Every parent's nightmare.

What a sad, scary nightmare........  This is not a story to make you smile with a happy ending. This is a parent's is a horrible, horrible incident that shattered a family.  I am sharing it so every parent makes sure as best to their ability that their child is always in a safe environment at all times.

Please say a prayer for these families.

Girl with Down syndrome found dead near Riverview school

RIVERVIEW — An 11-year-old girl with Down syndrome who slipped away from Rodgers Middle School even as adults watched her class was found dead Monday evening in a murky pond near the school.

Jennifer Caballero, who went by Jenny and whose mother held her in her arms at the bus stop every morning before school, walked away from her physical education class at midday Monday.

The class, which had about 20 children with special needs, was in the gym with about 140 other students, some of them playing basketball, said school district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe. Six teacher aides were assigned to watch Jenny's class.

Hillsborough County school superintendent MaryEllen Elia, who appeared at the Riverview school Monday evening, could not say how the child slipped away.

"There's no question that there are some things that have to be investigated," Elia said, promising the district would work with the Sheriff's Office to investigate.

The pond is about 100 yards from the gym and surrounded by a 4-foot fence. Though Jenny was a special needs child, she had the ability to climb a fence, said Sheriff David Gee.

"We don't know how long she was not under direct supervision," said Gee, who also appeared at the school. "We do not believe it was a very long time."

What they do know is the following:

About 12:30 p.m., shortly after Jenny's class went to the gym after lunch, employees realized she was missing after two students said they had seen her walk out a door.

Earlier, the girl had tried to go under the bleachers by herself, authorities said. Gee said supervisors said they were keeping an eye on her because they thought she was still trying to hide.

Officials put the school on lockdown. At dismissal time, school officials did a "controlled release," watching those coming and going to make sure Jenny did not leave with someone.

For five hours, the Sheriff's Office searched for Jenny, a 5-foot girl with dark pigtails.

Deputies first searched the interior of the school, checking every locker and closet. They used canine units on the ground and a helicopter in the air.

Two ponds are near the school. A dive team first searched the one in front of the school. About 5:15 p.m., it started on the second one, behind the school, according to sheriff's spokesman Larry McKinnon. About an hour later, the team discovered the body in 12 feet of water, about 20 feet from the shoreline.

Jenny becomes at least the fourth special-needs child in this area this year to have been found dead in a body of water despite nearby adult supervision.

In April, a 9-year-old girl with autism attending a birthday party in Riverview slipped away unnoticed and drowned in a pond. In June, a 4-year-old Holiday boy with autism slid out a window after his mother had put him to bed and ended up in a neighbor's pool. And in September, a 15-year-old with autism drowned in a Temple Terrace municipal pool while at a charter school party.

Rodgers Middle, which serves grades 6 to 8, has about 1,000 students. Jenny had attended the school for only about six weeks. She had transferred from another school within the district, though it was not clear Monday night which one, according to Cobbe.

Scores of neighbors turned up at the school Monday, offering their help. Many left in tears and questioned how a child, especially a disabled one, could disappear that fast.

Jenny's family has lived in the area nearly 20 years, said neighbor Heather Boffo. Jenny was the youngest of three daughters; their father works in the farming industry, and their mother stays at home. Neither speaks English, and Jenny's teen sister had to do most of the talking with deputies, said Boffo.

Through the Sheriff's Office, the family declined interviews.

Jenny was a sweet child, neighbors said, and on afternoons when the family had the windows open, neighbors could hear her laughing at cartoons on TV.

"You hear her screaming because she's just joyful," said Boffo.

She walked with a limp and was never far from her mother.

"She's always got a hold of her mama's hand," said neighbor Lorraine Boffo, Heather's mother.

Neighbors never knew the child to disappear. They questioned not only how she walked away from the school but also why deputies did not search the second pond until hours later.

"That should've been the first place they looked," said Heather Boffo.

McKinnon said the first thought was that the child was still inside the school, which is why deputies scoured the building. Jenny's mother walked the school grounds, too, hoping the sound of her voice might lure her.

The canine unit, which includes two bloodhounds, didn't pick up any scents as it circled the school. McKinnon said the ponds were dark and soupy, and the dive teams had to work slowly and methodically.

McKinnon added that no one knows yet when Jenny might have entered the water. "I don't think there's anyone who can say we should've done anything different," he said. "It's a tragedy."

Gee said as much when he choked up at his news conference Monday evening.

"I can't even begin to tell you how sad it is," he said.

Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report. Jessica Vander Velde can be reached at jvandervelde@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3433.

[Last modified: Oct 23, 2012 12:05 AM]

Copyright 2012 Tampa Bay Times

Be gentle.

Labels. Not for me please.

Labels, I DO NOT LIKE THEM!  But, unfortunately, I find myself surrounded by them.  It seems we all have labels given to us and we give labels to things and people around us.  My problem with labels is the stereotype associated with them.

What do you think of when you hear these words?  Fat?  Slow?  Confused?  Retarded?  Could it be that you suffer from a mineral or hormone deficiency?  Or could you have Down Syndrome?  See, labels are not what they seem to be.

When we were given my son's diagnosis of Down Syndrome, I had a lot of preconceived notions because of labels.  I was WRONG.  I had not clue what Down Syndrome was or how it was going to affect our family's lives. I worried when Davey started school and all of the labels he was given.   And boy, am I glad I was wrong.

Here is an article about a school in Indonesia for children with Special Needs.  Again, labels and the fear associated with them is a reason parents do not get the help their children need to succeed in life.

Breaking down the ‘fear of labels’

Prodita Sabarini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | People | Mon, August 06 2012, 9:42 AM

The fear of stigma against children with special needs is sometimes strong enough to keep parents in a state of denial, according to Rovanna Bawden from the Australian International School (AIS).

Bawden is AIS’ Student Support Center head. The center is a new unit for children with disabilities. As the only international school with a designated support center for children with special needs, Bawden said they attempt to break down the “fear of labels”.

Parents who have children with special needs are sometimes reluctant to get assessment from doctors, she said.

They fear that the diagnosis of disorders might come as a verdict of lifelong stigma that comes with labels of children with special needs or children with disabilities. And, some parents fear society’s misconceptions that come with those labels.

“A lot of parents think that ‘if I get an assessment from the doctor then my child will be labeled’ and sometimes they rather not know,” Bawden said.

“So, we’re trying to say that it’s not about finding the label, it’s about helping your child,” she said.

With more than two decades of experience in special needs education, Bawden is certain that the inclusion of children with special needs in mainstream education is essential for the development of a child’s social skills.

She joined AIS in January to head the Student Support Center. AIS founder Penny Robertson and Australia Ambassador Greg Moriarty will officially open the new center today.

Prior to AIS, Bawden headed the Guardian Angels School Learning Support in Brisbane, Australia. Her experience working at international schools stretches from Papua New Guinea to Japan and Thailand.

Bawden believes that parents of children with special needs should be open to sharing their problems in order to find a solution. “Don’t hide the problem. Share your problem and then everyone can help you to solve it,” she said.

Parents of children with special needs often provide homeschooling for their offspring. While the child receives devoted attention and affection, “they don’t get any social skills,” according to Bawden. “They just have mom and dad and that’s a very abnormal situation for the child,” she said.

“You’re not doing a favor really to your child to keep them in the house with you,” she added.

Parents’ worry about providing education for children with special needs is understandable. In Jakarta, parents of children with special needs still have very limited support, according to Bawden. A lot of parents must go to Singapore or Australia to get their children tested or to obtain therapies unavailable in Indonesia.

In 2009, the Education and Culture Ministry set up a regulation on inclusive education that obliges city administrations and regencies to appoint a school in each district as an inclusive school. According to data from the ministry, in 2011 there were around 1,680 special schools and 967 inclusive schools at the elementary and junior high level in Indonesia. Many, however, are still struggling to provide for students with special needs.

In the case of international schools, only AIS has a special unit for students with special needs. Robertson founded AIS in 1996 because she was unable to find an international school that could provide education for her child who has Down’s syndrome.

Bawden said AIS’ new support facility included a package of services that catered to students’ individual needs. Each student has a learning assistant, and the support center has specialists such as a speech therapist, occupational therapist and psychologist. “People come to us now,” she said, while before they had to refer students to Singapore or Australia. The special unit has been running since April with 17 students.

Bawden said that special needs students join mainstream physical education and music classes. She said that the main goal is to help students function as social human beings. “Second, of course, [to give] as much as possible a normal school experience. The goal is inclusion to mainstream,” she said.

“We’re not ever going to say that your kid will never leave this building. This is not for life,” she said.

To provide access to education for students with special needs, Bawden said that there is a need for schools to be open to differences. “Some schools are not so open to differences because they just want the academic grade, but if you look at life, life is not about academic grades, life is about having nice human beings,” Bawden said with a laugh.

“Because we can’t all be rocket scientists, we can’t all be doctors, but we can all try to be nice people and that’s the humanity part.”

I still worry about labels, not because of what they mean to me or I do not understand, but because of the fear and confusion caused by people who do not bother to look beyond the labels.  What are your thoughts?

Be gentle.

College bound kids?

I want all of my children to have the opportunity to go to college.  College is expensive.  Two of my children, now successful young women, have already graduated from college  (Woo hoo!).  Both of my daughters have student loans to repay.

My son, Davey is already planning on attending college just like the rest of his siblings. The Federal Student Aid Department has federal aid available for student with intellectual disabilities.  I hope these programs are still offered when Davey is ready to attend college in a few years.  Check out this LINK to learn more about your child's eligibility for the programs.

Home » Who Gets Aid » Students With Intellectual Disabilities

Students with intellectual disabilities may be able to get certain types of federal student aid.

If you have an intellectual disability, you may receive funding from the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and Federal Work-Study programs if you

• are enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a comprehensive transition and postsecondary (CTP) programfor students with intellectual disabilities at an institution of higher education (a college or career school) that participates in the federal student aid programs;
• are maintaining satisfactory academic progress; and
• meet the basic federal student aid eligibility requirements, except that you are not required to have a high school diploma or GED and are not required to be pursuing a degree or certificate.   

A CTP program for students with intellectual disabilities means a degree, certificate, or nondegree program that

• is offered by a college or career school and approved by the U.S. Department of Education;
• is designed to support students with intellectual disabilities who want to continue academic, career, and independent living instruction to prepare for gainful employment;
• offers academic advising and a structured curriculum; and
• requires students with intellectual disabilities to participate, for at least half of the program, in
• regular enrollment in credit-bearing courses with nondisabled students,
• auditing or participating (with nondisabled students) in courses for which the student does not receive regular academic credit,
• enrollment in noncredit-bearing, nondegree courses with nondisabled students, or
• internships or work-based training with nondisabled individuals.

CTP Programs Approved to Participate in the Federal Student Aid Programs*
SCHOOL	LOCATION
California State University	Fresno, California
Taft College	Taft, California
Southeastern University	Lakeland, Florida
Elmhurst College	Elmhurst, Illinois
Heartland Community College	Normal, Illinois
The College of New Jersey	Ewing, New Jersey
New York Institute of Technology	Old Westbury, New York
Western Carolina University	Cullowhee, North Carolina
Kent State University	Kent, Ohio
College of Charleston	Charleston, South Carolina
Clemson University	Clemson, South Carolina
University of South Carolina	Columbia, South Carolina
Coastal Carolina University	Conway, South Carolina
George Mason University	Fairfax, Virginia

*As of July 1, 2012

If you have questions about your eligibility, contact the financial aid office at your college or career school.

Be gentle.

Special Olympics State Championships, WE ARE THERE!.

June 22 - 24, 2012

Are you gonna be there?  The Olympics will be in Davis CA for the weekend, SPECIAL OLYMPICS!  We are going to be there cheering Davey and the rest of the athletes to victory. First or last, they are all winners.  Won't you join us?

From the Galt Herald, our local newspaper.

Galt athletes to compete at Special Olympics summer games this weekend in Davis

David Verissimo, Jr. wins two gold medals and one silver medal at the Special Olympics regional track and field competition in May, which earns him a spot at the Summer Games this weekend.

Published:

Wednesday, June 20, 2012 6:18 PM CDT

Only two slots were available at this weekend’s Summer Olympics, but five Galt area athletes gave it their all at a May regional meet and ended up with the knowledge they had done well enough to compete at the next level.

Raul Ramirez, Jr., Elias Reed, Kaily Riley, David Verissimo, Jr. and William Spencer Woods of the Galt Chiefs all competed at the Rancho Cordova regional meet for the Special Olympics in May and after having to choose two athletes to represent the team at the Special Olympics Northern California 2012 Summer Games, David Jr. and Elias were selected for the honor.

Now, the two will compete at the June 22-24 meet at the University of California, Davis

At regionals, Raul competed in the 100 meter run, 50 meter run and softball throw. He finished in fourth place in the 100 meter run after earning a time of 33.22 seconds. In the 50 meter run, he won with his time of 12.10 seconds, while in the softball throw, he also won, earning a distance of 4.5200 meters.

Elias won three gold medals after winning the 100 meter run (19.47), 50 meter run (9.36) and softball throw (12.3800).

Kaily, 24, won two gold medals and finished second in the last event. In the 100 meter run, she won with her time of 24 seconds, while she won the 200 meter run with her time of 54.5. She placed second in the shot put in her age group with a distance of 2.4600 meters.

David won two first place medals and one second place in his events. He won the 100 meter run at 29.78 second, finished second in the 50 meter run at 12.0 seconds and won the softball throw for his age group at 13.75 meters.

William Spencer Woods won both events he competed in, including the 100 meter run (24.69) and the shot put (2.7300 meters).

The qualification for an athlete to compete at the Summer Games is to be a gold-medal winner at the regional level, said Becky Smith, who is one of three of the Galt Chiefs’ coaches for the Summer Games. The other two coaches are David Verissimo Sr. and volunteer coach Daniel Reed.

Both Elias and David competed in every sport that the Chiefs participated in, said Smith, including soccer, basketball and track and field. Spencer and Raul also participated in all three sports, while Kaily participated in track and field for the Chiefs, which is made up of athletes from most of the schools in Galt, according to Smith. Athletes from Galt Adult Community Training also participate and ages for the team’s members range from eight to the mid 40s.

To be able to compete at the Summer Games will be a unique opportunity for the two young athletes; about 900 athletes and coaches will participate in four sports. Aquatics, bocce, track and field and tennis will be the four areas of competition at U.C. Davis. The Galt Chiefs were among 6,776 track and field athletes who competed in 12 regional competitions for the chance to compete at the state-level Summer Games.

Both Elias, David and their family and fans will be looking forward to the opening ceremonies, which take place at Aggie Stadium at 7:30  p.m. and competition, which starts Saturday and ends Sunday.

Both the opening ceremonies and competitions are free to the public.

Be gentle.

Inclusion in school? Is it for my child?

Last night was "Back to School Night" for the boys.  When the boys were five, I remember having to make some tough decisions about how we wanted to proceed with Davey's education.  We had so many decisions to make.  What about inclusion?  Is it where Davey belonged?  What were the important factors we were looking for in Davey's education?  I was concerned that we wouldn't make the right choices for Davey.  So many of the parents I had met felt that that fully including their child in school was the most important thing for their child.  Did we want to mainstream our son?  David and I were not so sure this was the right place for Davey.  Did we want Davey in a "typical" classroom?  Should he be in a "typical" classroom with an aide or "para"?  Should he be a in a classroom geared toward his learning style?  What about full inclusion?  Is it for my son?

Inclusion in education is an approach to educating students with special educational needs. Under the inclusion model, students with special needs spend most or all of their time with non-disabled students. Implementation of these practices varies. Schools most frequently use them for selected students with mild to severe special needs.^[1]

Inclusive education differs from previously held notions of ‘integration’ and ‘mainstreaming’, which tended to be concerned principally with disability and ‘special educational needs’ and implied learners changing or becoming ‘ready for’ or deserving of accommodation by the mainstream. By contrast, inclusion is about the child’s right to participate and the school’s duty to accept the child. Inclusion rejects the use of special schools or classrooms to separate students with disabilities from students without disabilities. A premium is placed upon full participation by students with disabilities and upon respect for their social, civil, and educational rights.

Although I do not like to compare our twins, I do notice differences in the learning styles of the boys.  Was it fair to Davey to place him in a typical classroom?  No, David and I did not think so.  We felt it was better for Davey to be the classroom that would best fit his learning style.  He is allowed to learn at his own pace. He is reading, writing, doing math, science, history at his pace.  BUT, he is also included with the typical kids at school.  He spends time daily in a "typical" classroom.  He attends music, PE, computers, library, field trips with all of his same age peers.

Is there a right or wrong answer to this question?  I do not think so.  I want the best education possible for my son.

Be gentle.

Horses and kids

Davey has a wonderful Extended School Year program and teacher.(On a side note, hopefully the crazy California budget will not affect these programs that add so much to the education of our kids).   The class is continuing to work on educational needs of the kids so they do not lose any ground until the school year starts again. Davey is also learning new educational skills in math, reading and science.   But the best part for Davey is all of the "cool" stuff that they do everyday.  The class goes to movies, cooks, goes to the flea market, goes to the swimming pool and work with the horse therapy program.  What a great way to encourage the kids and let them participate in typical kid activities.  Davey loves going to school every day.  Yesterday was horse day.  Here he is with his new friend.

Be gentle.