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I go to the Frolio Middle School in Abington, and I am in 7th grade. I love school and I do very well. My favorite subject is Geography because I like learning about the earth and maps. Because of my disability, I do need some special accommodations in school. For example, I have to use a laptop to do my schoolwork. I cannot keep up with writing for several reasons. First of all, CP affects all the muscles in my body, including those in my hands and wrists. |
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| Is that the right answer...Just give me a sign! | ||
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My hands and fingers get tired very quickly when I am holding a pen or pencil and trying to write. My fingers and hands are also always very stiff so I tend |
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to push down hard when I write and it causes me to get blisters and calluses on my pinky finger. In addition to that, I have some ataxia and some tremors. This shakiness makes it difficult to write neatly. Sometimes I get aggravated because I know what I want my hands to do, but they don’t always move the right way, and my writing looks messy as a result. It can be very frustrating. A computer is the solution. I use my own laptop at home, and since I have been using a |
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| Homework with a smile... | ||
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computer for as long as I can remember, I can type pretty quickly. Without my laptop, I would be lost. There is also a great program my Mom and Step Dad got me called Dragon Naturally Speaking. It is a program that allows me to speak into a microphone which then types what I say. That way, if my hands get tired of typing, I can still finish a report or story just by speaking the words. It takes a lot of effort to program, and I am still in the programming stages. The program has to get used to recognizing my voice and speech patterns. The first time I started programming it, I became frustrated, because it did not understand what I was saying. My Mom suggested I take a break and try again the next day. It was good advice. The next day, I tried again and had better success. Sometimes, when things get too frustrating or overwhelming, it is good to take a deep breath, and/or a break, and try again when you are feeling refreshed. School can be difficult when it comes to interacting with friends and peers. I have been teased at school, on occasion. One time in elementary school, this boy kept picking on me at recess. He kept telling me that I stink at kickball and I was embarrassed in front of my peers. Even though it hurt my feelings, I tried to remember that he had no idea what I’ve gone through, or how hard I’ve worked to even be able to play kickball. I may not have been able to kick the ball as far as other kids my age, but just being able to kick it was an achievement for me. When I was born, the doctors told my mom that I would likely never walk or talk. I don’t take anything I can do for granted. I may not be able to do everything perfectly, but I am happy just to have the chance to try. I feel sorry for people like that kid, who take everything they do for granted, and who think it is fun to make fun of others. I wouldn’t want to be that kind of person, and that’s what I try to remember when those kinds of comments hurt my feelings. I think it’s important to like who you are inside, and I like who I am inside. I know how to be grateful for the things my body can do. After the kickball incidents, my Step-Dad bought me a new kickball, and took me to my school to practice several nights that week. I worked hard on my kicking, and I did not give up, even though my legs hurt and my muscles were tired. I was proud of myself. My Step-Dad reminded me that I could do anything I put my mind to, and I was determined to get better at kicking. The next week, at school, when we were playing kickball at recess, I got a triple! My hard work paid off, and it felt really good! | ||
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