Everyone is a "Role Model" for Someone

About Being A Role Model
Have you ever realized that everyone is a “role model” for someone? From what I understand, the idea behind inclusion in school is that those who have trouble communicating, behaving, or doing what others do, are included so they can copy other students or have “role models.” I understand this idea, but do the students in the school all realize that they ARE “role models”? I wonder.

Some kids didn’t want to take my class because the word Autism was used in the title. Or they wanted to be with kids who didn’t appear to have autism. Hmm. No matter what the class is called it’s fun, the students only have to copy me and the other students, and for some students it is therapy. It’s therapy if a child cannot speak yet. Last week I invited the parents of my 3-4 year old students in to dance with us. One of the students yelled out very clearly, “No! Go! Go away!” to her parents. Some parents might be offended but the parents were very happy because she spoke to them.

Therapy is about connecting the body to the brain on the student’s timetable. I wait patiently for responses, for participation, and I think they appreciate that I don’t get upset if it takes “too long” to do something.
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Everyone is a “role model” for someone.