I am the child that looks healthy and fine.
I was born with ten fingers and toes.
But something is different, somewhere in my mind.
And what it is, nobody knows.
I am the child that struggles in school.
Though they say that I'm perfectly smart.
They tell me I'm lazy, can learn if I try.
But I don't seem to know where to start.
I am the child that won't wear the clothes which hurt me or bother my feet.
I dread sudden noises, can't handle most smells and tastes.
There are few foods I'll eat.
I am the child that can't catch a ball and runs with an awkward gait.
I am the one chosen last on the team.
And I cringe as I stand there and wait.
I am the child with whom no one will play
The one that gets bullied and teased.
I try to fit in and I want to be liked.
But nothing I do seems to please.
I am the child that tantrums and freaks
Over things that seem petty and trite
You'll never know how I panicked inside
When I'm lost in my anger and fright.
I am the child that fidgets and squirms
Though I'm told to sit still and be good.
Do you think I choose to be out of control?
Don't you know that I would if I could?
I am the child with a broken heart
Though I act that I don't really care.
Perhaps there's a reason I'm made this way,
Some message I'm sent to share.
For I am the child that needs to be loved, and accepted and valued too.
I am the child that is misunderstood.
I am different but look just like you.
---A Poem by Kathy Winters
source: Global Developmental Delay Facebook Page
This is my favorite poem that will make you understand how a child with Global Developmental Delay (GDD) exactly feels like.
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