I can still clearly remember starting first grade back in Indiana in a small farming community.  It was my first school experience as a young child.  Kindergarten was not an option and preschool was unheard of at that time.  I was very excited to play and meet new friends, however it turned out to be a frightful experience for many of the students during the first few weeks of school.  For the majority of the children in my class it was the first whole day away from "Mommy and Daddy," however that was not the frightening part. 

My first life experience with a special needs child

Photos above from the "Brag Page"

Down Syndrome - Understanding the gift of life

I will never forget one row over and three seats up, sat a very different looking person.  She had a strange shaped head with a flat face, short arms, and wide short hands.  Her hair was blonde, and her tongue was always out of her drooling mouth.  She also wore thick heavy glasses.  She would make strange noises but did not talk a lot.  I remember how scared I was. 

The boy next to her was really scared and hid under his desk and cried when she made noises.  The teacher moved him to another side of the classroom.  I just wished that I could move too.  No explanation was ever given to us - things were handled quietly back then.  The classroom of children were either very polite, or very frightened, or maybe some of both.  They just looked at her with big eyes and puzzled faces, but no comments were made.

I was very scared at the time.  I decided that this special person was from the moon or outer space.  In my mind I accepted that this is just the way people from outer space looked.  I went home and told my family about the girl from the moon that was in my classroom.

My family just assumed that I had a wild imagination and had no idea why I talked about the girl from the moon. Or maybe they knew what I was talking about - but no further explanation was given to me.  After about two or three weeks she never came back to school.  I wondered what happened to the girl from the moon, no one ever told us.  As a child I just assume she went back to live in outer space.

For a few years after this experience odd looking people made me feel uncomfortable.  However, as I grew older this went away.  Now as an adult I have a lot of compassion and understanding for people, especially children with special needs.

Looking back on this experience I realize my "alien" was a "Down syndrome" child.  How different the whole situation would have been handled nowadays with special classes and early intervention methods.  In the past it was a hard thing for parents to cope with a "Down syndrome" children.  It was a hush, hush subject.  So much progress has been made in special education.  Children with disabilities are now protected by federal laws, starting with federal law PL94-142 (EHA - or education for all handicapped children) which passed in 1975.  It included many provisions for assuring free appropriate public education for all students with disabilities.

In 1990, with new provisions added, it was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).  Another provision of IDEA in 1997 assured that children with disabilities received necessary education and services without cost to either the child or family.  This provision was called (FAPE) for Free Appropriate Public Education

What wonderful progress we've made in the last few years for special needs children who cannot (politically and/or socially) speak for themselves.  The greatest advocates for special needs children have been the parents, teachers, and finally the "special needs" people themselves.  Special Education has grown with leaps and bounds - in a positive way, with positive affects on these people.  I am so proud to be a part of these developments.