3 days ago
JENNIE: It's OK to be Different Day celebrates children with autism and their parents
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — The inaugural 'It's Okay To Be Different Day' event is coming up June 21st. The day is also about Autism and Downs Syndrome Awareness.
Vivian Butler is the owner of Kings and Queens Christian Academy, which is a daycare that serves special needs children. The event is her brainchild! Shaun Harris is a special needs teacher and founder of B Mighty Enterprises.
Vivian Butler: Well, Jennie, I was sitting in my office at a daycare, and I've noticed a lot of my babies come in and they have special need problems. And with that being said, dealing with my granddaughter, also this has special needs. She's autistic. The Lord gave me, is okay to be different and allow these babies to be just who they are. A lot of them come in non-verbal and the Lord told me to look into their eyes and speak to their soul and pull out their voice. You know, a lot of times people talk about autism and they do 'autistic' things for the for the people. But it's never involving the children. I know, we do the autistic this, we do the autistic that. But we never include the child. This particular event, the Lord said include the babies. Don't leave them out because it's okay for them to be different. I called my son-in-law, Raymond Webber, and said, 'Son, this is what the Lord told me to do' and with that being said, he told me that we can use his gym, MTAG.'
The day will include bouncy houses and face painting, the fire department is going to bring the fire trucks, and there will be lots of volunteers so the children can play and their parents won't worry.
Shaun Harris: 'They can stand, they can run, they can jump — Whatever they want to do and have a good time. But also, this will also give the parents an opportunity to see how to interact in a different way, because sometimes they get burned out and they don't know. They get frustrated. So when they see someone, you know, reaching out or interacting with their child in a different way, I've learned that the parents learn from me.'
Vivian Butler: 'We're looking forward to this day. We're so excited. The parents can get facials. They're going to have a private chef on the inside. The children are going to have food on the outside. We're going to have grills going. We've got a special deejay coming for them. So we're going to put our boots on the ground and we're going to make it happen.'
Shaun Harris: 'We're grateful they are because they are – I always say that they are the magic. So to me, they are just the essence of love. And they're just what makes my heart beat. And all the things that are happening in this world, when there's sadness, a sickness, or devastation, those kids, when I look into their faces, everything is okay, even if it's just for a moment.'
Once again, the inaugural 'It's Okay To Be Different Day' is coming up on Saturday, June 21st from1PM – 5PM. It's open to the public and it's going to be at 1610 Hunter Street in Augusta. For more information, call 706-836-8598.
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