Kids with autism like parks, too.

In this community, parents are especially passionate about making sure school kids have all the bells and whistles. Walk by just about any Tinley Park school, and you’ll notice bright shiny new playgrounds. Unfortunately, local folks tend to overlook the little ones who could benefit most from being treated just as well as everyone else: children with autism.

This weekend, at an autism school’s summer festival, I had the opportunity to visit with some of those kids and their families, as well as the teachers and therapists who work extra-hard to make sure their students aren’t excluded from getting the very best education possible. Sometimes, though, this school doesn’t have the funds to provide its children with the extras that most students take for granted. That’s what this weekend’s festival was about: raising funds and awareness for a school most of the locals don’t know exists, benefiting kids who are mostly ignored by the community at large.

Local bands played, kids danced with Power Rangers, and things got noisy enough so that nearby neighbors — for the moment, anyway — couldn’t ignore what was going on around them.

While kids get back to school this week, and you parents take a sigh of relief that the little buggers are finally out of the house once again, remember that there are kids out there who might not be exactly the same as everyone else — but they are just as deserving. These are some exceptional kids who have already been through more struggles than most of your kids will ever imagine.

This is an issue that’s bigger than money — although donating to a school like this would be a nice thing to do. It’s about realizing that just because someone is not exactly like you or your family, doesn’t mean they’re not equally important. Don’t look the other way and treat people like they’re invisible. Look at them. Get to know them. They will give you much more than you could ever possibly give them.

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