Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: A Story of Additional Needs Inclusion

At Christmas time we enjoy singing those favourite Christmas songs, and ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ is one of the most popular, but have you ever stopped for a moment to consider the lyrics to the song and realise that they are actually the story of many children with additional needs?

Difference

Rudolph is different to the other reindeer; he has a red nose that glows, and the others don’t. A physical difference that makes him stick out from all of his peers. Many children and young people with additional needs have differences which are visible, like Rudolph’s, although many also can have ‘hidden’ differences that aren’t visible but can be just as challenging to live with in a world that isn’t set up for ‘difference’.

Bullied

The other reindeer picked on Rudolph because of his difference; they laughed at him and called him names. Children and young people with additional needs are all too familiar with this kind of treatment from their peers, with most of them regularly being victims of bullying.

Marginalised

As well as being bullied by his peers, Rudolph finds that he is marginalised by them too. They leave him out and don’t let him join in any of their games. Many children and young people with additional needs experience this kind of treatment, resulting in them becoming isolated, lonely, and sometimes experiencing mental health issues.

Invited to Belong

While the other reindeer shun Rudolph, Santa recognises that, in his difference, Rudolph has an ability that the others don’t have. He gives Rudolph the opportunity to use his ability to guide the sleigh through the fog on Christmas Eve. Children and young people with additional needs can often have untapped abilities too; maybe a young person who has a focus on tech, or a child who can help us make stories more sensory. Rudolph was invited to belong to his group again, brought back in from being marginalised, to instead having a key role; the same can be, and should be, the case for children and young people with additional needs too.

Accepted

Once Rudolph had been invited to belong by Santa, using his ability to lead the sleigh through the fog on Christmas Eve, the other reindeer change their attitude towards Rudolph and love him, singing his praises. Sometimes it takes an adult to show the way to children and young people, helping them to accept their peers with additional needs, and to understand them better. Children often take their social cues from the adults around them, we need to give them the right lead.

Application

How can you use the story and song of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to help the children and young people you journey with, as a parent or carer, children’s or youth leader, teacher or teaching assistant, or another role, to change from bullying, marginalising, and isolating their peers with additional needs, to understanding, loving, and accepting them?

Maybe a starting point is to celebrate the differences and diversity in all the children and young people we journey with, leading by example in inviting them all to belong, to treat each one equally, to help each one to have a role. Perhaps then we can all “…go down in history” as the generations that made the world a more equal place, a place that is set up for everyone to ‘glow’ in their own way!

Happy Christmas,

Mark

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen
Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen
But do you recall
The most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Had a very shiny nose
And if you ever saw it
You would even say it glows

All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games

Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say
“Rudolph, with your nose so bright
Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”

Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
You’ll go down in history”

Songwriter: Johnny Marks

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer lyrics © ST. Nicholas Music Inc., Warner Chappell Music, Inc

Blog post © Mark Arnold / The Additional Needs Blogfather

Header photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

Other photo by Tatiana Colhoun on Unsplash