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www.nctimes.com Carlsbad
Hope School program connects diverse student body
December 2, 2006
By: PHILIP K. IRELAND
CARLSBAD ---- A new program at Hope
Elementary School called Circle of Friends seeks to connect regular
and special education students for the benefit of both.
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About a dozen third-graders visited
Candy Shipley's adaptive physical education classroom at the
Carlsbad school Friday in the first class of the ongoing program
that its creators hope will break down some of the fears and
stereotypes about the disabled.
Student volunteers helped Shipley's
special education students, whose disabilities range from mild
learning problems to muscular dystrophy and autism.
Disabled students crawled through
tunnels of fabric, cheered on by their classmates. A few minutes
later, they sprawled side by side on the floor of the darkened room
to watch plastic fish circle inside a glowing lamp, their faces
illuminated by the fluorescent light.
As music played, regular education
students helped their disabled peers shake rattles to the beat.
The program was created by special
education teacher Gail Limjoco, a six-year veteran. She said the
idea of teaming the "abled" with the disabled is a common tenet of
special education. That strategy is called "inclusion."
"What inclusion means is that all
students are together throughout the whole school day in general
education, with some special education services incorporated,"
Limjoco said. "As we move more toward that model, one way to start
fostering integration on an elementary site is to find a way for
peers in general education to interact with peers in special
education."
The goals of the program are
twofold, Shipley said. Regular education students provide role
models for their disabled friends --- especially for students with
autism for whom social situations are particularly challenging. And
by interacting with students with disabilities, regular education
students gain awareness, compassion and understanding.
"It's important for the regular
education kids to see the special education kids, to learn about
them and not be afraid of them, and to know they have abilities ----
and to see that maybe their abilities are on a different line,"
Shipley said.
Kye Abshier, a 10-year-old
fourth-grader, listed the teachers and students who help him ----
especially Joel, a regular education student who helps Kye with
writing. The boy, who shows some symptoms of autism, proudly read
his book report aloud.
Third-grader Taylor Cleish said she
wants to be a special education teacher based on her positive
experiences working with special education students.
"We're doing adaptive (physical
education) and hanging out with special ed kids to help learn about
other people," Taylor said, adding that the experience is helping
her better understand the actions and behaviors of disabled
students.
"It helps me understand them and
how the react to other people," Taylor said.
Principal Richard Tubbs said
Limjoco launched the program with a series of assemblies that
introduced the idea, offered regular education students the
opportunity to ask special education students and teachers questions
about their disabilities, their lives, and the equipment they use.
The assembly also helped inform and enlist the help of regular
education teachers.
Tubbs said he was amazed to see the
sea of hands go up at the end of the assemblies when they ask for
student volunteers.
Limjoco estimated that about 80
percent of the school's 480 students volunteered, and she said
she'll work hard to find jobs for all.
"The kids themselves discovered
that, 'Hey, all kids want to learn and be successful and they all
want to have fun,' " Tubbs said. "So they found that common interest
and get to be partners with them academically in the classroom and
out on the playground."
Contact Philip K. Ireland at (760)
901-4043 or online at pireland@nctimes.com.
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