In Their Own Words – Be Still
Photo by Susan Frank Lowe
This “In Their Own Words” is written by Cheairs Frank Graves, a Charlottesville, Va. mother of two. Her son has autism.
“Be still and know that I am with you.”
These are words that I have heard in church and at Vespers during my days at summer camp, but it is my son with autism who is teaching me the meaning of these nine words.
“With you” is not exactly how I would describe my ongoing relationship with my son. There are days when he is present, laughing and smiling, and there are days when rolling on the floor and dropping marbles in front of his eyes are his activities of choice. Words cannot describe the sadness I have felt when my son turns his back to me when I try to play with him or when he does not respond to his name. It is an empty feeling – a feeling of failure – and feelings of why.
But along this journey my son is teaching me. If I listen hard enough, he is screaming, “Enter my world!” when he turns his back to me. If I sit next to him while he drops the marbles in front of his eyes, he might just look at me and smile.
“Be still and know that I am with you.”
If I lie on the carpet when he is rolling on the floor, he moves next to me.
“Be still and know that I am with you.”
If I sit next to him in the front yard, listening and repeating words back to him – words that he is saying, then I can see his beautiful, blue eyes light up and his crooked smile appear.
“Be still and know that I am with you.”
If I am very still as he comes down the stairs in the morning, I can begin to smile at his ritual of closing off the bedroom and bathroom doors that lead into our room.
“Be still and know that I am with you.”
If I am present when he crawls into the bed and folds himself into the warm comforter, I can celebrate the little life that is lying next to me.
“Be still and know that I am with you.”
If I wrap my arms around him as he puts his head on my chest, I can hear him breathe. My sweet little boy. My precious little boy.
Mommy, “Be still and know that I am with you.”
“In Their Own Words” is a series within the Autism Speaks blog which shares the voices of people who have autism, as well as their loved ones. If you have a story you wish to share about your personal experience with autism, please send it to editors@autismspeaks.org. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Because of the volume of submissions, not all can be published on the site.
Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Fat
This guest post is by Laura Shumaker. Laura is the author of “A REGULAR GUY: GROWING UP WITH AUTISM.” Join the discussion about her book on Facebook.
I needed a babysitter, and I was at a loss.
At the time, my three boys were eight, six, and one and a half. Finding a sitter for three young children is not easy under the best of circumstances, but since our oldest Matthew has autism finding help was always a tremendous challenge.
Our usual choice was Rocky, my friend Laurie’s fourteen-year-old son. He was a great kid who handled Matthew’s odd behavior with humor, and was loved by all three of my boys. I knew that if he were in a pickle, he could call his mom for advice or rescue, but he never needed to.
My husband and I had an all day company party to go to, and since Rocky wasn’t available, I asked his mom if she knew anyone else who might be able to handle our quirky crew.
She said she’d ask Anna, a friend of hers who had just moved from England to be a nanny for a family in our community. Anna had worked at a school back home for disabled children and was looking for work on her days off.
Jackpot.
I phoned Anna, and explained our situation. She bubbled back with her amazing qualifications, including a special education teaching credential and CPR certification. She had decided to take a year off to be a nanny in the United States and was interested in finding babysitting jobs on the weekends. I immediately had fantasies of a weekend away, which we badly needed, while this perfect person took care of the kids.
Saturday arrived, and I was polishing the kitchen feverishly having spent a better part of the day cleaning the house to impress the English nanny when the doorbell rang.
I pulled the door open, and there stood Anna with a big smile, beautiful blue eyes, dangly earrings and — 100 extra pounds.
Matthew appeared in front of her, and got right down to business.
“Matthew!” I said, horrified, but not surprised.
Anna seemed unfazed.
“Hello, Matthew. I’m Anna! Would you like to show me your room?” By now, Andy and John, Matthew’s younger brothers, were standing behind me, looking worried.
“How big are you?” Matthew repeated. I was about to jump in again when Anna signaled to me that she could handle it.
“I am a bit chubby, I suppose.”
“How fat are you?” Matthew persisted.
Why didn’t Laurie tell me?
“In England, we call it chubby, so I guess you would say I’m quite chubby!”
“So you’re big and fat.” Matthew concluded calmly.
My husband appeared, and introductions were made.
“I’m going to give Anna a little tour. Will you watch the boys?” Wide-eyed like the boys, Peter took Andy and John into the other room. As he walked away, Anna and I could hear Matthew say, “She must eat a lot of food.”
It was difficult to convey to Matthew that it is not kind to comment on peoples’ appearance. On trips to the grocery store, he spoke loudly and bluntly about shoppers around him.
“He shouldn’t buy all those donuts” or “How black are those people?”
****
“I am so sorry.” I told Anna, wondering if I should call the whole thing off. The weekend getaway of my dreams would have to wait. “Don’t worry. The little ones always comment on my size, but once they get over it, we have a jolly old time.”
But I knew Matthew wouldn’t get over it, and that it was going to be a long day for poor Anna.
I had a hard time relaxing and getting in the spirit of the party, and finally shared our story with a few of the guests, who laughed uproariously. It was 1996, and autism was still considered a rarity-tragic, yet exciting.
“When did you find out he had autism?” one of the guests asked. “I hear they’re brilliant”, said another. “What will he be like when he’s a man?”
We left the party early, and when we arrived home, Anna looked ragged, and relieved to see us.
“How’d it go?” I asked cautiously.
“Anna ate pizza and ice cream”, Matthew reported.
I quickly ushered Anna out to her car and folded a big check into her hand.
“I don’t know how you do it,” she said.
I thanked her, and said I’d hope she would come again. What else was I going to say? He hadn’t meant to, but Matthew had hurt this woman, and I felt terrible. Now I would have to go in the house and have a talk with Matthew, try to explain once again.I could say, “How would you feel if…” or simply say “Anna feels sad because you told her she was fat.” His reply would be, “ but she is fat.”
And as Anna drove away, I thought, tears coming suddenly, how do I do it?
*****
From that day on, I introduced Matthew to new helpers ahead of time.
But how can you find motivated and qualified people who you can trust? After years of trial and error, I figured out some great resources. This is what I recommend:
- Call your local college and talk to a psychology or education professor. They can refer you to many students who would love to learn from your child (While making money at it!) I have found many great helpers this way, many of whom are still in touch with Matthew.
- Once you find this wonderful people, treat them like family.
- Your child’s speech therapist/physical therapist/etc. might like to work with your child, or might have friends in their field that would.
- When your child is, as my son Matthew told me at age 14 “too old to have a babysitter” hire mentor/friend types.
- Last but not least, Autism Speaks has the best resources pages that I have ever seen. If you can’t find exactly what you are looking for by clicking one of the many links provided, phone your local Autism Speaks chapter and ask for recommendations!
Do have a success story regarding childcare? Share it in the comment section below – we will choose five of you (on Monday, August 2) to receive a copy of Laura’s book.
How Are You Working to Achieve Your American Dream?
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, National Disability Institute presents Economic Empowerment – Defining the New American Dream, a nationwide video contest open to all persons with disabilities. To participate, create a 3-minute video that tells the story of how you are working to achieve your American Dream. One grand prize winner will receive $1,000 and will win a trip to Washington, D.C. to present their video at NDI’s 6th Annual Real Economic Impact Tour Kick-Off Event!
All entries must be received by August 13, 2010.
Ten Tips for Vacationing with Your Child – Part 2
This guest post is by Elaine Hall, author of the memoir NOW I SEE THE MOON: A Mother, a Son, a Miracle and founder of The Miracle Project, a theatre and film arts program for children with special needs. She is also the mother of a fifteen-year-old son with autism. Discuss the book on Facebook and follow Elaine on Twitter @CoachE.
This is the second post in a three-post series about vacationing with your child who has autism; read the first post here.
Tip # 4 Expect the Unexpected. Go with the Flow (as if we had a choice!)
As well-prepared as Neal was for his flight, once he got to the airport, he was so excited he couldn’t contain himself. At the airport, as we waited to board, Neal stared at the huge planes out the windows. He had great anticipation. I turned my head for a moment. I then heard the sound of an alarm. Neal had raced to the exit door and tried to open it so that he could go outside and be with the airplanes. He panics. People glared at him. Security raced over. “It’s okay sweetheart,” I told Neal, trying to comfort him. To the security guard and the concerned onlookers, what could I say? “He has autism! He just likes airplanes!”
I remember early on in our diagnosis becoming outraged at others for making what I thought were “stupid comments” about my child and his behavior. Too, I resented their judgment of how I handled unexpected situations based on Neal’s reactions to circumstances. Now I understand that such reactions come from ignorance (just plain lack of knowledge). I now try to use every occasion as an opportunity to educate and sensitize others to the special needs of my very special child and others like him.
TACA (Talk About Curing Autism Now) has cards that you can present to strangers to help them understand autism.
Tip #5 Call the airline (cruise line or hotel) in advance and let them know you are traveling with a child who has special needs.
Our choice to go with the flow continued throughout the flight. Once we boarded the plane, Neal remembered all that we had practiced (backpack under his chair, seatbelt snapped closed, and ears covered at take-off). Success! Until beverage service does its thing in the aisle, blocking the path to the bathroom in coach (where we are seated) and Neal indicates that he needs to go NOW. This we hadn’t practiced.
At my husband’s suggestion, Neal and I make our way forward to the first class restroom where the flight attendant recites the usual “first class passengers only” spiel. As I try to explain the situation of my son’s special needs, a man from first class, clearly able to overhear our conversation, heads into the bathroom, pushing ahead of Neal. “He’s going to have to wait like everyone else,” she prattles on. As I start arguing with her, Neal sees an opening. He darts towards the bathroom door. And yet another man jumps in front of the door with the cocky condescension of a first-class citizen. Neal tantrums. “Return to your seats,” demands the flight attendant. Neal grabs her eyeglasses off her face. She panics and calls for security. All this happens within twenty seconds. I’m losing it. My husband steps in. He calms me and quiets Neal enough to get him to wait behind the cart as it passes each seat. He then takes Neal to the bathroom. I return to my seat, fuming. If that stupid flight attendant hadn’t been so stuck on her rules, if that guy in first class hadn’t been so arrogant, none of this would have happened. How can people be so cruel?
Now I know to phone the airline in advance and tell them about my child’s special needs and apprise the flight attendants, that if something unusual presents, they need not be afraid. My child has the best intentions and he has autism. Things happen. I believe that people really do want to help families like ours if we tell them how by sensitizing them to our circumstance.
Airlines are becoming more accommodating. When I do the work beforehand, they offer comforts including letting us board early, being kind, patient, and attentive to Neal. I have found that, generally, fear of the unknown creates discomfort and anxiety which manifests in judgment or unkindness. The more we proudly travel with our children or go to movies, malls, or neighbors’ homes, the more they too will come to learn compassion, understanding, and non-judgment, just as we have.
Tip # 6 When traveling long distances prepare activities to keep your child engaged.
For older children, this might include computer games, DVDs, magazines, etc. When Neal was younger, I wrapped up little “gifts” in aluminum foil and let him unwrap them periodically on the trip. I remember going to a party supply store and buying bags of favors, little match box cars, airplanes, bubbles on a string, animated characters, plastic pretend food, etc. Unwrapping each package took up to three minutes. He would then take another three minutes to play with the toy car, spin the wheels, flicker it in front of his eyes, and then line the cars on the tray before he would get bored again. I also wrapped his favorite foods in little packages, a couple crackers here, a piece of string cheese there, three apple slices. Once we we’re in the air, he was intrigued and distracted by his little presents. Once in a while he ran up and down the aisle. I just ran with him. Life happens!
Check back later this week for the rest of Elaine’s tips and subscribe to the Autism Speaks Blog to make sure you don’t miss out!
In Their Own Words – Expectations
This “In Their Own Words” essay is written by Erin Perry. Her son was diagnosed in March of this year. You can read more about Erin and her family at their website Autism Village.
Life is full of expectations. From the minute we all enter the world, we are expected to do things like walk, talk, go to school, have a first kiss, graduate, get a job, have a family – the list goes on and on. So entrenched are these expectations that we live our lives by them, become upset or disappointed when we don’t meet our own (or more likely when other people don’t meet ours) , and we judge others according to them. Expectations are a powerful tool – but when you have a child with autism, in an instant every expectation you once had, is ripped away leaving you feeling raw, vulnerable, and frankly, scared.
I have always been a very driven person. I expect a lot of myself, and I expect a lot of others. So when I found out I was pregnant, I built up in my head what my life would be like with a child. I imagined taking family vacations and watching my son play sports. I thought about the late night conversations we would have when he came home too late for curfew. I expected that it would all be typical, normal, and even (dare I say) easy.
With Brayden’s diagnosis, I have learned there is only one thing to expect – the unexpected. The first adjustment I had to make was letting go of those later in life dreams, for now. No more thinking about college and grandkids – my son lives in the moment, and I had to learn how to alter the way I thought to only include the immediate future. Instead of looking forward to college, we work with every breath to hopefully get Brayden to kindergarten, and maybe even in a mainstream classroom, but that is about as far in the future we go.
On the other side, when we heard the final diagnosis of autism, certain expectations also go along with it. It’s the long list of things your child may not and will not ever do. But that’s the funny thing about autism – just when you expect your child to never do something, he will blow away that expectation. My child has a frequent habit of doing just that. For me, I believe it’s his own little way of saying, “See, mommy, I can do it – keep pushing, keep going.”
Today at Brayden’s new developmental preschool, he sat in a classroom full of seven or eight of his peers, and when the teacher sang “Old McDonald had a…” and stopped, waiting for one child to shout out an animal so the song could continue – my son screamed out, “A COW!” For those unfamiliar with my son, he very rarely says anything without a prompt by an adult to do so. What most people would expect a child of 2 1/2 to do naturally and easily…turned out to be the best unexpected surprise of my day – and another little moment that whispered in my ear, “Keep going, Mommy.”
When Brayden was diagnosed, we expected many things that never came true. We expected to have a better support system, we expected insurance would cover therapy, we expected that people would be accepting of our son. But when our support system crumbled, insurance wouldn’t pay, and people started judging our son and us – other, more positive things, have filled the damaged parts of us. We never expected the support and kindness of so many strangers. We never expected so many people to reach out to us the way they have – and fill our lives with hope again. And we never expected people to be willing to give up time, money, thoughts, and prayers – all for our little boy.
So while we now are learning to let go of expectations – it is these positive unexpected things – that make me still have faith in the world (as cliche as that sounds), and push me to keep going for Brayden every day.
“In Their Own Words” is a series within the Autism Speaks blog which shares the voices of people who have autism, as well as their loved ones. If you have a story you wish to share about your personal experience with autism, please send it to editors@autismspeaks.org. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Because of the volume of submissions, not all can be published on the site.
Introducing Autism Talk TV
This is a guest post by Alex Plank, an autistic adult who founded the online community Wrong Planet. Alex is a graduate of George Mason University. (*Editor’s note: Autism Speaks typically uses person-first language. Alex prefers the term “autistic adult” to describe himself.)
After years of wondering why I was different from the other children, I was finally diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome at the age of nine. I tried to find other people like me on the Internet, but was disappointed at the resources available for connecting to other individuals with autism.
Consequently, I decided to create an online community for people with autism. I was living at my grandparents’ house at the time and they didn’t have internet access, so I had to ride my bike to the library just to work on developing the site. Since I started Wrong Planet, more than 37,000 people have registered as members.We get around two million page views per month.
I graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor’s degree in Film and Video Studies. My senior project was a documentary on autism. One thing I have always wanted to do is create a TV show about autism.
Autism Talk TV is a new online television show with the goal of spreading awareness and educating the public about autism. I created this television show because there really wasn’t anything like it in existence. Autism Talk TV will provide in-depth coverage of all issues relating to autism. Jack Robison (John Elder Robison’s son) and I attend autism conferences around the country and document people’s stories in crisp high-definition video, which I then edit into seven-to-10 minute segments.
I am continually impressed by the diversity of the autism community. Autism Talk TV gives a unique look into the varied lives of individuals related to autism and provides insight for those of us already living with autism.
Autism Speaks and WrongPlanet.net have graciously agreed to sponsor Autism Talk TV and we hope this partnership will help our show to reach as many people as possible.
Here is the latest episode of Autism Talk TV, which features an interview with Wired magazine writer Steve Silberman, who wrote a very popular article called “The Geek Syndrome,” which chronicled the rise of autism in Silicon Valley. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Check out Wrong Planet’s YouTube channel, where Autism Talk TV is hosted.
Autism in the News – Tuesday, 07.27.10
Autistic man dies in hot van in suburban Philly (Langhorne, Penn.)
Police say a 20-year-old autistic man died after being left in a hot van following a trip to a suburban Philadelphia theme park. Read more.
DHHS Blamed For Delay In Private Autism Funds (Omaha, Neb.)
A funding fight is brewing that could affect dozens of autistic children and their parents in Nebraska. The state’s Autism Action Partnership has pulled millions of dollars meant to help kick off a new program for critical care. Read more.
Children’s museum to host workshop on Asperger’s, autism (Suburban Journals)
The Children’s Illustrated Art Museum is hosting an educational and interactive workshop for the parents, professionals and teachers affected by the challenges of caring for a child with Asperger’s syndrome or autism. Read more.
Camp attendance triples for children with autism (Democrat and Chronicle)
Ten-year-old Steven Moore of Pittsford wasn’t sure archery was safe for children. Holding a bow and arrow, his voice grew louder as he said that pulling the bow string hurt and he didn’t think he could do it. Read more.
Columbia mom applies for Pepsi grant to support children with autism (Columbia, Miss.)
When Ella McPheeters was 3, she spoke her first word, “bubbles.” Before then, Ella was entirely nonverbal. At age 2, she was diagnosed with “pervasive development disorder, not otherwise specified,” a type of autism. It was only when she started therapy a year later that “her language completely blew up,” her mother, Hope McPheeters, said. Read more.
The 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act: A time to Celebrate and to Review our Commitment
This is a guest post by Steven Beck, Vice President of the Down Syndrome Society of Northern Virginia and father of a 10-year-old daughter with Down syndrome.
My name is Steve Beck and I am, most importantly, the father of two beautiful 10, and 13-year-old daughters and husband to Catherine. My 10-year-old daughter has Down syndrome. One result of my younger daughter having Down syndrome is that I have become increasing involved in volunteer work at both the local and national levels. Currently, I am Vice President of the Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia and a Board Member of the National Down Syndrome Society.
As we spend time this week celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act we need to also re-commit ourselves to moving forward. By prohibiting discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications, the ADA has provided people with disabilities access to all parts of our community both socially and economically. Guaranteeing access is one step, but providing the tools and supports needed to fully engage that opportunity is a different issue. One of the primary tools needed for all Americans and their families is the opportunity to plan, save, and invest money that can be used to pay for critical needs such as education, healthcare, and retirement.
Over the past four years I have been working with group of national organizations, including Autism Speaks, to pass the Achieving a Better Life Experience or ABLE Act of 2009. While government systems such as Medicaid, SSI, and SSDI provide a wide variety of critical supports for our community they simply cannot cover the full array of needs. In addition, many of the rules that govern them drastically limit individuals and their family’s ability to plan, save and accumulate assets to help fill these gaps. As a result, people are forced into poverty just in order to maintain access to these government benefits.
The ABLE Act would establish a savings instrument similar to ones that all other Americans have access to through 529 College Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Individual Retirement Accounts, and 401Ks. Like these accounts, ABLE Accounts could be set up and managed with little or no cost. The money can be controlled by the individual, their parents, a guardian, or third-party based on decisions made by the individual and their family. There is a very broad array of qualified expenses the money can be used for including healthcare, transportation, education, housing, community based support services, employment training and support and other life necessities. The money in the accounts grows tax-free and can be distributed tax-free as long as it is spent for a qualified expense. Most importantly, the assets held in the accounts cannot be used to disqualify individuals from critical means tested programs such as Medicaid, SSI and SSDI.
Now is the time to provide individuals with disabilities the same types of financial tools that all other Americans use to save for their future needs and to pay for critical parts of everyday community living. The ADA was passed 10 years before my daughter was born and I was still in college. I started working on the ABLE Act when she was eight, and she will be 11 in November. We cannot afford to wait much longer to start saving for her future and neither can millions of other Americans. I want and demand that she have the same opportunities to attend college, get a job of her choosing, and live independently, just like her older sister.
The ABLE Act (H.R. 1205) has 190 co-sponsors in the House and (S. 493) has 24 Senate co-sponsors as of July 24, and well over 40 national organizations supporting its passage. Please, visit www.autismvotes.org/able to contact your members of Congress and ask them to pass this important bill into law this year.
To learn more about Autism Votes, take action today on autism insurance reform legislation in your state, or find out about Autism Speaks’ federal legislative advocacy agenda, please visit www.autismvotes.org
More Information on Research and Clinical Trials
This is a post by Autism Speaks’ Assistant Director of Science Communication and Special Projects Leanne Chukoskie, Ph.D.
On Friday, a short post with a link to a clinical trial led by Curemark was highlighted in e-Speaks and on Autism Speaks’ Facebook page. The post generated a many questions and comments, some of which could be addressed with more information about clinical trials in general.
Clinical trials are research tools for studying the health and well-being of people. Clinical trials are not always focused on treatment, but may include studies of better methods for diagnosis, screening or improving quality of life. A description of types of clinical trials is available at an informative website provided by the National Institutes of Health in the FAQ.
In addition to the different types of trials conducted, any clinical trial involving a new drug enters a phased series of tests to assess the safety and efficacy of the drug for a particular population. A Phase I clinical trial is small and establishes safety and appropriate dosage. In Phase II, the trial is expanded to include more subjects so a better estimate of effectiveness and safety can be established. Phase III trials can be conducted after preliminary evidence for the effectiveness and safety of the drug has been favorable. In this phase of study, the effectiveness of the treatment, any potential side effects of the treatment are closely monitored in a larger population. Also this phase typically includes a comparison of the treatment under study with other drugs available for the same condition. A Phase IV clinical trial is called “post-market” research because it is conducted after a drug has been made available for use in the general population. Phase IV studies typically include several thousand participants and help to refine aspects of the treatment’s best usage and ideal treatment candidate.
The Curemark study noted in Friday’s post is a Phase III treatment trial that aims to compare the effectiveness of a compound called CM-AT versus a placebo administered 3x per day for 90 days. This particular trial is “double-blind” meaning that neither the research participants nor the clinical staff administering the treatment know whether a subject is receiving the active compound or a placebo at the time the treatment is given. Double-blinded studies are believed to produce more objective results because the outcomes are not influenced by the subjects’ or clinicians’ expectations about the treatment. Treatment information will be revealed for all subjects when the blind is broken at the end of the study at which point an analysis of the effectiveness of the new treatment versus control can be compared.
The clinicaltrials.gov website lists 219 studies that result in a search for “autism.” A smaller number (110) are seeking volunteers. The treatments being assessed include behavioral therapies, different drug compounds, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and others from researchers all over the world. 12 of the 219 studies were sponsored by Autism Speaks and nine of those are actively recruiting. We encourage anyone interested in participating in research to seek more information about these studies.
Autism in the News – Monday, 07.26.10
Disabilities act anniversary, but there’s still long way to go (msnbc.com)
James Hill was fired from his job several years ago because of visible disfigurements from a fire that left him burnt over 85 percent of his body. Read more.
They just can’t stand it: The smallest things bother kids with sensory processing disorder, but skeptics scoff at the diagnosis (Kentucky.com)
It’s unbearable to wear clothing with tags. It’s impossible to use scissors, no matter how many times you try. All mushy or soft foods are unbearable – not because of the flavor, but the consistency. Read more.
Laughter lines (UK)
Comedy script writer Dean Wilkinson tells Lucy Richardson about his passion for children’s entertainment and why he’s creating the new Wombles on Teesside. Read more.
Katy is poised to take to the air (UK)
A teenager who suffers from cerebral palsy is preparing to leap from a plane to raise money for a north-east residential school. Read more.
Motorola accused of poisoning workers and their kids (Techeye.net)
Maker of the Razr phone, Motorola has been accused of poisoning its workers and their children. According to the Sun Times, a group of former Motorola workers and their children claimed toxic substances used to make Motorola products caused serious birth defects in at least 30 children born to workers employed by the company since the 1960s. More than 71 people have filed the suit in Cook County Circuit Court. Read more.
Making physical education fun for children with autism (The Brownsville Herald)
Betty always had lots of energy for the children in Room 103. She was the adapted physical education teacher for the special education program there. Betty came every Tuesday and Thursday, rarely missing even a day with these children. At the beginning of the year, she saw that the class had a couple of new students. Read more.
