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.

happy fathers day

my dad is working today which meant that we celebrated on Saturday we went to see Toy Story 3 in 3D and had dinner happy fathers day to all the dads in the world which Inculdes the best dad in the world My Dad

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

Collage

me   at the  monteray bay  aquarium  summer 2009

  hi   guys   thought i  let  you  know that   the lack of  post  is  because   I  am not doing anything    worth  blogging  about.  Well i thought I  give  you a   update on the things to  come in  the next   few weeks.

  I am going to  a collage  program    for  people  with disabilities   . It  starts on the 28   and    i will be  taking a train and  two  bus to get there. We  are  going to be working on basic  English and  math  skills.  Should be interesting.

Yesterday    I took a test  for    another  local collage and tested  into   regular  collage level  English. I  guess  Mr T     taught  me  a lot  of  English  last  year.  

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.

Enjoying the sun on a Sunday part one

On Sunday my family got up early and drove to Marin to go to a mountain play on mount tam. We were going to see Guys and Dolls which ed started one of the people who works with my mom. The weather was beautiful( even though as we were driving though San Fransisco I thought it would be cold due to the clouds. Even in the heat it was a nice outing. Now here are some pictures

    Save the  souls was    repeated  throught the day.  I think  this   was good since it was after all a Sunday

 

   Is it me or  dose the  Monkey look  like   Curious  Geroge 

book  gal and me   waiting   for the show to start  my mom  made us sandwhichs  and we  had a picnic before the show  began.

 Watching the show  you  can  see  princess  in the   top  left Conner she will be a junior  next year   man    it seemed  like  yesterday  it was the  summer before my  Junior   year of  high school.

The lady in   pink was a sign langue  interpeter. I  sat down  by her  a lttel  bit during the seconed  half.

                       

I had a  fun  time   and   I wish we would have  been to these    starting  when I was younger then    this  year  being my  first time at 18.  ( they  have been  doing these  for almost 100  years  now0).  Be sure to stop  by   tomorrow   for   part  two.

I passed AP history ,but aged out of speech

I have cerebral palsy which is mild ;however, it still noticeable in one way when I open my mouth to say something. Not saying anything for me isn't a option because i love to talk and i am funny which means strangers will always wonder what is wrong with me or think that i have low intelligence which is soo not the case. AS Deb pointed out her speaking has no consistency with intelligence

This has happened a lot of times during my course of my life. I remember adults talking to me or asking my parents what I say it far more what happens. It happened recently at a restaurant with some family friends. I order something off the adult menu(which makes sense considering my age) . I had an adult drink but come meal time I got a thing I wanted from the kids menu. Now most people would not be bothered by this but looking back I wonder if the waitress gave me something from the kids menu because she thought I was not a adult or that I would not know the difference because I had a intellectual disability I wonder.

I did pass Advanced placement united states history and it is true. I passed my test with a three. with high school ending I aged out of free speech therapy and there are still things I could work on. Mr.T stutters a little bit but he is still smart and wise and the administrates trust him to teach AP and he is a great teacher. I may talk unclearly but that dose not mean I am dumb.


pic is from http://www.buzzle.com/img/articleImages/295742-3812-20.jpg

Ready or not here I come

no not hide and seek but graduation i graduated from high school for the first and last time. I had a party at my house with my family and got my video games back so even though it sucks that high school is over I am glad my video games are back in my possessions