Special Olympics is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to becomephysically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition.
Children and adults with intellectual disabilities who participate in Special Olympics develop improved physical fitness and motor skills, greater self-confidence and a more positive self-image. They grow mentally, socially and spiritually and, through their activities, exhibit boundless courage and enthusiasm, enjoy the rewards of friendship and ultimately discover not only new abilities and talents but "their voices" as well.
Developing Special Talents in Special Children
It is not necessary that all children are good at the same skill. Some children possess special talents in music, painting, writing, or creative arts and are able to show them, provided proper care and guidance is given. Every step taken by teachers to help them to continue in the areas of special interest will become a motivational dose to achieve great things in their lives.
Enriched environments suitable to their special needs of interest can give them support in developing their talents to the highest level. These special children need proper care, encouragement, enriched instructions, independent study projects, scope for proper adjustment and opportunities for enhancing their talents.
If the special talents of these special children are not recognized, it will block their thinking ability, which can cause maladjustment problems leading to a negative influence on their life. Thus it is very important that the uniqueness of their ability must be inventively promoted to the best possible extent.
Teachers can recognize special talents with the help of distinctive performances by these students. They generally show self-directed behaviors and need more choices to decide about their field of learning.
Teachers can identify special talents in children by organizing talent exhibition programs or talent search examinations. Regular competitions should be arranged to find special talents among the students. These tests and exhibitions can help a teacher to distinguish children with special talents from other children.
Their ingenuity and creativity should get more encouragement, guidance and opportunities to make them more superior. Teachers should be able to carefully distinguish these children with special talents from other children. If teachers are not well equipped and prepared to recognize the special needs of such children, they can experience adjustment problems, which further can create psychological problems in them. Personalized teaching with upgraded instructions and effective teaching programs that fit their special needs can enable such children to be greatly benefited.
SPED Olympics 2010
Last October 21, 2010, I was so glad that i witness the SPED Olympics 2010 (Cavite). It was held in Carmona Elementary School - Carmona, Cavite. Many schools were participated in the Olympics such as SPED centers from Gen.Trias, Indang, Imus, Silang, Tagaytay City, and sped center from Rosario.
I was so lucky when I had given the opportunity to attend the SPED Olympics. It was my first time to attend an event like that and I was happy that my experiences were unforgettable. At first, I watched the special children in different games such us, athletics, long jump, shot put, badminton and etc. I was amazed with the performance of the special children because most of them were so good in playing sports and I could say that they had a good training base on their moves.
SHE is one of my pupils in Rosario Elementary school during my practice teaching. SHE has strong bones and muscles because she can throw the ball which is heavy. I admire her because she finds difficulty in speaking and understand things but then she can able to performed task to develop her talents. (See in the photo)
She is one of the pupils in SPED Center in Rosario, a child with visual impairment. Even though she is visually impaired, she performs well in singing, her voice is so relaxing and you can feel what it in her heart when she starts to sing.
The most unforgettable things that happened during my day in participating in SPED Olympics were the search for Ms. SPED Olympics 2010. It was so glad that children with special needs have given the chance to experience the life of a beauty queen. While they were performing their individual talents I was shock because they are all talented. Most especially the entry of Rosario SPED Center, the girl in pink dress and black skirt, she is so talented and "Bibo" ika nga. I mazed with her confidence and charisma while she is on stage. I can say that she is one of my Favorite pupils during my practiced teaching days, maybe because she is so sweet and malambing yung tipong yayakap-yakapin ka, bibiruin ka at ang pinakamasaya ay yung naaalala nya ako at yung iba ko pang mga kasama mag-ojt kapag umuuwi sya ng bahay. Palage nya kaming kinukwento sa mother nya pag- umuuwi sya. I really miss her.
The last thing that happened was the dance competition; they had two categories the modern dance and the native dance competition. All of them were excellent in performing their dance moves but the most memorable dance number for me was when the children with hearing impairment and children with intellectual disability from Rosario Elementary School performed their dance number.
I can’t forget that the children with hearing impairment perform their number perfectly. I realized that having a disability is not a reason to forget our dreams. Because even though we have disability we can continued our life normally just like the special children that I encountered. They are happy on what they have and they are contended on their lives.
The experience that i have during the SPED Olympics is the one of the memories that I treasure because that all peolpe have an opportunity like this. I hope that I can experince it again but when that time will happen I want that I am one of the trainee of the Special childen who will join the Olympics beacuse I want to feel how lucky and fortunate I am being thier trainee.
SPED Olympics is the BEST!
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