I think these lessons are timeless. They contain wisdom and truths I know Dr. King and children would want shared and discussed. We all have challenges to overcome in life, individually and collectively. As an educator and speech therapist who has taught many thematic units on tolerance re: race, religion, special needs and more, I would like to share some lessons we can all learn from food and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. What's the connection? Ask some of my students with special needs who love food and study its properties with the kind of keen eye usually reserved for those wearing white coats in a dark lab somewhere......

1. 4 Lessons From Special Children’s Observations of
Food For Martin Luther King Day 2014
Quotes from actual children with Autism/special needs I have worked with
Penina Rybak MA/CCC-SLP, Founder/CEO Socially Speaking LLC
Websites: sociallyspeakingLLC.com, niceinitiative.com
Twitter: @PopGoesPenina
Creator: The Socially Speaking™ iPad App
A Socially Speaking LLC/NICE Initiative Production

2. Dr. MartIN LUTHER KING JR. GAVE US SO
MANY LESSONS ABOUT HUMANITY
1. Our humanity thrives on instilling a
sense of purpose into all that we do.
2. Our humanity thrives on collaboration
and color-blind civic engagement with
others.
3. Our humanity thrives on continuously
changing our mindsets and behavior.
4. Our humanity starts to be shaped in
childhood
-Penina Rybak
http://huff.to/1ai2AtT
A Socially Speaking LLC/NICE Initiative Production
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3. LIFE GIVES US MANY LESSONS TO LEARN FROM,
IF WE OPEN OUR EYES, MIND, & Heart
My personal and professional lives
have been profoundly influenced by
what I have learned from both Dr.
King and the children with Autism/
special needs I have come across;
past and present. We all have
challenges to overcome in life,
individually and collectively.....
-Penina Rybak
http://huff.to/1ai2AtT
A Socially Speaking LLC/NICE Initiative Production
http://bit.ly/1eAW1Qc

4. What do ChILDREN TEACH US?
"If you love and support me I WILL do great things in my life in spite of my challenges."
- Rob Gorski, Father, Blogger, Lost & Tired: "Ten Things My Autistic Kids Wish You Knew",
A Socially Speaking LLC/NICE Initiative Production

5. Children Teach Us a New WAY to Look At Food,
to look at the world....
Some of my students with special needs love
food & study its properties with the kind of
keen eye usually reserved for those wearing
white coats in a dark lab somewhere...
A Socially Speaking LLC/NICE Initiative Production
http://huff.to/1cYHNFO

6. 1. We are like eggs
We look different outside but the
same inside. We all have fragile shells.
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7. 2. We are like apples
We come in different colors and sizes but we
all do the same thing, serve the same
purpose....We all end up somewhere. Apple
sauce, apple pie, and apple juice all make us feel
better and help others feel better too.
A Socially Speaking LLC/NICE Initiative Production

8. 3. We are like grapes
We all start out small but like to hang together
to stay safe and warm. We’re part of the
bunch and like it that way. Together we can
give more juice. Even when we get old we turn
into something cool and sweet-raisons!
A Socially Speaking LLC/NICE Initiative Production

9. 4. We are like avocados
We come from different places around the world
but we all take time to get ripe inside. We need
to be watched and given time to grow. We’re
hard outside but soft inside, remember that!
A Socially Speaking LLC/NICE Initiative Production

10. What does IT Mean to HAVE
Integrity ?
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11. Food for Thought
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12. more food for thought...
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