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    Stand Like a Superhero
    Stand Like a Superhero
    Stand Like a Superhero
    Ebook138 pages1 hour

    Stand Like a Superhero

    By Lorie A. Hanna

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    About this ebook

    Every child is promised a free and public education, but they are not promised a friend to share this time with. Stand Like a Superhero sheds light on how parents and educators can create intentional opportunities for children with diverse needs to develop a sense of purpose through meaningful relationships.


    In Sta

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNew Degree Press
    Release dateMay 4, 2022
    ISBN9798885042277
    Stand Like a Superhero

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      Book preview

      Stand Like a Superhero - Lorie A. Hanna

      cover.jpg

      Stand like a Superhero

      Stand like a Superhero

      Lorie A. Hanna

      New Degree Press

      Copyright © 2022 Lorie A. Hanna

      All rights reserved.

      Stand like a Superhero

      ISBN

      979-8-88504-108-9 Paperback

      979-8-88504-748-7 Kindle Ebook

      979-8-88504-227-7 Ebook

      This book is dedicated to my greatest teachers…

      my former and future students. You are loved.

      Contents

      Introduction

      Chapter 1.

      Unexpected Inspiration

      Chapter 2.

      Hidden Communication 

      Chapter 3.

      Sabotage to Success 

      Chapter 4.

      Reflections

      Chapter 5.

      The Rucksack Challenge 

      Chapter 6.

      Painter’s Tape and Cheerios

      Chapter 7.

      Write Like David 

      Chapter 8.

      Fostering Friendships 

      Chapter 9.

      Social Skills with Simon

      Chapter 10.

      Be Teachable

      Acknowledgments

      Appendix

      Introduction

      Today was a flop, but tomorrow will be the best day of my life, JJ muttered aloud as he frantically wrote in his spiral notebook at his desk with his feet wrapped around the legs of his chair. I gently approached my seventh-grade student, who was significantly bigger and stronger than me, and slowly placed my hand on his back to alert him of my presence. He continued to write without missing a beat or lifting his head to acknowledge me. I backed away to give him some personal space and allowed him the gift of time to process the physical conflict he engaged in while at gym class. I also took advantage of the opportunity to observe his personalized attempt at self-regulation as he talked to himself and wrote his inner dialogue on paper. 

      JJ’s age-appropriate social and emotional coping skills and responses were limited compared to his peers. His autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and behavioral challenges created a specialized tunnel of inner turmoil that he had to navigate with the help of educators, family, and friends who were willing to travel the journey with him. 

      To me, teaching students with special needs feels like being engulfed in a foreign culture. Prior to helping someone who communicates differently than ourselves, it is necessary to learn the norms, expectations, traditions, routines, and language in order to develop rapport and inclusivity. 

      As public educators, learning how to work with students with diverse needs is necessary when we consider the percentages of students who receive individualized education plans (IEPs) through special education, dyslexia therapy, 504 services, gifted and talented instruction, and English language learner (ELL) accommodations and modifications. 

      As a college student, I studied abroad with a program called Semester at Sea and met children in schools and orphanages around the world. After receiving my bachelor’s degree in public relations from Syracuse University, New York, I became a vocational rehabilitation teacher with the Texas Commission for the Blind. I then pursued my master’s degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling through the University of North Texas and obtained my teaching certification in special education to serve a younger demographic to better prepare students with disabilities for the world of work. 

      I continued my education and earned my Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) certification as well as my principal certification to help me effectively integrate social and emotional learning and leadership skills within my classroom. My experience as a homeschool parent of five and military spouse for over twenty years has also inspired me to embrace the motto: Adjust, adapt, and overcome. 

      Helping educators and parents develop intentional opportunities for students with diverse needs to build confidence, enhance social skills, gain leadership experience, and build meaningful friendships is crucial to support academic growth as well as to promote the development of employability skills. It takes a team of compassionate adults who are teachable and willing to learn new things to serve students with special needs in a traditional educational setting. Through collaboration, innovation, and sharing, we can work together to help our youth feel a sense of belonging, purpose, and inclusivity within their homes, their schools, and their communities.

      Chapter 1

      Unexpected Inspiration

      "Mommy, she looks like the princess from the movie Enchanted, my oldest daughter whispered as she and her four younger siblings crossed the parking lot with me and piled into our twelve-passenger van. It would have been so complimentary to be referred to as a princess during that season of my life while homeschooling five young children (ages eleven, ten, nine, seven, and six years old) in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Instead, I was often reminded not to turn into the mommy-monster" and tried to maintain my sanity in between teaching, folding laundry, feeding hungry humans, and driving kids to their activities.

      The "princess from Enchanted" look-alike was actually a young mother and Bible study leader who was a shining spirit to any room she entered with her fiery red hair and expressive personality, shadowed by her boisterous children. She intrigued me because she was honest about her struggles, made lots of jokes about the hardships her family endured, and had unwavering relentless faith. Her life behind closed doors was nothing like a fairytale, yet she knew that her faith would provide her with a life of happily ever after. And in the eyes of a child, she upheld the poise, beauty, and kindness of a princess.

      During the middle of one of our studies, she excused herself only to return with her two-year-old son. She plopped him on the ground with some toys and attempted to rejoin the group, only to be continuously distracted by his never-ending energy and interest in the world around him. As a fellow military spouse and mom to a handful of children, I knew the look in her eyes. She appeared torn, conflicted between carrying out her responsibilities as a mother and her call to serve others and feed her own soul.

      I got up from my seat and attempted to entertain her child long enough for her to complete a thought and fulfill her role as the group leader. My family had endured a traumatic deployment years earlier, and I knew the burdens that lie deep within the spouse of a soldier. Often masked with perceived strength, behind the stoic demeanor is often a lonely heart in need of a friend. Her four-year-old son had recently been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and she was in the process of absorbing and adjusting to what that all meant. 

      Her family had already endured their youngest son surviving cancer , who also lives with Down Syndrome. Her testimony of faith is unlike anyone I had ever met. I didn’t have a lot to offer her, but I knew that I had experience in working with students with autism, and I remembered what life was like when my children were young, my husband was deployed, and my family was far away. The overwhelming responsibilities as a military spouse and mother can create a sea of chaos, but the beauty of faithful fellowship is that someone is always nearby who recognizes your struggle (even when you’re trying to hide it) and will offer you a lifeline of relief and support. 

      The princess-mom commented that her children were having a lot of behavioral challenges, and she was called out of her own Sunday school class to tend to them almost every week. She rarely had the opportunity to sit through a full class. I knew how important it was for young mothers to have a moment of respite. I told her I would volunteer in the Sunday school class of her oldest son to be his buddy, so that she could attend her class without being interrupted. 

      It had been about twelve years since I had worked in public school with students with autism, but I hoped it was like riding a bike and that I would remember what to do. After a few exchanges, I began to disengage from the world that was familiar to me and attempted to enter his perspective to see things through his eyes and not my own. One of the beauties of working with students with autism is their gift of interpretation. If a child begins to trust you, then he or she may then begin to welcome you into their world, and if you’re willing to go, then you have an amazing opportunity to experience life through a magical lens. 

      I now also had the experience of motherhood that gave me the confidence I needed to set boundaries, give clear directives, and give unsolicited encouragement and praise for small feats. It didn’t take long before I started to consider the possibility of reentering the world of work upon our return to Texas after my husband completed his training program. For over a decade, I had poured everything I had into our five children, assessed the needs of our family year-to-year, and knew that at some point there would be a transition. The thought of sending all five children into public school was overwhelming, but I felt strongly that they all needed to learn how to figure out how to navigate and problem-solve situations without my presence across the dining room table. They had the skills, but they needed opportunities without me to use them. 

      My husband and I spent years building a strong foundation of faith and perseverance within our family. We had high expectations of our children, but we needed to allow them the chance to put it all into action outside of our home. As a mother and homeschool teacher with a background in special education and counseling, I learned to advocate for my children, focused on their social and emotional development as equally as I did their academic learning, and

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