TED (or technology, entertainment and design) Talks have featured presentations from phenomenal speakers with the brightest minds in many fields including science, philosophy, entertainment, business, philanthropy, art and religion. The nonprofit organization serves as a platform for intellectual individuals to speak freely about their passions, inspiring their audiences. Amongst a plethora of other inspirational speeches, TEDTalks regarding special needs are exceptionally moving as they reveal the gifts hidden behind disabilities, challenging conceptions of normalcy. Here are 10 of the best TedTalks about special needs:

A few weeks ago, an intern here at The Achievement Center of Texas put out a blog discussing special needs representation in film. The discussed the portrayal of those with special needs in the medium, as well as the ethical dilemma of an able-bodied actor playing a disabled character. After its release, we got to thinking about representation in in other forms of entertainment; so here we’ll be talking about television.