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Contents: The
Power of the Powerless One day, during my first year of teaching, I was trying to describe Oliver's lack of response, how he had been spoon-fed every morsel he ever ate, how he never spoke. A boy in the last row raised his hand and said, "Oh, Mr. de Vinck, You mean he was a vegetable." I stammered for a few seconds. My family and I fed Oliver. We changed his diapers, hung his clothes and bed linens on the basement line in winter and spread them out white and clean to dry on the lawn in summer. We bathed Oliver and tickled his chest to make him laugh. Sometimes we left the radio on in his room. We listened to him laugh as we watched television. "Well, I guess you could call him a vegetable. I called him Oliver, my brother. You would have loved him." So begins an essay written by Christopher de Vinck. It appeared on the front page of the Wall Street Journal April 10, 1985 and was subsequently featured in several publications. Having recently read this book, I found myself thinking of so many youngsters who come to Lekotek who are nonverbal, nonambulatory, blind, hearing impaired, and/or cognitively delayed. To most folks, these children are helpless and powerless. Christopher de Vinck beautifully describes quite the opposite. The Olivers who enter our playrooms widen our minds and souls. While we think we are changing their lives, they are responsible for who we are and what we become. In the forward Ken Gire writes, Who would think that Oliver had the power to move presidents? Who would think that silence could be so eloquent? Who would think that so many lives would be uplifted by someone who couldn't lift his own head? For those of you wondering, please visit Lekotek. Lekotek's First Annual Golf Tournament Raises Over $13,000 With sixty four golfers and twenty eight sponsors, Lekotek's first annual golf tournament was a huge success in raising over $13,000. This funding will make it possible for children currently on the waiting list to receive services immediately. Lekotek wishes to acknowledge the following sponsors for their generous support: AGA Insurance, Alex Roush Architects, Alexander Hamilton Institute, Berry Realty, Blue Circle, Charles Schwab, Cosentino & Associates, Deloitte & Touche Consulting, Executive Research Group, William and Nancy Killen, Long Aldridge & Norman, Nortel, Dr. Timothy O'Shea, Phil's Meat Market, Pittman Construction, Precision Medical, Quikrete, Richard Bowers & Co., Sherrill & Hutchins, Sprint PCS, Suwanee Realty, The Pearl Family, Triton Sprinkler, Valentino Sales and Violette Restaurant . Special events have been extremely successful in helping Lekotek expand services. Mark your calendar for the eighth annual Silent Auction, 4 mile Leko•Trek and 1 mile Leko•Trot. This year's auction will begin Wednesday, September 6th and conclude on race day, September 9th. Held at the Concourse Athletic Club, both events promise to be the best ever. Plan to bid on over two hundred auction items including autographed sports memorabilia, event tickets, subscriptions, restaurant dining, weekend get-a-aways and lots more. Enjoy the Canyon Cafe finish line party with fire engines for the kids and special events for the whole family. Volunteers are needed for auction shifts and to help race day. Please keep the silent auction in mind when visiting local merchants who might like to donate items. For those interested in sponsoring the race, recognition will be given with your company's name on the T- shirt. See you in September! I
Made the Team Reid, our younger son, has always loved basketball and could not wait for the chance to play for his high school team. After weeks of grueling practice drills and finally tryouts, he came home clutching his jersey announcing victoriously, "I did it, I made the team!" Sean, our older son, who has cerebral palsy loves basketball too. Unable to walk, stand or throw, Sean's love of the game could be heard through his cheering for the team. Decked out in his school colors, yelling and screaming until his wheelchair rocked, Sean would cheer until he had no voice left. His classmates were constantly trailing in and out greeting one another. The acrobatics and rhythmic moves of the cheerleaders and dance team captivated him. He immersed himself in the mania and discovered that there was a whole lot more to high school than just attending class. Sean is one of only two students who have physical disabilities in a school of over 1,600. It would be nice if inclusion happened easily and naturally, but there are lots of barriers. Sometimes, I find myself choreographing ways to include him because I want him to have what Reid and all the other students have: the chance to join in and belong; to be a part of something; to contribute and to be valued by friends. This time, though, I did not have to arrange for Sean to be accepted. It was Sean's enthusiasm and Reid's team that made the difference. Sean's energy in cheering did not go unnoticed. The coaches soon asked if he would sit with the team and provide support as an assistant manager. This invitation had extraordinary consequences. He sat taller in his wheelchair and smiled more. He was meticulous - making sure he had all the players' names and numbers on his clipboard, so he could keep stats. He decided to ask his buddies in woodshop to help him design and build a rack to hold the team's water bottles so he could carry them for the players. What made this situation so special is that it required no Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or intervention from teachers and therapists. Today, I sit in the bleachers alongside the other parents and students, watching the photographer settle the boisterous group and assemble them for a team photo. As the bulb flashes and the picture is taken, it is through tear-filled eyes that I see both my sons have proudly taken their place on the team. As Sean careens across the court in his wheelchair, he nearly runs me over shouting, "I did it. I made the team!" Reminder: Charity Auto Donations Raises Funds for Lekotek If you have an old car, boat, or trailer that you'd like to unload, let Charity Auto Donations do the work. They'll pick up your item and sell it for you. You receive a charitable tax deduction and Lekotek receives cash from the sale. For more information, contact Lekotek or Charity Auto Donations at (770) 944-2011. It's
Not Whether You Win or Lose, What children with disabilities want most is to be treated like everyone else and to be included. At Lekotek, we loan games to families to help children learn the following educational and life skills:
Game playing provides opportunities for participation and a sense of belonging. In addition, games provide opportunities for mastering specific skills. Games that require children to recognize objects, images or people facilitate naming, language and visual memory. Games that require fine motor abilities such as Don't Break the Ice add the component of eye-hand coordination. Other games work on auditory memory, color recognition, counting and strategies. Ask your Lekotek leader for games with large, easy to grasp pieces and for suggestions on adapting games. Web
Site Review: Children with disabilities face challenges in accomplishing tasks that most of us take for granted - eating, dressing, communicating, playing and learning. The task of finding resources and information can be difficult for parents and teachers. The web site abledata.com can help. ABLEDATA has a database of 26,000 assistive technology products for children and adults. Each product entry includes a detailed description, price and contact information. The web site includes resources about assistive technology and information on disability-related issues. For example, a parent searching for information on wheelchairs can visit the web site's Reading Room. In the Reading Room, they will find a fact sheet entitled "Wheelchairs for Children". Parents and professionals looking for information on technology for hearing can search the database to find listings of hearing aids, amplification systems, visual alarms, alarm clocks, bed shakers and more. Almost any kind of product for children and adults with disabilities can be located and explored using the web site http://www.abledata.com.
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