GIFTED DIFFERENTLY - Demystify & Destigmatise for Awareness, Acceptance & Inspiration

Gifted Differently is an amazing collection of inspiring real-life stories that exemplify the love, struggles, battles, fears, joy, dreams, victories and celebrations of journey with a child with mild/moderate learning difficulties/Learning Disabilities (LDs).

A compilation and showcase of life stories, poems, photos, drawings, scribbles and every creative literary form from perspectives of children, parents, friends, teachers and other professionals. Worthy of an extensive audience, it aims to be a collective effort to bring awareness, acceptance and inspiration to many.

Children with mild learning difficulties or/& Learning Disabilities (CLDs) are young lives who are deeply misunderstood and mislabeled as being “naughty”, “stupid”, “hopeless” and “abnormal”. Ignorance and arrogance have sidelined these children.

Unlike severe special needs whereby people can tell from the onset, CLDs look perfectly normal and possess average to high IQ. Some are endowed with astounding EQ like no other. In the league with the likes of Albert Einstein, Walt Disney, Richard Branson and Robbin Williams, being academically awkward, people forget these children are simply gifted differently. CLDs may think, behave or socialize differently but their needs and growth are like any other precious gifts from heaven.

Bridge Learning celebrates 10 years of advocacy and groundwork as a champion for CLDs, since 2003. Gifted Differently will bring readers through both a thought-provoking and heart-warming journey into the lives of these children, their families and those who believe in them.

In love with our work for the dreams, hopes and future of these children with learning difficulties, this is another bottom-up citizenry initiative by Bridge Learning and together with the community, who care enough to do our little part.

Contribution Guidelines

• Straight from your heart
• Real, honest, open, truthful & personal
• Simple, clear, concise & concrete
• Relevant to the theme & purposes of the book
• Describe situations, challenges, conflicts, successes & experiences
• Exemplify the love, struggles, battles, fears, joy, dreams, victories and celebrations of journey
• Stories should be written in the first person (not necessarily when creativity is best expressed in other pronouns/persons like in poetry)
• May include dialogue, critique and the character’s feelings, lessons learnt, outcomes, suggestions, revelations etc.,
• Thought-provoking issues Eg: status quo, cultural & social norms like “losing face” issues, personal expectations, systemic gaps
• Range of human emotions and vivid images rather (excited, sad, frustrated, humorous etc…)
• Bring hope, passion, connectedness, humanity, suggestions, aspiration and inspiration for readers
• No political correctness needed except for respect and politeness for others as required
• No offensive, obscene and racist content
• Not a research/term paper, thesis, biography or essay
• Not a negative, complaining or gripe book
• Not a politically-driven initiatve

Contributors’ Agreement

• Submit your content contributions to us via email: gifteddifferently@bridgelearning.com.sg
• Submission period: 31 March 2012
• Contributors of any age, race, religion & nationality welcome.
• Between 100-1200 words. Language of submission in English only.
• Various genres welcome Eg: Story, poem, illustrations, report, Q&A, comic strips, skit scripts
• MS Word type-written or scanned document for artworks.
• You may feel free to submit more than one creative story/poem/artwork to us to consider.
• All submissions need to go through editorial checks.
• No anonymous, author unknown submissions.
• Real names will be used in the book. We model openness and acceptance. We encouraged parents and children to use your real names in the publishing as there is nothing to be shameful about. However, if you like to remain anonymous due to sensitivities such as for teachers and other professionals, please state clearly in your contribution and we respect your decision.
• Please submit only contributions that have not been previously published. Keep a copy of your contributions as we are unable to send you a copy of anything you have previously submitted.
• It is agreeable that Bridge Learning is permitted to use your submissions in any genre type including photograph(s), written work and voice in the book, academic works, brochures or/and other promotional materials and publications. Request for any monetary or non-monetary benefits from Bridge Learning or/and any of her staff, voluntary committee and related people will not be entertained at any time.
• Once you send your submission, it is agreeable that you agree to all the conditions stated.

PS: Your active participation is going to make a huge difference in people’s lives.