My first Summer Games

   So you guys know how I didn't post last  summer , so  I decided to post about  my first Summer Games.  My first games  were back in June.  I have been in Special Olympics for more than ten years and I have not had an opportunity to go to summer games until this year.  I actually got chosen for both swimming and track, but you can not do both so  I participated in my local track  delegation.  The games were held at UC Davis.    On Friday morning we took a bus to  UC Davis.  It left around noon.   There was a lot of traffic so we arrived in Davis around dinner time.  Once  we got off the bus, we were handed name badges and  wristbands. We dropped off our bags and went to dinner. The dining  hall food was amazing. There were so many good choices.  Below is a picture of my dinner  Friday night.

 After dinner, it was time for the Opening Ceremonies.  I got to hold the banner for my county.  Our coaches gave us matching  Blue shirts for the Opening Ceremonies. The opening ceremonies were lots of fun I just wished that they didn't use the word inspiring so much.

  Our dorm room was located on the top floor of the building.  There were two people in a room. My roommate was very clean, me  not so much.   I actually was kinda nervous  about sleeping because  this was the first time that I had slept away from home.   I thought I would melt down.   Turned out I was fine.  I just played iPad games and read the  book the  T and  D  gave me as my college graduation gift. I went to bed around one am which is my usual bedtime.


 My coached woke me up early on Saturday. I was very excited because  I had slept through the night without incident.   After getting ready and having breakfast  it was time to do  what I had come here for. I was going to run track.   My first race was the 100-meter dash. I  got bronze in that.  I did way better  in the shot putt.   I got gold  in that.

 Lunch was a bento box. The food  was really good.

 There was a dance  Saturday night. I  wore a dress and danced the night away.

 On Sunday. I threw  the turbo javelin for first place and had an  IRL  with    Beth, Patrick, and  Rene.  Later we had  the four by hundred relay. Our team got silver.

 Left  to right   Renee of Paraeducate,  Beth of National Catholic Board of Full Inclusion,  Patrick and  AZ 

I also got a temporary  tattoo.

 Me with my temporary Tatto a few days later. 

  I melded in all of my events.  Not bad for  my first Summer Games.

Year in Review

  Hay  guys  it seems like the year  was  just started  yesterday but as I  write this its the day before  New Years eve. 2014 has  flown by  and it was a  great  year . I hope that I can  have   a  great  year   in 2015.  

  Now there is  a lot of  great stuff that happened in 2014  here are the monthly  highlights  complete with pictures.

 Let's Go  Niners

 January 2014 :  Took  my  mom out to dinner and  paid for it making me the first child to do that. I got a new basketball and a nice 49 sweatshirt and hat,
 February 2014 :   Watched   the  Superbowl  with  Mexican  Food .   My  old b ball coach came to see me  play in a tournament.








 March 2014:    Had the  best weekend ever at the  TASH  Conference a
nd  got a   cool t shirt to celebrate  World  CP  Day.

March 2014 

April 2014 : Celebrated  Easter by   going to Cream. Competed in Shot Put for the  first time  ever with the special olympics.  I also  went to the beach,

May 2014:  Celebrated  my sister's  b day  by  hanging in  SF

June 2014: Started summer  school and  learned  that "Individual differences  reign
 supreme.  Saw the para olympics at my  jc.

July2014:     I cut my  hair on the fourth of July.  Celebrated my  Dad's b day by  going out  for  lunch and  feeding  the ducks.  Watched the World Cup  and  chugged a shot of  alcohol before  throwing it up.  I also  went to the movies with  LM

August 2014 :    Went to a giants  game.  Took a final   while my mom was away and aced it. I  attended  Motown the musical with my sister and  my mother.   I     also  played in my first Unified  golf  game hosted  by Special Olympics. My  team mate and I  got  sliver

Halloween 2014

September  2014:   I turned 23   and took the  ALS  Ice bucket challenge.


October 2014:      I had a blast at  Big  Wave  and helped make the day  fun.  I  was  paid in two  free spray painted  pumpkins .  I  won the JC  costume contest as an orange crayon and  went to two special needs Halloween Parties. The  Giants won the World Series

 November  2014: I got my first  job at the bookstore.  Had a wonderful Thanksgiving  at  my house My   Aunt L  Uncle M  C and R  came down.

 I beat  C in a game of Parcheesi 

December2014:   My  grandma comes to visit.  I get  my first pay check and use it to buy a golf  bag  and I gave my mom 200 dollars for being my mother.I MET TIM SHRIVER.  I had an awesome christmas  week with my grandma and cousins and had a X - Men Movie Marathon . .


Over all its  been a great  year.

 Here are some  post that are worth looking  at  from  2014



  The  Solution is Inclusion
 The  Power of Choice
 Inclusion Matters because

OCD Awareness week

   I have  OCD.  Those  three  letters  ruined my life. It causes me  a ton of pain and anxiety.  My OCD is also one that isn't  well known.  I have  thoughts that I do not like. It causes me to  have panic attacks and has limited me.  I know  CP  should not prevent me from living independently   I know young adults with CP who have lived  internationally.  For me  i live at home because of OCD.


  To understand what it is like to have  OCD watch Birdy's story.  I was diagnosed with OCD at 15.



I am  geting better at handling it all the time

Dear People sitting across the table

  Dear  People  sitting across the  table,

             You  guys are   gathered around a table for  a  school meeting of a student that  struggles.    Maybe  they   have  a intellectual  disability or a  behavior issue but  you are about to meet with that student and  their families to  talk about   the upcoming school  year.  I am that bad  student.   I  was the one  no one  wanted  to teach.  I was "the hardest student  I had ever had to  teach".    I  am now that adult  who  is  hardest   to teach.   I have  been those meetings and boy they are not  fun.

         Can I ask  you  guys around the  table  for a favor.  Can you  please   remember that every  person has  both a good and bad side to them.  Can  you  please   remember that    students like  me are not future  inmates  or  horrible   people  headed  nowhere.     We are more then  IQ scores or  how inteligble   our speech  is.

   Can  I  remind you that their  is no  alternative   to inclusive  education.     It is the  law  for a reason      No  research  has found that segregation  what  you  guys   call " a program" or " special  day  class"  is a better option  even  for  those with serve  disabilities.   LRE  says  that  students like me  should be  educated  for the most amount of time  among  peers  who do not have disabilities  using the rights supports and services and  if  all the supports  fail  first then is it ok  to   remove to a  more restrictive environment    That is the law.  No one should have to prove that they are worthy  of an education and everyone  learns at a different  pace.

    Dear  people  at the other  end at a  table  in an  IEP  meeting.   Before you  start ,  please  look into the  parents and  child  eyes.   Everyone has a story.   The parents   probably  have experienced  a lot of heartache  over  their  disabled child.     Most people  do not  want a  disabled family  member and   it is quite  possible  that  there was a  time when the child was  small  that they cried  for their  child's future.   You  may  be able  to go  home  and  back  to your  lives , but  the child's  parents  have to   see the child that  night.   Please make it easy for them to  see their child  that night.  If all you do  is   remind  said  parents that there  child is  rude and disruptive.  They  will have to go home and become  the cop to the child.  This  will  undoubtly   make the  student self esteem  suffer immensely which  will  lead to  more  bad behavior and  their  believing that  they are  bad people.  

Instead  of  calling it bad behavior  why  not  say"  Jimmy  is  confused  by the social  new-ounces  of  classroom  life.   Can  we  all  work together to  try to  teach  him  social  skills  so  he  can    get along in life."    It is a lack of  skill  not bad behavior.    Students are not bad if they  do not  understand  an Algebra  concept, nor  should  they  be  called  bad if they  do not understand   how  to  behave in class.        


   One last thing.   No  one has a crystal  ball so  try  not to  predict the  future  thanks.


  Sincerely

  A  young person that  lacks  social  skills, and
  has  a  strong love of  learning.

   image  urlhttp://www.picgifs.com/clip-art/communication/meeting/clip-art-meeting-532273.jpg

Once upon a time

Hay guys this is a good post , but spelling may b bad as I typed on my iPhone, internet is down at my place school starts tomorrow . I still need photo for the CP montage.

Once upon a time in the fall of1997 a little black and hispanch girl started kindergarten.Not only was this girl a  minority  she also had CerebralPalsy    She hated phonics because she did not havethe ability    to make the sounds, yet she loved words and was reading by the end of the year.

By first grade this girl had really bad behavior she was diagnosed with  nld . But that spring she participated in field day and got awards 

  

In second grade she attended a new school  they were able to help her and she got an   Award   for a nature project.  

 

Throughout her elementary school career she won 

 

 Life skills  awards 

 Bike rider award in third grade for particpating in sunday bike rides  with her teacher, dad, and siblings. 

a science fair ribbon in 5th  grade 

Along with trophiesand awards    for neighborhood kids sports one year she won a good  award from her local ayso 

In middle school the student still had behavior problems but still managed to get on honor  role.

 She joined special olympics and began to win lots of medals over the l next  eight years .

In high school she got awards as well but also developed OCD  she did not want to leave high school and acted out so bad that many people did not  not want her to visit she accepts full responsibility for this by the way.

 She missed a lot of class her first semester of college but when she   Started going to school she improved her behavior and  picked up a medal that said that she graduated with honors. Out of all the awards she has received this one means the most to her.

No one would have predicted : three years later

  I had  the worst start to college.  I  felt that I did not belong there.  I  was severely depressed. My  first semester  I missed  two to three weeks of school. I wanted nothing to do with college I wanted to go back to high school.  I was afraid of the world, which  sounds   bad, but its true.  I did not want to go up  I thought I would not be able to succeed.

   I  do not blame myself because I  had  been brainwashed into thinking I was not college material. I knew  I was smart  and could comprehend, yet my teachers in high school  did not see potential in me  and I had no  friends who could relate to going to college with significant disabilities.  All  the kids my age with with disabilities were  in the Adult transition program.  I did not qualify for the program, yet junior year  the schools workability  school representative   told my mom that I  should find a job at Safeway.  I was hurt.  So you see  how scared I was  to leave  high school.

 Too make matters worse  due to my terrible monstrous behavior,  most teachers in high school did not allow me to contact them. I  have tried to befriend so many  of my former teachers who have befriended other students , yet most ignore me  including my special education teacher.  I think they did not want to hear  my tdradigies that were going to happend or so they thought,


    I  finally got the college thing down and I made the dean's list. I  developed close bonds with professors and staff.  My behavior improved a ton to the point where  teachers LIKE me.  I have asked them if they are sure that they are not confusing me with Princess,  yeah  I know  she is not at the same school. 


 Just today this  conversation took place between  Professor D and  me,

 AZ: Thanks for tolerating me this semester

 ProfD: No  problem its been my pleasure,

AZ: What? 

 a student: Its been his pleasure.


ProfD:  Keep in touch I  will fallow your blog.


 For ProfD: Thanks for  being supper nice to me and helping me out. I hope  we keep in touch if you  do not mind. I may be visiting  in the fall.  Your words mean a lot to me and show me how far I have come. Thanks for  leading  me to believe that I am a decent person. I love  comments on the blog btw

  


 Now  do not get me wrong I  still have hard  behaviors  at home and in DSPS, yet I  am
  

learning  how to  deal with them in a mature mannor.   Part of it is habit. I have  to retrain my reactions which is not easy but  I am  going to be graduating  JC and Transferring  to University. Right now my Major is Liberal Studies but I am thinking of  switching it to English  with my end goal being a Special Education teacher. I am not  going  to a day program, I am not going  to a shelter workshop. I  am going to University.

  Too be honest I have been afraid  yet  I  feel like this time thing will be different. I  will stay  in contact with many professors at  the  JC and support Staff  at DSPS.  I hope  to  take  some more classes their if time permits   I  have grown and I am  ready.  Transition will be hard,yet their are two major thing that will be different. I have a ton of people who support me now and most importantly, I  believe in myself now. 

A do- over day

          So  today  is the  national youth inclusion conference for I am  norm.  I wish  I  could be telling you guys about   all the fun   things that are happening.  All the  people  I am  meeting   that also believe in inclusion.   I was  soo excited  earlier in the week  I  warned my teachers that I would be hyper  on friday  from all the  excitement. 


  That was   Monday.

 The fear set in  on Tuesday night  when  I  realized that  it would be storming in the  bay area.

 Wednesday    talked to a physics  teacher  about  what would happend  if  a plane got stuck by lighting,

Thursday       warend  my group that I would not attend.  Talked to my old  aid  went to see Lincoln  which was a great movie 

 Friday

  Went to class  was not hyper more scared   it did not help that   we read a poem about death. ( no  i do not blame  my  american  Lit teacher) 

 Talked to my  astronomy teacher asking him about   any metros, like the one  he told us about on Wednesday, 

  Went to the  airport and  could not decide  to  go or stay.     Went to security twice.   My  mom  got embarrassed,  It did not help that my  mom   had to get padded down  because  the machine kept going off which  freaked me out .    We  made it to the gate as the plane was  taking off.

      Today I  feel soo sad and  ashamed of myself.    Everyone has been so  supportive  and   I  got to  Facebook some of the girls  who are on the youth summit on Thursday    I  can not believe that   I did not get on the plane.    When  I woke up today    and   knew that today  was  Saturday  and not another Friday   I  was  soo  angry  because  I  was supposed to   be  in  Long Beach, yet I missed my plane.    I wish  I could have a do over day.
  I hate  OCD 

My b day blog

Hi guys just a quick note to say that I turned 19 today and I am typing this
From my new ipAad cod was bad today but I hope I am at the bout will update soon.



I

A unexpected annoyance

 Hay  guys  sorry I  have been  missing  in action  but i have  a  request  if u  read this  can u send me  healing  vibes  because  my  ocd is back and is a  strong as  ever  Dealing  with  relapes are the  worst

Enjoying the sun on a sunday part two

A family of five go to mount tam ;however only two go up a father and the only disabled teen in the brunch, his daughter. ( The Irony)

top of mount tam dad and Me June 6 2010

After the play on the mountain my dad wanted to take us to the top of mount tam. He has been trying to do this forever but this was the first day it was good weather. Book gal and Princess had a different idea though.

I wanted to go to the top but little did I know there were 2 hikes . One going around the mountain and another going to the building. My whole family went around and I learned that Princess is afraid of stuff too( heights and wild animals). So my mom waited with her and book gal in the van while I went to the top with my dad.

The view was amazing up there I am taking a break climbing the mountain. I had to hold my dad's hand all of the time.

I am standing outside of a fire station on the top . There used to be a train that took you to the summit and they would have dances on the top.

The fact I went to the top is a significant because I am almost done much done with OCD it has been the hardest climb in my life. I wrote the flowing poem a year after getting OCD.

Going up the Mountain

by AZ Chapman

I was going up a mountain

yeah

oh I was going up a mountain

I was going up a mountain

going up so fast

I had friends all me

I thought that it would last

with new friends to make and sports to play

life was good

to good to last

The year of ninth grade

in the spring semester

things stared to become a pester

first the map then no sleep

then my family found out I had OCD

I am going down the mouton

i am falling fast

I just want to return to the past

the friends I tough I could trust

just left me in the dust

I know i can climb the mountain again

and I have started

but some days are harder then others you know

and now that spring semester is here once more

I am afraid that I will fall

further down the mountain

I hope that I can climb the mountain

and get back on top

if I got back up again I would shout hoary

I missed you summit

and i hope that I can

and hang out up top the mountain

and never fall

And then people like Ms P would be amazed

because I have beaten down a hard wall

was going up the mountain

yeah

it will take hard work

but I am determined to get back on top

Two and a half years later after the poem was written with OCD almost complete and a high school graduate

I am thankful for how far I have came over the past three years in regards to OCD, even though it is not over yet there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

I do not get by

Remeber the Beatles song I get by with a little help from my friends well for me I do not get by with help because I do not feel that I have friends to lean on. I do have the kid from my b ball team who is my best friend but he is only a eighth grader. I have typical friends but they are not scared of transiton so it is hard to go to them for help. Plus I have the suspiction that i tag along with them instead of being true friends with them. I have some socal skills but as a senior in high school (with five days left) I can not work in groups I still act like a child. i am no where near ready and hanging out with Mr T is out of the picture as well so how am I going to survive.

At Special Olympics there are kids who could realte but DD has single handly made it so I do not have acess to them. The girls are disabled and whats more they have fromed a click and make my life a liveing hell. I got into a fight with them saying that they belong in Slytheren( from harry potter) and they belong to the vampire hunters( They realy enjoy twilight) The coach then repermand me for makeing this wrose because I also cussed at them ( was tempted to use the R word but I did not ) So I do not know how I am going to deal with the transition from high school. If anyone has a time machine can you please let me use it to go back to the begging of senior year instead of where i am now

Transition to adult life

I have been wanting for a long time to write about how i feel about leaving high school for a long time and Ellen's post about her run in with the lady with Down Syndrome gave me fuel for my story here it goes.

All high school seniors there is a big fear about what lies ahead. Think about it from the time you are five and six you go to and from school Monday through Friday come home are under adults supervision while you are at home. In the case after high school a new routine takes place one that involves growing up and moving away from home or getting a job and going to community collage. Normal people handle this well. My brother did and now he is back near by ( well now he is in AZ) but he still lives at home with his mom.

Now through in CP ,NVLD, OCD and a fear about the future it is hard. I personally do not want to levee high school and leave the familiar that i have had since I was a newborn. I am not that independent and the aspect of a roommate in collage scares me. The fact that i have normal intelligence means that I can not stay until I am 21 which means fall next year I am going to be lost.

Now that I am a senor my parents and i have to plan for the rest of my life. This has to be the scariest part of transition as the future seems like a big black abyss. i am so scared like i have ever been. I love things to stay the same so these next months are going to be scary. I know i do not want to live in a group home and although I want to live at home next year I doubt I will always be comfortable living at home so I will need to learn how to live on my own. I want to get married and have some kids so I can coach there teams help with scouts etc will that happen i sure hope so. I want to be a self advocate and an author for the disabled and make the world more inclusive but i will need some help. I hope some adults at school will continue to help me as I transition from there but until i leave in May I am going to enjoy every last minute of my high school experience. My advice to all parents is to enjoy the kids as they are kids and listen to them and help make their dreams come true.

Dreams are Dreams

since bear nessicties has worked

but tomarrow will be difficult because i have to go to work or else I can not go to basketball why n difficult because due to acting out once I now can not work in the afternoons which means I have to work during school hours missing two classes and my routine beng changed. I did not get to choses what i want to work at or when there are jobs after school with help so now i am going on a job hunt.

I am going to leave you with a poem

( me when I was almost three although I act three I am not three anymore)

Dreams are dreams

Teachers and job coaches

  I know you want the best

but what happens when you are gone?

  I have to have the ability

to go after my own dreams

and make my dreams live on

Everyone deserves to dream

clam what he wants

Dreams are dreams

goals or goals

satisfaction is satisfaction

but if you try to put people with disabilities into a mold

It like songbird dies in a golden change

A trap that I do not wish to fall into

I want no cage of gold

  I want to be as indecent as possible

so please will you try to talk to me

   I may feel frustrated

but please understand

It is due to the warrior spirit

I have had to acquire

to protect my own dreams

Dreams are dreams

School update

IEP: went really bad enough said..

In other news i have been acting well in English class. Four days in fact last Friday -through Thursday (Friday we went to a play about AIDS) It was part of days of respect which happened at school last week. the secret is simple Mr T is my favorite teacher this year and when he talked to me about relaxing and giving up being the center of attention it cliked thanks to a song. i have frond that I learn better too if I let the Info come to me thanks (Disney if y do not understand look below) and do not raise my hand . This has not yet transform into other classes yet but it has to start somewhere right?.


On Thursday my club the DDAC was a part of a school wide fair for Days of respect week. I did not get videos on my filp because it was so hectic. We set up two games or simulations one was blindfolding a person stick there hand into a paper bag and trying to see what the object was and the other was doing a puzzle with your fingers tied. Ido not have pics but will post about the simulations soon with what I have from the night before next week some time.


(Pic is of Princess , book gal , Balu, and me from our last time in Disneyland Summer 2006)

A Princess party

Or  not    .Tomarrow is  my annual  IEP.  Thanks  to  my wonderfull behavor and great  grades (so not the case)   the IEP  will  go  nicely.

 I am so  nevous.     I think  my  self  esteem  will be going  down  tomarrow  morning and  I will be  more nevous then  I am already am ( if  that  is  even possible)  for life after  high school.

  The  bad thing  is I   touched the fire  sota  speak last Thursday so  it  was  too  late  for this IEP  but  maybe  not  for  open  house  which  is  in  march but that  dose not cover  life after high school. ( more on these  topics   soon  i hope)

 pic is me  age 19 months  

2009

first off I want to say Happy new year things around here have been hard ocd/anixety wise but enough with that today is the last day of 2009 which means one last chance for me to look back on this year. lets get started

January 2009:Obama became president I went to my local special olympics youth summit

February 2009: I made home made cookies for a Spanish project and found out I had a secret admire at school

March 2009: learned about CP awareness day

April 2009: won honorable mention for Dare to dream big poem pics and video coming soon

May 2009 : Took the US AP history test , Book gal turned 16, Princess finished her first year of high school while I finished my Junior year

June 2009 : I went to golf camp and a mid evil party, Mom and my two sisters went to Washington DC

July 2009: Saw fireworks from the top of dad's car , was a CIT at the JCC, went to Bike Camp and learned how to ride a two wheeler and made a ton of friends, Mom and my sisters went to Las Vegas.

August 2009: went to the monetary bay aquarium, Princess turned 16 Went with C and R to the SF Zoo right before starting senior year

September 2009 I turned 17 18

Octorber 2009:helped out at the special olympics young athlete day and met J Mac and coach Jim Johnson ( this has to be my favorite memory of 2009)

November 2009: My grandma came to visit from texas and we went to the California Academy of Science

December 2009: Celebrated christmas and played way to much wii

now for the annual New years resolutions as well


first reviewing from 2009 list




1More independent. Make my own lunch for school clean my room stay organize and do laundry once a week Happy Mom somewhat compleated

2 Stop talking to myself / yeah it's a bad habit that i need to break I do not want to be doing this in collage ( This is probably the hardest one on the list ) need to work on this

3Keep room somewhat organized not much has changed

4 Mange my homework time better ( You might not see post around here that much )

5 Learn how to drive got my permit and am taking driving lessons if my ocd settles out. last lesson was in November



Ok so 2.5./5 F aww man



new years resolutions for 2010
1 More independent ( this includes OCD progress)
2 respect others better
4 finnish editing my books and keep writing more Nick Adventure stories
5 post at least 15 times per month