The Dangers of Assuming
During a softball game, just a couple days actually, a few of my throws back to pitcher were not the best. The umpire standing beside me said snarkily, "Your throwing is pretty bad."
To which, I retorted, "After Special-Ed P.E, that 'bad' throw is a blessing."
Defensively, he backed off saying, "Okay, okay, okay sorry."
For some strange reason, people change their tune when I make any mere reference to my 'special' background. The fact that I look like a 'normal' adult must mean I have no issues, right?
Frankly, if we knew back in the nineties what we know now, I would 100% be diagnosed with dyspraxia. Physical coordination struggles were just terrible; I couldn't throw a ball more than 5ft until I was a much older child. My coordination has improved as an adult, but I still get my 'hiccups.' One of them being; I can't walk and drink at the same time. Not even from a straw! I even feel my mind doing cartwheels when I try; I consciously think about my foot placement, my sipping, and my hand placement to bring a drink to my lips. It's so unnatural to me!
Regardless though, this is a quality that a person can't physically see. Look at your own children with Apraxia and Dyspraxia, right? They all look 'normal' and I'm sure as parents you've heard others reference, "Wow, they must not talk to their child often if they still sound like a baby."
They make these assumptions because the child looks 'normal.'
However, we all want to yell, "No, idiot, it's neurological and if you had a brain too you would know what that means."
People make unnecessary assumptions about people's capabilities merely on appearances alone and, frankly, I am so tired of it.
Aren't you?
You have some children and even adults that look normal-they can't possibly be struggling with anything. Yet they are! They struggle with dyslexia, apraxia, dyspraxia, who knows!
Then you have the opposite, where people clearly appear to have a disability and we treat them differently because of it. You see a full grown adult in a wheelchair, unable to talk and you see people baby-talking them. Or, you see them being talked 'at' instead of talked 'to.'
The issue with both of these scenarios is they are grounded in assumptions.
People assume all the time; worst of all, they make statements and treat others differently based on these ridiculous assumptions.
I know there is no 100% solution to resolving the world of their assumptions. I know it's impossible to force people not to make and act on these assumptions.
However, I can only control my own actions and I hope to challenge others when I see them falling into their false assumptions. I truly hope you want the same.
Who knows, maybe when we challenge these others, they can learn something new.
To which, I retorted, "After Special-Ed P.E, that 'bad' throw is a blessing."
Defensively, he backed off saying, "Okay, okay, okay sorry."
For some strange reason, people change their tune when I make any mere reference to my 'special' background. The fact that I look like a 'normal' adult must mean I have no issues, right?
Frankly, if we knew back in the nineties what we know now, I would 100% be diagnosed with dyspraxia. Physical coordination struggles were just terrible; I couldn't throw a ball more than 5ft until I was a much older child. My coordination has improved as an adult, but I still get my 'hiccups.' One of them being; I can't walk and drink at the same time. Not even from a straw! I even feel my mind doing cartwheels when I try; I consciously think about my foot placement, my sipping, and my hand placement to bring a drink to my lips. It's so unnatural to me!
Regardless though, this is a quality that a person can't physically see. Look at your own children with Apraxia and Dyspraxia, right? They all look 'normal' and I'm sure as parents you've heard others reference, "Wow, they must not talk to their child often if they still sound like a baby."
They make these assumptions because the child looks 'normal.'
However, we all want to yell, "No, idiot, it's neurological and if you had a brain too you would know what that means."
People make unnecessary assumptions about people's capabilities merely on appearances alone and, frankly, I am so tired of it.
Aren't you?
You have some children and even adults that look normal-they can't possibly be struggling with anything. Yet they are! They struggle with dyslexia, apraxia, dyspraxia, who knows!
Then you have the opposite, where people clearly appear to have a disability and we treat them differently because of it. You see a full grown adult in a wheelchair, unable to talk and you see people baby-talking them. Or, you see them being talked 'at' instead of talked 'to.'
The issue with both of these scenarios is they are grounded in assumptions.
People assume all the time; worst of all, they make statements and treat others differently based on these ridiculous assumptions.
I know there is no 100% solution to resolving the world of their assumptions. I know it's impossible to force people not to make and act on these assumptions.
However, I can only control my own actions and I hope to challenge others when I see them falling into their false assumptions. I truly hope you want the same.
Who knows, maybe when we challenge these others, they can learn something new.