Marissa_Jakubowski

Hope For a Future

Written, Designed, and Photographed

By Marissa Jakubowski 1

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Table Of Contents Dedication....................................................................... 4 Foreword......................................................................... 5 Introduction.................................................................... 6 What is the Hope Technology School?....................... 8 Full Inlusion...................................................................14 The Future..................................................................... 20 Quote............................................................................. 24 Aknowledgements....................................................... 26 Works Cited.................................................................. 29 Final Thanks................................................................. 30 3

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my younger brother that currently attends the hope technology school and will be graduating this year. Although he does not have special needs, the school has done so much for my brother, and he has been able to not only be more succsessful in the classroom, but every day see him growing out of his shell and see him developing in many ways. He has also found great relationships and friendships that he didn’t have at his previous school. Im gglad and grateful that my brother attended that Hope Technology School because now as I see him growing into a young adult I know hes better prepared to enter high school because of the expetional work of the Hope Technology School I love you Michael

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Foreword

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Introduction

“Autism is really becoming to be known as a set of conditions pervades a vast number of organ systems and we are beginning to just understand that” Says Doctor David Traver. Did you hear that? There just beginning to understand, and thats coming from a doctor. So as a common person, how can we possibly begin to understand? Autism even as a term is becoming outdated because people with autism are breaking all barriers of what people assume about them. About 1 in 110 kids are diagnosed with “Autism” each year. If so many children have autism and special needs, then why isn’t the school system evolving with them? “As a parent with special needs children, you are always looking for ways to help your child connect with others” Says mother Gail Ewell. Connection: a fundamental ingredient in life being a human of any sort, and something kids with Autism and special needs often have a hard time finidng. So why isnt anyone stepping up and helping these individuals achieve something that all humans require to be apart of society? A short distance away, tucked behind a church on bayshore drive in Palo Alto lies a small school called the Hope Technology School. The Hope Technology School is breaking the barriers of what children with autism or special needs can do in a classroom environment when included with neurotypical kids.

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What is the Hope Technology School?

“The Hope Technology School is a not -for -profit school, established in 2001, with the mission of providing an exceptional learning experience for typical and special needs children in a fully inclusive, technology rich environment.” The school teaches grades K-8, and being that the entire school only has 110 kids, the average classroom has 12 students in them. But thats not what makes the school outstanding. The Hope School is what they call a “Full Inclusion School”, meaning that they put typical kids and kids with special needs/autism in the same classroom.

About 40% of students that attend the hope school have either autism or special needs. “School’s like these are rare, and we are one of the only ones in the Bay Area” says Gail Ewell. Being a mother of two sons with autism, she explains how she and her husband were always looking for ways to get them to connect to others and the world around them. When talking to other parents with kids with special needs or even neurotypical kids, they hatched the idea of a small inclusive school that could benefit not only the special needs/autistic kids, but the neurotypical ones as well. After starting out with just five kids, the school has grown into a rare, unique, and 8 innovative school that are often hard to find.

The Hope school also utilizes different technologies to aid in the learning and interactions for the kids. This includes “Touch Smarts” by HP. Because some students have issues coordinating the mouse and keyboard with the actual computer, touch smarts make it possible for them to just reach out and touch the screen. They even have what they call “Voc Ed” which is a technology where the kids type out what they want to say and a computerized voice says it aloud.

This technology has broken barriers of what kids with autism are capable of For kids with more severe autism or down syndrome, they can have difficulty speaking, and in most cases spend most of their life silent because their body has all their words and speech trapped inside of them. When kids were given voc ed, they were able to type out stuff and have this device communicate with them. This astounded everyone.

A huge misconception about kids with autism is that they are incapable of in depth thoughts and that they can’t understand what’s going on around them: But they do.

Because of voc ed, students were now able to communicate with others around them in a way people never thought possible. One parent was able to hear their son say “I love you” after not even knowing their son could understand anything going on around them.

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They also know when they are being made fun of or ridiculed “They know exactly what that means� Dr. Traver states when talking about people using the derogatory term retard. People need to realize that when saying that, especially around children with autism and special needs, that they know exactly what that means and it actually hurts their feelings. Inclusion teaches kids at a young age to respect others and their differences and helps prevent these grave misconceptions many children and adults have about kids with autism and special needs.

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Full Inclusion

Many schools do not practice inclusion for several reasons: Most schools first off dont have the funds for proper accommodations for kids with autism/ special needs, and most teachers are not prepared or have the education they need on how to tend to their needs. Because of the lack of education to teachers on how to help and tend to these children, it makes it more difficult to put those kids in the classroom because those teachers would not be able to fulfill their needs. Also, many parents fear that if they place their kids in the same classroom environment kids with special needs that they won’t be able to learn as much or at a higher level because they believe the curriculum will be different, it will be much slower, or their child won’t get enough individual attention. “Our student actually perform above average, both typical and kids with special needs” (Gail) Inclusion benefits kids with special needs because they are able to have access to resources that unlock their full potential to communicate with others and to expand their knowledge, but also able to be included with neurotypical children and not to feel discriminated against for their differences.

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Inclusion is also super beneficial for kids that do not have autism or special needs. Hope Technology School Alumni Andrew West says “Its like a family”. It teaches the neurotypical kids not only a tolerance for kids with autism, but a compassion and care for them. As andrew has gone into high school, he explains how his experience at hope school has taught him character traits and life lessons that he would not have gotten from being in a normal classroom environment. When there is not an effort to incorporate children with differences into the same classroom environment, both special needs and neurotypical kids are being deprived from crucial character traits.

Many schools have separate classrooms and programs for kids with autism, special needs, or learning disabilities. “It’s kinda like racism, separating them for their differences tells them that there is something wrong with them” (Andrew West) Hope Technology School does not in anyway agree with this, because someday they will have to grow up and be apart of a real society, and middle school and high school should be preparing them for that. “Its very disheartening” (Dr.Traver) He had visited a high school recently and was very displeased to see that the school completely separates the kids and has them in a another part of the building, with most students not even knowing there are special needs kids even in attendance at their school. “There is an irreplaceable value about putting these kids in the same classroom” And there is, for everyone involved.

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The Future

As a human being, we all have the desire to be loved and accepted for who we truly are, no matter how young or old we are. So why should that be any different for kids with autism or special needs? “They are just like us, they are us, we are they� (Dr.Traver) And programs like The Hope Technology School has proven just this. When these kids were given the proper resources, they were able to exceed in areas that we have never imagined. The Hope Technology school offers a wide variety of accommodations including occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, assistive technology, sensory integration, slingerland, and academic tutoring. They also offer a vocational education prep program for their middle school and high school aged students. These programs have offered children with special needs and autism the opportunity to grow in their physical mobility, there ability of speech, communication with others, and in general being given the opportunity to learn along with others. With these resources, they have even kids with severe autism going on to graduate middle school, high school, and even going on to college. The Hope technology school has proven that with the proper accommodations, technologies, and teachers, inclusion is not only possible, but offers everyone an exceptional education. The Hope Technology school has successfully created an environment in which neurotypical and autistic/special needs kids not only get along, but develop a care for one another that 20 not be taught in a normal classroom environment. can

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Other schools should take notice of what is being done at the hope school and learn from them and begin to take actions. If we look at the impact that one inclusive school has done to change the lives of many and the impact on the community, then imagine what one, three, or even ten more inclusive schools can do?! With a little more effort from caring people, we can change the school system and begin to help autistic and special needs kids thrive, for generations and generations to come.

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“It is important that we believe that students with special needs can be included; that it is not impossible and that they can be part of a community�

-Gail Ewell

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Acknowledgements Thanks to Interviewees: Andrew West, Gail Ewell, and Dr. David Traver Models: Michael Jakubowski and Taryn O'Hara Ms. P Freestyle Academy 26

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Works Cited Hope Technology School Website: www. hopetechschool.org Autism Speaks: www.autismspeaks.org Private School Review: www.privateschoolreview.com Autism Society: www.autism-society.org

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Special Thanks to The Hope Technology School Thanks for Reading!

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