Bought this book recently, and finished reading it within a day. Am in awe- this is an amazing book!
This is a beautiful, poignant story about how Caitlin, a girl with Asperger’s syndrome, tried to deal with the sudden death of her brother. It details her, and her father’s struggle, to come to terms with her only brother’s sudden death. Written in the first-person approach, it really helps readers to see the world the way a special needs child see it, and in turn gain a better understanding on why some children display bizarre behavior.
This book reminds me of the experience of teaching some special needs children some years ago.
I was the form teacher of a very lovely class of Normal Technical students, and out of the 20 odd students, two are ADHD kids, and five are autistic. I had problems. The problem was not the children, but that either nobody detected their difficulties in primary school (other than one), or parents were alerted but they refused to send their children for appropriate intervention (thus no record) and therefore nobody knew they need special help. It was only through interaction that I discovered they need extra help and try to provide the necessary support. It doesn’t help that I do not know much about students with special needs and my years of teacher training course didn’t even have a module on how to identify and support these children. As much as it was an uphill struggle for these children to fit themselves into the classroom, I too had to hop onto a steep learning curve and learn as much as possible. I read and read and read, and bascially learnt through trial-and-error, because, afterall, every child is different! And they behave differently.
To better support them, I signed myself up for a certificate in special needs. Throughout the journey, I too grow with these children. And, I must say, it was an amazing journey. These children, they are lovely, if you just try to understand them and take it slow with them. True, it can be really frustrating when they don’t “get it”, and I don’t get their ‘it’, but all in all, we learn from each other and we grow together. The most special thing that come out is the bond that we forged, and of course the growth we see in them. I remember this particular boy who has ADHD. I was his Form Teacher for two years. According to his mother, his condition was serious and thus he was put on medication. I worked closely with him, his mother, and the social worker, and we witnessed his transformation, from being an impulsive and problematic child, who kicked other students, punched windows and shouted at teachers (all for no apparent reasons at all), to one that is able to express his feelings through non-violent actions, to even show appreciation through sms (he still can’t say it face-to-face) and even voluntarily helped me with the school CIP project, taking up the responsibility of training other volunteers. In case you wonder, no, he is not ‘cured’. ADHD cannot be cured, but a child can grow out of it, or shall I say, better manage it as he gets older. This boy had put in a lot of effort to change his attitude, to manage his own behaviour (not an easy task for him!) This is the greatest satisfaction a teacher can get from teaching – to see your students blossom under your care, knowing that you have made a positive impact in their lives and helped them to become better people. The other teachers were amazed at his transformation and asked me what my secret recipe was. I guess it is lots of patience, lots of bonding, lots of sincere encouragement and the strong belief that he can definitely change for the better … that a miracle is indeed possible (and yes, it is possible!).
I have always enjoyed teaching students in the Normal Technical stream. They are the sweetest lot if you take the time to understand them and where they come from. It is not by their choice if some of them have learning or other disabilities. And if everyone of us could just throw away all the misperceptions and prejudice, we will be able to see how beautiful they are, that we are all the same.
I think ‘MockingBird’ is a GREAT book for primary school children, and it really makes a good literature book for lower secondary students. As more and more children are diagnosed with learning disabilities and various disorders on the autism spectrum, books like this will help a lot, for many of us who are unable to see or understand the world of the special needs. At the same time, this is a great book for drawing out empathy from students. Readers will see that, as the author puts it, by getting inside someone’s head, really understanding that person, so many misunderstandings and problems can be avoided – misunderstandings and problems that can lead to mounting frustration and, sometimes violence. In fact, it is not just about empathising with those with special needs, but ANYBODY that we come across. Every one of us deserves to be loved, and every life, to be celebrated.
I wish there are more of these books out in the market! We need them!!!
Whimsical Treasure Trove 