A Survival Guide to High School for Students with (and Without) Disabilities By David A. Kuriniec [Part 1]

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
-Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken,” 1916, lines 18-20

I am a young adult with a disability. I atttend a 4 year university and have an enoromous amount of experience to share regarding survival both in High School and in life. At six months old, I was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy ("CP").   The only limitations resulting from my CP are physical.  Nevertheless, those limitations required the district to provide an aide whose tasks were to take notes and assist in any other essential daily functions.  With the role of the aide came the immediate suspicion on the part of my peers that he or she was the one completing assignments and not me.  I was, despite the aforementioned fact, the talk of the town; you see, I had a motorized scooter, and everyone’s day was made if he or she had a ride on its back at recess.  But as junior high school came, cliques began to form; in other words, students realized that I was different and began leaving me out of activities and sometimes acted as if my existence was not a reality.  That forced me to ask the painful question: “why me?”  Suicide did cross my mind.  But I hung on and found other pursuits, mainly intellectual in nature, to keep my mind stimulated and numb the emotional pain.

Things changed as I entered high school.  In the first semester, because I had a love for baseball, (and still do—Let’s go White Sox!) I wanted to be a sports broadcaster; a position in that arena would allow me to travel the country and experience the game I love.  But then, I sat at home one day and watched ESPN; on the screen, the anchor was detailing the Supreme Court’s holding in PGA Tour Inc v. Martin 532 U.S. 661 (2001).  This case helped to spur my passion for advocacy and catapulted my life in a truly unexpected direction.  It was after hearing about the case that I wrote Congressman Mark Kirk, who has since been a great ally and voice in Congress, supporting initiatives that help to make society more open and accessible to people with disabilities.  But a full explanation of my activism is beyond the scope of this piece; what is important here is that socialization became even harder in high school, because students who I believed were my friends ostracized me because they thought that what I was doing was “gay.”  I realized, after quite a bit of deep thought, that their ad hominem attacks were immature and that they did not truly comprehend the reasons for my actions or its positive impact on the community.

It was because of my struggles and challenges in high school that I began to consider at length the concept of inclusion. I had first considered inclusion in an article I had begun writing for a journalism class. In that class I had detailed the experiences and opinions relative to inclusion of two other students with disabilities and various teachers at school.  Following the completion of the article, I sat down and thought about all the things teachers had done over the course of my entire educational career to ensure that I was truly included.  As I examined the list, I realized that my inclusion was successful because I too had done everything discussed below.  So, without further introduction, here is the list, supplemented with short anecdotes and/or supporting arguments. Students should: 

Develop and Maintain a Positive Attitude

In theory, this advice may sound obvious.  But there are two realms in which students must stay positive for inclusion to work.  First, they should always try their best on assignments and know that, no matter what grade they receive, their best efforts were expended.  If a grade is lower than what a student wanted to receive, he or she should carefully examine teacher comments and ask the teacher if, for partial credit, corrections can be made; if not, then on the next assignment, make certain that corrections suggested by the teacher are automatically made.  The grade will more than likely be on par with the desired result.  In any event, getting worked up or depressed about the low grade is not an option, as the effects will inevitably be felt in other classes and areas of life.

For instance, Math was never my strong suit; it still is not.  In Geometry class during sophomore year, I received a B- on a test.  It was a thoroughly disheartening experience, especially since I thought I had done very well. Upset as I was about this grade, I knew I could not allow it to affect me too much, given that I had three other classes that demanded my attention.  In addition, I was encouraged when I learned  that the majority of the class also did poorly; because of this, the grade could be boosted by turning in corrections with explanations of the mistakes we made.  This mentality has served me well in school; there are, of course, many challenges that arise, but if students continually believe that they can meet them, and do not become disheartened when bumps appear in the road, inclusion will work better because the teacher will have a more positive view of the student, who participates in the process.

Discover and Embrace Their Unique Identities

Inclusion, however, does not just occur inside the classroom.  Being at school should provide an academic education, but the social portion is just as important.  High school can be a rough time, as I stated in my Opening Statement above.  It is a time when the natural inclination is to want to fit in.  To some extent, this is doable—that is, students with disabilities can certainly wear the “right” clothes, listen to the “right” music and so on, but a simple fact should be realized here: if even a mildly visible disability is present, a student will not be seen as “normal.”  And I say this not as an attempt to wreck emotional stability, but as an attempt to produce and sustain it.  Disability is actually a blessing in disguise, proving to everyone that in fact, we are all limited in different ways, with some more so than others. With the knowledge and understanding of the blessing, students should take the time to really investigate the things that interest them.  By “interest,” I mean things about which students are passionate.  For about the first half of my freshman year in high school, I spent time trying to fit in.  During this period, I felt completely lost, because I had not yet identified exactly who or what I was.  And, even worse, I actually started believing that I was inferior after kids began making fun of me.  But if students find several things in which they are interested and at which they are good, they can offset the possible damage caused by peer pressure that will inevitably render them irascible.  They will know what makes them unique and special, and not need anyone else to justify their existence.

Enjoy the Educational Experience

As I mentioned above, school can, at times, be laborious and seem rather useless.  Students should also be aware of the fact that when they get into the “real world,” (hopefully none of the readers here will be in the raunchy MTV series) they will likely miss school.  Take for example the cooking class I had senior year.  Every Tuesday, we would learn how to cook something new—from pizza to brownies to scones.  (Never mind the fact that the food lab, which contained small, individual kitchens with stoves and sinks for each group, was realistically inaccessible for me in the wheelchair because everything was too high for me to reach it).  But even in the more involved classes, I enjoyed the learning and skill development. 

In Constitutional Law, (yes, that was a high school class) we learned how to loosely conduct a mock trial and write appellate briefs for the cases.  The point here is simple: it is exhilarating when something you learn from class is understandable because the teacher makes it that way, and when the knowledge a student gains in the classroom can be applied in everyday life—which, believe it or not, is the case with most high school courses.  Inclusion will work better if the student can show the teacher that he or she cares about the material being covered, and can help his or her peers understand it if necessary.  And, most importantly, as former South African President Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Do not be Afraid to Talk with Adults

A large part of enjoying the learning experience discussed above is dependent upon the student’s willingness and ability to talk with adults in an academic setting.  Inclusion must be broadly construed to foster open communication with the teacher about the student's academic progress and any accommodations needed.  Self-advocacy builds confidence, shows the student how to meet the challenges of daily life, and makes the process of inclusion run more smoothly.  At the beginning of every school year when I was in high school, I talked at some length with each of my teachers, telling them that I was looking forward to a great class and then detailing the character of my disability; this naturally led the need to a list (even though it was in the IEP already) of the accommodations which I would require as a member of the class to make my education appropriate.  This action illustrated to the teacher that I was responsible for my educational success.

Students should also not hesitate to share their feelings about high school, or anything else for that matter, with parents and other trustworthy adults.  Since the high school years coincide with what can be a rebellious stage in development, students’ reluctance to do this based on beliefs that either they know everything or their parents will rail at them is not a surprise.  Nevertheless, students should maintain an open relationship because parents (and teachers) can provide guidance support and wisdom as kids enter previously uncharted waters. What is important in this discussion is that if students with (and without) disabilities can overcome their fear of talking with adults, they will be ahead of the game, able to articulate their feelings and needs to those around them, making the process of inclusion easier to manage on both sides.

Comments

[Armentres Weaver-Bey]

David I really learned a lot from reading your blog. I am a special education teacher in an elementary school. As I was reading about your experiences, I was able to see some of the students I have taught over the years. I wish I would have had this insight as to how they were coping with the situation and maybe I could have been more supportive. Your experiences will help me look at whether or not my classroom is accommodating for my students and will allow me to actually have better conversations with my students with disabiities about how they can be better served.

[Cathy Rosen, former APE teacher]

David -
I am so very proud to say I know you. I knew you would grow up to do great things.

[Karina Burman]

Special Needs Transitional Program for children 14-18 years of age. Contact Karina Burman, Special Needs Coordinator at Marks JCH of Bensonhurst: 718-331-6800 ext. 175 or [email protected]