Student Tutors

Student tutors at Fulton High School embrace special needs schoolmates
By Jessie Pounds Tuesday, March 31, 2009

When Corey Wyatt entered Fulton High School, his parents watched with bated breath.
They'd already held their son in middle school an extra year for fear that the transition to a bigger school with bigger kids might overwhelm him. Wyatt, a pink-cheeked 16-year-old, has Down syndrome, doesn't talk save a few words when pressed, and is shorter than most of his schoolmates.
At best, they hoped their son would be content at his new school. At worst, they feared he might lose ground.
What they did not anticipate was joy.
"You can barely stop the car in time for him to jump out and go to school," Tony Wyatt said, explaining that his son now has a more active social life than he did back when he was in high school. "He's basically got rock star status over at Fulton."
At the root of Wyatt's transformation is a group of Fulton students known as peer tutors.
They are, on one level, just students who serve as aides in Comprehensive Development Classes.
At Fulton though, the role of peer tutor has taken on a certain level of prestige and the peer tutors have established a tradition of also befriending the special-needs students and hanging out with them outside of school.
According to Emily McSpadden, Wyatt's CDC-Activity class teacher, this leads to a welcoming school culture. When Wyatt walks through the halls, students from every grade level call out his name or wave hello.
"(The peer tutors) accept my kids and their acceptance spreads to the school," McSpadden said. "Because they love him and take him for who he is, so does everybody else."
On a recent Friday, McSpadden organized a lunch-making party of sorts for her students. The five peer tutors paired with students to take on different tasks: making grilled cheese sandwiches, stirring tomato soup and baking cupcakes.
Sarah Wheeler, a senior, led Wyatt in setting the table for the class.
She is one of the students who likes to take Wyatt out for activities, like bowling or a Valentine's Day dinner. Though Wheeler, who wants to become a special education teacher, could likely have accomplished the task in a few minutes, she went step by step with Wyatt, requesting that he place a plate here or put down a napkin there.
For all the things Wheeler tries to teach the students in the class, she's learned a lot from them, too. In particular, the importance of individuality.
As a freshman, she felt compelled to hide aspects of herself, like being religious, because she was concerned about what other people might think. As she began to get to know the special needs students, she saw that all of them seemed to express their personalities and interests without concern about what others might think.
So Wheeler decided she would try being herself, too.
"Now, that's who I am, because if they don't see me, they just see the person trying to please everyone," she said.
In Wyatt's case, one major area of interest is sports. Both his parents went to Fulton High School, but only attended games once in a blue moon since then. Now, they bring their son to almost every game, because the peer tutors and their friends look for Wyatt and call him over to hang out with them.
During football season he joined the "rowdies," a group that paint their bare torsos to spell out phrases like "Go Falcons!" Wyatt is always the exclamation point.
Even more than football, he loves basketball. Though he has a hard time spitting out the word, to signal his excitement about an upcoming game, he mimics shooting a basket. Wyatt often plays in the gym with the two peer tutors on the school basketball team, juniors Xavier "Buddy" Bridges and Antonio Barfield.
Wyatt and his parents spent much of their spring break attending the state high school basketball tournament in Murfreesboro.
When Fulton won the game, the high schoolers went wild, Wyatt with them.
Together, he and his friends started jumping up and down, hi-fiving and hugging. Even Bridges and Barfield began pushing their way up toward Wyatt to share the moment with him.
Across the arena, Tony and Renee Wyatt sat and watched the whole celebration unfold, tears running down their faces that had nothing to do with the game.

Link for this article http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/mar/31/peer-prestige-on-knoxnewscom/?partner=RSS

End The 'R' Word

Therapy Model

I take Ruby to a place called "Our Children's House" for her therapy,one of the OT therapists there asked if Ruby could be used as a "model "this Sunday in a seminar for therapists called,"NDT Treatment of the Baby and Child." They needed a baby for the therapist,Suzanne Davis,to show the exercises to the other therapists attending the seminar.I'm excited for them to be able to use Ruby to teach the class.I'm also excited to get to sit in on the class and maybe learn a little myself.I hope Ruby co-operates she is good in her therapy sessions but I don't know what she will think of being in front of a room of people.

Wordless Wednesday

Sarah Middlebrook, 9

MARK REIS, THE GAZETTE
Sarah Middlebrook, 9, showed off a container full of things beginning with the letter O during class Monday. Teacher Jennifer Nerren is seen in the background.
Related Multimedia
Other Articles in this Category
PROFILE: Sarah Middlebrook, 9


March 23, 2009 - 9:26 PM
WILLOW WELTER
THE GAZETTE
Sarah Middlebrook doesn't speak much. But those who know her say that when Sarah's in the room, her actions and personality speak for themselves.
Sarah has Down syndrome. Although the condition causes cognitive delays, and although Sarah has had to endure multiple abdominal surgeries since she was born nine years ago, the third-grader at Odyssey Elementary is "always the cheerful helper," says Jennifer Nerren, a teacher in the Severe Needs room at Odyssey.
"Sarah is a dedicated and hard worker at school," writes Nerren in her nomination of Sarah as a Great Kid. "She puts forth a lot of effort and enjoys spending time with her teachers. Sarah has made a lot of gains academically this year and has made us very proud!"
Nerren and Sarah's mother, Michelle Middlebrook, describe Sarah as accepting and kind.
"She is very nonjudgmental," Sarah's mom says. "I mean she's completely innocent; she is incapable of telling a lie or being deceptive."
Sarah seems to have a talent for teaching her fellow students and helping them out any way she can, Nerren says. She also loves to help out with housework at home, her mom says.
"She's loving and tenderhearted and innocent, and she'll be that way her whole life," Middlebrook says.
To be sure, raising a child with Down syndrome poses unique challenges.
"She just has to be watched 24 hours a day," her mom explains.
Middlebrook says the most difficult part of raising a child with Down syndrome is communicating. "She doesn't really speak very much, and she does minimal signing."
Everyone in the family knows some sign language. And Sarah has an electronic communication device, which Middlebrook describes as a sort of minicomputer with pictures of, say, food, that Sarah can push to let others know what she wants to eat. While Middlebrook says the device helps, there's no surefire way of knowing exactly what's on Sarah's mind all the time.
But Sarah finds other ways to communicate.
There's a student in her class who is in a wheelchair and has many medical needs, Nerren, Sarah's teacher, explains.
"Sarah has no hesitation sitting by her, talking to her, holding her hand, and being a true friend to the other little girl," Nerren says.
Many children don't show Sarah the same openness and kindness that she shows others, her mom says, but there are exceptions.
"There's one neighborhood brother and sister that live across the street that always help Sarah and try to play with her," Middlebrook says, "when other kids don't even acknowledge that she's in the room really."
Down syndrome occurs when a person has three copies of the 21st chromosome, according to the National Down Syndrome Society. Most people have two copies. The extra genetic material changes development and causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome such as small stature, an upward slant in the eyes and low muscle tone, according to NDSS.
Sarah's mom describes an ability she says Sarah seems to possess that most people don't: to tap into "the spiritual realm."
"When she was, I think, about 4 or 5, we were at our old house, and she kept looking out the window smiling and waving, and we're like, ‘What do you see, what do you see?'" Middlebrook says. "She just kept looking up and said, ‘Bye.' We just think she saw her angel or something."
"We've seen other times that she can see things that we can't see," Sarah's mom continued. "She'll walk into a room, a grocery store, wherever we're at, and we know, depending on her countenance, whether things are going to be good or bad. She can really see things, I think, in the spiritual realm."
Sarah and her family attend New Life Church, where a signer conveys worship songs in sign language, and Sarah signs along, her mom says.
And Sarah clearly earns high marks with her teacher. "She is truly a special child and a gift to my classroom," Nerren says.
MORE ABOUT SARAH:

Hobbies going to the park, listening to music, worshipping at church, coloring
Favorite toy Baby, her doll that she takes everywhere."We pray as a family before my husband (Tim Middlebrook) leaves for work, and she has my husband hold one hand of the baby, and she'll hold the other," Sarah's mom says.
Siblings Two brothers; one sister

That Question

Ever since this post the other day,I have felt like I was disloyal to Ruby,it was very emotional for me to answer that question.I love Ruby with all of my being.She is a wonderful baby and I enjoy every second God gives me with her,I love everything about her.I choose never to answer the question of "Would you take away the Down syndrome if you could?" I can't change it so I choose never to answer that question again.I love my baby.

Chuck Norris fan with Down syndrome realizes black belt milestone

http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2009/03/21/news/news02.txt

Expectant parents' love undimmed

Please read this article,what a wonderful couple,I'm so glad they have decided to keep their baby.


Expectant parents' love undimmed by Down syndrome in their unborn child

For a list of local and national resources for families who have a child or are expecting a child with Down syndrome visit www.dsani.org/publications.html or contact the Down Syndrome Association of Northeast Indiana via email at dsani4u@aol.com or call 471-9964.

By Jennifer L. Boen jboen@news-sentinel.com
“A baby changes everything,” so a Johnson & Johnson baby products commercial says. While that truth is experienced by everyone with a new baby, for Mike and Jenny Cordray of Columbia City, their baby, not yet born, has changed them in so many ways already.In just a few days, they will for the first time welcome a son or daughter into their lives. The Cordrays by choice do not know the baby’s sex, but other important things they do know: the baby has Down syndrome; he or she has a heart defect called atrioventricular (AV) canal, in which a large hole exists in the wall separating the two upper and two lower chambers; and, most important, they already love this baby.Getting news about both a chromosomal abnormality and a serious medical problem was a lot to handle, but the Cordrays are grateful for extensive resources available today. Organizations such as the Down Syndrome Association of Northeast Indiana (DSANI), started just nine years ago, help them prepare for their baby. When they recently attended a DSANI play group, “They welcomed us like family,” said Mike Cordray, 31, an engineer and project manager with DePuy Orthopaedics in Warsaw.“We’re already in the club,” said Jenny Cordray, whose first ultrasound at 19 weeks showed a problem with the baby’s heart. They were told it was likely the most common defect that self-corrects or is easily repaired surgically.Then Jenny’s “quad screen” blood tests revealed a strong possibility of a chromosomal abnormality, probably Down syndrome. Also called trisomy 21, Down syndrome occurs when an extra copy of the 21st chromosome is present rather than the normal two copies. The condition occurs in one out of every 800 births.Additional tests at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis confirmed the more serious AV canal defect. Jenny recalled hearing the news: “I almost passed out. We weren’t expecting that worse news.” Doctors told them in light of the heart problems, the baby could have trisomy 18, caused by three copies of the 18th chromosome. It is incompatible with life. An amniocentesis was recommended.“The doctor said I was getting to the stage of pregnancy when it was going to be too late to terminate in Indiana, and I might have to go somewhere else. But I was starting to feel movement. I was already bonding with this baby,” said Jenny Cordray, a sales rep for Sanofi Aventis pharmaceuticals. It was a difficult spot. By their faith and values, the couple places great importance on the sanctity of life.“A lot of tears and sorrow” were shared that weekend between learning about the heart defect and the amniocentesis. “At that point, we were thinking Down syndrome was the best-case scenario,” Jenny Cordray said. About a week after the amniocentesis, the geneticist called. The worst-case scenario was ruled out.“We said, ‘Hey, we can handle that. That’s not so bad,’” Mike Cordray said of learning it was Down syndrome. Yet such news is never joyous. “You mourn. There’s a grieving process. That’s OK. You’re going to have negative thoughts. Then you do research and find out all you can – and move on. I think it’s through the tough times that you get stronger, get closer to your faith.”With news your child has abnormalities, “certain expectations you have to squash,” Jenny Cordray said. “Then you start over with a clean slate.”The couple hangs on to every bit of good news: Surgery to repair the AV canal defect has a more than 90 percent success rate; and for some reason with this particular heart defect, babies with Down syndrome fare better than babies without the disorder. How soon the baby will require surgery remains unknown.“When I’ve told people the baby has Down syndrome, they often say, ‘I’m so sorry.’ I tell them, ‘Don’t be sorry.’ ” Jenny Cordray said. “I feel like we’ve been chosen for this child. This child is a gift from God. I’m looking forward to meeting the next mom that gets this news.”

Two special siblings, one extraordinary bond

Two special siblings, one extraordinary bond
by Julie Mack Kalamazoo Gazette
Sunday March 22, 2009, 1:57 PM

KALAMAZOO -- He's a Kalamazoo Central basketball star, a high-profile player on a team making a serious run for the high school state championship.
She's the adoring younger sister who basks in his reflected glory.
But the story of Devin and Miya Oliver doesn't stop there.
Miya has Down syndrome, which causes serious mental impairments. Even more than Devin's stardom, Miya's disability defines the sibling relationship.
It makes it more complicated. It also makes it more rich.
Neither are ordinary teenagers, and each has benefited from the other. Being Devin's sister puts 13-year-old Miya in the inner circle of the high school social network.
Being Miya's brother gives Devin a sense of empathy and compassion unusual for a 16-year-old whose considerable talents could easily lead to arrogance.
That's especially true this year, which has been a spectacular season for K-Central basketball. After losing its opener, Central has won 22 games straight and is currently ranked No. 2 in the state behind Detroit Pershing High School.
K-Central took the district title a week ago and the regional title on Wednesday, a game in which Devin was the team's high scorer. On Tuesday, K-Central plays in the state quarterfinals against Rockford. If Central goes on to win the state basketball championship, it will be the school's first since 1951.
Miya goes to all the games and can be Central's most exuberant fan. At times, her parents have had to stop her from yelling at the referees or dancing on the court in the midst of a game. Last week as the Central team was being honored as the district champs, Miya stood nearby and performed a flying jumping jack as each player was introduced.
As a child who lives in the moment, she doesn't understand the importance of the state tournament. But she is clearly captivated by the pageantry. After Wednesday's win, she squealed in excitement when the regional trophy was brought out. "Look, Dad, a trophy!" she said. "There's a trophy!"
Then she ran down the bleachers and onto the court to kiss and hug her brother.
A year or two ago, Devin was embarrassed at times by Miya's uninhibited enthusiasm at his games, said their mother, Amy Oliver.
"He's more confident now," Amy Oliver said. "He knows that she is really and truly rooting for him."
Devin agreed, calling his sister his "No. 1 fan."
But more than that, he said, "She's my best friend."
'A very sweet kid'Devin is the kind of kid who makes college recruiters take notice.
A junior who goes by the nickname of D-Mo, he's a wiry 6 feet 5 inches tall and is still growing. On the basketball court, he's a leader with talent. In the classroom, he gets top grades in tough classes.
He has other things going for him, too. A cheerful, open personality that's made him popular among peers since elementary school. A tight-knit family headed by attentive, supportive parents -- in fact, Amy and Kelvin Oliver met while both were playing basketball at Western Michigan University in the early 1980s. Amy now heads the Math and Science Center operated by the Allegan Regional Educational Service Agency, and Kelvin is a decorated Kalamazoo public safety officer.
Miya is Devin's only sibling, and when they were younger, he said, he was sometimes bothered by her disability. Part of it was worrying what other people would think. Part of it was worrying when other people would treat her badly.
But now, he said, he sees Miya as "a blessing," and views her as a mainstay in his life."When's something wrong, I can talk to her," he said, "Even though she has Down syndrome, she's real easy to talk to."
He also said that being Miya's brother has given him a different outlook on life. He knows the hurt caused by teasing or being excluded. He's also learned that life is not always fair and that success has many definitions.
Chris Bullmer, Devin's AP English teacher, who has a developmentally disabled brother himself, said he sees how Devin's personality has been shaped by his relationship with his sister.
"Devin has this very loving nature and he's extremely outgoing and he knows not to be judgmental -- all things that come out of having a special-needs sibling," Bullmer said. "He's just a very sweet kid."
Bullmer said he recently saw Devin and Miya together, and "it was so cool to see the interaction between them. You could tell how close and loving they are."
Amy Oliver said the lessons that Devin has gained from being Miya's brother are especially valuable now that his successes are garnering so much attention. Among the colleges that have contacted him are University of Michigan and Stanford.
"It helps him stay humble, stay on an even keel," Amy Oliver said. "It makes him better able to handle this newfound fame, because he knows how to put things in perspective."
It's not just Devin who has been influenced by Miya, Amy Oliver adds.
"Devin has all these friends, all these basketball players who would never be exposed to a special-needs child if it wasn't for their friendship with Devin," she said. "There's a whole group of friends who've been touched by Miya. It's the ultimate experience in inclusion."
'A very special person'But Miya is much, much more than just an object lesson in overcoming obstacles, say the people who know her.
"The fact that Devin is her brother and the sense that he has about her is awesome," Kalamazoo Central Principal Von Washington Jr. said. "But she doesn't need him to set her apart.
"She's an active, wonderful young lady. Even if you didn't know her, just seeing how passionate she is about basketball and her brother makes you realize that you're dealing with a very special person."
Still, Devin's success comes at an opportune time for Miya.
Now an eighth-grader at Hillside Middle School, she'll be in high school next year -- which can be a tricky transition for any kid, but especially for those with special needs.
Yet through Devin and going to basketball games, Miya has become a familiar face in the high school community.
"There are lots and lots of people who know her and speak to her by name," Amy Oliver said. "It's going to make her transition to Central so much easier."
It's not just a matter of people reaching out to Miya, but also how Miya has initiated friendships among Devin's teammates and friends. "She's kind of established herself," Devin said.
Besides expanding her social network, Miya's connection to K-Central hoops has helped her in a more basic way: It's improved her own game.
She plays the sport through Special Olympics and is so accomplished that she recently moved to a team for adults.
"She has a very good shot," Amy Oliver said. "She's learned a lot from going to Devin's games."
Just as Miya cheers on her brother, Devin recently went to Miya's Special Olympics tournament, and his eyes light up as he describes it.
"She did real well," he said. "Basketball is a passion we share."

The upside of Down syndrome

The upside of Down syndrome
Parents of Down syndrome children want others to know "the positives so outweigh the negatives"
By Shannon Mullen • STAFF WRITER • March 22, 2009


"Ninety-nine percent of the time, he's happy," said his mother, Joyce Wright, 52, of Holmdel.
Conor's life is a far cry from the bleak existence many expectant and new parents hear about from doctors when Down is diagnosed. Now, with support from a new federal law, advocates for those with Down hope to better inform medical professionals and parents about the realities of the genetic condition, which affects more than 400,000 children and adults in the United States.
Their campaign comes at what some see as a crossroads moment for Down.
Some 5,000 children are born with Down in the United States every year, but new screening guidelines and the advent of a new era in prenatal genetic testing could reduce that number dramatically. As a result, Down could become increasingly rare, some advocates say.
Already, about 90 percent of expectant parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome choose to terminate the pregnancy, studies show.

Read more here:http://www.app.com/article/20090322/NEWS/903220373/1004/NEWS01

Today Is World Down Syndrome Day

http://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/

How to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day

I would change it

If I could change the fact that Ruby has Down syndrome I would.Oh,yes,I would.I'm her mother why wouldn't I want to take away something that will make life harder for her.This Down syndrome that has so many side effects.If your child had diabetes,cancer,blindness,deafness or a multitude of other problems wouldn't you take it away?
Yes,I have to accept it and live with it and try and improve Ruby's life any way I can but I would change it for her if I could.
Lisa,Chrystal I'm with you.
I want to say that I respect all of you ladies that feel differently on this subject.

Wordless Wednesday-Out for a Ride

17 year old Gymnast with Ds

Please go and take a look at this wonderful story Strong girl: Danville gymnast at highest level of competition

Nice Story about boy with Ds and Leukemia

Click on link Valley group creates 'dream' space for 4-year-old patient

Silly Quiz

You Are a Strawberry

You are friendly, outgoing, and well liked by many people. You are popular, but there's nothing you ordinary or average about you. You a very interesting person, and you have many facets to your personality. Sometimes you feel very conflicted. Your different sides of your personality pull at you. You are a very sensual and passionate person. You are fiery... you can't help it. In general, you keep your passionate side under wraps. You are only wild in private.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

Going to sleep

I'm so excited because Ruby has been going to sleep on her own for her naps during the day.All I have to do is put her in her crib and she plays with her toys for awhile and then she goes off to sleep without fussing at all.It's such a relief because I was having to hold her and rock her to get her to take a nap and then if I tried to lay her down she would wake right up.So,there I was having to sit and hold her all the time and I can tell you it has been hard on my back. Yay,Ruby!

Thank You for the Love

Lisa at Finnian's Journey gave me this.

I love these things!It means someone actually does look at my blog and they like it a little:)

I get to list 7 things I love and then pass the award on to 7 blogs I love.

1.My husband,I love everything about him even when he drives me nuts:)

2.My kids,I would give my life for them.

3.I love Ruby's eyes,her giggle,her sweet little hands grabbing my face,and her slobbery kisses.

4.I love my friends that I can call and pore my woes out to and they can do the same with me.

5.I love,love,love dark chocolate!

6.Gevalia coffee,any flavor.

7.I love blogging and reading other's blogs who are in a similar predicament as me,it helps me stay sane!

7 blogs I'm giving this award to:

Lisa @ Finnian's Journey I'm sending this award back to you because I love your blog.I love how straight forward you are and how you always put into words what I'm feeling.I love the love you have for your family.I too think you should write a book,I would buy it.

Lianna @ My Life with Gabriel

Megan @ Audrey and Stella's Playground

Becca @ The Bates Motel

Lori @ Special Connection Homeschool

Monica @ mi2boys

Beverly @ Adventures of Home Schooling Noah and Le Fevre Times

Angela @ The Amick's I love your blog Angela.You are hilarious!Your kids are gorgeous:)

I have many other blogs I love and read it's so hard to pick just 7.

Thanks again Lisa!

Pray for Avery

I have been praying for Avery since I found out he would be having heart surgery.Today is the day of the operation please keep him in your prayers today.

Wordless Wednesday

Teen hit by cars on highway died

The young man Nathan Vredevelt that I posted about this morning died today, you can look at the story here
http://www.katu.com/sports/40804527.html. I think it's wonderful how the community gave so much support in this tragedy.

Teen with Down syndrome walks out into traffic

This breaks my heart.Please pray for this young man with Down syndrome who wandered out into traffic and was struck by cars.Here's the link to his story http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/down_syndrome_teen_remains_in.html

Wordless Wednesday Me and Mommy

Blog Award

Blog Award!
Deborah at SunflowerMom has awarded me the Premios Dardos blog award. This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his or her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day.

Step 1: respond and rework -- answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.

Step 2: tag - eight other bloggers to do the same.

1) What are you wearing right now?Dark blue sweat pants , a dark blue shirt and tennis shoes.

2) What is your biggest fear?Drowning

3) Do you nap a lot? What are those?

4) Who is the last person you hugged? Hubby

5) What websites to you visit when you go online?Lots of blogs,Facebook,websites about Ds,and Homeschooling sites

6) What was the last item you bought? Facial cleanser

7) If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Paris,France

8) If you could go to the Oscars, who would you want to sit next to? Brad Pitt

9) Has a celebrity's hair cut ever influenced your own hairstyle? When I was 10 my mom had my hair cut like Toniel(spelling?) from the group Captain and Toniel.

10) What is your most embarrassing moment? When I was 13 I went to a water park with some friends.I was on an inertube and it went under a waterfall and well my top couldn't hold up to the force of the water!I'm sure the Hispanic man that was staring at me didn't mind.

11) What was the last movie you watched?Changeling

12) What is the luckiest thing that ever happened to you? Bought a Bowflex for $300.The store was getting rid of the floor model.

13) If you had a whole day to yourself with no work, commitments or interruptions what would you do?Drink coffee and read a book.

14) Is there a major goal you have that you haven't yet achieved?Getting back down to my pre-mommy weight :)

15) Where did you meet your spouse? Attended same school

16) What is something that those in blogland might not know about you?If I had a smaller nose I would get a small diamond nose piercing.

17)What States and Countries have you visited as an adult?New Mexico on an anniversary,Georgia to visit family(My Mom is from there),Arkansas,Oklahoma,California to visit my brother.

I tag: Lianna at My Life with Gabriel

Jay at The Hill Family of Northwest Arkansas

Monica atMonkey Musings

Jill at Rivers of Joy

Tausha at Let Your Troubles Roll By

Becca at The Bates Motel

Ann Three Little Birds

Linda at Lila's Miracle Life

Busy Bee's Birthday

My daughter who I call,Busy Bee,is 10 years old today.She has such a wonderful and "Busy" personality.I wish I had been so outgoing as a child!She doesn't have a shy bone in her body:)

She is an excellent sister to Ruby,always wanting

to hold her,entertain her and love on her.

Ruby's portrait

My 17 yr.old son drew this picture of Ruby in her Bumbo.

My sister was a teacher's aid

Two years ago my sister started working as a substitute teacher and on one of her assignments was placed in a special ed class, at a high school ,with severely handicapped children.While she was there the first day one of the kids had an accident and had to have his diaper changed.My sister insisted on helping to get him cleaned up and changed.The teacher of the special ed class asked if my sister would be willing to come back and be an aid and so she was an aid in the class for the past two years.My sister loved it there,she loved the children.I'm sad to say she had to stop working as an aid this school year and get a better paying job so she could support herself and her kids.
When I had Ruby I asked my sister if there was anyone in the class with Down syndrome.She said there was one girl with Ds in the class and that she had to be watched very closely because she would try and harm herself and the kids that were in wheelchairs that had limited movement and speech.This scared me when I heard it but then she told me that this girls parents were both attorney's and lived a couple hours away.They had placed their daughter in a group home because they were embarrassed of her.This girl has also been sexually assaulted.When I learned all of this it made me angry and I thought no wonder she acts out and bangs her head on the wall and tries to harm others weaker than herself.It makes me angry at her parents that they wouldn't want to protect her and love her or find a family that would.I can't stop thinking about her.
There is another girl with Ds in this school she lives with loving parents and she has all of her classes with her peers .

High-Functioning

Term of the Week - High-Functioning, What Does It Really Mean?By Kathleen Fergus,
Saturday January 24, 2009
This weeks term of the week is actually a bit of a cheat, as I was unable to find a concise definition of what "high-functioning" actually means in Down syndrome.
I have heard the term high-functioning used to describe individuals with many different disorders - autism, dyslexia and Down syndrome to name a few. In the interest of getting of clearer picture of what exactly this term means in individuals with Down syndrome, I attempted to locate a clear-cut definition of what this term means. While this phrase is commonly used to describe some individuals with Down syndrome, I was surprised that there is no formal medical, psychological or other criteria defining exactly what makes a person high-functioning. I was also surprised (although I shouldn't have been) to find that some parents object to this term.
In it's common usage, high-functioning refers to someone that is performing above what would be expected of them. Thus the term is actually a comparative term and rather subjective (or based on someone's opinion). It can also be a somewhat simplistic term in that it tends to have an "all or none" connotation - that is a person is either high-functioning or not. In reality, most people (with and without Down syndrome) have a mix of skills and abilities and may be high-functioning in certain areas and not in others.
Some parents of children with Down syndrome (and parents of children with autism) object to the term because they feel that it is far too subjective and often is actually a reflection of society's poor expectations of people with Down syndrome rather than a reflection of the individual's true abilities. Other parents object to the term because it places more value on individuals thought to be high-functioning as compared to individuals that are not thought to be high-functioning.
How do you feel about the term "high-functioning?" Is the term meaningful to you? Would it be more meaningful if there were actual criteria and definitions assigned to the term or am I over thinking this? Let me know what you think!

Wordless Wednesday-Hey,it's my turn!

What do you say to the 'R' word?

I noticed a couple of other bloggers have blogged about having to deal with the 'R' word.I attended a womens breakfast on Saturday and a young woman in her 20's commented on something being"So retarded." I didn't say anything to her and I thought of all my bloggy friends and wondered what would some of you have done?So,what would you have said and when?

My soccer post

After thinking about my previous post I started thinking about some good things that might come from soccer practice and games.I took Ruby to my 14 yr old daughters practice yesterday and she seemed really interested in all those girls running around.Ruby is a people person even her PT noticed this about her,she would rather play with people than toys,maybe she will enjoy all the people at the games and maybe all the noise will be good for her.I know I said I was worried about what people might say but we have met a lot of very nice people in soccer who will probably say some pretty nice things and in fact some already have.I can protect her from the weather and maybe leave her with her granny on days it's too hot out.So,I'm going to stop my grumbling and look for the good things!

Soccer

I'm just not looking forward to soccer,it's so much work getting everybody to practices and games.My husband coaches and he gets so into it and it takes up a lot of his time.I always feel second to soccer during the season:) Plus now I have Ruby to worry about,I worry about the germs she will be exposed to,the weather and will she be able to handle it,people's reaction to her and what stupidity might come out of their mouth,when will I be able to pump milk when I'm running around all day Saturdays trying to get kids dressed and to their games,what a pain it will be on days I have to go to therapies and soccer practices.
Man,I guess I'm just a complainer today.

Middle School Wrestler with Down syndrome

By Christopher Drexel
Fri, Feb 20, 2009 (2 a.m.)
A Passion For Wrestling
Billy Wolfbrandt can't stop smiling as he goes through wrestling practice with the rest of his Faith Lutheran Jr/Sr High School teammates.
It doesn't matter if he is conditioning, stretching or learning new moves, if he makes a mistake, his teammates tell him. If Wolfbrandt, an eighth grader with special needs, requires more time to learn moves, the coaches work with him. When he scores points, cheers and high fives are aplenty.
Wolfbrandt is arguably the most-liked person in the wrestling room. He is inspired by the competition but likely not as much as those around Wolfbrandt are inspired by him.
Neither Wolfbrandt nor Faith Lutheran will allow his Down syndrome stop him from pursuing his passion for sports, particularly wrestling.
"It's been a thrill seeing him wrestle," Wolfbrandt's father, Lew Wolfbrandt said. "Everyone has been so accepting of him and he's just had a blast doing it. Part of what works with him is he feeds off the hard action of wrestling. The soft-touch and delicate sports doesn't do with him."
Billy Wolfbrandt is one of four students at Faith Lutheran Jr/Sr High School's middle school involved in the Mark 10:14 Program, which includes special needs students in regular classroom environments and in extracurricular activities.
Other students in the program have participated in the school's art club, computer club, choir, and basketball and track teams. Billy Wolfbrandt decided to play football and wrestle.
"He's always liked sports," Lew Wolfbrandt said. "He likes watching it on TV. He's a hard one to sit and watch a football game with because he's yelling at the TV the whole time."
As a seventh grader, Billy Wolfbrandt played flag football and wrestled. This fall, he played on the Crusaders' eighth-grade tackle football team, seeing game time as a defensive tackle and on special teams.
Though he was somewhat uncomfortable at the beginning, Billy Wolfbrandt grew accustomed to being knocked down and wearing heavy pads. Teammates would make a habit of forming a circle around him and cheering.
But he has made his biggest strides in wrestling, his father said.
Last season, Lew Wolfbrandt said, Faith Lutheran wrestling coaches would inform opposing teams of his son's condition. His opponents would compete at half speed, allowing him the opportunity to execute moves he had learned.
But this year, Wolfbrandt has advanced enough that opponents wrestle him the same as any other match.
Faith Lutheran coach David Keavin still periodically teaches Woflbrandt moves at a slower pace than the rest of the team, but the coach said Wolfbrandt has improved "three fold" from a year ago.
"Last year, he was new to it and didn't know how to control himself in the wrestling room, but he's gotten a lot better," Keavin said. "He's got the fundamentals down now. It's easier trying to teach him a move when I say certain wrestling terms. Now he understands them and he'll do them right away."
Keavin said Billy Wolfbrandt, who wrestles at 140 pounds, is one of the strongest wrestlers Faith Lutheran's team has and opponents struggle to take him down. The coach hopes he will continue to wrestle at the high school level.
"I hope to see him there," Keavin said. "I've talked to the (high school) varsity coach. He's glad to have Billy when he gets to the high school level. They'll get him matches just like I do, and he should have the same fun he has up there as he does with us."
Lee Segalla, who is in charge of the Mark 10:14 Program, said Billy Wolfbrandt has continued to progress since joining the program, adding participating in athletics in a big reason for the success.
Before he joined the Mark 10:14 Progam, "he didn't know many kids or know much about school, but now he knows almost everyone by name and he does very good in class," said Chase Povlov, one of Wolfbrandt's classmates. "It's good he's trying to do what everyone else is doing, and I think it's really nice he's on the wrestling team."
Lew Wolfbrandt said one of the biggest rewards about his son's participation in sports is watching how much teammates, coaches, opponents and fans have welcomed his son.
"He hasn't won a match, but if you ask him, he's won every one of them," Lew Wolfbrandt said. "Last week, he scored a bunch of points and at the end of the match the whole crowd cheered because when he gets up — win, lose or draw — he puts his hands in the air with a big grin and was happy he was able to compete."

Karate

Karate a passion for a Cooper City disabled man
In Dave Pancallo's karate class at the Cooper City Community Center, the sessions are not for the faint of heart.

To the outside world, Dave Pancallo, 34, of Cooper City may be just a man with Down Syndrome. But to the karate classes at Cooper City Community Center, Pancallo is "Mr. Dave." He has taken classes for about three years with the USA Goju Federation at the center, and helps lead workouts for the adults and children who take twice-weekly classes there. Here, Pancallo leads a training exercise.
JULIE LANDRY LAVIOLETTE / FOR THE MIAMI HERALD
Photo
BY JULIE LANDRY LAVIOLETTE
Special to The Miami Herald
To the outside world, Dave Pancallo, 34, of Cooper City may be someone with Down syndrome and that's that. But Pancallo is filled with surprises.
To the people taking karate classes at the Cooper City Community Center, Pancallo is Mr. Dave -- the guy who helps lead workouts for the adults and children who take twice-weekly classes there.
Pancallo is a regular at the center's USA Goju Federation karate lessons. He offers no mercy and no apologies for his exercise regimen, leading karate students in a series of leg lifts, push-ups and jumping jacks that sometimes leave them gasping for air.
TOUGH TRAINER
''You can take a break and go to the bathroom or get some water, whatever you want,'' Pancallo called out to the students after one particularly grueling session.
''How about a defibrillator?'' one student shot back -- only half in jest.
Karate teacher Christina Brownlow said she remembers when Pancallo first started coming around.
''He was in the adult class, but he would come early and observe,'' she said. ``One day, I asked him if he wanted to help.''
Pancallo has taken ownership of that request. He arrives early for the Monday and Wednesday sessions to set up chairs along the room's perimeter. He helps line up the younger kids and watches over the children, Brownlow said.
''He brings honor to this class,'' Brownlow said. ``You can trust what he says because he never lies and he always does his best.''
To the children, he is another class leader, Brownlow said. They make sure he is always recognized as an adult.
That's how Pancallo has lived his life, said sister Becky Hinson of Fort Lauderdale. ''He doesn't know anything's wrong with him,'' she said. ``He has always been treated so normally.''
HAS DAY JOB
Pancallo, who works five days a week as a dishwasher at Uncle Al's restaurant in Weston, has always been independent, Hinson said.
After being diagnosed with diabetes some years ago, he put himself on a daily exercise schedule that included jogging on a treadmill. It led to a 100-pound weight loss and the elimination of his diabetes medications.
''Now I'm much healthier,'' Pancallo said. ``I work out every day and control my eating.''
A brown belt in karate, Pancallo is working on his black belt.
''I do karate because I'd like to protect my family,'' he said. ``I'd like to teach a class one day.''
Karate is a good outlet for someone with disabilities, Brownlow said, because everyone is considered equal.
''In karate, no one is singled out as weaker or stronger,'' Brownlow said. ``You work only to achieve the highest level you can achieve.''

Laughing

Ruby has started laughing.She fills my heart with joy when I hear her giggle because I'm kissing on her sweet little neck.

Someone I Love

Linda at Lila's Miracle Life posted this.I'm posting it on my blog so I wont lose it.Lori Hickman puts into writing how I feel.

Someone I Love
By Lori Hickman
Someone I love relies on me in ways you will never understand. Someone I love endures pain and challenges that break my heart and renew my spirit at the same time. Someone I love is unable to advocate for themselves for things that most of us take for granted. Someone I love will never have the opportunities that every child should have. Someone I love will need unconditional love and support after I am gone - this frightens me to the core. Someone I love encounters pity, stereotyping responses, and prejudice at every turn, because they look, act, and/or learn differently than others. Someone I love has needs that require me to allow "outsiders" to have power and input in areas that should be mine alone to meet. Someone I love will continue to look to me for everything in life long after other children are able to assume a place as part of the world. Someone I love has needs that require more time and energy than I have to give. Someone I love has needs that mean I am not able to meet basic needs of my own. Someone I love has needs that have become the driving force behind major decisions my family makes. Someone I love has changed me in ways I will never be able to describe. Someone I love has taught me about love and about the really important things in life...
And still others don't understand what it is to be me.. they aren't living in my skin.
© Copyright 2000 Lori Hickman. Originally published as the dedication to Living in My Skin, The Insider's View of Life With a Special Needs Child by Lori Hickman.
Lori Hickman is a speech pathologist in Washington state. She is the author of Living in My Skin, The Insider's View of Life With a Special Needs Child, and four other books on speech and apraxia.

Down syndrome a Modern -Day Death Sentence

My sweet Ruby.

I get so angry when I realize how many precious children are not allowed to have a chance at life and to prove to their parents how wonderful they are.My Ruby blesses me every day and I can say I am thankful to have her and would never change the opportunity to be her Mother.

Down syndrome a modern-day death sentence
By Joseph A. Cannon
Deseret News
Published: Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009 2:01 a.m. MST
82 comments

Claire will never read these words. But at least she is alive and brings joy to her many friends and family members. You see, Claire is a survivor. She survived one of the most ruthlessly effective extermination programs in modern times.
Claire has Down syndrome.
Most of her Down syndrome brothers and sisters never got to be born. In the United States, more than 90 percent of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted. (In some other countries this number reaches 95 percent.) But apparently this isn't enough for those who would eradicate these defective persons. The problem is that the current methods for diagnosing the Down defect are ultrasound, biochemical exams or amniocentesis. But amniocentesis is expensive, invasive and potentially harmful to mothers and ultrasound may not be accurate.
Not to worry, Lenetix, a diagnostic technology company, has developed a new maternal blood test for the detection of Down syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. With no irony, Lenetix CEO Leonard H. Kellner tells us "we take deep pride in the technology we have developed because it has the potential to impact the lives of millions of women and their unborn children." Lenetix medical director, Steve Brown, M.D., tells us that "pregnant women and their physicians are clamoring for an improved, noninvasive prenatal test because they fear the risks of amniocentesis."
Sounds wonderful, like describing a new life-saving wonder drug or technology. But the sad, stark fact, well-known to anyone in this field, is that virtually every diagnosis of Down syndrome lends to the abortion of that unborn child. This is eugenics with a vengeance.
While the folks at Lenetix may simply be doing their best to advance science, other voices are more sinister when it comes to aborting children with Down syndrome.
"Like many," notes Libertarian commentator Nicholas Provenzo, "I am troubled by the implications of . . . Sarah Palin's decision to knowingly give birth to a child disabled with Down syndrome. Given that Palin's decision is being celebrated in some quarters, it is crucial to reaffirm the morality of aborting a fetus diagnosed with Down syndrome." This is necessary, Provenzo informs us, "because a person afflicted with Down syndrome is only capable of being marginally productive."
Dr. Rahul K. Parikh, writing in Salon.com, takes a slightly more compassionate approach. While "greatly" admiring Palin's decision to "knowingly" give birth to a child with Down syndrome, it is critical that her decision not be imposed on other women. Parikh comes down hard on "rabid anti-choice activists who have called [aborting Down syndrome children] eugenics via medicine." Yet it is hard to see how this isn't "eugenics via medicine."

George Will defines "the pernicious quest for a disability-free society" as "respectable eugenics."
We are now quickly sliding down the slippery slope. What about people who are only "marginally productive" after they are born or when they get old? Are their lives worth preserving? And what does "marginally productive" mean anyway? In the literature "marginally productive" very often edges into "merely inconvenient."
In case you think these are red herring questions, hear Princeton professor Peter Singer. "Killing a defective infant is not morally equivalent to killing a person. Sometimes it is not wrong at all. That doesn't mean that it is not almost always a terrible thing to do." Not because there is anything inherently wrong with killing an infant but because "to kill an infant is usually to do a great wrong to its parents."
The ease with which we disregard the idea of life in its beginning and how we increasingly diminish restraints on voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide as life winds down, illuminates how far we have fallen from our founder's declaration that we are endowed by our Creator with the unalienable right of life.

Joseph A. Cannon is Claire's dad and editor of the Deseret News. He can be reached by e-mail at cannon@desnews.com.

'Ambassador ofLove'

This article from newsminer.com just blessed my heart.This man, Aaron Shaw, has so many wonderful accomplishments.Thank God for parents who wouldn't listen to the 'experts'and kept their children out of institutions.
I hope you are blessed by this article ,too.

Nenana man with Down syndrome an 'ambassador of love'
By Chris Freiberg
Published Monday, February 16, 2009
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FAIRBANKS - Those who know Aaron Shaw best call him “an ambassador of love.”
Shaw, who has Down Syndrome, celebrated his 40th birthday Saturday with a reception in Nenana.
“I like birthday candles and birthday cake,” he said of the celebration.
Shaw is well-liked in Nenana where he is an assistant manager at A-Frame, and has worked there for five years, but that is just one of many jobs he has held during the years.
Shaw was schooled in Anchorage because there were no adequate classes for a child with Down Syndrome near Nenana at the time.
“When he was first born, they were still telling us to send him away, and that just seemed crazy,” Shaw’s mother, Nancy, said.
Shaw excelled in school, and even took a few college cooking classes, but while learning how to make doughnuts was a great experience for him, it was difficult for him to find a ride to work early in the morning.
He ended up working at Burger King in Anchorage, and appeared in a political TV commercial for the owner. Eventually his mother became concerned about him living so far away, so he returned to Nenana to live in a small house next door to her.
A natural salesman according to his mom, Shaw has worked at several Chevron stations, a greenhouse and as a page in Juneau. He has his own business selling herbal shampoos.
“I’m pretty good at it,” he says proudly.
Shaw’s mother said he is a very hard worker.
“He kind of pushes himself, we don’t have to,” she said. “He really wants to do everything.”
Penny Forness, a friend of Shaws since he was born, said he is a remarkable person.
“Sometimes it is hard to tell just what Down Syndrome is because he is so spot on and then he will say something that brings the reality back,” she said.
Shaw is a big fan of medical drams like “ER,” possibly because of his interactions with doctors growing up, his mother said. He also makes sure to tune in each week for new episodes of “24.”
He’s no couch potato, though. One of his favorite hobbies is photography.
“I love to take pictures of everything in the house and stores,” he said. “It’s just terrific.”
He also makes baby clothes and quilts and has won embroidery prizes at fairs.
“I just love to make ’em,” he said.
And though he didn’t make the clothes himself, he did bring some baby clothes to Gov. Sarah Palin when she visited Nenana last year. Palin’s infant son, Trig, also has Down Syndrome.
“I tell you this, I think that kid with Down Syndrome, I think he’s a very smart kid,” Shaw said, adding that he thought the governor was very nice as well.

Wordless Wednesday

Ruby blows raspberries

Yesterday, at Ruby's speech therapy,Ruby started blowing raspberries at her ST while the ST was doing her mouth exercises .The therapist was so tickled about Ruby being happy and playing with her.The ST also fed Ruby applesauce yesterday and Ruby blew her wonderful raspberries in the applesauce,too.She had us laughing so hard and getting baby food everywhere.I'm sure when I left with Ruby that the ST had to clean her glasses! I wish I had a video of it!

Happy Valentines!

Happy Valentines!

Gross Motor Skills

This is a wonderful book.I was glad to have it so I would know what I should be working on with Ruby when I first brought her home.Now it is great to have because Ruby's PT just marks what I need to work on and I don't have to have tons of loose paper handouts.
Here is a review from Woodbine House the publisher.You can also purchase it there.

Help Tucker

Please visit this website and help this precious little boy! His heart surgery is scheduled for April 13,2009

T21 Traveling Afghan

This looks like it will be a fun project!Click on the button and take a look!

Retarded

Last night at our Wednesday night church service our regular pastor did not give the lesson because he had been gone all day to do a funeral service, which was a few hours away, and so one of the older men in our church gave the Bible study.It was a good Bible study but at one point during the lesson the speaker mentioned Ruby and said,"You can't understand what it's like to have a retarded child unless you have one yourself,you can have empathy for those parents but you don't know what it's like."The man that was speaking does understand because he has a grown son who has Williams syndrome. I honestly can not tell you now why he even brought it up because I was so shocked to hear someone say Ruby's name and then say she is retarded.I know she is I guess but I didn't want to hear it.I think even if he had used different words like, mentally disabled,I wouldn't have liked that either.

Wordless Wednesday: Sleeping on Daddy's Shoulder

Blog Awards

Cathy gave me these blog awards! Thanks,Cathy!

Now I get to pass them on to 10 bloggers and leave them a comment letting them know and they have to pass them on to 10 other bloggers.

Lovin Mama at Livin for the Love

Michelle at The Zoromski Chronicles

Laurie at Days with Dylan

Monica at Monkey Musings

Little Miss E

Loren at Malakai Stow

Beverly at Le Fevre Times

Heidi at Henry's Mommie

Kacey at Ella Grace with the Pretty Face

My Cool Family

Wow,that's hard to do I could pick many more!

Question about my kid's ages.

My oldest son and his wife.

Laura said,
Elizabeth 16 my oldest just ask well, if they have 11 what are their ages? I said I'm not sure so, we'll be back to see more about your awesome family!

Laura,thanks for visiting my blog.My children are one of my favorite subjects:) So I don't mind answering questions about them.

My oldest four are boys and they are 22,18,17,15, and then my 14 year old daughter,my 11 year old son,then three girls 9,7,5 another boy who is 3 almost 4 and then miss Ruby who is 6 months.

My Blog

My husband says the pink background on my blog makes it hard to read.Is it hard for you to read? Should I change it?

How Warm Are You

You Are Very Warm

You are kind, caring, and empathetic. A lot of warm energy radiates from you. And it's not an act - you truly like people. You get a charge from people being around you. You are are easy going and very socially adaptable. You're willing to overlook peoples'quirks. You enjoy meeting people from all walks of life and helping them if you can. Giving makes you feel good.

How Warm Are You?

Ruby

Here it is again

I just love that he scored!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw6TOkICpMQ

He Scores!

Follow this link and watch the video.This is awesome!

Watch this one Papa!



http://www.wcsh6.com/video/default.aspx?maven_playerId=articleplayer&maven_referralPlaylistId=playlist&maven_referralObject=1021807194

Ruby in her Ergo

Soccer

My husband went Saturday and signed up my 14,9,7,and 5 year old daughters for soccer.We missed last soccer season because of the birth of Ruby.(We weren't sure what medical issues Ruby might have and didn't want to commit to anything).
My 7 year old daughter will be on a team with some of the girls she played soccer with before I had Ruby.One of the Mom's and I were pregnant and due about the same time.I'm having a hard time knowing I will have to see this Mom and her baby.I'm worried about the emotions I will have when I see what her baby can do and what Ruby is not doing.Just knowing I would be seeing her reminded me again of my thoughts and expectations of the child I was carrying and that I did not have that child.
I love my little Ruby so much and I don't want other people to feel sorry for me or Ruby,she is such a wonderful baby.
So,I'm not looking forward to soccer but I have a few days to sort through my feelings and deal with them before practices start.Maybe I will be o.k. by then.I already feel a little better just getting it out here.