsy. Cerebral Palsy, as a condition, presents quite interesting challenges to an individual’s socialization as it affects physical capabilities such as posture, mental ability, and even cognitive capability through symptoms such as speech impairment.