When Dreams Get Wings : Ammar Bogis

Ammar Bogis
Ammar Bogis was born in U.S and stayed there for 10 years (Khan, 2012).
He speaks Two Languages, Arabic and English as his native languages.
He was diagnosed with type 1 of SMA (spinal muscle atrophy) disease that is known as “Werdnig–Hoffmann”. A child with this type of disease will be never able to walk or to move normally. He will have difficulties with swallowing, feeding and handling of oral secretion. His talk will be so heavy and slowly because the tongue is affected. Mostly, a child with “Werdnig–Hoffmann” does not live more than two years (Kesting, 2013).

His Internal Strengths
Ammar - Compelling Impossible
Ammar Bogis- Film
• Ammar memorized the Holy Book of Islam “Qur’an” in two years.
• He has graduated from King Abdul-Aziz University in Saudi Arabia with honors in journalism.
• He worked in several Saudi newspapers, such as Okaz and Al- Madinah newspapers, in sports and social sections.
• He is a member in the Saudi Federation for Special Needs.
• Prince Sultan bin Salman has selected him to represent people with special needs in the 3rd International Conference of Disability in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Currently, he works as an assistance professor at the American University in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• He works as a producer and presenter of television programs and a writer in Okaz newspaper.
• Finally, He wrote a book about his life which is “Compelling Impossible” published by an American organization for publication and distribution (Khan, 2012; Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services staff, 2012).

Ammar's Achievements :
Ammar for me is the light that shows me the right way. Ammar is an aspiration not only for people with disabilities but also for all people whose barriers throughout their lives are made by their minds not anything else.
Ammar has powerful words that can change the whole world.
One of his great messages that inspires me, and I think it will inspire you, too is “I think able-bodied people have to look at their abilities and powers and move away from their negativities. Think positively and have strong willpower and faith in yourself. No one can stop you.” (Khan, 2012).
Truly, “no one can stop you” from things that you want to do EXCEPT your fears, mind, and weakness, so it is a time for us as teachers to stop thinking about the things that a student as Ammar can not to do and focus on what they can do to have one day a person and hero as Ammar Bogis.

Ammar Bogis is identified as a twice exceptional student because of his intelligence and his sever disability. Although of his disability, Ammar has many internal strengths as well as some external strengths.
For his internal strengths:

As mentioned by Hebert, there are some effective “Survival Techniques” that 2e students can employ to be successful in school and their entire lives (2011).
Some of these strategies can be seen in Ammar’s characteristics that make him strong enough to face his difficulties.

Ammar was a resilient and very motivated student meaning that he had “a set of personality characteristics, dispositions, and beliefs that promote” his “academic success regardless of” his “backgrounds or current circumstances” (Hebert, 2011, p. 295).

It is clear that he was able to “understand that being a different type learner does not mean it is a deficit” (Hebert, 2011, p. 292). Ammar was completely satisfied with his situation. He knew that being successful is not related with not disabled body, but with being optimistic in reaching goals and following dreams.

For twice exceptional learners, it is essential to encourage them to focus on their giftedness and strengths rather than their disabilities and weakness (Hebert, 2011). Definitely, Ammar was sure about what he wants to be in his life and worked hard to reach his dream of being successful journalist because he knew who he is.

“My main goal is to give the message to people in the community that there are no handicaps and no disabilities. The only disabilities are in the people who don’t have a broad mind. That’s why I chose to become a journalist,” Ammar said (Khan, 2012). Ammar ,as cited by Hebert, had “a unique understanding of the problems faced by others, an attunement to the needs of other people, and a high level of empathy” (2011, p.295).
His External Strengths
According to his external strengths, Hebert mentioned the importance of finding supportive teachers who they believe in their students’ abilities and take their hands to overcome their obstacles to be successful and reach their goals (2011). For Ammar, based on what he said, there were no teachers who could trust and be the turning point in his life. However, his family and his wife were the big support for him in his long journey of fighting and struggling to follow his dream. “I don’t feel I have any disability, as I have a very good wife and son. My wife really takes care of me and always looks to me as a strong and excellent husband,” Ammar said (Khan, 2012).
Problems in Ammar’s journey of fighting
“You are broken” (Hebert, 2011, p. 276).
Unfortunately, the source of this negative message is the most place that should graduate successful people and change retarded minds to more open minds in our society which is a “School”.

The biggest issue that Ammar faced was the underrepresentation in gifted and talented programs. The reason was simply not his disability, but the teachers’ prejudice and personal biases that disabled students cannot be able to be gifted at the same time. In fact, not only the schools but also the society made obstacles in front of his dream, but with faith and willpower, Ammar was able to make the impossible possible.

I believe that the first step of success begins from home by having parents and family who make their students believe in and be confident about their abilities, but the big steps that shape and make the success to be continued is the school.

Gifted students with disabilities need “adults who believe in them, teachers who have high expectations and show confidence in their ability to succeed, and an environment that facilitates achievement” (Susan Hermon, 2002).

These three elements are enough to have people as Helen Keller, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, and Ammar Bogis in our society.

Reading stories about successful peoples as Ammar Bogis, Helen Keller, and Albert Einstein makes one asks himself what is the common thing that they share and is beyond their success.

After reading about giftedness in this course, I think the answer could be “The High Motivation” that leads these people to reach their goals and cultivates their curiosity about learning new things and being creative to produce useful and novel things. In fact, Renzulli’s Three Ring Conception of Giftedness that is based on having above average ability, task commitment, and creativity is a good explanation for Ammar's fighting to reach his goal of being journalist (Hébert, 2011).

Source Prezi.com