Tag Archives: epilepsy

Survey: Your Take on Technology for Teaching Special Needs Students

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Copyright 2012 – Chris Misun

We are now in a new age.  Technology is all around us through our cellphones, computers, tablet PCs, in our vehicles and most importantly in our classrooms.  Classrooms with Special Needs students are beginning to use devices more frequently as they become less expensive and more accessible.  Devices like the Vantage Lite by PRC comes in very pricey at over $7000.  Options like these are not easy to come by for most families of special needs students without grants but with the tablet PC world becoming stronger, parents will have more options to choose from.  One option that is becoming more popular is the iPad by Apple, Inc.  The iPad starts at $499 and you can get apps like the iCommunicate app, which runs for $49.99.  Please take the survey below and let us know what you think.

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Whether or not these devices will be beneficial or detrimental to the developing skills of special needs students and particularly those that are non-verbal will be told over time.  It is important for people to be informed and not get caught up in next best thing and assume that it will be the most ideal thing for their child.  Sometimes the saying goes, “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”  Are non-computer forms of working with non-verbal students still working and if not, how do we replace them the right way?

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Meridian’s Challenger League

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By Chris Misun, Meridian, Miss

For almost two decades, a group in Meridian has organized an activity called Challenger League.  The Parents Circle Support Group is responsible for providing an opportunity to special needs children to participate in softball one night a week for four weeks between April and May.

“We usually have about 80 children that participate from all around Newton County, Lauderdale County, Kemper, Neshoba…,” says Patty Smith, the treasurer for the group.

The children are placed on teams and each player gets a turn to bat before the teams switch from offense to defense.  Depending on time permitting, each player gets at least two at bats each night.

“It gives our children an opportunity to be able to participate in sports and all because at this time of year everybody is playing sports, so this gives our children an opportunity that are unable to play for any regular team.”

The Parents Circle Support group also offers bowling as an activity at different times throughout the year, but playing ball has been the favorite amongst the kids.

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The Dustys and Debs help volunteer with the special needs kids while they play ball.

Students spread out among three different fields and age groups to participate in Challenger League.

 

All of the kids participating get to bat a couple of times each night.

 

Jeannie’s Seizure Free Journey

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The story of Jeannie Null has many layers.  Jeannie will only be turning 8 years old in May, but has already had enough experiences to fill that of someone three times her age.  It was not discovered until she was around 18 months that she had Hypotonia, which according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke describe it as decreased muscle tone.

A few years later, Jason and Julie Null, Jeannie’s parents, were told that Jeannie had experienced an In-Utero Stroke, which meant she had a stroke while in the womb.  This stroke caused Jeannie to develop epileptic seizures around age 5 and her parents decided the she would undergo several brain surgeries to help slow the seizures or potentially stop them all together.

In 2010, Jeannie had two brain surgeries, the second of which, on November 2nd, has been the last time since she has experienced a seizure.

Since that time, Jeannie has now come back to school and is back on her schedule for different therapies, including speech, occupational and physical therapy.  Her progress in speech therapy has now allowed her to be able to speak in sentences and communicate what she wants and is feeling according to her mother.  The more difficult of the two, Julie says, is the physical therapy.  “It hurts and her muscles get very tight and it’s painful.”

Jeannie’s journey is a never-ending one as it is for us all, but her vibrant personality and infectious smile helps influence the journey of those around her.  Julie Null knows that Jeannie may never be able to be self reliant but she has great optimism that her daughter will continue to make great strides in her therapy and consequently in life as well.

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Jeannie and her dad, Jason Null, take a ride through their backyard on the Null's golf cart.

Jeannie has been seizure free since November 2, 2010.

 

Jeannie and her brother, Jonah.

Jeannie and her mother, Julie Null.

 

Jeannie's mother, Julie, says she has made great strides in her progress since her surgeries in 2010. Jeannie has been a regular at speech, occupational and physical therapies.

JEANNIE’S TEAM PURPLE

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By Chris Misun, Meridian, Miss.

 On March 26, Purple Day is an annual awareness for Epilepsy worldwide.  In Meridian, Miss., one family has one big reason to celebrate this day.  Jeannie Null had begun having drop down seizures when she was five years old due to having a stroke in-utero.  In 2010, her parents, Jason and Julie, made the decision to have Jeannie go through several different brain surgeries to help try and stop the seizures from happening.  Since November 2, 2010, Jeannie has been seizure free.  

@MisunMedia