--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What I, as a person with special needs…" description: "\"“What I, as a person with special needs, longed for was to be taught what role, what purpose, I could have in society, and how to attain a level of ind..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/naoki-higashida-10961_autism_what-i-as-a-person-with-special-needs-lo_82968.png" --- # What I, as a person with special needs, longed for was to… ![“What I, as a person with special needs, longed for was to be taught what role, what purpose, I could have in society, and how to attain a level of independence.” quote by Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/naoki-higashida-10961_autism_what-i-as-a-person-with-special-needs-lo_82968.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/naoki-higashida-10961_autism_what-i-as-a-person-with-special-needs-lo_82968.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/naoki-higashida-10961_autism_what-i-as-a-person-with-special-needs-lo_82968.png) > ““What I, as a person with special needs, longed for was to be taught what role, what purpose, I could have in society, and how to attain a level of independence.”” [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A desire for guidance on societal role and self‑sufficiency for individuals with special needs. **In simple terms:** Seeking purpose and independence. Key Takeaway Guidance enables autonomy. Themes disability empowerment self‑determination social inclusion personal growth Mood hopeful determined Type personal testimony aspirational statement When to use this quote - education planning - career counseling - community integration Key Concepts role identification independence strategies Practical Applications - development of tailored support programs - mentorship initiatives Questions to Reflect On - How can societies better define inclusive roles? - What resources foster true independence? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Autism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autism/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Special needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/special-needs/) ## Related quotes > [“Traveling with people who have special needs might present difficulties, but please, let it happen. 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Without it there is no stability in society, and without it one cannot attain the Science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-baker-eddy/chastity-is-the-cement-of-civilization-and-progress-without-it-there/) [Mary Baker Eddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-baker-eddy/) > [The obligation to earn one's bread by the sweat of one's brow also presumes the right to do so. A society in which this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/the-obligation-to-earn-one-s-bread-by-the-sweat-of-one-s-brow-also/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [Artists have a tremendous purpose in society, which is to continually expose, to continually challenge and to never stop producing. To never stop creating,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-suarez-paz/artists-have-a-tremendous-purpose-in-society-which-is-to-continually/) [Andrea Suarez Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-suarez-paz/) > [Human life is something that comes to us from beyond this world, and the purpose of our society is to cherish it and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/human-life-is-something-that-comes-to-us-from-beyond-this-world-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Control creates domesticated animals. 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That purpose is war, and there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/there-is-only-one-purpose-to-which-a-whole-society-can-be-directed-by/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [I worked for a while as a teaching assistant while I was struggling. I really enjoyed it, working with kids with special needs, autism.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mawle/i-worked-for-a-while-as-a-teaching-assistant-while-i-was-struggling-i/) [Joseph Mawle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mawle/) > [As a mom, you worry about protecting your kid. But there are extra added layers of fears when you're talking about a kid with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-robinson-peete/as-a-mom-you-worry-about-protecting-your-kid-but-there-are-extra/) [Holly Robinson Peete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-robinson-peete/) > [“When leaves die do they go to heaven? ~Eric Sutton Starry Night Parade”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-lexx/when-leaves-die-do-they-go-to-heaven-eric-sutton-starry-night-parade/) Janine Lexx > [Children with special needs inspire a special love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/children-with-special-needs-inspire-a-special-love/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) ## More by Naoki Higashida > [But I ask you, those of you who are with us all day, not to stress yourselves out because of us. When you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/but-i-ask-you-those-of-you-who-are-with-us-all-day-not-to-stress/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [People with autism never, ever feel at ease, wherever we are. Because of this, we wander off - or run away - in search…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/people-with-autism-never-ever-feel-at-ease-wherever-we-are-because-of/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [The thought that our lives are the source of other people's unhappiness, that's plain unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/the-thought-that-our-lives-are-the-source-of-other-people-s/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“People can only understand their own pain. 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Our fondness for nature is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/for-me-the-number-one-reason-is-that-us-people-with-autism-love-the/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“autism is more like retina patterns than measles”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/autism-is-more-like-retina-patterns-than-measles/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“What brought you here isn't your fault. We human beings have to live each day to its fullest and do our best in whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/what-brought-you-here-isn-t-your-fault-we-human-beings-have-to-live/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“So how do people with autism see the world, exactly? We, only we, can ever know the answer to that one! Sometimes I actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/so-how-do-people-with-autism-see-the-world-exactly-we-only-we-can/) [Naoki Higashida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/) > [“We do take pleasure in one thing that you probably won't be able to guess. 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And some kids are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/autism-is-a-big-continuum-going-from-someone-who-remains-nonverbal/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [Metaphor isn't just a fancy turn of speech. It shapes our thoughts and feelings, reaches out to grasp new experience, and even binds our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-richardson/metaphor-isn-t-just-a-fancy-turn-of-speech-it-shapes-our-thoughts-and/) [James Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-richardson/) > [The position of Autism Speaks has been for quite awhile that we need to find out what's happening. We know there's a genetic component,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-emken/the-position-of-autism-speaks-has-been-for-quite-awhile-that-we-need/) [Elizabeth Emken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-emken/) > [Some people with autism who don't talk, all they hear are vowel sounds. Like if I said 'cup,' they might just hear 'uh.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/some-people-with-autism-who-don-t-talk-all-they-hear-are-vowel-sounds/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/children-must-be-taught-how-to-think-not-what-to-think/) [Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/) > [Mild autism can give you a genius like Einstein. If you have severe autism, you could remain nonverbal. 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Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-d-taylor/) [Browse all 621 Autism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What I, as a person with special needs, longed for was to be taught what role, what purpose, I could have in society, and how to attain a level of independence.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Naoki Higashida" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/what-i-as-a-person-with-special-needs-longed-for-was-to-be-taught/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Autism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/what-i-as-a-person-with-special-needs-longed-for-was-to-be-taught/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/naoki-higashida-10961_autism_what-i-as-a-person-with-special-needs-lo_82968.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/naoki-higashida-10961_autism_what-i-as-a-person-with-special-needs-lo_82968.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d2/naoki-higashida-10961_autism_what-i-as-a-person-with-special-needs-lo_82968.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What I, as a person with special needs, longed for was to be taught what role, what purpose, I could have in…” — Naoki Higashida", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Naoki Higashida", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naoki-higashida/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“What I, as a person with...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/what-i-as-a-person-with-special-needs-longed-for-was-to-be-taught/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naoki-higashida/what-i-as-a-person-with-special-needs-longed-for-was-to-be-taught/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```