School's programs balance attention and growth
Last Updated: June 21, 2003
Colton could not make it through a school day.
The boy wanted to be social and make friends. But the size, rules and demands
of life at his public school in Sheboygan were too much for him. The slightest
problem could set him off: an argument with a classmate, too many distractions,
too little attention.
Most days ended in a meltdown.
Colton has Asperger's Syndrome, which is related to autism. Two years ago,
when Colton was 9, his mother realized that traditional schools were not working
for him.
"The bottom line is that he struggled all through school," she said. "It had
gotten to the point where he did not have successes anymore."
A search for alternatives led Lynne Van Epern to the St. Francis Children's
Center in Glendale.
The non-profit center has worked with children for 30 years and serves those
with or without special needs from birth through third grade. The goal is to
help many students with special needs move into a regular educational setting.
The Center for Autism Resources and Education is located in one wing of St.
Francis, and it was here that Colton, with his aloof air, arrived in December
2001.
"Colton came to us in a bad situation," said Jamie Schlueter, his teacher at
St. Francis. "He was not really able to trust most adults."
Rules were very important to the young boy. If a teacher told him lunch would
be ready in 2 minutes and failed to live up that promise exactly, Colton would
get angry and lash out physically or verbally.
But the new environment gradually began to help. At St. Francis, he could
escape his peers to decompress in special rooms like the one that has mats on
the floor and walls and a swing in the center. The student-teacher ratio in the
autism center - 2 to 1 - was lower than his school in Sheboygan. The schedule
was designed for Colton's needs.
"Every single kid has a different program there," said his mother. "Even
though they are all autistic, every single one looks and acts different from the
next."
One recent morning, a week before the end of the school year, Colton is
building what he calls an Egyptian pyramid out of toy blocks. The work is
exacting. And when it is time to break for lunch, he asks his teacher to take a
photograph and leave his work untouched.
Colton is well-mannered and responds easily to questions about the pyramid.
He rarely has meltdowns anymore, Schlueter said. In the fall, he will spend part
of school time at home and part as a fifth-grader at a public school in
Sheboygan.
Teachers and family members think he is ready.
"He so wants to be a part of this world," said Van Epern. "Sometimes children
who are autistic want to be in their own world, but he wants to socialize and be
with kids. He just doesn't always have the appropriate social skills."
Now he is on his way.
"Before we found St. Francis it was like we were taking this square peg and
trying to fit it in a round hole," said Van Epern. "What's cool about their
program is that it's a perfect fit. It's exactly what you need."
"Faces of Hope" tells the stories of Milwaukee-area people who need a hand
and the agencies that help. Ideas? Call: (414) 224-2318; e-mail:
hope@journalsentinel.com
From the June 22, 2003 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Return to
Vaccination News Home
Page
__»
Right-click to
"open in new window"
DISCLAIMER:
All information, data, and material contained, presented, or provided here
is for general information purposes only and is not to be construed as
reflecting the knowledge or opinions of the publisher, and is not to be
construed or intended as providing medical or legal advice. The decision
whether or not to vaccinate is an important and complex issue and should
be made by you, and you alone, in consultation with your health care
provider.
