No one asks to have a disability--it's simply a part of life. Children with disabilities should never be treated as though they've done something wrong because they experience the world differently. My granddaughter is amazing, and she deserves the same patience, kindness, and respect as every other child.
My granddaughter turns five in two days, and her mom wanted to take her somewhere special to get her nails and toes painted for her birthday. Since Long Nails in Opelika is where we usually go, She thought it would be a good experience for her.
Before even getting started, she explained that her daughter is autistic and can become restless or distracted. She also told the technician that she might move around and that it was okay if the polish wasn't absolutely perfect. To help make things easier and faster, she even chose gel polish.
Despite that conversation, every time my granddaughter moved even slightly, the technician seemed visibly annoyed. There were eye rolls, huffing when she had to reposition her hand in the LED lamp, and an overall lack of patience that made me increasingly uncomfortable.
After finishing her nails, the technician asked, "Are you sure you still want me to paint them?" when it was time to do her toes. When Mom said yes and asked if it would take much longer, she rolled her eyes again. At that point, Mom decided to pay for the nails and leave because it wasn't ok to continue allowing a child to be treated that way.
It's understand that working with young children can require extra patience. However, she was upfront from the beginning about what to expect, and we don't believe any child should be made to feel like an inconvenience--especially when they're simply trying to enjoy a birthday treat.
- Our biggest fear when Rae had gotten her diagnosis last year was that she'd be treated differently because of it. Today that fear became a reality and it truly hurts. There's no reason why her or any other person with a disability shouldn't be able to enjoy an experience because people lack the patience and common decency to treat them with kindness and respect!! read more