Already?!?! The End of December

How can we possibly be at the end of December?  How can we possibly be at the end of  December and I haven't posted anything about Wade's kindergarten experience?!?!  Although Wade has been in school for two years, it still didn't make the first day of kindergarten any easier.  It's still such a huge sign that he's growing up!

Wade is in a general ed classroom with about 20 other kiddos.  He LOVES it, and better yet, the kids love him.  At the beginning of the school year, Wade was sent home early for a fever so he missed the next day as well.  The next day in his backpack was a card from one of the sweet little girls in his class.  Notice how she captured his wheelchair!  Such a little artist!  The day after that, he got yet another card from another little girl.  I think we're going to have to keep an eye on him.  He seems to be quite the lady's man!

Wade was also invited to his very first birthday party that didn't involve me knowing the parents.  That was a HUGE deal for me.  It was a sign to me that he is building true and authentic friendships.  That's the great thing about kids.  They're able to see past disabilities a lot easier than adults.  It makes my heart happy when I pick Wade up after school and he's surrounded by other kids.  They include him because they want to, not because they have to.

We also decided to try another season of t-ball this fall.  Wade ended up on a different team than the one he was on in the spring.  This season was actually t-ball and not blast ball; meaning you play for 3 outs or 5 runs and there are umpires!  So, a real game!  We all had a great season and again, the kids were fantastic with Wade.  The adults cheered him on just like they did every other kid on the team.  The kids even helped Wade with fielding and hitting sometimes.  It was definitely a team effort to make the experience successful for all.



Wade developed a pretty good friendship with one of his teammates.  Easton told his mom he wanted Wade to spend the night with him.  I thought having Easton at our house was probably a little more practical.  As a result, Wade had his first sleepover.  I think Curtis was more excited than Wade!  After practice, they went out for pizza, came home and built a fort, and then fell asleep watching a movie.  The next morning, they got up and went to breakfast and headed to Cabella's to do some "man stuff".  They bought some nerf guns and had fun with those and attempted to have a wheelchair race.  Wade ended up head planting into the grassy curb, but it didn't phase him at all.  When Easton's mom asked him what his favorite part was, he said there was too many things to name!  So, I'd call the first sleepover a success.  I see many more in our future.

As for actual kindergarten, well, it's been a learning experience for everyone.  Wade's team of teachers and support staff are absolutely wonderful.  They are open and eager to try different approaches so that Wade can be included like all the other kids.  At the beginning of the school year, Wade's teacher told me she took him down the slide as another teacher stated, "Are you sure you want to do that?  What if he gets hurt?"  The teacher's response was, "I can guarantee you mom would rather him get hurt than sit here in his chair doing nothing!"  How great is that???  A teacher that knows and understands that I want Wade to experience life, not just be on the sidelines.  One day she texted me and told me she decided to pull out some instruments because he gets such a kick out of people knocking on the door.  Turns out Wade was able to use the instruments to do "soft" and "loud" and then he used the instruments to demonstrate syllables in words.  Of course Wade uses his head to "play" the instruments, but I'll take it!  I love a teacher who thinks outside the box.  I think she needs to move up to first grade with him next year:-)

I don't want to lead everyone into believing that this school year has been easy, because it hasn't.  This inclusion thing is tough, especially with a kiddo who is as physically involved as Wade.  However, through much open and honest communication with the district, I believe we are all beginning to land on the same page.  My advice to those who are on this same journey is to stand your ground and do what's right for your child.  There is a way to get your point across without ruining relationships in the process.  This is a difficult and emotional road.  There are times I want to give in and give up.  But I keep trudging on for Wade and for those coming behind him as well.  When I see Wade's face light up when we talk about school, I know the hard work is worth it.   

Inclusion communicates something more than "integration".  It means people participating in families, schools, (and classrooms), in work places, and in community life.  "Inclusion" implies that people are welcomed, that each person reaches out to include another person.  Inclusion is different from "letting in" or "adding on."  Inclusion conveys the idea that we appreciate each other, that we see each other's gifts, that we value being together.  Inclusion speaks to the importance of relationships.

 ~ TASH newsletter June 1990

Our Vision for Wade

It's been a long time. A really long time. I've had a lot of great things to post about, but the not so great things have invaded my thoughts and my time. I hope to get back to blogging soon, but for now, I thought I'd share our vision for Wade. I think it's so important to have a vision that is written down that can be shared with others. This way everyone knows what your expectations are. When you're questioning certain decisions, you can look back at your vision and ask yourself what is going to best help you accomplish this vision.

I've known about vision statements and student portfolios for awhile now. I talk about their importance and encourage others to come up with a vision for their own children. I've just failed to sit down and write one myself. But as always seems to happen, I found myself in a position where I really needed a vision. I needed a way to articulate to those who are in the position of educating Wade what we want and expect for him. I shared this vision with everyone at the table at our most recent ARD meeting last week, and I plan on reading it before every ARD meeting in the future. I think it's a quick and easy reminder about why we are gathered at the table and who we are there for; we are there for Wade.

For more information about vision statements and student portfolios, visit Texas Project First.  They have some sample portfolio pages.  I used wording from a few different samples and molded them into our vision for Wade.

Our Vision for Wade

We have a vision for Wade; a vision that goes far beyond the walls of a school building.  Our vision started out pretty simple, for Wade to be included.  As the years have flown by our vision has begun to evolve into something even bigger.  Not only do we want Wade to be included in his school, neighborhood, and community, we also want him to be a contributing and active participant in his own life.

It is also important to us that Wade be surrounded by people who love, support, and care for him in a way that fosters his independence without creating a sense of “learned helplessness”.  We want Wade to be a part of a community where differences are accepted and attempts are made to educate those who may be fearful or ignorant with regard to the culture of disability.  We believe that language and words are powerful and see value in using People First Language where Wade as a person is put before his disabilities.  By modeling this language, we are attempting to eliminate the prejudice that surrounds those who have a disability while encouraging others to see past the disability.  Wade is the amazing little boy he is because of his cerebral palsy; it is a part of him, but it does not define him.

As Wade’s parents, we are an integral part of the team that supports him and his education.  It is vital that the lines of communication remain open and that the staff working with Wade support our vision for him.  We cannot do this alone.  It will take all of us working together to make school a place where Wade can be successful and thrive both academically and socially.  Comanche Springs Elementary is part of the foundation Wade needs in order for him to achieve whatever dreams he desires.  We are confident that when given the same opportunities as every other child, Wade will find his voice and be successful in school, community, and life.

“My identity is the product of my history. My history is that of a person with cerebral palsy. If I didn't have cerebral palsy, I wouldn't be who I am; I'd be someone else. Frankly, I like who I am, I like my history, I like my life. I'm not sure I'd sacrifice who I am for the sake of normal movement and speech.” ~ Norman Kunc

 

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Wade is having a blast playing t-ball.  We've had games three Saturdays now, including a double header last Saturday.  Those little players were certainly worn out by the time it was all said and done!  We've been using a little trial and error to determine the best and easiest equipment to use while on the field.  The KidWalk gait trainer is my favorite because it allows Wade to be in a standing position.  When the fans are cheering, his little feet just start moving.  He doesn't go anywhere, but you can tell he sure would like to!

 

 

Unfortunately, by the end of the game, Wade is a little tired and cranky from standing in it.  It's a good thing we have options.

 

When Wade gets tired, sitting in his wheelchair does wonders for his mood.  When he's in his wheelchair, he doesn't have to work as hard, and he can relax a little.  The problem with the wheelchair is it is a bit front/top heavy with the small front casters and big rear wheels.  (we're in the process of finding a solution)  There's also a hole on first base line in the grass that you really can't see.  We've had a few near misses and close face plants!  But a few scrapes and bruises are good for the soul, right?

This past Saturday, we decided to try his adaptive stroller in place of his wheelchair when he was tired of the KidWalk.  I think this is a pretty good option because of the stability and ease of pushing.

My dear friend also volunteered her son to be Wade's t-ball buddy.  Elliot graciously agreed:-)  He's so kind and good with Wade.  But he has good practice since he's a wonderful older brother to two siblings.  It means a lot that he's willing to give up his Saturday mornings to help us.

 

Wade also has his fair share of fans.  I've talked about our neighborhood family before, and several neighbors have shown up to cheer Wade from the sidelines.  Of course his uncle and grandparents have been in the stands as well.  We are so amazingly blessed to have such a great support system.  It makes "stepping outside of the box" with Wade a little bit easier.  

 

Last Tuesday, instead of practice, we had to meet for team pictures.  Afterwards, we went to a local pizza place for dinner.  I took a change of clothes for Wade, but when I asked him if he wanted to change, he shook his head no.  When we asked if he wanted to stay in his baseball uniform, he raised his eyebrows and "nodded" his head--his sign for "yes".  I'm glad I listened to him because as we were finishing up, the family of one of Wade's teammates walked in, and the little boy was still dressed in his uniform.  I heard him say, "Mom, I want to go tell Wade hi!"  My heart about leaped out of my chest at the confirmation that Wade was accepted.  This little boy came over and held up his hand to give Wade a high five.  I helped Wade slap his hand as he giggled and grinned.  The little boy went back and said, "Wade gave me a high five!"  And this, my friends, is what it's all about.  Community.  Acceptance.  Friendship.

School Days

Wade is officially a preschooler! This is his second year of school, but it is his first year in an inclusive classroom. Although it is a lot of hard work getting things in order, we are very excited about the possibilities.

Wade is in the afternoon class--12:15-3:15--this year.  I secretly think this assignment was on purpose to see if I could manage to get him to class before the bell rang:-) I am happy to report that this schedule works much better for MY schedule! I am not a morning person, so I really struggled with getting things together and both of us out the door last year when he was in the morning class.  I'm doing much better with this time change.  Although Wade is eligible to ride the bus--which would probably make things much easier on me--I take him to and from school.  I just don't like the idea of him sitting on the back of that bus in the wheelchair accessible spot all by himself. Since I'm able to drive him, it also gives me the opportunity to communicate more with the school.  It helps me feel like I'm more in the loop.  I'm not sure if the teachers prefer it this way, but it sure does make me feel better.  Not to mention that if he rode the bus, his scheduled pick up time would be 11:07AM.  That's a little over an hour before school actually starts!

On Wednesday, the third day of school, I wheeled Wade into class behind the the rest of the kiddos. As I stopped in the doorway, a little girl looked up from putting her things in her cubby and exclaimed, "Hey Wade!" I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest. Her little voice was so sweet, welcoming, and accepting. Come to find out, this is the same little girl who had shouted,  "Hey, there's that boy!" just the day before when Curtis dropped him off:-)

On Thursday, we had a meeting at the school in the library. We were concluding the meeting as kiddos were getting lined up in the halls to go to class.  When Wade entered the hall from the library, I could hear, "Hi Wade!" and "Hey Wade!" and "Wade!" from all of his classmates. It's such an amazing feeling to know that Wade is being included and accepted for who he is. 

As of today, Wade has completed his second full week of school. To say he is exhausted is an understatement! Due to the afternoon schedule, Wade has been forced to give up his naps. Unfortunately, he has not adjusted his morning wake up time to make up for this. He is still getting up between 5:00-6:30AM! I'm hoping that as we get more settled into the school year he will realize that staying in bed until at least 7:00 isn't such a bad thing!  One day during the first week of school I told the assistant, "I don't know what y'all are doing all day, but he sure is worn out." She said that she wasn't surprised because Wade spends the majority of his afternoon laughing at his friends! I'm so happy that he enjoys going to school and has so much fun playing with his new classmates.  Although the struggle to make the curriculum and environment accessible for Wade is absolutely draining, the smile on his face and the acceptance of his friends makes every single step on this journey worthwhile.

Universal Design for Learning--Day 2, Part 1

The Inclusion Works Conference is geared for parents and professionals, with a pretty strong emphasis on professionals. Math is not my strong suit, but if I were to guess, I'd say the big ball room consisted of about 75% professionals, 25% parents. I was strongly encouraged to attend as a parent because knowledge is power.  If I know what teachers are being taught about inclusion, I am better equipped to help guide my own school district.

The mornings started out with a general topic over breakfast for an hour. Afterward, we were able to choose the breakout sessions that we wanted to attend. There was one session before lunch and two sessions after lunch. I ended up opting for sessions that could really benefit professionals and parents. While co-teaching is exciting, I really didn't want to sit through a session on how to implement it in the classroom since I'm no longer a teacher:-)

Thursday's breakfast session was an "Eavesdrop on the Experts". While eating some yummy, cheesy egg casserole, three amazing women in the field talked amongst themselves about some things they are excited about in regards to teaching and inclusion. If you aren't familiar with Dr. Paula Kluth, Dr. Wendy Murawski, and Dr. Lisa Dieker, I highly recommend looking them up. And if you ever have the opportunity to hear them speak, you should go! We also received a copy of the not yet released book Collaborate, Communicate, and Differentiate! by Wendy Murawski and Sally Spencer. It focuses on increasing learning in students across the board, including those with special needs.

The first breakout session I attended was "Universal Design for Learning: Providing Access to the General Curriculum for ALL Students", facilitated by Kirk Behnke. I think the most important information I walked away with from that session is that in order to modify the curriculum, you have to accommodate the student. That student is not necessarily a student with disabilities. The bottom line is, we all learn differently. Some of us are visual learners, others are auditory. Some of us need to move around while we work, some of us need peace and quiet. In order to be an effective teacher, the material needs to be presented in multiple ways. In effect, the knowledge of the students needs to be assessed in multiple ways. By doing this, teachers are creating an atmosphere in which every student can be successful. It's the essence of UDL.  To me, it's the perfect way to include kids with disabilities in the general ed environment.  To get a better understanding of what I'm trying to say, look here.  

I also think technology plays a HUGE role in classrooms today.  Educators need to accept and incorporate technology into the curriculum.  Technology is such an easy accommodation for kids with disabilities.  And how exciting if everyone in the class has the same accommodation???  Then the students with disabilities don't stand out like a sore thumb!  The following video spoke volumes.  It was kind of like my "a-ha" moment in how to successfully integrate students of every ability level in one classroom.  We're all different.  Why are we all expected to learn the same way?

 

*  Handouts for all of the sessions from Inclusion Works can be found here.

Inclusion Works

The Arc of Texas just sponsored their 18th annual Inclusion Works Conference this past weekend. As a teacher, I was always interested in attending, but it never worked into my schedule well. As a parent, I was determined to make it there this year. I am so glad I made the effort to arrange life to make it happen. It's not easy coordinating Wade's therapy and school with Curtis' schedule. Thankfully my mother-in-law was able to help us out as well.

My dear friend Kelly and I headed to Austin Wednesday afternoon.  There was a brief introductory session Wednesday evening, and the conference ended late morning on Saturday.  I honestly didn't know what to expect over those few days.  All I knew was that I wanted to get my hands on any information that could help build my cause and support my opinions on inclusive classrooms and communities for people with disabilities.  In my heart, I know what's right.  EVERYONE deserves to be included.  It's a basic human right.  But for some reason, when you have a disability, you have to "earn" your way "in".  When I'm surrounded by people who think Wade and others have to work harder to be included, I start to falter.  While my heart is crying because I *know* I'm right, my brain starts playing tricks on me as their words invade my beliefs.  My biggest hope was that over the course of the conference I would meet people passionate about inclusion who could help guide me when I felt beat down in this fight.  Little did I know, not only would these facilitators give me amazing information, but they would actually even challenge some of my thoughts that I believed were okay.  It's funny how you can be going along thinking you're pretty strong in your beliefs, and then someone can come along and say something that completely rocks your world.  I think it's important to be challenged though.  It keeps me thinking and encourages me to continue the fight for inclusion.

Over my next few posts, I'll share some of things I took away from this amazing conference.  I hope you'll be able to gain some information on inclusion from my upcoming posts.  If you have any questions, or need any resources, let me know.  I'll do my best to help.  Until then, check out this cool website:  www.iamnorm.org  The I am Norm campaign is run by a group of young people from across the country to help promote inclusive practices in schools and our community.  Two members of the campaign came and presented Wednesday evening.  I was in awe at how comfortable these two young people were in front of a few hundred adults.  It was proof to me that one voice, no matter the age, can make a huge difference.  Check it out and see how you can get involved.  You can also join them on Facebook.