School Life with Disability – Striving for Independence

When I was in preschool, I met my first school assistant. In those days, she was with me all the time because I needed a lot of help in doing class activities and moving around in the class. Also, for some reason, school personnel were super-nervous with me walking all the time with the walker. They thought I would get tired. But, in 6 months, they realized that I would never say I was tired! So, they understood I wanted to walk! But they were still worried to leave me alone for the fear that I would fall. This continued in elementary school with my new assistant. She would be with me from the time I got picked up to the time I got dropped off, even during lunch. When she got busy with scanning my work on the computer, I asked for a second assistant to sit with me during class because it was hard for me to keep up with the pace of the class while starting new activities, changing subjects, and communicating with my teachers and classmates. Also, independence was not the main goal for me or the school back then. Instead, my focus was on adapting to the school environment with all of the problems I had due to Cerebral Palsy and school’s focus was the same and my safety.

Over time, I had successfully figured out a way to navigate the school environment and was ready to focus more on being independent. I also got a new assistant who realized that I was capable of doing more on my own. I started to walk from the entrance to my locker on my own as well as in between classes. My assistant started to stand further away from me in classes instead of sitting right next to me. This enabled me to learn how to communicate effectively with teachers and other students without relying on my assistant to repeat what I am saying. My teachers got used to talking directly to me instead of my assistant which I loved because I could make my own decisions based on what I feel is best for me. Soon, both school and I realized that one assistant is enough for me because I don’t need someone to be in class all the time. I also started going to lunch alone. I would ask for help from my friends instead of an adult. This gave me more freedom to decide when I need help and when I can figure it out on my own. It also made me confident that I don’t need someone to be right beside me all the time and made me realize that there are a lot of people in the world that I can take help from. I felt more connected and similar to other students around me instead of being treated separately due to my disability.

In high school, I started focusing more on navigating the school environment independently. I started going to clubs on my own, whereas my assistant would come with me when I was in middle school. If I needed help, I asked other club members. I also got used to going to my locker on my own to get my binders and other materials for class. When I was short of time, I asked students around me to help so I could get to class on time. This enabled me to meet new students my age. I also learned important planning and time management skills along the way. Even though it was hard to take help from other people at first, I realized that the social benefits made it far better than taking help from my assistant. I also got independent in asking teachers questions after school and advocating for my needs. Were there times when someone else besides me would have been better? Yes sure. But do I prefer trying to solve the problems in those situations on my own, even if it is a bit of a struggle? Absolutely no doubt about it. And independence? Definitely a goal striving for…