Tell Us Your Story: Blog to Support Special Needs
Did you know that according to a recent study, close to 3 million school-aged children across the United States have a disability? That’s 5.2 percent of the entire population of U.S. students.
The percentage of students enrolled in special education programs has grown at nearly twice the rate of students enrolled in general education.
These numbers reflect the rise in occurrences of disabilities in students, but what they fail to do is speak to these students’ stories. These reports fail to acknowledge that behind the labels, IEPs, politics, and policies, these students have lives, and these lives are impacting others. They are more than their disabilities; more than points on a spectrum. These statistics don’t tell their stories. But you can.
We at Teach.com are strong advocates for the special education community, dedicated to spreading awareness and sharing the stories of those who have overcome obstacles and touched the lives of others. We fight to ensure equal access to education for all students, and encourage others to become champions for this community. We’re thrilled to announce “They Taught Me,” a new initiative that is part of our effort to spread special needs awareness and engage the ever-growing network of advocates.
They Taught Me: Blogging in Support of Special Needs
“They Taught Me” is launching alongside National Autism Awareness Month to expand our awareness and advocacy for all children protected by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). One in every 88 children identify with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)*, and ASD affects the lives of more than 2 million people nationwide. This number quadruples when you consider the parents, teachers and community members whose lives have been touched by those children on the spectrum.
The mission and goal behind “They Taught Me” is to flood the Internet with stories of these children who have impacted the lives of those around them. By sharing their stories, “They Taught Me” will put a face to the numbers, a story to the statistic, and show the world how much of an impact these children have had and continue to have on special education, the community, and each other.
To do that, we need your help. We are calling out to all members of the special needs community — parents, family members, teachers, school administrators, advocates — to share your stories about what a child with special needs has taught you. When thinking about special education, we often focus on how we can teach our children. Through this campaign, we can shed light on how our children have taught us.
If you are a blogger who has a personal connection to a child with special needs and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder, please consider sharing your story in a blog post.
Here’s how you can help:
- Share your story. Publish a blog post that tells your “They Taught Me” story. How has a child with special needs influenced your life? What have they taught you, and how are you better because of it? This is your chance to add their story to the statistics.
- Show your support. Grab one of the badges below and place it on your blog post or homepage. Wear this badge with pride; show your community of readers that you are blogging in support of special needs/Autism awareness.
- Create a ripple effect. Include a link back to our Call to Action so that your community of readers can find out more about “They Taught Me” and learn how they too can share their story.
- Spread the word. We want to hear your stories! Along with publishing your stories on your blog, we would love for you to share them on Twitter and Facebook as well. By promoting your stories on social media, you are helping to expand our reach to a wider audience, and advocate change online. Use the hashtags #theytaughtme or #theirstories.
Guest Post for Teach.com
If you want to share your They Taught Me story, but don't have a personal blog, email [email protected] for information on guest blogging opportunities. We'd love to share your story!
Remember to show your support by grabbing a Blogging in Support of Special Needs badge and sharing it with your blog!
