Let me tell you about this precious girl. When I walk into the room her beautiful brown eyes light up and her smile reaches from corner to corner. She jumps around in her wheelchair and I think she's going to tip it over... but she never does. Her response to me is a gift from God. We love each other. She doesn't have to speak the words I just know. You see, other than a few words earlier in life, Ashley doesn't communicate verbally yet she has a way of letting you understand exactly what she's saying.

Ashley weighed three pounds when she was born prematurely. She also had the cord wrapped around her neck and so lacked oxygen that left her with Cerebral Palsy and a few challenges.

She lives with her Mom, Charlene and her sister, Danielle. Why am I not surprised that they have the same positive attitude that Ashley has. A couple of things Mom said impressed me and I realized that Ashley had an advantage growing up. Her Mom lives outside the box.

"Everything happens for a reason. We've never treated her like she has a disability. She's always sat in a wheelchair so she doesn't know what it's like to walk. That's her reality."

Ashley has a tracheotomy to help her breathe. That doesn't mean she can't communicate cause she certainly does. She has some signals that she uses but more importantly, she gets her messages across... well... somehow. When she "talks" you understand what she's saying in your head. Sounds crazy? Take a step outside your box sometime with a person who can't verbally communicate and see what happens.

Children and Disabilities MICHAEL Brendan

Ashley has her own personality. She knows what she wants and persists until she gets it! She loves clothes and likes to dress in funky attire which she picks out herself. She certainly has her own style. She loves getting her hair done and having her nails painted.

Ashley goes to school and loves to learn. She has a computer that does remarkable things and helps her to do her work. Because of her challenges, she is accompanied by a nurse who understands who Ashley is as a person. The nurse has told Charlene how Ashley has influenced her children to be more observant and listen to others more carefully.

So Ashley is also a teacher. She has taught others, myself included, what it is to live life fully no matter what. That brings up what Ashley doesn't like. One of her biggest beefs is when people ignore her... when they come into a room and say "Hi" to everyone except her. Another is not being included in a conversation... this is a kid who loves to "talk" and given the chance she sure does.

Ashley has taught us how to include all children and let them express themselves in whatever manner they need to. Next time you are in the presence of a child who doesn't talk verbally give yourself the opportunity of learning to speak in a different manner. Your life will change forever.

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