The power of Choice

  So   college  for me has  been a bumpy  ride to say the least.     From  being   terrified on my first  semester  of college to  powering through  to  the horrible inaccessible  experience at the  private university  down the street from my house.   Its been very hard.




  What makes it even harder was that I  believed  I  had no choice.  

 First Pay Check  12/15/ 14

      You  see as a disabled person  you do not  really get choices.  Ok  sure I had  the option of   choosing what I wanted  to eat and stuff but  the big ones i did not have a say.   In  high school I did not  have a say  where I wanted to work  and  messed up  on the job.   Back in  November  I  applied to a place  I have always wanted to work ever since I  went to  visit colleges back in high school.  I wanted to  work at the book store.   In  November  I got my wish.   This past week  I got my first pay check  and it felt good to earn money.  I am  one of the best workers.  I  take my job seriously and  am  learning a ton about the book business.   This is a far cry to  the placements  I had in high school.  I  chose what  I  wanted  to do.


 Now back to colleges, My  faith has been tested and if you asked me on  Friday morning will  I  finish college?  The  answer was.

  I do not know.

 A good problem to have 

  It has been  really hard to go through school with people that are ablest and who are not patient. I felt that I did not have a choice because when I  went in the spring  to apply to another school my parents  said no  i had to go  back to school that i hated. So  I did this past fall.  I took one class  from a teacher  whose cousin had CP.  So they understood me and helped me out with the projects  and  did not  think  anything of it.  I  had a fantastic  time there.  Which was  saying a lot.  I  always  felt respected. I  even had fun,

  Dealing with the administration was very hard though. After my advisor  was not nice to me  I   got  really sad.  It took a week to  recover  but I did.

     The day before thanksgiving I went to my advisor at the JC  who told me that I still had time to apply to CSU.  I thought i missed the deadline. I  got  right on it and was able to  apply before the window closed at the end of the month.

   On friday  I  got into  my first choice of schools for the fall of 2015.  I  am  soo happy.  I have options  I have  choice.



            I CAN NOW SAY  THAT IT IS NOT A MATTER OF IF  I  FINISH COLLEGE  BUT  WHEN  I FINSH COLLEGE.



   

 Now I have to chose my  path just like Pocahontas.  I might be able to finish  faster if  I stay at the private school but at least now  I have a backup plan
  This  was my favorite movie in Pre School.  Probably because  Pocahontas had my same skin tone 

  To all parents of children with disabilities  please  give your children choices, Teach them that  their voice matters.  Ask them what they want to be when they grow up and help them  get there.    Everyone should be given the power of choice.   Presume that all children can make choices.   Do not   try to guess what they  want  because you could be dead wrong.  Give them the tools and confidence to know that they can change the world.




 Got  Images from

http://www.manataka.org/images/Choices%201.jpg





https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wBMloVl1WxJTmipjLGbg3M9YAM9BJyLWBcFKoAZm0HAVtHymHtH5QITnIP2yMB1w_g5PnhXZ_Jk0vMDOxxIO288SGwMAA8dL-XC64hiWrc4oJ6pezIyR1yUZr3E08MjsU6HszYxmgIzs/s1600/compass.jpg

That explains a lot

    The return  of   ms A    will be  in this  post.


    Some things I learned  about Wisconsin  while in her class
   All you need is Cheese 
    Badgers are  cool
      Cross country skiing   is  fun  way to  enjoy  the  snow in Wisconsin




   MS  A  was a great teacher.  She  was a  teacher  who  got  me and  was  willing to  help me.  She along with  Mr T  will  go down as the best  inclusive teachers  at my  high school. ( Or  in  ms.A  case   during the  year  I had her)  Since  having ms  A  I  have  always  thought since  having  her  four  years a go   that  Wisconsin had the  nicest people in America   and   after  four   years  of  waiting  I have   some  evidence to  support  my hypothesis.
    Here is the  evidence


   Now  if    could  make     my town   like  Madison in terms of   public  education





got  image  from

http://images.clipartof.com/small/16751-Clipart-Picture-Of-A-Wedge-Of-Orange-Swiss-Cheese-Mascot-Cartoon-Character-With-Welcoming-Open-Arms.jpg

It should not be a fight

    I have  seen and heard  Many stories about    parents  who  have to   fight  for there child  to be in   mainstream  and   after  reading such  accounts  I  wonder why  does  it have to be a fight   on there  part    to   let disabled  kids  go to inclusive  school.

My mom  came  to   my  kindergarten  class    when we had our career
  unit I am  sitting on    my  teachers lap   listening to what she does  in the
hospital

I  have always  been  included  since  kindergarten.  It was a no  brainier    for  my  parents  and the  two  school districts  because  I  have   normal    intelligence.      I would not trade      inclusion   for special  education,  (although  I must admit  I  wish  I had  more life skills when I graduated high school ) because I have  met so many wonderful  teachers, students and faculty as well as  being  apart   of   all of my school  communities.  I  have  so  Many great   memories   of     being in the  mainstream  and  going  on  field  trips  and  discovering     new  things.      I  just graduated   from  inclusive  high school  but  have  left behind   a club and lessons  that  others have  learned  from  me.

Ms P  (red)  was my sped teacher  all t
throughout high school here  i am  with her
 halloween 2009

  I have had   help and support   from special  education  teachers and staff  and have  participated in  ST     a  one  to  one aid  and  Work ability   while  being  able  to read    write and  learn  with  people  in my community, people who  live  near  me and     in my city    because  I have  been  in inclusive education

 Field trip  fun.

I   care so much about inclusion  because   Cerebral  Palsy   could  have    caused me  to  have a  intellectual disability  are be     so  disabled  that  the  best  place  for me   would have  been a separate  class  or  a special   needs  school.    I     care because  I  have  friends with   disabilities both online   and in  real life   who are not included . I   see   what  a shame it  is  that  other people will not have the chance  to get to know them.

Art work  2009   the teacher
used  to be a sped  teacher
  I  took  ceramics  during my Senior
year  of high school 

 I have  heard   from a  favorite  teacher of mine that    when  they taught at   another  school the kids with disabilities  were  there  but  they never  got to see  or talk to them.  The kids   missed  out   on getting  to  see   and talk  and  make a connection  with   the  person  who has been  a great   mentor and  friend to me.       The teacher  has been  working as teacher for  a while  but  I  was  their  first    student my   level  of  disability    it was not easy  but    like they  said    at the end of the  year   " Oh  the stories we could  tell"  and     I   am a character in  that story  along with  the  other students.(maybe   mine are the   annoying  and hard stories  but     hopefully there are some great ones of just me and  the whole class) I  have not heard  any  stories  yet from that class  but   I would buy the  book .........I  think.....  lol

 School is not the only  area that  inclusion
  should  apply to but to   all types of  recreation for
  peers of   similar ages. I played  soccer in AYSO    from pre k
 to  8th  grade every fall

 Inclusion     should  not be    so  hard because  unlike a driver's   test which should be  earned because the   result  of     it not  going  badly are deadly     inclusion  dose  not hurt anyone . In fact inclusion  benefits  everyone   involved the students  teacher s and school community.       In    all classes i have been  in  (AP   US history  include)   everyone isn't  at the same level  so why is it that    people  say it is  easier  not  to  have  kids with  intellectual  disabilities   at the  same   classrooms. With   mortifying  assignments    or    simplfilng  the  information     all kids would be able to learn better.  Inculsion   was not  a fight  for me  and should not be a fight for anyone  else.

basketball 2010 part two

From the time I was little I always wanted to knoww what it felt like to be on a school team for my school. That has not happend since sizth grade but flash forad to last year. Mr C bailed on the soccer team ( but we are still great friends ). I dicieded I would bite the bullet and ask coach G if I could help out. I had perepared my slef by saying there was a 99% percent chabce the coach would say no and a ONE PERCENT CHANCE THAT SHEE WOULD say yes. Ms G said yes and I became a ball kid for the varsity basketball team. I had to be in charge of the balls at the home games and got to sit on the bench and shake hands after the game. I got to be a manger on the basketball team and although I never suited up to play in the game I was apart of the team.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Favorite final flashback

  Hi guys just a  mid week up date  I am  in  finals     which end on friday .   I was  going to  do WW  but since it is  almost too late for that I am going to post my faverite final memory  which  thanks too dad  never  deleting his  email  is still intact so      Enjoy  this memory that  have  only done  once  Bold  name  are  changed  for privact

  December 4 2006 15 years old and a freshmen (ninth  grader  in  high school)

I am writing to congratulate AZ on an exceptional Spanish oral interview. She spoke accurately, appropriately and with a good accent. She understood all of my questions, and literally did not make ANY mistakes in speaking! This is both unusual and impressive- not many students  earn a 100% score on the oral interview, and she certainly earned it! She should be proud of herself for her focus, hard work and strong intellect. As usual, she is kind, a great participator, helper (to me and classmates) and listener in Spanish class. !Felicitaciones  AZ!

 hopefully I will ace  more finals  in the near future 

to my smart and super fomer spainsh teacher

By AZ Chapman
When I was a wondering girl of fifteen
You greeted me with opens arms
We got the textbook that day
And you offered to let it stay
  In the classroom.
Over the months time I became a expert in high school hood While learning Spanish in a way I understood With dolls Mr.Potato head and songs That I loved to dance and sing along With winter came a grade of gold A solid A that I held with pride.
Spring Semester was a pester Uninvited parties ,maps and new changes There was one place that I felt safe On those lunch time days when Laura and I came your way I was happy as a lotto winer
  Because I had found acceptances Instead of being shunned because of my disabilities You even offered a treat If I always stayed in my seat In tenth grade

So whenever you sing a Spanish song with your new classes Know that I would like to have been there to sing along

got the pic from http://www.school-clipart.com/_small/0511-0708-2014-2315.jpg

I feel betrayed

    Hi guys  I  would love to have typed that  my turning over a new  leaf  in  school this  year is going great  but  it is not

 Let me start off  by saying Monday through  Thursday    started off  great.  I was playing golf  and  writing two  essays   ( that is 11 grade  for you)   seems  good  right wrong.

 There  is  a new kid at school that is  my grade. He is  in my chemistry class  and  I thought  he make a great friend . Well I learned that he  is popular and   thus      the kids  proubly told  him to forget about me.

 Well I diced to tell him about my social stadus in  a  blunt  way  yesterday and he  said he still  wanted to be my friend. All went well  until the end of science  class. As I was packing up   I heard  my teacher say  "They  tolerate her   and help  her   but she is a great kid."      He only said this  because   I was listening  in  on stuff they were saying    behind my back,

 I  can't  believe what happened   might I remind you that this is the same teacher that I had  last year   who was nice  and helped me  out last year. He  diced to   tell the new kid (who he knew I was  trying to make  friends  with) to  Tolerate me  instead of  Aceapt  me,  He  made  a big stink  earlier  that he was going to treat me  like any other  student  but then to  say   others tolerates me   come  on  he really     wait the  post dosen't  end there  when I asked him  what he meant   he  his  kid felt  unconformable  to  me  because  he  never met a  girl like me  before,  what      When I confronted him     he said  the teacher  brought me  up  and the  teacher won't tell me the whole stroy .My mom emailed  him when I literary came home in tears 

 Ms  A is not back this year  and the Autism  class is not at my school anymore   thus I  have no where   to  go and no one to hang out with. Please keep  my family in  mind  over the weekend  because  my ocd is acting  up  from  my math  class.  I have not had a day as bad  as that one  since night  grade  just before   i got OCD 

AZ and Princess are going to school

Thanks Jan for the idea mine is based lossly on the Owl and the Pussy cat went to sea by Edward Leer


AZ and Princess will go to school in a beautiful sea blue van.
they will take some pencils and some binders in a backpack.
Princess will look at her sister sleeping and on the foor of her room and say

"AZ wake up wake up it time for eleventh grade
get out of bed you lazy bum so you have time for hair to get maid,"
Az gowns and moons a lot but steps on the cold floor and realizing a new chapter is about to begin
Az will get dressed in some jeans a cute blue shirt and say
Princess my lady can you pass me some paste to bush my smelly teeth.

Princesses and AZ will go to school in a butiful blue van
Princess will be starting school in a new land
where grades do count and might be wondering around in a haze for a while
Because high school after all is all so new

AZ and Princess start the first day
the first day
the first day
the first day
of school today

golf is gone gone gone

Friday night my golf team had a end of the year party at nicks pizza. I went to this instead of a Dr appointment as was really glad I went. It turns out one of th golfers knew the people at the pallor and got the space for free. I had so much fun playing video games eating pizza listening to the gals talk after inhaling helium from the balloons (Its really funny) and with help I was able to do it too playing football and surpisesing K a senior who was team captain and will be off in Collage next year. (We will miss you K come back and visit) I had a lot of fun this season and can't wait for next season. Coach G O was really patient. Any coach needs that when teaching me a new sport and I gave him a lot of hugs during the season. He told me that despite the fact I don't have him in pe he will make a point to stay in contact with me and might be a Unified parter for me this summer in SO golf. If I get premisson from the team I might post pics online and might make a montage.