No one Turned Up To His Birthday Party

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Chippy_Tea

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I read this earlier on twitter and had to post it -




PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can I ask for your help to make my little mans birthday on July 15th one to remember this year rather than one to forget!!

PLEASE READ, help if you can and SHARE!!

This is Ben, my son, he is 10 and has high functioning autism,.

He has a heart of gold and just wants to be friends with people but his autism makes it extremely difficult for him to achieve this.

High Functioning Autism makes him a little different to the rest of his classmates and because of it he is often kicked and punched and is called nasty names amongst other things, none of which are good.

He is the child that never gets invited to other children’s birthday parties, that sits alone in the playground, that doesn’t have anybody round for tea and nobody to go out to play with.

On a previous birthday I hosted a birthday party for him, inviting around 25 children. He was so excited and really looking forward to it.

Only two parents replied to the invitations I sent out but the party was arranged and paid for and Ben was excited about it so there was no way I could cancel it, I wrongly presumed that a few more would just turn up on the day but at least two were coming which was better than none at all.

Everything was set up and Ben sat there eagerly waiting for everyone to turn up. 2pm came and went and nobody had arrived.

Ben sat there saying repeating over and over they will come in a minute won’t they mum. He still thought they would show up to help celebrate his special day.

By 2.30pm he was getting more and more anxious and visibly upset, he kept asking me where everybody was. I just didn’t know what to say to him. It was obvious at this point that nobody was coming!!

It was the most heartbreaking moment ever not only for me but for him to. This day had a lasting effect on him for a very long time, he was devastated, it knocked his self confidence, heightened his anxiety and is something he will always remember.

This year I want him to have a birthday to remember and hopefully undo the damage of the previous birthdays which has had a lasting effect on him
Can I ask you from the bottom of my heart if you would kindly consider sending him a birthday card for his “11th” birthday to put a big smile on his face and make this birthday one to remember for the rest of his life!!!

If you can help, cards can be sent to:-

Ben Jackson

35 Dunn Close

Southsea

Portsmouth

PO4 9TX

UNITED KINGOM

If are unable to send a card could I ask you to share this post far and wide please.

Thank you so much

Lisa x

(Ben’s mum)


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I am in Australia, no way a card would make it in time, Gift Voucher sent, poor kid as if he hasn't got enough problems, I would be having a few loud words with the parents from last year.
 
That brought a tear to my eye. I know someone with an autistic lad and his class pretty much shun him. She gets daggers from the other parents due to his behaviour. I just don't understand why they have no empathy.
Chippy could you post a link to the tweet or DM it to me, would like to RT. Will get a card this afternoon. Thanks.
 
That brought a tear to my eye. I know someone with an autistic lad and his class pretty much shun him. She gets daggers from the other parents due to his behaviour. I just don't understand why they have no empathy.
Chippy could you post a link to the tweet or DM it to me, would like to RT. Will get a card this afternoon. Thanks.

I imagine he's percieved as holding the others in the class back/being disruptive/etc. I dont have kids but school today now seems t me just a massive competion (to acheive the highest grades possible) with a devil take the hindmost attitude rather than learn for learning sakes,. So if parent see another kid possibly damaging their own kids chances their going to treat them in a negative way

Years ago children with special needs would go to a special school (All my clients all went to the same school, even though they're quite a large age range) but now kids with special needs a taught along with all the other kids. This seems a great idea on the surface until you take human behavior into account, where the possibility of the kid being bullied and ignored can happen as we see in the case of the OP.
I'm not saying children with special needs should be segrated again like they used to but just pointing out some unintended conseques of what should be a progressive way to educate children with special needs
 
I was just checking on the 'net to make sure this was legit which it is but it has also seemed to have gone somewhat viral with van loads of stuff turning up at their house daily! Not sure if they want anymore cards!

Anyway here's the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/318448031915394/
Yep,I had given that some thought that he may well be snowed under with cards and gifts with the local Postie's on shift work delivering to him but I said I would so I did
 
I was just checking on the 'net to make sure this was legit which it is but it has also seemed to have gone somewhat viral with van loads of stuff turning up at their house daily! Not sure if they want anymore cards!

Anyway here's the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/318448031915394/


Thanks for the heads up, i am with GD i said i would send one so i will :wink:



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I imagine he's percieved as holding the others in the class back/being disruptive/etc. I dont have kids but school today now seems t me just a massive competion (to acheive the highest grades possible) with a devil take the hindmost attitude rather than learn for learning sakes,. So if parent see another kid possibly damaging their own kids chances their going to treat them in a negative way

Years ago children with special needs would go to a special school (All my clients all went to the same school, even though they're quite a large age range) but now kids with special needs a taught along with all the other kids. This seems a great idea on the surface until you take human behavior into account, where the possibility of the kid being bullied and ignored can happen as we see in the case of the OP.
I'm not saying children with special needs should be segrated again like they used to but just pointing out some unintended conseques of what should be a progressive way to educate children with special needs

This is my current line of work. There are still plenty of specific autism and/or learning difficulty schools. The difference is there are more and more children and young people diagnosed each year and it grows exponentially. The threshold keeps getting higher because kids that used to be placed at the back of the class and ignored are now supposedly being provided the help they need. You are right with leaving them open to bullying, this is also getting worse exponentially and sadly nothing will be done until it hits serious case investigation level.
 
Boy with autism 'astonished' at appeal response


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A boy with autism celebrated his 11th birthday with cards sent from all over the world after his mum made an appeal on social media.
Lisa Jackson from Southsea, asked people to send a card to her son Ben because no-one came to a previous birthday party.
Dedicated trolleys were set up at Portsmouth sorting office to handle the tens of thousands of cards
"My other birthday was awful - this one is a big improvement," said Ben.
"I could not believe my eyes. Thank you everyone - I have so many cards, I'm astonished."
Ms Jackson said it would be a birthday "he will never forget - but for all the right reasons".


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Ben's family said he was "devastated" when no-one turned up to a previous birthday, despite invites.
They had been unable to organise another birthday party since because of the effect on him.
Ms Jackson said the response to her appeal was overwhelming and had restored Ben's confidence.
She said: "I would personally like to say a big heartfelt thank you to everyone one of you for your comments and messages. It means so much.
"I never expected to get such an overwhelming response to my post and am so grateful to you all."
Royal Mail said tens of thousands of cards were sent to Ben.
Royal Mail's Portsmouth delivery office manager Justin Brown said: "We've never had anything like it before. It's been brilliant to be part of it."
Some came from as far afield as India, Singapore, Australia and South Africa.

BBC News.


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