What It Was Like Being in a Special Kid's School.

How it Started Off

Truth be told, a special kids school isn't exactly what one would consider a normal school experience. It's certainly handy to have when you want people qualified to take care of your special child, as well as give that special child a chance to graduate and a future. I approve of that intent, and especially the usage of special kids school's.

However, I'm not here to promote or disparage the idea.

I'm simply here to offer you my perspective. From a young adult who has experienced what it was like in my middle-school years. Most of this information will be a personal account of the school, but also of my classmates, to be quite fair.

Why I Was Accepted

To put it quite bluntly, I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome as a young child, but I didn't find out until after a year of being in the school. I used to think that I was an odd little freak, but ironically enough it only cemented that for me when I took a look at my classmates. The adults, including the principal and some of my teachers assured me that while I was a special kid, the other kids were also exhibiting some form of special conditions. I never asked as a child, but it certainly affected me in the long run. I felt accepted by the adults, and it did boost my self-confidence.

Couldn't say the same for my classmates. Well, not all of them.

My Classmates

Most of them were pretty 'special' in their own way, although I experienced some minor form of exclusion. I'm certain not all of them were malicious, but this one particular kid, let's just call him John for now, made it a point to pick on me for every little thing I did.

Whether he pushed me lightly, told me nobody wanted my opinion, or accidentally kicked me in the nose (truth be told, that actually was on accident), I was usually the target of his poking and prodding. I will be the first to admit that most of the kids followed suit and tried to bully me at first. But it didn't take long for me to notice the kid who sat next to me, and he and I became quick friends.

Let's Call Him Jack For Now

Jack used to always have a toy he referred to as his own, and he even used it comfortingly for everything. Like a toy, like a lifeline of sorts, and truthfully, I found that interesting but I didn't mind at the same time. All that mattered was that he was a surprisingly intelligent kid who was good at engineering. Even had motor scooters he built from scratch. Currently, I believe he is working at a farm as a diesel engineer. Regardless, he was my only friend during those times.

So Where Does This Lead?

To put it quite simply, my experiences in special school also varied differently. Every day each of us had therapy, and often times the therapist and I would talk over a game of chess...which was therapeutic and intellectually stimulating. Then there was my teacher, an old sweetheart who taught me and patiently helped me whenever I had trouble with certain pieces of material. Finally, there was the secretary...who's an even bigger sweetheart and made my daily school activities slightly more bearable when I was alone.

Truth be told, my experiences shaped me to be a much more different individual then I used to be. Patient? Possibly. Understanding and kind? You can thank my teachers for that.

But I wouldn't want to ignore my classmates either, even if they were at the time very problematic. They did shape me to have a tougher skin, and eventually develop the skills to handle criticism. I guess if anything, I am grateful to that school for having provided an experience that contrasted with college and High School.

I guess if there's anything I can say to those reading, it would be that I don't regret having experienced it all.