Students with disabilities get help for future
By Brianna Kiser
For the Branson Tri-Lakes News
Originally published Feb. 27, 2010
REEDS SPRING — Stone County is looking to provide a more organized network for students with disabilities in an effort to draw in more parents, and further assist those already involved.
This past Tuesday, Feb. 23, Reeds Spring High School hosted its annual Transition Fair. The fair provided information for parents concerning the available options for special needs students after they leave high school.
Most parents, such as Toyea Youngblood, believe that having a child with a disability is a little overwhelming and it’s hard to know where to turn, so the fair is a good outlet for those fears.
“When I found out my son had Down syndrome, naturally I was devastated,” Youngblood said. “But after talking with different agencies and getting involved, I am now able to see the amount of potential my son has.”
Liz Smith, director of Special Services at Reeds Spring High School, believes the event is yet another way to further assist parents and their children as they move on to secondary education or vocational training.
“The term ‘students with disabilities’ covers a whole range of possibilities,” Smith said. “The child could have trouble reading or performing in math, and it could also be kids with behavioral issues, ADHD, or visual impairment.”
The fair hosts various agencies from the Special Olympics to vocational rehabilitation through technical institutes.
One group that began in October 2009 is CHANCES, a community network that hopes to further provide assistance to parents, as well as students.
Jeannie Moeskau and her son, Kyle, 15, got involved with CHANCES this past summer when it was still in its early stages.
“CHANCES stands for Community Helping Able Neighborhood Citizens Experience Success,” Moeskau said. “I know as a parent I felt lost at first, but we hope that this network will eventually help parents to see that their child is able to do horseback riding, be in a bowling league or even go on to higher education.”
Youngblood agrees that the biggest misconception is that students with disabilities are seen as limited.
“My son participated in the Special Olympics this past year, which is something we’ve all heard of, but it takes another step to actually get involved and see your child win,” Youngblood said with a smile. “The joy on my son’s face after he won a race captures the essence of what we want to do for all children with special needs.”
Special Olympics helps build a sense of fellowship for special needs children in the area.
“In our district alone, there are about 180 students with disabilities and it’s amazing that people don’t really understand how many opportunities are available for these kids,” Smith said. “We can link them up with job coaching and help their employer understand the disability or we can set them up with specially designed programs at various universities.”
Youngblood said she hopes the new organization will connect with the community.
“Our goal is to touch those in the rural districts and assist with issues concerning where to go to look for certain services or even for transportation problems,” she said.
For more information on how to become involved, visit chancesofstonecounty.org or contact the Reeds Spring School District.
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