My Kindergarten Class

After reading Al Capone Does My Shirts I thought alot about the different attitudes the kids on Alcatraz held towards Natalie. I am sure for many of the characters, especially the younger ones, they have never experienced being integrated with a child who has special needs. Linton mentions in her article how back then (around the 30's) it was very common for children to be sent away to institutions or homes where they are not seen as an obstacle for their family. On that note, I am a Kindergarten teacher at a hebrew school in East Lansing. One of the girls in my class, Rosie, has cerebral palsy. She is in a wheelchair so the kids immediatly realized she was different. Her mom informed me she would have a helper with her the entire time but that Rosie was very verbal and could comprehend alot of information. After our first class I knew Rosie could understand everything I was teaching and she loved to give me kisses. She was such a happy girl and was excited to be in her own class, without her mom there. The other kids were very skeptical to play with her or even help her because they looked at her as someone too different than themselves. We just finished our 6th week in hebrew school and by now all the kids understand Rosie is very similar to themselves. They all include her to play with them and even like to roll her wheelchair when we move to another room. Being kindergarteners I am so happy they already are experiencing being in a class with a child who has special needs. They are unaware at how much knowledge they are gaining and how lucky they are to have someone they can learn something new from in their class.