Hay guys October is nearly over which means that it is almost the end of the giveaway for Who's the slow learner. Sandra also made a video. It is really good. I love the song she used.
It is 31 for 21 day six.
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Friday, October 23, 2015
31 for 21 Day 23 : Memories from Seconed Grade
In Second grade I remember..
Starting a new school. I moved to public school it was harder to fit in. I had a hard time making friends and was bullied.
Aide : I had a one on one aide.
Writers Workshop : I remember coming up with great stories about different things.
Spelling words and homework packets: These came home every week.
Arthur and Toy Story Two: These were my favorite things to watch on tv. Toy story two came out the Thanksgiving of my second grade year. I had an Arthur Backpack.
Field Trips: To the park, to see Elephant seals, and we rode the train to the downtown.
Singing in the classroom and after school in the school singing class . I still remember those tunes.
This teacher was a great teacher for me. She actually taught all of my siblings. She is now my Facebook friend.
Thursday, October 22, 2015
31 for 21 Day 22 : "The first of many graduations"
My mom is a wonderful women. She is strong smart and by far my best advocate. I love her so much. She also believes in me.
We have an old video of my preschool graduation. In the video my mom is saying that this is the first of many graduations and she included medical school . I should mention that this was a graduation from a special needs preschool. My mom is amazing. The belief and hope that her child with disabilities could achieve greatness is ineradicable. That is one of the reasons that I have come so far. It is because she believed in me.
Leave a comment if you would like to hear from my mom in a future blog post.
The first of many Oh how right my mother was |
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
31 for 21 Day 21 Brave in the attempt to obtain knowledge
First day of school Fall 2015 |
On my first day at my new univestiy, which happen two days before I wrote this post. I alternated between excitement and fear.
The excitement came from the classes I would be taking, the fear came from my experinces at my old university. But after I had one class and went to go find lunch and heard music playing I thought that. I got this and I knew that I can be brave in the attempt to obtain knowledge.
The mental scars that I have from my educational experince are many. I was label the bad kid in K to 12 . I was told that I could not graduate from college ( I graduate in 2016) I was bullied and told to ignore it , yet I have overcame. It has not been easy but I am plaining to celebrate big when I graduate from college because I was brave and overcame soo much.
Imagine how much more confident I would have been if I did not have those scars. Do you have school scars from your school years of your child's let me know below
I do not mean to brag or anything but I am pretty amazing.
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
31 for 21 Day 20 : On being realistic...
When a baby is born. The sky is the limit. Parents dream of their kid being a doctor lawyer or actor. Sometimes those dreams die when their is a developmental disability that is diagnosed. Haply as society is becoming more inclusive these dreams do not have to die. There are college programs for people with disabilities and there are more options for employment as well.
The hard part about this is that these opportunities are closed to people with developmental disabilities. Not because they are not capable or unlucky, but because the adults in charge destroy their dreams. They rip them up into tiny shreds and lock them away. Now these people are not overly mean they think they are being realistic and kind. They feel that they are doing the best thing for them and their parents. Sometimes parents agree with these limits.
This happened to me on a few occasions. The first being in high school where they told me I'd work in the back room and live in a group home. The seconded time being my experience at a private college. I know how I got through those hard times by having people believe in me. From parents to teachers at my jr college to my friends . I decided to listen to them instead and now I am almost done.
It is up to the adults in a young persons life to encourage them to dream big. Young children can not dream , but the adults can dream by having high expectations. A long time ago doctors tried telling parents to be realistic and put there children in institutions. That did not work out so well. Don't be realistic be bold and daring. Set high goals Will kids reach those said goals? Maybe not, but not all able bodied people do either. Let people with disabilities show you that they can not do something instead of never letting them try .
For anyone reading this with a disability
Blast those low expectations out of the water.
Got image from
http://previews.123rf.com/images/iqoncept/iqoncept1408/iqoncept140800100/30604007-Be-bold-confident-courageous-fearless-daring-and-brave-words-in-white-3d-letters-on-an-orange-backgr-Stock-Photo.jpg
Monday, October 19, 2015
31 for 21 Day 19 : Virtural Field Trip
Read it and comment on this page. Do you agree or disagree.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Saturday, October 17, 2015
31 for 21 day 17 :Great Ted talk
This is a great Ted talk done by a women with CP.
I have chatted with her via Facebook She is nice women who speaks her mind about things that she is passionate about. Remind you of anyone?
Friday, October 16, 2015
31 for 21 Day 16 : Memories from first grade
In First grade I remember.
Learning about the contents and dinosaurs.
Falling and hitting my head three times in the same sport.
I fell and hit my head playing with my siblings in the play room. I remember going to the downstairs bathroom being all bloody. It was not a present site.
I fell at school.
I also fell when book girl pushed a toy shopping cart with me riding on top. That was not a good idea.
Today I have a scar on my forehead from where that happen.
My class got chicken pox. I got the shot but the next day I went into school and my teacher told me to go to the office because I actually had the Chicken Pox.
I remember getting tested for NLD. I did not understand that I had it until ninth grade.
I was very close to my first grade teacher. My mother always reminds me of this by saying that first grade was the year I sat on my teacher's lap. I do have memories of not sitting on her lap but I think it happened more times then not. I also remember
being sat down and told I had CP, so maybe that was part of it I am not sure. I had behavior problems and was labeled the bad kid. This was the last year that I attended that school. From then on I attended public school. Academically that was the right choice socially well you will have to see in my next post.
Past posts about first grade
NLD
Learning about the contents and dinosaurs.
Falling and hitting my head three times in the same sport.
I fell and hit my head playing with my siblings in the play room. I remember going to the downstairs bathroom being all bloody. It was not a present site.
I fell at school.
I also fell when book girl pushed a toy shopping cart with me riding on top. That was not a good idea.
Today I have a scar on my forehead from where that happen.
My class got chicken pox. I got the shot but the next day I went into school and my teacher told me to go to the office because I actually had the Chicken Pox.
I remember getting tested for NLD. I did not understand that I had it until ninth grade.
I was very close to my first grade teacher. My mother always reminds me of this by saying that first grade was the year I sat on my teacher's lap. I do have memories of not sitting on her lap but I think it happened more times then not. I also remember
being sat down and told I had CP, so maybe that was part of it I am not sure. I had behavior problems and was labeled the bad kid. This was the last year that I attended that school. From then on I attended public school. Academically that was the right choice socially well you will have to see in my next post.
Past posts about first grade
NLD
Thursday, October 15, 2015
31 for 21 Day 15 : First grade Opereta
Tomorrow I will be sharing more about first grade. Lets just say that First grade was a tough year but I was still cute.
Here is proof.
Here is proof.
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
31 for 21 Day 14 A major misconception about NLD.
I have Non Verbal Learning disorder, NLD for short. When people first hear that they think that I am non Verbal . The answer to this is false. I talk and use speech for all of my communication needs. My speech is unclear but that has to do with Cerebral Palsy not NLD.
Too learn more about NLD please watch this somewhat short video,
Too learn more about NLD please watch this somewhat short video,
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
31 for 21 Day 13 Sending your kids with disabilities to college an Q and A
Today’s post will be from Stephanie, Stephanie has two kids the oldest is Ryan, who has been on my Special Olympics Track Team for the past four years, Ryan has Autism but that does not stop him from going to college. He goes to the Wayfinders program at Fresno State. I talked to Stephanie about her family’s decision to send her son to college.
AZ :How did you find out about the program?
Stephanie: I heard about the program when I googled colleges for kids with disabilities. I did a lot of research on Fresno State Taft College and UCLA.
The process to apply for Fresno State took about six months. We visited had interviews and there was extensive application process. In the end Ryan liked Fresno State
AZ Why did you guys chose the Wayfinders program?
Stephanie: I didn't take him to UCLA because I thought LA is too big and too far. When I did research about Taft College it was also too far and it is a very small school. Fresno seemed perfect because it was a perfect mix of not really a big city but a nice college campus
Their program is very extensive. Not only does it include independent living skills and budgeting finance paying bills on your own it's also a work program.
Ryan starts his job in the library and bookstore this week.It's a great school for not only social interaction academics but also the independent living component and they have a lot of life coaches and other coaches to help them along the way
It's challenging because they really work you hard and they make sure that you stick to a budget and that's not always fun. But the whole goal is to get you to a place where you can live and work independently and have a social life. And really isn't that what everybody wants?
AZ How is Ryan doing?
Ryan and his brother Will |
Stephanie :It's taking some time adjusting to all of the new experiences having three roommates sharing living spaces sharing refrigerators going out to parties and events going to classes and all the while keeping track of your own money. Ryan is finally starting to enjoy it a lot more I think at first it was very very difficult because he's never had to do anything like this
AZ What would you want to say to other parents about sending their student with disabilities to college ?
Stephanie: I would say be prepared for a lot of ups and downs. First of all it has to be what your child wants not what you want. Like with Ryan him being 3 1/2 hours away it's very hard. He gets homesick he didn't know anyone when he got there and for some kids with disabilities it's very hard for them to use language skills and social skills and get out there and meet people.
You have to be prepared for a lot of phone calls and a lot of support.
And you also have to realize that it's OK to fail if it's not the right situation for your child or your child is it happy then it's OK to say come home
Thank you Stephanie for giving us some insight. I can not wait to hang out with Ryan over winter break. Have a question for Stephanie leave a comment below .
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