Embarrassing

This semester I am taking a class called Exceptional Students. In this class we learn a lot about teaching students with special needs. One of the requirements for this class is to participate in three hours of service learning. There is an institute class that we can help run to fulfill this requirement, which is what I have chosen to do. It is a great class and it has been fun to get to know some of these students.  There are different people in there helping every week so we don't all know each other. Well, today I came in right as the class was about to start.  I sat down in my normal seat next to my friend Brittney.  There is also another girl named Erika (who is a special needs student) that usually sits by us as well.  The other three seats at our table are filled with different people each week.  So today when I sat down there was a girl in the chair next to mine.  I asked her what her name was (which now I don't remember), and she was like, OH AND WHATS YOUR NAME?! I was like, um, Brighton.  I was a little put off by her response in how she asked my name.  As the class went on anytime she spoke to me it was like I was lesser or something.  She acted overly excited by anything I said.  For example, the teacher had an example about eating ice cream everyday with every meal and how we would get sick of it after a while.  I responded quietly "no" I wouldn't get sick of it. (because HELLO! ice cream is my favorite.  If I wouldn't be 500 lbs from eating ice cream everyday, I would.)  But the girl was like, "NO?! haha why no??"  But luckily the teacher moved on and kept teaching.  It was right about then that I realized this girl thought I was a special needs student.  I have no idea what gave her that idea.  I was embarrassed for myself and for her.  I was embarrassed for myself because I didn't know if I had acted in some way that gave her this idea.  I don't think any of the special needs students are lesser in ANY way.  However, some of the students in our class lack some social skills.  But most of them are just really funny.  So I don't really know how to explain my embarrassment without it sounding bad, but I was embarrassed.  But more I was embarrassed for her.  She totally talked down to me and talked like I didn't know how to act or wasn't all there or something.  It made me totally realise how some of the people with disabilities feel every day.  So many people talk down to people with disabilities.  It hurt my feelings and I only experienced it for 45 minutes.  I can't imagine how some of these people feel all day every day.  In a way it was a great experience for me because hopefully now when I interact with anyone with a disability I can just treat them like a normal person.

I feel so strongly about this and definitely don't feel like I have conveyed that very well through this post.  But oh well.  But to anyone that reads this, please treat people with respect.  No matter if they have a disability or not.  Never talk down to anyone.  Everyone deserves to be accepted and treated with respect.