After December 2, 2008 all of that changed. At the beginning of this new journey when I thought of elle's future I saw something so different. There would be no chance to set goals, no passion, no contribution to society, no positive impact on others....Elle now carried a label of "disabled". That was it...that was who she was and what she would be according to others.
The first 2 1/2 years were the hardest. Elle made very little progress. As much as I believed, with all my heart, that she would do more, I simply wasn't seeing it. I would NEVER give up hope. We didn't meet a lot of new people...there was no need, or so I thought at that time. Elle had who she needed....me. Meeting new people meant having to explain "elle" to them and quite frankly I didn't feel like telling her story over and over to people who were just going to say things like "Sweetheart, you know God doesn't give you more than you can handle" and my all time favorite "God gave her to you because she's special and he knew you'd take care of her." Well gee-fu*#&ing thanks...God doesn't think I can handle raising a normal child?? Done-shut down!
When I finally got over myself, I realized that I couldn't have been more wrong . Changes began to happen when Elle first went to daycare. She attended a class with children who had all sorts of disabilities and some who had none. The teachers embraced Elle, and me, on day one and everything seemed to grow from there. Elle still wasn't doing a lot, but she was becoming more alert and showing interest in her surroundings. Something she had simply not done before. It was exciting! As the year progressed, so did Elle and so did my feelings about her future, meeting people and so much more. As I saw Elle becoming more engaged in her environment I realized that I had been holding her back. By trying to protect her from the possibility of judgement from others and really...in a way avoiding it for myself, I was keeping her from the things that she needed in order to grow.
Jump to today. Elle, my favorite lil' person in the whole entire world, will be turning 5 in February. Over the past 2 years I can not even begin to tell you how many amazing, loving, generous and supportive people have blessed our lives. From new friends, to teachers, to school bus attendants, therapists, doctors, strangers, organizations...it's endless. And it is all because Elle had a positive impact on them in one way or another. Because somehow, that lil girl, without words, brought joy to someone. So when I think of Elle's future today, I see all the things I originally saw for her. They are just presenting themselves in a very different way.
My heart is so full when I see Elle achieving her goals...crawling, beginning to feed herself with a spoon, learning to use a walker to walk around the room and following verbal direction. I know who elle is. She is driven by the desire to be independent and an undying sense of curiosity. She is persistent, determined and enjoys variety. She has a sweet soul and manages to leave a lasting impression on almost everyone she meets. She is beautiful. She is the best teacher of life lessons. She has taught me so much about life and myself.
Below is an example of what I mean by Elle at work. It's a class assignment written by a special young lady that cares for Elle at daycare. She is studying to become a teacher and was kind enough to share this with me. It touched my heart and brought such joy to see how Elle has had an impact on someone.
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT REFLECTION TASK
EEX
3202
Professional
Development Worksheet*
Name: Mariah
Tompkins____________________
Professional Development Experience. Identify an experience that has contributed
to your professional development. Choose
an experience that has influenced your insights about person with
disabilities. Select a category from the
following list:
•
Video
•
Journal
Report
•
Interview
•
Community
Activity
•
Campus
Activity
•
Other:
Brief Description of the Experience:
I work for a daycare that has after
school care for students. At the start of the 2011-2012 school year a female
child by the name of Elle joined our center for afternoon care. Elle has lissencephaly, which the literal translation
of this is smooth brain. Before her arrival at my center we met with her mother
several times to discuss how to best accommodate her and what should happen if
she has a seizure.
Key
Insights about Persons with Disabilities (50
pts):__________
Emphasize ways in which you implement
knowledge and skills learned in professional development in the teaching and
learning process.
REWORDED BY
Dr. Guardino:
What
did you see during your professional development activity that provided you
knowledge and skills about people with disabilities?
1. I
have observed Elle having grand-mal seizures and petite seizures, and I have
learned how to assist her with each kind of seizure, the steps to take for each
kind, how to identify and care for her when they occurs.
2. I
was provided with the chance to operate her wheelchairs, how to properly place
her in it, take her out, and what buttons to push for certain actions of the
chair.
3. I
learned about her hip displeases and how it has effected her body and the way
the Elle moves. She can move her legs into positions that someone without this
would find painful and very uncomfortable
4. I
have observed how her interactions with peers changed over time, and how her
peers interacting with her have also changed over time. At first Elle was not
use to being around other children and the other children knew something was
different about her. But with time we have documented her sitting next to her
peers looking at books, participating in songs, and moving around the room to
be close to her friends. Her friends have accepted her into the room and they
invite her to join in with them.
5. The
most important thing that I learned was that the love and encouragement can
take a child or person with special needs to a new level. Elle's mother
informed us that her doctors said she would not live past 2 and her 5th
birthday is coming up. She crawls, pulls her self up, and communicates the same
way an infant does. When she first came to us she barley crawled and would not
sit up long, now we have to chance her around the room.
Implications:
Identify ways in which the preceding insights are likely to influence your
actions as a professional in schools or school-related settings
(50 pts):__________
REWORDED BY
Dr. Guardino:
How
will you infuse that knowledge and those skills into your future as a
professional in the schools or school-related setting?
1. I
will expect great things from all of my students and have faith in them. If
Elle can learn to do all of these things then I believe that any student can
learn to do anything as long as they set their mind to it.
2. I
will be more knowledgable about seizures and how I conduct myself during these
situations. I will be able to assist in the care of a person having a seizure.
3. I
will be more understanding of parents and knowing that they know what is best
for their children, especially children who have special needs. I will be open
to any and all communication, for it will better that students time in my
classroom.
4. Even
though I already do this, but I will not be quick to judge someone just because
they appear different. As a teacher I will accept all who walk through my door
and I will be there for them in whatever helpful way they need me.
5. I
was a part of best buddies and I would like to encourage students to open up
their world and be a buddy to someone who may seem different, or have a special
need. I would like to have an inclusion classroom to show how accepting I am
and how open my door is.
