that kid.. =(

As I was waiting for a ride at DiviSoria to my workplace this afternoon, a mother and her child stood beside me also waiting for their ride. I curiously eyed the child. His leg muscles looked wobbly and his gaze wanders off a lot. I asked his mother about the child’s condition politely. At first she was withholding information and was quite shy a bit. After I told her that I am a teacher for children with special needs, she slowly opened up her struggles and story about her child and the things they had to go through for her son to go to school. Her son is enrolled in a public school for children with special needs and classes starts at 7:30AM and ends at 12:30PM. There are times that her son couldn’t go to school for there won’t be no one to bring him there if her mother is not available too. So the child stays at home, watches television a lot and doesn’t go out and play with their neighbors often. The child can speak and answer questions correctly. Guessing (cause I can’t prove it yet unless be subjected to assessment and tests) on the way he listened and answered my questions, he can cope up with his peers of the same level. He is 10 years old and speaks coherently.

It is these stories that rip my heart. Knowing that the child can make it in this world and be independent with much training and intervention yet at the moment was not properly addressed due to lack of resources. Felt sorry for the kid. Television is not good for him. It’ll only dull his mind more. He needs mental stimulation on print, sound stimulation to imitate and activities to make him active.

When they left, he gave me a high five and uttered, ‘goodbye teacher’. Wow.