Yes, I’m 22 and out of college and paying student loans and working full time and trying not to hold my breath as I walk into adulthood... but let me tell you, when I first saw the "Finding Dory" preview a few months back, the 22-year-old-responsibility-laden me disappeared momentarily and Third Grade Maria came to life.

I’ll never forget going to the drive-in with my family the summer of 2003 to see Finding Nemo. That was 13 years ago. Thirteen! Kids these days have no idea what we’ve been waiting for.

So, when I proudly walked into the theater the other day, ticket stub in hand, my mom trailing behind... I was a proud 22-year-old third grader. As we hunkered into the awesome recliner chairs (right?) and watched the funny trailers, I was ready to play kid for a little while.

97 minutes later (plus a few extra if you were smart enough to watch past the credits for the extra scene...), I was refreshed. My heart felt lighter and calmed by the joy and laughter the film boasted. The musical score synchronized my body as if I was out at sea myself.

But what really captured my heart was the essence of the characters in the story and the spotlight it gave them. Dory, Nemo, Gerald, Bailey, Rebecca and Destiny all had one thing in common -- they were depicted as characters with special needs. Did you catch that? While I think Pixar could have done more with this (and not made Gerald a character you laugh at necessarily), it was beautiful to see the conversation sparked in Hollywood.

We all know that there is a lack of representation for basically any group of people that isn’t white, so seeing Pixar's effort means that the mysterious executives must realize that there are more stories to be told. Our world is made up of far more beautiful people than someone who is just “white.” I don't know about you, but I want to hear these stories.

Someone who has devoted his life to telling these stories is special education teacher and founder of Special Books by Special Kids (SBSK), Christopher Ulmer. About a year ago, Mr. Chris started recording the students in his classroom, simply to show the world that although some kids may connect and communicate differently than what we are used to, they can still relate to everyone and be a colorful part of society.

This is the first video I saw, and I couldn’t help but squeal with joy:

This teacher works in a way that empowers his students to love themselves, embrace their neurological diversity and spread support and awareness to families and individuals that share these attributes. It has become a global movement! With his videos receiving millions of views with each upload, I think the world is starting to see the beauty in these differences.

Mr. Chris captures teachable moments in his classroom and also spends significant amount of time with other people with diverse abilities across the country, interviewing them and helping people see how special these individuals really are.

Here’s another favorite:

Being someone who has a teaching degree and has spent a lot of time in the classroom working with all types of learners, Mr. Chris' mission encourages me to continue to see children and adults who communicate differently than me through the lens of equality -- one that requires me to take time to learn communication, love and acceptance beyond what this world is used to.

These are special kids. These are special adults. They really aren’t much different than you and me. They are born with purpose, with a desire to love and be loved and with brains that function just as vibrantly. We just need to take the time to see them for who they are: special.

"Finding Dory" wasn’t just a nostalgic experience for me. It gave me the opportunity to realize that my world is filled with people of all kinds. All races. All genders. All abilities. As someone who has a passion for serving and teaching, it is my privilege to make sure they feel at home in the world, just like Dory’s parents had done for her and just as Mr. Chris does for his students. Will you join me in that?

PS. If you want to see more of Mr. Chris' adventures with his students, check out Special Books by Special Kids on Facebook!