Come Touch His Cheek
By Gary Shulman , MS Ed
This child of mine you stare at so , Please come closer so you will know Just who my child is and what I see when those sweet eyes stare back at me I see no limits to my child ’ s life Although I know It will be filled with strife , I ’ m hoping that doors will open each day I ’ m praying that kindness will come his way You look frightened ? You tremble with fear ? Come , come closer touch him my dear Touch his cheek so soft so sweet Be one of those people he needs to meet Someone who will look and hopefully see The skill , the talent The ability Please come closer You don ’ t have to speak Come a little closer Just touch his cheek And when you do you will see He is no different than you or me
Gary Shulman , MS Ed began his career working with children in an inclusive Head Start program in Brooklyn , NY . He then transitioned to become the Special Needs and Early Childhood Coordinator for the Brooklyn Children ’ s Museum for 10 years .
His passion for advocacy grew as he worked more and more with parents of children with disabilities . For over 24 years he passionately advocated for the needs of these parents as the Social Services and Training Director for Resources for Children with Special Needs , Inc . in NYC . For the last eight years of his working life , Gary served as a private Special Needs Consultant conducting hundreds of training sessions throughout NYC and beyond to help parents and professionals find and access the services and systems required to maximize the potential of their children with disabilities .
Now Gary is happily retired in Palm Springs , CA , but still volunteers his time any way he can to provide information to those in need of his expertise .
Parenting Magazine | Issue 125 | 41