Why Children with Disabilities are Still Hidden

We listen, we don’t judge, right? Here it goes. I did not want my autistic brother outside the house. But that was when I was 14 and very naïve. I was afraid of what people would say concerning his situation, and he used to have these really embarrassing meltdowns. (You don’t even want to know the degree) I thought I was doing him a favour by keeping him inside the house, but I was actually ruining his chances of improvement and making society more inclusive. But guess what? Despite the efforts in disability awareness, special needs children are still being left in isolation in their own homes. It’s heartbreaking. It’s terrifying. And sadly, it won’t help them or society. In my book All for My Beautiful Odd Boy, I wrote about a couple who kept their autistic son hidden for years; The father was violent, the mother was in despair about the situation, and the child was misunderstood by society. The unusual behaviour of the boy showed that he was autistic, and since the family didn’t understand Autism, they didn’t want to believe it. They tried to beat the Autism out of him. Unfortunately, this isn’t fiction for many families. It’s their real-life experience. You would think more awareness in society would mean more acceptance and inclusion, but the truth is, many special needs families are still struggling. Struggling to understand why their child turned out to be different, struggling to speak up, and break away from shame, guilt, and judgment. Many families still fear what society might say and are terrified of what to do when confronted. I won’t lie, I am afraid too. I’m scared of someone calling me out for being a bad sister or someone insulting my brother. I’m terrified, but I can’t keep my brother inside the house. He needs to see the real world, and the world needs to see him. I mean, even though he has Autism, he still has a right to live and live life like every other person. He can get married, serve God, get a job, and have children. I’m in the season where I know that Autism is not a limitation to what God will do in my brother’s life, and that’s on period.As a community, we have a long way to go in becoming more open, less judgmental, and more supportive of one another. That’s why kindness, empathy, and awareness are so important. Next time you see a special needs child in distress, hitting himself or babbling some incoherent words, don’t rush to tell a parent, “Train your child better.” Instead, ask, “How can we help?” Or even better, show compassion. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is be understanding and compassionate. <img alt="" src="/media/inline_insight_image/WhatsApp_Image_2026-04-10_at_06.53.35.jpeg"/>You can find my book on Selar. Please let me know what you think once you’ve had a chance to read it! Today’s prayer: May God protect, provide, and comfort every special needs family in the world.

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