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dodger · Gender: Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 2136 Status: User

Funny? Or do they make you feel sad?

Seriously, I know we're not supposed to use the word "retarded" to describe the handicapped. I think it would be nice to have a thread where we can speak frankly about our feelings toward the mentally or physically handicapped.

No offense is intended toward any mental or physical cripples on the boards, regardless of how ghastly their deformity.

One time I was walking to the public library, and there was a whole bus full of mentally handicapped kids sitting out front. They must have just finished a tour as part of their special schooling, or something like that. Anyway, as I'm walking by the bus, they all stuck their heads out the windows and started waving and yelling hello. I waved back, but I was really embarassed.

I have no idea why I always feel so depressed when I see someone with a mental handicap. I'm not sure if I feel bad for them, or bad about myself for being so lucky, or what. It's strange.

the bunk · Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 3:52 am Post subject:

i always think about shit like that, for similar reasons to you. i dont think youre alone in this one.

but yeah, it's always uncomfortable, because i always wonder how parents deal with it. i mean, you have all this expectation that your kid's going to carry your torch, be smarter than you. i dont know, it just seems you'd have to adapt quite a bit.
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Tsuta · Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 4:06 am Post subject:

Well, I'm either going to go into teaching special education at an elementary school or high school English, most likely the former. I don't feel much different towards someone with a handicap than someone without one, unless there's a very good reason to feel differently towards them. I don't know, I have a weird perspective on this. Maybe tomorrow I'll come up with a better explanation fer what I was thinking about - right now I'm running on way too little sleep, and I'm getting pretty ill, sooo... ;P

note to self, write a better post later...
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fruiterian · Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 4:09 am Post subject:

I think some parents handle things much better than others. The baggers at the grocery store I worked at were all mentally handicapped. A bunch of them were really nice, one of them did stuff with the Special Olympics, worked two jobs, a nice girl, people liked her, was involved, felt fulfilled, whatever. Now, there was this other woman, probably in her late forties or so, who everyone fucking hated. She asked five gazillion questions and was rather annoying--always asking and saying the same things. That was the only job she worked, and I don't believe that she had any specialized education before that. At her worst she cursed off other baggers and ignored the requests of other people, which was the real problem. Man, she was a bitch.

My mom was part of a special education advocacy group during my elementary school years and can still probably navigate the art of IEP and getting schools to actually get you services. So, honestly, I don't necessarily feel bad when I see someone mentally handicapped in a store or something. I'll try to be helpful. If they're being a dick or impatient or something, I can't deal with that. :/

Pretty much, if they're getting help, it's awesome for them and for me. If not, I don't have anything against them--they can't always help it. But I can't handle that shit all the time.
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dodger · Gender: Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 2136 Status: User

My mom was a special educator (?) for a long time. I think maybe my queasiness around the handicapped has to do with hanging out with so many handicapped kids all the time.

As if that weren't enough, I rode the short bus to and from a special school on Tuesdays with all the handicapped kids. I harbored a secret anger towards them for always making me late for after-school cartoons.

Otogi-san · gleep glorp Joined: 13 Mar 2006 Posts: 5077 Status: User

I always get that feeling you get around old people when I'm around someone mentally handicapped. General awkward/uneasiness.

No problems around physically handicapped unless they make a big deal out of it. Mitch Clem kinda summed it up nicely. http://www.mitchclem.com/rockcity/index.php?comic=38

Kinda.. Woozy

Its_The_Sneak!!! · Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 4:50 am Post subject:

My ex-girlfriend had a learning disability. It impeded her reading, but it wasn't apparent at all otherwise. But that was enough for her to get into the special programs, and she has a lot of friends with far more debilitating problems. I did feel uneasy around some of them, but it was very apparent she didn't at all. It's all mental. Once you're able to see that they're able to function despite the problem, you tend to feel less sad and realize more that they're remarkable for being able to do it.

But I think it takes a while to get over the uneasiness.
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DJ The Stick · Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 3:34 pm Post subject:

I just feel bad when I try talking to them and I can't understand what they're saying.

-DJ
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Otogi-san · gleep glorp Joined: 13 Mar 2006 Posts: 5077 Status: User

cyber95 · Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 8:19 pm Post subject:

There are a few handicapped people in the school. I know a few of them, since I usually sit just down the hallway from the special needs room.
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Rocky Sullivan · Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 3:05 am Post subject:

i'm torn with the mentally handicapped, most of them scare me shitless and i'm all for culling what we don't need, but on the other hand they're human beings just like we are and deserve RIGHTS :eagle:
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Sharp · Gender: Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 5942 Status: User

The autistic fascinate me. I have a bit of an idea of how their mind works, having had what was barely diagnosed as a light case of Aspurger's as a toddler, but if I could really get in their heads...

dodger · Gender: Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 2136 Status: User

DJ The Stick · Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 3:53 am Post subject:

I think Mark Hadon really did a wonderful job of portraying a retarded kid in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. We read it for school, and it remains on of my favorite books ever.

-DJ
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fruiterian · Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007 3:57 am Post subject:

autism is an interesting disorder, and my friends have said that i have asperger's like tendencies (like when i was just sitting around for an hour reading the physician's desk reference, which is pretty much all those drug reference sheets in a giant book. i still really like reading those things.) i was in special ed for a while, but it was for speech problems: developmental verbal dyspraxia, and my parents had initially thought it might had been asperger's. i wasn't very comfortable in most social situations until the middle of high school, according to one psychiatrist it was social anxiety but i'm not sure if i totally buy that.

i took the short yellow bus to kindergarten.
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