5/12/11
Today I attended Meet of Champions, a sports event for cognitively impaired high school students. Since I work as a speech language pathologist in a high school, I knew all the kids who represented our school. I am fortunate to be able to spend a day or two every school year going with them on field trips. Seeing “my” students outside of the educational or classroom setting helps me understand their strengths and weaknesses. I love seeing how they use some of the communication strategies and tools introduced at school out in the community.
The highlight of my day was watching a non-verbal boy, who communicates using sign language and an ipod touch with a voice output app, walk up to get registered for the 50-yard dash. When the official asked for his name, the student held out his lanyard with his attached student identification card. Independently. Yes! He then lined up, gave me a thumbs up and off he went at the sound of the starting gun. I ran to cheer him on at the end and met him as he came wobbling in across the finish line with a giant grin on his face and his hands raised in victory. I had a big grin on my face too as we high-fived in celebration. He signed “run” and “more” and pointed to the starting line. “Sure," I said. "Of course you can go again.” Who wouldn’t want to relive a glory moment like that?
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