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when Mom and her friend-the PTO president became class room moms for the Special Ed class (they had none). This was in the days before inclusion. It was Halloween and there were no moms to make cookies for the Halloween party. When asked, Mom replied "I'm already making 4 dozen cookies (4 of us)-what is 1-2 dozen more." Well, that did it. For the rest of our time there, Mom was the special ed room mom. When the kids went on a field trip-we went with them, each of us assigned to a 'buddy'. The Shine Circus trips were my favourite. Our 'buddies' were great.
So how did that affect us. I became a School Nurse and my forte is Special Ed, my brother trains horses and has helped with training therapy horses, another brother works as a counselor and has adopted an abused child, and sis does volunteer work with MHMR. Even though we do not have a special child in our family-we have soft spots in our hearts for these kids.
Several months ago Mom and I were talking about her being the Special Ed Mom. She reminded me that she had missed my class Christmas Party and that I had to serve the cookies for her. She said she felt badly that I didn't get to enjoy my class Christmas party. I told her I remembered our friend dressing up as Santa Claus and stopping by my class room to visit and telling me I had been a very good girl that year, and I remember watching her go into the Spec Ed room after she left, so I guess I wasn't 'scared' for life.
I can heartily recommend volunteering in school AND in Special Ed. It makes your kids proud and gives you a good feeling.
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