THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 25, 1996 TAG: 9602230161
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 24 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 87 lines
EVER TRIED TO TALK with a marshmallow in your mouth?
Or attempted to listen to someone with cotton stuffed in your ears? Or tried to follow directions that went by too fast?
These ``moments of difficulty'' are just some of the ways Kempsville Elementary School students and teachers learned about different disabilities last week when they celebrated ``Exceptional Children's Week.''
Seven of the school's special education teachers - all representing different fields - visited 18 regular education classrooms Tuesday and Wednesday, leading simulations that covered everything from speech impediments to hearing impairments.
``What we're aiming for is for the students to feel these problems that they can't fix on their own,'' said Sue White, special education coordinator and speech therapist, explaining the logic behind the simulations.
Carol Kinsey, who teaches the learning disabled, went into Carolyn Leal's second-grade classroom Wednesday morning to teach children about the learning troubles her students experience in school.
Kinsey passed out work sheets and told the youngsters to get out their pencils. She then quickly mumbled a set of instructions - which included specifics such as ``Draw a blue quadrus around the vowels'' and ``Write your surname on the back of the second chair'' - and told the students to follow them.
The 7- and 8-year-olds squirmed in their seats, questioning one another about the activity. They couldn't remember half the things Kinsey said, much less understand some of the words she used.
``This is how kids and adults with learning disabilities feel,'' she told the class, before reviewing the directions again. ``Sometimes we talk too fast, mumble and use words they don't understand.''
During the second go-round, Kinsey repeated and explained vocabulary while walking around and encouraging the second-graders. ``See what a difference it makes,'' she added, as the children finished their sheets.
The next exercise taught them a lesson about speech impediments. Each student put a marshmallow on his or her tongue and tried to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
``I couldn't talk real good,'' admitted Christopher Morton.
After they realized they couldn't speak or understand each other, Kinsey suggested what to do in the future when they encounter others with speech difficulties.
``You can ask them to repeat what they said,'' she told the class. ``The key is to be understanding.''
White said, ``This is all aimed toward empathy. Even if it's only for a moment, we want them to imagine what it's like to be in any of these situations. That engenders patience.
``Different kids have said these experiences make them feel sad for people who have these problems. Just to have one or two say that is really valuable because that means more kids are thinking that way.''
While the two days of simulations helped foster compassion, some of the week's other activities showed students what children and adults with disabilities can accomplish - illustrating the schoolwide theme of ``Each Child Is Unique . . . and Equally Magnificent.''
Exceptional people had the chance to shine every morning during the announcements. Selected special needs students recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and celebrities with disabilities - from Ray Charles (who is blind) to Beethoven (who was deaf) - were recognized through intercom trivia.
Disabled speakers from the community were invited to share their triumphs, including three local high school students - one of whom has cerebral palsy and is a wheelchair athlete.
``We wanted to show the students what can be done in spite of obstacles,'' White said.
She added that this was the school's first-ever weeklong celebration of exceptional children and she looks forward to future years.
``It really has been a unifying experience,'' she said, referring to the coming together of the different types of special education teachers. ``And it has raised the awareness of regular classroom students and teachers. That was our goal and I think we've achieved it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photos by HOLLY WESTER
ABOVE: Carol Kinsey, who teaches learning disabled children at
Kempsville Elementary School, went into Carolyn Leal's second-grade
classroom to teach children about the learning troubles of her
students.
RIGHT: Special education coordinator Sue White works with
pre-schoolers William Gibson, right, and Neal Pergerson.
by CNB