Workarounds that worked for me going through school

 So yesterday I talked about how a few weeks ago I got a nickname which is a workaround for my real name.  Going through school there were lots of workarounds that worked.  


 Slant board 

 Image description :A side view of a slant board  facing to the right 

  I used this in early elementary school to help me write.  I did not like  it because I wanted to be like everyone else.   This was an idea of my preschool teacher who helped tutor me.  It was helpful  once I agreed to use it  


  Fischer  Scissors.

  image description:blue scissors on a white background 

  Cutting things and doing art projects is a skill that is a staple in many kindergarten classrooms.  I have Cerebral Palsy and I had some fine motor difficulty which made cutting difficult for my tiny hands to use. My OT recommended   these special scissors that had bigger holes which make cutting easier.  My mom donated  multiple  scissors to my kindergarten class. This made cutting easier for everyone.




Adapted Seating 

 image description a blue classroom chair against a white background 

Due to my Cerebral Palsy,  I had  trouble sitting well. My trunk muscles were so weak that it was easier for me  to put my feet up near my chest which did not make for great learning posture.    I had an adapted chair from   second to fifth grade. It was  a blue chair with a block on the back with a velcro cushion . 



 Alpha Smart 

 Image Description  A blue keyboard with a tiny green screen.  says AlphaSmart 200 between the screen and keyboard. On a teal background  

When I was in second grade , I moved to the public school so there were more resources to help me access the general education curriculum.   One was an Alpha Smart.  I am sure that many  disabled students  remember these word processors .  I had one in second grade. This helped me type my spelling words and  write stories. Nowadays   Ipads and tablets can do far more cool things than my word processor ever could.  I did not like using these  things because I wanted  to be like the other kids.  In third  grade, I got access to the school computer  and by fourth grade  I wanted  to write  and my teacher agreed to let me write.   In middle school, my aide  and I took notes.  In high school I took my own notes.




 Pulse Pen 

 Image Description. A black pen pointed  on the record button on the paper.  Next to it has  pause and stop, Then it has  jump the other things are  harder to make out.

 In college I used a  Pulse pen to help me take notes. I highly recommend this for students who are auditory learners.  It is better than a tape recorder because  when you touch on a note it actually plays what was said while you are taking notes. I think this assisted me with doing well in college. I  graduated from Community College with honors.


  Sniffle Buddies 

  Image desciption  A blue wristband, On the front it says I'm blank 's buddy.  Then it has the Words Sniffle in green and buddies in blue along with their website  www.snifflebuddies.com

  A cool wristband that helps me manage my drooling.  




 Name Tags 

 A blue name tag that says on top " Hello my name is" and then  there is a place to write your name

  I love name tags because when I meet someone that can't understand my real name I  just showed them my name tag. It is easy and quick.    A few weeks ago someone  gave me the nickname  that I now use to introduce to people. I love my new nickname.




 Do you have any adaptation that you use? Want a more in-depth  description  of an adapted strategy?   Leave a comment below.




 Got images from

Slant board: http://www.sgwoodworksllc.com/Incline_Board.JPG
Fiscar scisssors https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/515%2BQfIJsqL._SL1000_.jpg
 Blue chair :http://s7d2.scene7.com/is/image/NationalBusinessFurniture/51239_0?hei=325
Alpha Smart http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NjAyWDEwMjQ=/z/yq8AAMXQ74JTUAWT/$_12.JPG?set_id=880000500F
Pulse Pen image https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41N8dbsDUHL._SY300_.jpg
Sniffle Buddies http://www.childrite.com/media/Sniffle_powderblue.jpg

31 for 21 Day Five : Laying the foundation

  I have been playing golf   since  2007.   I  first learned about the sport   through  Special  Olympics.  My first year I  started  playing I  was in  skills and I could not hit the ball over  100  ft.

First   golf event with Special Olympics 2007

 After  two months  I  decided that I wanted  to play for my high school  team.  My  dad thought it was foolish  but he  drove me  to the course  anyway. The  coach was a former  special education teacher and  felt that he could  handle  a teenager  with disabilities and   let me on the team.  By saying  yes to me  he allowed me to become a part of the golf team  he also  laid  the foundation for  something  magical  to happen    a  Monday  night   in  August.  

 Good  chip 

     Now  I am  pretty good at golf,  I can  hit the ball  over  one  hundred  feet and   hit  really  good chip shots .    I  now no longer play skills,  I now  play  unified  golf.   Unified Golf is where   a person with a disability  plays alongside a person without disabilities  and  mentors  them  as  they  develop their skills   to play  individually.   I  really thought that my  partner would  be the same one as  last year but   she had work commitments. I asked   a girl on my  high school  golf team if she would be willing to play  with me.  She  couldn't , but she did come out to play with me  one  night.

   That  night  I played the best game of my life.  I  got two  great chips and  great drives.   I also  was  able to connect  with a peer who is quickly becoming my friend.  We were not close friends   in high school , but we  were able to  reconnect,  She  originally lived on my street but moved  to another city. Being on that  team  laid  the foundation for us   to play together .

   I know  a lot of  families of kids with disabilities who have to fight for  inclusive education.   My heart breaks for these families and their  kids.  I also feel very angry because educators  need to understand that   school  is more  than  test scores and academic honors.   It is  the center of a child's life.  Friends  come  from school experience  when   people  ship  students   off to another  place   there is no  foundation for  friendships to form between those with and without disabilities.  I am not saying that these friendships will  form while in school, but they  could,  but  as  people   grow and mature  and  see  their surroundings in a new  way  they might want to become  friends with  people  with disabilities, but if they did not have  the  chance to attend school  with people  who did  have disabilities   they will not know  where to look.   

 Inclusion  lays the foundation for   friendships.



 Tune in tomorrow for  a book giveaway

A Gap in my knowledge

      There is a show on  Fox and  National  Geographic   called  Cosmos.  I really  love this show.   The show   talks about    science.

       Ever since  I  have been watching this show, I  can not help  but  moran  for    a chance to be in middle school again.  In   middle  school  kids in  resource  only  took three core classes.   Everyone was  required  to  take   English,   then referred  to as Language  Arts, and  Mathematics. In terms of history and scince   at my middle school  you  were supposed  to  chose  between  the two.  All three  years of  middle school  the school and my parents  chose  history.  This  really  paid  off because  now I am  a  self  proclaimed history buff  and   passed  my  AP  test my junior year of high school in  American  History.   But   all three  years I
missed out  on  science.

  In high school   when  I  finally took  science ,  I struggled  in science  a lot.  In  biology  I was able to  work with the teacher who  was able  to help me  on test.   In   Chemistry  it was   really  hard  because I was  lazy  probably  in part  because I  had never  had  science  in  middle school.  In  college   I did well in Biology , but when  it came time to  take   the Solar System,  I was   lost  because  I   did not  know the order of the planets . I had  to work really  hard and  I  passed.

    Instead  of   learning science  in  middle school I  had   resource  room  where  I was bullied a lot   from other students  while the teachers did not  do anything.

 Lets think about what  my day would have looked like  if  my school   practiced  best practices  My   teachers  would have  came into the class  and   help me  inside   my  general education  classes.    Maybe  I would get pulled out   in a small group  once a week  for  pre-teaching  and  study  skills  development  in  areas  that I   needed help  with.      Since it was  a small  group   and  it was   with a purpose   perhaps   the other students would have been busy and  not   teased  me.    I  would  have  taken  Science and   History .      I wouldn't  have gaps  in my knowledge    Perhaps in  high school  I would  have   had an  easier  time  in  my science  classes.     I  might  have had the   foundation  I needed  to  take  an  AP  science course.  In  short   I  might have  had  a  educational career  similar to   my  peers  who did  not have a disability.

  All  schools  should   practice  best   practices   All  students  need to  learn   in  inclusive classes just like  they  would have  if  they did not have a disability.  We  are  Worthy!

Dear Public Schools,

   Dear  Public Schools,


  You  know when  you have school wide events,  and  the school  website  .  All  the kids  need to be represented.   That   means   every type of  learner  needs to be represented  at the school.   If you have  school  wide   pajama  party  or a  Science fair  or  walk a jog .  All kids  need to be represented.  Including those  kids in those  classrooms.  You  know the ones  who  for no fault of your own have special  needs.   Let me tell you a secret.

  Those    kids have names

 Those  kids   enjoy  having fun.

 Az, a student who has special needs goes down a bouncy slide  on her  Senior Activity Day.     

 Those kids want to belong to the school community

 So  next time  u have an event   Please make sure they know.   please  make sure they are invited.  If you  happend to take pictures of  said  event   please make sure you capture their smilies to  post on the website.   They    have  the same rights  as the  average students.

 Sincerely

 AZ
 ( a  student who   is friends  with  students in the Special Education  classes. and has  disabilities)

 AZ graduated  community college with honors and a  degree in Social Sciences 

Got  pic from http://prek-8.com/holiday/backtoschool/images/backtoschool_nametag1.jpg

The best choice my parents ever made for me : An inclusion success story

   So   I  have been hearing multiple times about  the fight parents   need to have  to give their child an inclusive education.  Every time  I hear about this my heart breaks because I know  what the benefits are to being include  and I feel so powerless because I can not anything to fix the system  but hopefully  it will be different in three years  since I am becoming a  special education teacher for now his is all  I do I hope everyone enjoys the video.  Feel Free to share  just leave a comment first. 

. 

Surpise the writer is disabled

  English  class

    professor aka  P
  P:  AZ  i  got   good news 
 AZ : What
  P: will tell u later
  Az thinks about  what the surpise  could be
AZ: I  can't figure it out
 P:  My  daughter, a writer,  read  your essay and said    that  she writes  well

AZ:   Did  u tell her  I was  disabled 
P:  No

AZ:  you should  because she will be  blown away

 aside morel 
  never  underestimate   what  a person  with  a disability can do


 got image  from http://www.academyoftraining.com.au/images/surprised%20look353.jpg

16 years ago today I started pre school

  The  fall of  1994   marked a  beginning of an  era for  me. You see , due to my CP  I was  eligible for free   pre school  though my school  teacher . The  Key word   is  free  so  off to  pre school I  went.

There  was a catch ,   this  class  was  a SDC class  for kids with  speech disorders. My  teacher, I am  going to call her  Teacher  J , was a  wonderful teacher  who  helped  me out a  lot . I later  met up with Teacher  J   right before    I   started  high school  at  my  Jr.High   graduation party in 2006.   I am  getting ahead of my self  here so  why  don't we   take a  look at  the first entry of my pre school  journal.  This  journal  was   used   as a  communication  between mostly my mom and  teacher J  with input from dad  just to  keep it  interesting.

 please not  [  ] are my commentary. while  the stuff written  like this  outside the[  ] are my  comprehension of  what was  written. Names  are  changed  for privacy reasons.

   Original Date Written    October 12 ,1994. by   teacher  J


 Greetings  AZ's  parents,
         Well we're on our record day. AZ  got off the bus and joined it [ I think she  ment  in]. She  crise especially  in the  early morning requesting, "Ma Ma". In fact she is with  me holding my arm and leg as I write to you.
         Transitional times  seem the most difficult.[to this day this  remains  true] - From one activity to another, classroom  to  playground - classroom to  bathroom. We  chose not to go to  the library today keeping the  routine  constant.Overall she is  adjusting. It's a big  leap for a child. I've  been though it w/ my own  3. We are loving, holding and  caring  for  her.

 Teacher   J

 I  of course   wanted to  share something with my parents as  well so  I drew something  that looks like  this

  This is  from  AZ    teacher J  wrote  above the paper [  I  drew something   similar  but   the  picture  is not  from  me  it is  from  this  site (http://blog.bolandbol.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/061215.jpg)]   Mommy and  Daddy  I love  you.

 PS :Perhaps you can send a favorite stuff animal,book or toy ,so she could hold on to it, reminding her of home. think about it!

Full Furstation

warning  this post contains a vent

  I  have the  hardest speech in my entire class.      Has been a statement   I   could have  said   from pre k to  senior year of  high school,without  frustration.  As  when  I  was  young    as long as  kids  played with  me (which they  did ) at recess, lunch or  free time.  As   I  entered  middle school ,   I     told myelg   that they  do not have a disability ( I  got  passed up in  speech class    and that was discouraging , but   not  to  bad)   and that lasted through  high school,  what also helped  was the  typical  kids who  could  understand  repeat things  to  the   teacher.

( Another reason  that inculsive  education has worked  for me)     But   as   I say it about  my current class  CDS 2010   my  Frustration level is  full.

I really like my first day picture of CDS 

The  thing is that  all of the students in the program  are young adults   with disabilities and   most of them   have been in SDC classes   in  high school.  I am  one  of the smartest   students  in the classes   and I  comprehend everything   that goes  on. It  should make  sense  since  I   understand everything that  I should  be able to express myself , but   that is not the case.  All the teachers   do not  understand me 100 percent  of the time and   it is  difficult   to   show them how  smart  and funny  I  really  am.   A good example  is  today  during   PE.

 We  were in the cycling   room and     coach  A (we had a  four coaches  today)  helps me and says  "AZ  you  make me feel   like     Cinderella," as he put my  foot through the  straps  on the bike pedals" Am  i the handsome  prince ."

 

 " No,"   I say You are the  ugaly troll. I have been  playing a lot  of  Lego  Harry  potter  on the Wii.

 

 The ugly   frog,"                                                   

"No   troll,"

  "Mole?"

 " No? " 

The other  kids  call out  but they do  not say   troll

  I got off  my bike and  wrote the  wrong spelling of  troll 

 I show  it to  coach B  "Troy,"

  

"No   troll

" Finally coach   got it." 

I walked  back  across campus  with  Coach  A and  we   talked about the  frustration i have about my speech during the classes in the class and he suggested  slowing down and   articulating.      Coach A  says that   he talks to fast and ask that we all  try to do our best and  slow down.    I can  do that but      it  still  does not  guaranteed that I will speak  smartly.  I   hate   speaking  stupidly I need more  ST   with a good speech therapist.

 got  pics  from  the flowing
 sign:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhgXxe25XgWypThBwqhxbaBjYmL4LPZNaXX7EZRSEC3DrFAHg3FUrI3eKYBhJxuzfO5t_YfUcD3yKhq3Dq9eS94o63y6Vnl_Wh7zDQuBzkKHjy7f4HBsKSxJLs1gkylbIPhvtR_uA4LNDN/s400/Frustration.jpg

 troll http://i.clevver.com/photos/229747/130/98/lego-harry-potter-years-14-screenshots-of-year-1-vignette.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

Happy Valentines Day memories from long ago

Well on friday I did not get any candy lays like last year but there was a rally and to my delight I got to play knockout and lost. Knock out is a basketball game in case u do not know. Anyway Happy Vanities Day well a day early. I might post pics of what I do tomorrow on vanities day with my mom (as my two sister are playing V ball in las vegas with their travel team anyway happy V day everyone.

I remember when I was in elementary school I got to celebrate the holidays with my class ( I was complete mainstreamed in grade school) we would make little mailboxes and bags and everyone had the option to make valentines day cards. If you made some back in elementary school you had to give them to everyone which I think was preaty standard back then.

In sixth grade all the kids from my grade( I was in middle school) got to go to a party in the gym with the whole pod that was very fun.

A perfect example of Inculsion.

time 12:20 Augest 9 2010
place English classroom belonging to Mr T who is an general ed teacher a bunch of students inculcating AZ who has NVLD and CP making group work and public speaking hard for her to do.

Mr.T was talking to his students about Orthello and to start out the unit he was taking a abbreviated script for groups of three to act out. Mr.T knows how hard group work is for Az so he says that she is Director and has to find out the tone of the play. AZ loves the idea because he told her it is kinda like AP work( he also teaches to Senior AP- English) and she has always wanted to take. About ten minutes latter the class reconvines and he sits with AZ and togeter watch the play ( a actor who will remain nameless) got near the director but he moved back much to AZ's delight) Then Mr T asks AZ a question and she got it wrong but it dose not matter what matters is that Inclusion happened and she was one happy girl at lunchtime. Mr.T is genius





Why did it work: Mr .T knows that social stuff are hard for AZ & IT always ends in frustration of monopolizing the project. He also knows that Az loves a challenge and wishes that she was in AP. He put 2 together took the script and wrote tone on it in certain points for her to do while the others were practicing the same scene. He then helped check her work when she was done at his desks. The result is one happy well ran classroom and a kid who can grin and say that she was an director today and had fun doing a special job.
AZ 8-10-09

Comeing soon to a blog near you

well today is the second day of the DC summit which I am not at . so trying to make the best of a bad situation I am going to be sharing memories of K- 8 grade in regular school. This should be very fun and memorable just thought I let you know,