Making friends doesn’t come easy for individuals with special-needs. Many times, it is impossible without help from others. As a mother, my desire is for Elizabeth to live a rich life, full of wonderful experiences and friendship. You may not know this, but she is completely non-verbal and this is a huge obstacle when trying to make friends.  While she enjoys being included in various activities, she is unable to make conversation and express social interest.  Seven years ago, Elizabeth was invited to her classmate Kandace’s birthday party. This was the start of a sweet story of friendship.  Since then, these two have participated in craft classes, paint parties, dance, cookie decorating, and much more. At the name of “Kandace”, Elizabeth lights up. She loves to hear me say, “Hey, you’re going to see Kandace tomorrow at the paint party” or “Kandace is coming over tomorrow for a Valentines party!”  I know Elizabeth loves her friend and the idea of having a friend she can count on. Kandace’s mom, Kandy and I have also become friends too. We try to help our girls maintain this friendship and make plans for them to see each other. It’s just as important for us to facilitate our girl’s friendship as it is our own. Every special-needs mom needs a trustworthy friend to bounce ideas off of, share in each other’s struggles and celebrate wins. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (ESV) says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 

I don’t believe God created us to live without friends and community. This is true for even our special needs children and adults. They need to know that they have friends too. Every year when our local Regional Center pay us a visit, they have a series of questions for me. Inevitably they ask if Elizabeth has friends or social groups she is associated with. I’m glad to be able to answer this question with a confident yes. 

Everyone needs at least one good friend. I know life gets so busy, but I challenge you to make a friend for your child. Perhaps work and responsibilities hold you back from spending time together, but you can always help your child make a card and send it in the mail. This will mean so much to both the receiver and to the sender!