In the mist of being a disabled person, and having Cerebral Palsy, our words seem to always be misunderstood. The intensity of which we live, speak, and pursue our goals is shocking to the rest of the world. They can’t handle it! It’s as though our words and thoughts have no meaning or validity. They misinterpret our strong efforts as an obsession. It’s very hard to grasp why everything is so important to us. But, when 20, 30, or 60 years go by and we have nothing to show for it then things become intense. We see our life before us, and realize that all these people, places, and things were obstacles. That our thoughts and dreams were only unrealistic hopes and plans for the future. And that our word had no meaning at all to others!
Until high school, I had the same women teacher for two years. This was in grade seven and eight. She was the worst! I learned more from watching TV. A few years later, after graduation, my mom went into my fifth grade teather, the man who worked so hard to educate me, said… “I wanted so desperately to continue teaching your son, but it was the principal who decided. He chose which teacher was assigned to each grade.” He begged and pleaded, but it was out of his hands. Therefore, the question still remains. How do parents best educate there children in accordance with our current range of options? Although my answer is not simple, I believe it is the best way to assist this generation of kids. If you can afford it, send your child to Catholic school and lobby for the proper supports within the community. This will guarantee them a better education and access to the same teacher. It would be best if they had one teacher for eight years. Each educator has his or her own specialty. It would be nice if teachers and school/ school districts would work together in accordance with a specific guideline to help a child learn. This will also further the goal of inclusion, as each tecaehr will have no choice but to get to know you and your child. Believe me, there is a reason why kids who attend catholic school are head and shoulders above the rest. Moreover, regardless of what school your child attends, we can begin educating disabled youth ourselves, as there are volunters, parents, and educators reading this blog –myself included. The Library at Holland Bloorview is empty on the weekends. No one else is going to go out of their way to significantly educate these kids. Matt Kamaratakis