Milal Mission: Spreading the love one child at a time

▲Teachers and students rock it out at the “dance party” during Camp Agape

Developmental disabilities are psychological patterns that induce behavioral changes that does not follow normal developmental patterns in a person. The causes for these changes are not completely documented, but there are a vast amount of theories from a myriad of different study fields. Due to its widespread nature, there has been ongoing research into various treatments to help strengthen those with autism. Many organizations have been formed to spread awareness and to educate society about those with these types of disabilities. Milal Mission is one of the organizations that was established to support those with disabilities by helping those with autism develop in a way so that they may integrate with others.

Milal Mission International was founded in 1979 by President Jae Suh Lee with the premise of educating society of those with disabilities and Milal Mission focuses on helping individuals with disabilities through a Christian point of view. Milal Mission is established in over 30 countries throughout the world such as The United States, Canada, Australia, Germany, England, and more. As of date, there are 600 members in the Southern California branch of Milal Mission, 300 being individuals with special needs.

Milal Mission is a home away from home for its members. Volunteers come out to help teach and interact with their “students” in order for them to grow into strongwilled and capable individuals. The schedule consists of various activities that cover a spectrum of different mechanics. For example, there are physical education and arts-and-crafts classes help with gross motor skills, such as coordination, when undergoing physical activities and fine motor skills, such as precision, when coloring drawings or copying down the alphabet. Students are also taught dances or musical pieces for special occasions such as festivals or camps. Learning both music and dance helps in learning or improving memory recall, which is an example of development of temporal sequencing. The students who attend Milal all have their strengths and weaknesses in different areas. not one child or adult is the same as another. There are activities that one can do better and some where others do better. The same concept is applied to the disabilities that the students have. There are many differences between the widely known Autism and Down syndrome. however, a majority of society would not see it this way. This is because generalizations are made because of the lack of knowledge society may have regarding special needs individuals. Once distinctions are made between the disabilities of the students, it is clearer to see which traits of a student are stronger or weaker than others

Autism is a worldwide neurological disorder usually characterized with problems with communications, behavioral problems, and hardships with social interaction. As of 2011, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recorded that autism is prevalent in around 20 children per 1000 will be diagnosed with a form of autism. Signs of autism show before age three and continue to last throughout one’s life. People with autism display low levels of social development such as communication. They fail to respond to others and have a difficult time expressing themselves. Most autistic individuals do not develop linguistically so they try to communicate through motions that attune to specificthings or a form of babbling as they try to vocally express themselves. But once a connection is made, autistic individuals can display large amounts of affection to caregivers whom they can express themselves to. Although unable to express themselves fully, those with autism show heightened perception and attentiveness which helps them in visual and physical learning.

Although Down syndrome does not stem from a psychological point, but from a genetic disorder, it is a contributor in general learning disability. Down syndrome is caused by a third copy of chromosome 21. This causes a lack of physical growth, intellectual disabilities, and physical changes to the body. Down syndrome most often hearing and sight problems. Strabismus, where the eyes do not move together, is found in almost half of those with Down syndrome. Ear infections are common due to the changes physical structure of the skull which results in degradation of hearing. Fortunately, treatment that can essentially restore hearing is possible. By understanding the differences between disorders and disabilities, best-suited teaching methods become available to use in order to avoid negative reactions and to bring about positive changes. Even though teaching a child with autism is very difficult to do, it is a very rewarding experience.

For about three years, I have been helping take care of autistic children at Choong Hyun Mission Church (CHMC). On my first day as a volunteer, I can honestly say that I was a bit uncomfortable to be around some of the children, and even the adults. I felt so relieved when that day ended. Yet, over a period of time, the uneasiness started to fade away and I started to become more enthusiastic about volunteering. I stopped thinking about the children as different and started thinking of them as the same as every other kid, completely normal. They did all the things that any seven, eight, or nine year old would do. They played with toys, ran around, cried, and were eager to feed their curiosity. Whenever we all went out to play at lunch time, I couldn’t recognize them if they were playing with other children. After a month, these kids and adults became my second family. I came to love and care for each of them. I wanted them to live normal lives, which everyone is entitled to. I taught the students to control themselves and they taught me to be a teacher, someone of service.

For more information on Milal Mission and volunteering opportunities, please visit http://english.milalmission.com/ (email: info@milalmission.com / 714-522-4599)