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1. Click the icon on the right to listen to the full article.
2. Right-click here and “save as” or “save link as” to save an mp3 of the article to your computer.
3. Listen to sections of the article by pressing the play buttons that appear before a set of words in the article below (coming soon).
Born with Special Needs
Allen Lovelace
BEFORE YOU READ:
What do you think the author means by “special needs”?
My Parents Are Always Here for Me
I have special needs. I was born with autism a long time ago. My parents did all they could for me, their only son. They always loved me; they didn’t want anything bad to happen to me.
When the hard times happen, when I am in trouble, they are always there for me. When the boys at school were trying to get me, they took me out of that school. When I need something, they buy it for me.
My parents were there when I graduated from high school. They were there when I was sick. They were there when I got engaged. I called them on the cell phone and told them.
I Don’t Miss a Single Day of School
When I finished high school in 2001, I was 20 years old. My math and reading were at third and fourth grade levels. My spelling was at a seventh-grade level. I went to school every day. I didn’t miss a single day. Now, thanks to Literacy Chicago, my reading is at a sixth grade level. It keeps getting better. The more I put into school, the more I get from it. I have perfect attendance. I want to get the achievement award to make my family proud of me.
I Want to Share My Ideas
I like to write because I want to share my ideas. I can write a story like this. It is about me, my mother’s son, who is autistic. I love to be creative. I keep my notebook on the table, and I am always ready to write. I want to publish my writing. I want to make my family proud.
I Want a Job
I used to go to Ada S. McKinley Community Services. They help people like me find a job. I did piecework. I made Chia Pets. Piecework means you get paid for each piece you make. I earned a good paycheck. I had money in my pocket. I don’t go now because they don’t have piecework anymore.
I want a job. I want to call the grocery store. I want to get a job as a bagger. My aunt said I should not get a job. She said it would mess up my social security benefits.
AFTER YOU READ:
Write a letter to Allen. Share any of your own experiences that relate to his. Mention details from this essay in your letter.
Allen Lovelace is a writer living in Chicago. He is a student at Literacy Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. He has not missed a day in the two years he’s been attending the school. He graduated from South Central Community Service High School in Chicago in 2001.