This article is the foreword of SEN 心思詩:
I wholeheartedly recommend this collection of poems. These poems capture the rich inner world and concrete life experiences of people with Special Education Needs (SEN). I am very grateful that these poems have broadened my horizons.
Discussions surrounding special educational needs are often dominated by clinical terminology, standardized assessment, and educational policy. Although professional knowledge and expert opinions are important, we cannot ignore the personal feelings and experiences of people with special educational needs. This collection of poems fills this gap, giving us a valuable opportunity to try understanding the inner world of those whose brains work in atypical ways.
Whether it is a psychiatric diagnosis, such as autism spectrum disorder, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; or some terminology in the educational field, such as giftedness, or special educational needs, we have to approach them with the aim of understanding instead of taking them at face value. In recent years, a new concept has emerged – Neurodiversity, reminding us that each person’s brain is unique. No two brains are the same. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. The so-called “normal” and “special” are merely statistical concepts – “normal” means the typical and the majority; “special” means the atypical and the minority. They aren’t labels signifying good and bad.
However, social operations, especially schools, can often only accommodate the typical people due to resource constraints and other factors. The atypical ones often find it difficult to keep up. They might feel isolated and helpless, or even stigmatized and excluded. Connecting with people and being accepted by friends are our basic needs as human beings. Through this collection of poems, we can see that, in schools, cognitive minorities are under a lot of pressure. For children and teenagers, not being able to “fit in” is scarier than anything else. These poems can deepen our understanding of human nature and prompt us to reflect on education today.
This collection of poems reminds us that every mind is beautiful, resilient, and has inherent value. Labels such as “disease” and “disorder” tell only incomplete stories; behind every stigma stands a person with rich emotions and unlimited potential.
When you open this collection of poems, all you need to do is “listen” with your eyes and listen to the often marginalized voices without judgment. Listening to these stories deepens our understanding of human learning and growth. You may finally truly understand some people that you could not understand before. These people can be your friends or even family members.
Written by: Dr. William Chui
Originally posted on: The foreword of SEN 心思詩
Translated by: Cheuk Long Chan
