During my tenure as an Early Childhood Educator I have been blessed to encounter students with varying special needs and disabilities from Speech and Language, Autism and Down's Syndrome. The autistic child Jane is one who I hold near and dear to my heart even today. I remember clearly one day my superior came to visit and Jane who twitched her nose and had sporadic outbursts when she was upset had an episode. My strategy for managing her outbursts as her teacher was to extend a hug to her to calm her down which I immediately did. My superior was shocked and exclaimed "Miss, Jane is drooling and getting snot all over you!" I had to  edify her about Jane and the nature of her special need and the strategies that I had developed for her to cope through her early childhood years. It mattered not about the drool and snot but the main goal was to ensure Jane felt safe and that she was comforted. My superior understood and praised me for my efforts. I firmly believe it is imperative to read, research and respond to our special little ones from an early age. One's attitude towards children with disabilities and special needs can make or break them.