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Show Neighborhood schools erase barriers for handicapped children c X f ' I f ! I ,, U . ; V ill ' j ; f - - - L f - - ' ' " PPL JP j tt m- PPPPPpV PPPfc-P-PP. -PPPPii Ryan Jones communicates through sign language to his peer tutor Brandon Buchias as he uses flash cards to help Ryan learn math. Ryan and Brandon are two of the hundreds of students in Davis County enrolled in classes which integrate handicapped students with regular education students. mn - . , .. , - - . ' --J 1MI A ill pBf Wn 1 1 irr tt l mm 1 1 lippplpl ppp ppppppl ipppppppppi pjfpj ppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppjpppppppj.pppppppppppi pm mpppj pppppj. ipppipmppjii - - - - . By SUSIE DAVIS ' You are my friend, I like to walk with you, so J will, I will and talk with you. That's how I show my love for you." This song epitomizes the goals of special education in the "neighborhood" schools in Davis County. It is a Jeanine Brady song which has been paraphrased somewhat by the students of Monte Vista, which is part of the task force serving special education students in Davis County. Davis County has implemented a program, which allows the handicapped han-dicapped children to be served with regular education students. They can go to one of the 19 neighborhood elementary schools, to an area school, or to Monte Vista. They all serve the student with these goals: developing well-being and growth of the individual student stu-dent providing opportunities for interaction with his friends and peers from his neighborhood, and changing attitudes, therefore benefitting society. Principal Lee Glad at Monte Vista sums up the attitude many of us have grown up with. 'We never saw disabled people in my childhood. And when we did it was disturbing, or even terrifying because it was so strange. And now Glad is part of this task force which is raising a generation of children with handicap awareness and acceptance, as well as providing education for the handicapped han-dicapped themselves. At Monte Vista, a very successful program has been implemented. They have 50 special education students mixed in classes with 150 regular education students. When asked how the program worked, Glad was happy to report that it has worked extremely well. "Everyone benefits by this program. pro-gram. The special education student benefits by peer acceptance. They have models who exhibit normal behavior. The regular education student benefits by becoming more accepting of the handicapped child. And society benefits by the changing chang-ing attitudes of this generation. They are going to become the people peo-ple who are advocates of the handicapped. han-dicapped. ' 'You are my friend. I like to talk with you. Hand in hand we learn together. I'll be your friend forever." for-ever." Walking and learning hand in hand is what the peer tutoring program pro-gram at Meadowbrook is about. Meadowbrook is an area school to which handicapped kids from an area are sent. Doris Krensky and aide Chart Horton teach 16 handicapped han-dicapped children. They are assisted by many pro fessionals, and they are helped by the peer tutors, regular kids from the school who tutor the handicapped. han-dicapped. Hand in hand, they learn together. During a recent art project regular education and special education edu-cation children learned art together. Krensky said, 'We've had peer buddies or tutors. I know a peer tutor who is now in high school and is still friends with the girl she tutored. She still remembers birthdays birth-days and occasions. Krensky introduced three of the kids who have been peer tutors. They were excited to share their feelings about why they liked to help. Vincent Twitchell said, "Just list my name as Renegade.' Looking Look-ing like anything but a renegade, he proceeded to brightly explain about peer tutoring. "It's fun! You get an opportunity to work with less fortunate for-tunate kids. He's been a tutor twice. Mindy Howard, a pretty, studious looking girl, said, ' 'I like having the handicapped kids in regular schools. Other kids can get to know them. So if you see people with handicaps you'd be nice to them. And Shauna Nielson, a cute, freckled faced, strawberry blonde who tutored Annie last term, shared her thoughts. "I like school here. The handicapped should be with the other kids. They are just as important. impor-tant. Special education includes children who are intellectually handicapped, han-dicapped, severely intellectually handicapped, and multiply handicapped. han-dicapped. Multiply handicapped means that, along with intellectual limitations, they may have a sensory sen-sory problem, such as deafness or blindness. Neighborhood schools are the existing ex-isting elementary schools to which the special education students from their own neighborhoods are sent with their brothers and sisters and friends. They are then served by special education teachers, teacher aides, speech therapists, physical therapists and occupational therapists. Some of these students are able to be in the classroom each day. Sometimes they are there two to three hours. While in the classroom they are attended by an aide or special education education teacher. There are 19 neighborhood schools in Davis County. And the children can usually walk to school or carpcol. Lisa Rawley, special education teacher who alternates at Stewart School and Oak Hills, said, "The philosophy of neighborhood schools is that children can attend the same school as their siblings "If you don't walk as some people do S. . . . ' y . I . , - f , ' - - - -m s I i . " ' . , , L- - , , y - - - ( L, i&tSb, .jSiivi .-s--&f' . ...is. -s - J , iam a - M PJlMpHi PjPPPJPiPVMPPPrPAB - rWHWKj ".T-- - . r n' - J - f r - J - - ... w - .-i-. - - r - r .-. -r-, i Nicole Grotepas helps Jenny Stowell learn to read with the aid of flash cards. Monte Vista principal Lee Glad said he is happy to be a part of an educational system that is teaching children handicap awareness. "Everyone benefits from the program," he said. Some people walk away from you But I won't, I won't. If you don't talk as most people do Some people talk and laugh at you But I won't, I won't." . i f r 4 V I : - V '- 1 Vv . ' . tip" j-"-1' Jennie P. Stewart is one of 19 neighborhood school, throughout the county that use the integrated classroom system. Here Heidi Gee (middle) is assisted by her teacher Jennie Barnett. Heidi is a special needs student who benefits from the buddy system in Davis schools. . . . |