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Show -rf" 25 f -.- . . ; I. J .V ':':,':-,'.". ;. f" , . . ; ? 1 111 ""'i"i""" 1" -N.1 .1.1.1, i.i...,...ii.i n in J Middle school teacher Diane Stewart has designed a class to increase her students' sensitivity toward the Special Olympics athletes and others with special needs. 1 i Bill Massey, who lost his eyesight when he was sixteen years old, helps sixth graders understand how he has adapted by relying on other senses. ; I " HI"' IIIIIIMIII..HII I .11 11.1 II Special Olympics inspires new class at Treasure Mountain Middle School 1 t ' k y ' t ' if '-a I ' i : ' ...,'4 V ft- -?''''rvf 4y ' : : r v uh Vr . - 3-: - ' ' ' v Linda Braithwaite, a visually impaired rehabilitation counselor, told the students that many handicapped people need friends more than they need help. Pho,osbyNancha,a, (- by Nan Chriat "i ; The Special Olympic Winter Games will fiave some uniquely qualified volunteers this March. Among them will be a group of sixth graders from the Treasure Mountain Middle School who have been studying the special needs of these athletes since last December. In January they helped to coach and offer encouragement to contestants con-testants in the Utah Special Olympics. Since then they have entertained guest speakers and visitors in a class designed to expand their awareness of a variety of special needs groups. The curriculum, inspired by Park City's role as host of the Special Olympic Winter Games this year, was designed by middle school teacher Diane Stewart. "I thought it would be a neat opportunity for our kids to learn about special people," Stewart said. In using the word "special" Stewart said she is trying to emphasize that mentally-retarded, blind, emotionally-disturbed, deaf and neurologically-impaired people are different, not necessarily handicapped. As part of the class the students have had a chance to meet representatives from the Association of Retarded Citizens, the cerebral palsy camp (Camp Kostopolous), and the Association for the Autistic, among others. Stewart said she had three goals in mind when she began to put the curriculum together last fall. "First, I wanted to increase their sensitivity to other people's needs. Then I thought the speakers could also give 'he students specific knowledge about how things like braille, wheelchairs, etc. work, lastly I hoped they would gain an understanding under-standing of special people and accept them." So far, Stewart said, the students have been very enthusiastic about the class. "They've really surprised me. They have been very compassionate." compas-sionate." The program began with a lunch with the Park City Senior Citizens Center. The students sent out invitations, listened to guest speakers speak-ers Violet Terry and Mr. and Mrs. Dean Boyle discuss the needs of the senior citizens in the community, and then hosted a lunch with entertainment provided by the school barid. After the Christmas break Connie Stroll, who teaches a special education class in Coalville, gave a lecture about mental retardation to help prepare the students for the State Special Olympic Games. " " "The whole sixth grade spent two days at the Utah Games cheering and helping the athletes. They loved it," said Stewart. Last week Sue Lander and Mary Williams from the Association of Retarded Citizens gave the students a quiz with questions like, Can retarded people vote? Steward said her students were very tuned in to the unfairness of some of the questions. Earlier in the year Dr. Robert Winn of the Holy Cross Family Health Care Center prepared stu- L dents for a later visit from a visually-impaired and a blind person. He described how eyes work so that when Linda Braithwaite and Bill Massey explained how they had lost some or all of their eyesight the students understood. But the students still had some unanswered questions. Braithwaite and Massey, who are rehabilitation counselors and teachers at the Murry B. Allen Center for the Blind in Salt Lake City, obliged by allowing the students to ask whatever they wanted and by giving straightforward, straight-forward, sincere answers. Massey , was asked how he felt when he found out he was blind. "At first I was scared. But when I found out how many things blind people can do, I wasn't scared anymore." he said. Braithwaite explained how visually-impaired people label their clothes so they know what matches, how to read braille and other ways they have adapted to being legally blind. Before leaving the classroom, Braithwaite said, "During the time you are in school you will meet . students who seem different. But they aren't really that different at all and I hope after today you won't be afraid to do things with them. Often those people need friends more than they need help." "That's exactly what I hope they will learn that when they see someone on the street they will be better able to treat them as people," said Stewart. "I wish this class could be done every year, that it could become a regular part of the. middle school curriculum." Stewart s;iid. "Sixth grade is the perfect time to learn about special people. Eleven and twelve year olds have enough experience to learn from it, but they haven't had a chance to establish a lot of rigid negative values. I'd like other students to have the same positive experiences." |