Never give up on a child!

So many “experts” seem to know all the skinny about
children with profound LD’s that we often find ourselves
not questioning the status quo. Disregarding those like
Bettleheim, whose theories are laid to rest, we still
operate many times with an outsider’s speculation about
what goes on in the mind of these children.

How many times have we read that 70, even 90% of autistic
children are also mentally retarded, most profoundly? How
many of us have allowed this to shape our actions, as tho
these children were beyond hope? How many have allowed
children with deeply hidden potential to languish in
programs which while appropriate for a child with true MR
are not the least appropriate for a child whose disability
is not purely cognitive, but much more specific?

from FEAT News:

Autistic Student’s Transformation Dismisses 19 IQ For Near 4.0 GPA [From the Association of California School
Administrators News.]
http://www.acsa.org/news/edcal_lead_detail.tpl?cart=88888888
&_sku=3081768073203377

For most of her life, Koren Henning was trapped in a dark
world all her own, unable to communicate with those around her. But with the help of several talented educators, she was able to break out of her shell and do things she could only dream of before.

Koren, who will be a senior in the fall, is autistic
and has severe physical and mental disabilities. Hard work
and determination have allowed her to achieve her academic goals, earning her the 2001 ACSA/ MetLife Every Student Succeeding Award for Region 18.

Before Koren enrolled in the Integrated Life Skills
program at Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego USD
several years ago, she was diagnosed as severely retarded
with an IQ of 19. She was unable to communicate and needed assistance to feed, clothe and bathe herself.

After working with the staff of Scripps Ranch, Koren
was slowly able to communicate with the outside world by
learning to type. Months later, she was able to enroll in
general education classes and complete regular classroom
assignments.

Scripps Ranch principal David Le May said Koren’s
turning point was when she learned to type. When she first
came to the school, she was cloaked in silence. With the
use of the computer she was able to break out and tell the
world what was on her mind.

“Before, precious little was known about what she was
thinking and what she was feeling inside,” Le May said.
“The breakthrough came with the ability to communicate
using the computer. Before, we didn’t have a clue as to who
Koren was inside.”

Le May said the transformation could not have
occurred without the dedication of Koren’s teachers and
other school staff members. Not once did they lose faith,
and not once did they brush Koren off as hopeless.

“It’s all about never, ever giving up on a child,
whether they have a handicap or not,” Le May said. “(The
staff) has done miracle work with Koren and accomplished
some remarkable stuff as far as unlocking the door.”

As Koren progressed, her personality and demeanor
began to change. Initially, Koren seemed to be angry
inside. But after she learned to type, she became more
confident and proud and flourished academically.

“The frustration of being locked inside led to much
more acting out,” Le May said. “But she has made tremendous progress. She was inspired in terms of not being confined because of her handicap.”

Koren’s Integrated Life Skills teacher, Joan Wolfson,
said Koren was a different person before she learned to
communicate. She had essentially no oral or motor skills
whatsoever.

“It was hard for her to do things independently,”
Wolfson said. “She could move her arms and legs but she
couldn’t move them in a way to gain independence or for
normal movements.”

By encouraging Koren to push herself, teachers helped
her learn to type with increasing skill, thereby keeping
her disability at bay.

“Her brain had never been asked to work,” Wolfson
said. “Over a period of time she began to type sentences
and then paragraphs. Now she can type whole pieces, and her writing is beautiful.”

Koren now takes regular classes and maintains close
to a 4.0 grade point average. While it may take her a
little longer to complete assignments, her coursework is
not modified. But sometimes, schoolwork can be pretty tough.

“It’s very time intensive and stressful,” Wolfson
said. “Koren has worked really hard. She stays after school
every day and by the time she gets home, she’s beat.”

Because Koren can now communicate, she has told her
teachers how lucky she is to be given the opportunity for a
new life. “She’s extremely grateful,” Wolfson said. “She
always said how blessed she feels. In a lot of ways, she’s
a new person.”