Journey Toward Independence

This is Betsy Smith. She is a 25 year old woman who has Down Syndrome. She has shared her story with PBS. (www.pbs.org/parents/inclusivecommunities/independence.html)
Her parents raised her to be active and involved in her schools ever since pre-school. She has been in plays, concerts,and has made friends. Once she was in high school, she found that she enjoyed speaking in front of her peers. It was one of her talents. She never liked being called "special", she just wanted to be like the other kids.
She started working at the front desk at the local YMCA. After graduation, she was able to get her own apartment and keep her job. She is a big advocate in inclusive schooling and community, and has had a senator ask her to be a member of New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education. She will be an advocate for people with disabilities.
Betsy loves music and wants to be a rock star, she loves makeup, and she has a passion for life. She is independent with an inclusive support team for her whenever she needs. What in inspiration for us all! Betsy has truly shown that disability is an incorrect statement for this young lady's life.

Signs of Autism

Autism is considered a spectrum disorder. You can be a little autistic or very autistic. Symptoms can vary greatly in this disorder, but there are some that are common to all. These are what we will briefly discuss.
*Delayed or unusual speech is common with autistic children.
*Lack of eye contact.
*Extra sensitivity to lights, sound, and touch.
*To some degree, some difficulty with fine and gross motor skills (ex. poor handwriting, uncoordinated).
*Engages in repetitive behaviors and ritualized activity.
*Being interested in one "obsession".
*Having difficulty in making and keeping more than one friend.
The good news that they have found is that the earlier you can detect Autism, the more successful the treatment.

Things that make an IEP meeting more successful

On Tuesday, April 27th, UNC Special Education Dept. put on a faux IEP Meeting. It was held in a small classroom, and students surrounded the table where the "meeting" was held. Present was the student, "Arizona", with her parents, all the special education teachers, and the dept. head of the special education department. We were to note some of the important and positive aspects of the meeting. I will write the things that I felt were important in making an IEP meeting a positive and understandable experience.
In my opinion, the most important part of the meeting is to take a moment to explain all the procedures, tests, forms and issues that will be discussed in the meeting. Have a mini introduction before you even start.
Another important thing that I noticed was a lack of respect for all involved, especially the student. Parents need to understand the challenges each teacher faces. Teachers need to also understand a parent's frusterations, fears, and insecurities. A mutual respect is essential!
Another aspect in the meeting that I thought was positive was being able to keep a sense of humor. It takes a lot of the stress off. And keeping the meeting within a certain time limit helps to prevent it from becoming stale and overdone.
An IEP meeting can be a positive experience for all involved and it can be if some effort is put into this end.

Important Qualities of a Special Ed. Teacher

What are some qualities a Special Education Teacher should have to be successful? When this question was asked to students, principals, parents and educators, they agreed on many things. Here is the list:

1. You should love your job and feel it is your calling to teach students with special needs. You love being with the children.
2.Have a lot of patience and know that little steps in learning go a long way.
3. You know your students well and they feel at ease with you. They look forward to coming to school each day.
4. You provide a non-threatening environment for the children.
5.You know how to motivate the children.
6.You are very comfortable working with students with various needs.
7. You thrive on challenge.
8. You are a life long learner and you want to always improve.
9. You have a drive to help each child reach their full ability.

If these qualities sound like qualities you possess, and you are considering a teaching profession, you may want to consider a profession in the field of special education.

Evelyn Glennie Musician with hearing impairment...

Evelyn Glennie is the best known deaf musician known internationally. She is a percussionist, which is quite impressive. She also composes and gives motivational speeches. Her musical ability is highly talented and creative. She has her own official website: www.evelyn.co.uk/, that tells her story and gives samples of her music. A film has been made about her called, "Touch the Sound- A Sound Journey with Evelyn Glennie."
At age 12 she lost almost all of her hearing. When she was older, she wanted to attend a music school, but at first they wouldn't admit her. They didn't feel she could be a musician while being deaf. But she challenged their policies and won, not only changing that school but all schools in the UK area. This gives those with disabilities admittance based on ability, disregarding handicaps.
Her 1st CD won a Grammy award in 1988. She has worked with Bela Fleck, Bobby McFerrin, Sting, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and many others. She does approximately 100 performances and year worldwide. If you would like to hear her talk about what music is to her, how she "hears" it, and listen to her perform, go to www.ted.com/talks/evelyn_glennie_shows_how_to_listen.html
You will enjoy and appreciate this. It is a great motivator for me as well! Enjoy!

NCBC ( National Camps for Blind Children)

These camps are affiliated with Christian Record Services.The project began in 1967 with a single camp in Florida.So many children enjoy the camp that there are now over 2 dozen camps in America and Canada. The camps are free, thanks to many donors. There is, however, a $35 processing fee. The kids enjoy horseback riding, swimming, waterskiing, hiking, rappelling, canoeing,go carts, and talent night.
Summer camps like this one increase confidence in the children, adn create good memories of their childhood. A good site to look up is www. blindcamps.org.

The Child Called It

This is an absolutely heart breaking story of childhood abuse and freedom from it that I had a difficult time reading. The book starts with the story of his rescue. Teachers and the Principle of his school finally were able to take him and put him in the state's care.
When Dave was young, him and his 4 siblings were treated well, and he writes very highly of his mother. Even in the good times, there were red flags of her not being "right", but as any normal child these are overlooked.
The father did nothing to help the boy, and finally left the family... this is another part of the story I will never understand.
Somehow, through the tortures and abuses Dave suffered, he was able to retain sanity, for one thing, but for another, he kept his spirit from failing. That is a higher power at work.
If you have a love in your heart for children, you will find this book difficult to read, and I had to skim over some parts. I highly admire the author and will be sure to read more of his works.