Day in the Life of an AHS Student with a Disability

For students with physical or learning disabilities, a day at school is essentially the same as any other student’s. However, certain accommodations must be made to meet their needs and to ensure that these students are properly receiving their education.
Condy Kan, a senior at AHS who is hard of hearing, says that her day at school is basically like anyone else’s, besides the addition of a translator. An interpreter sits across from her or next to a teacher during a lesson to translate the teacher’s spoken words into American Sign Language (ASL) which Condy learned at the age of six. Additional assistance is received through the cochlear implant, a surgically implanted device that aids people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Outside of class, Condy participates in many sports, such as field hockey, swim and water polo. In field hockey, as she did with gymnastics in the past, Condy learns the daily routines and repeats them. Because she doesn’t have a translator during her after school activities, she learned how to read lips. Since she can’t wear her cochlear implant during swim and water polo, she asks her teammates what to do during practices.
For other students, additional help during the school day may be required. A team comprised of the student’s parents or guardians, a psychologist, a special education teacher, the nurse and, perhaps an administrator, meets to discuss whether or not an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is necessary to meet the student’s needs. The team decides together, based on an individual’s needs, how best to accommodate the student and make education at the school a smooth process.
Some elements of IEPs may include certain classes designed to help students with disabilities or the assistance of a one-on-one aide. Teachers are trained to be able to adapt to all types of learning preferences, while aides are district staff members assigned to certain individuals who need help throughout the day to make the school day flow more easily.
“I want to make sure that all students have equal access to public education, not just special education kids,” Head of Special Education Department Jessica Castillo said. “Individuals all have different needs and strengths, and teachers should make sure that everyone is successful.”
School psychologists Tak Tsubo and Vivien Wong, school nurse Anita Man, senior Condy Kan and teacher Jessica Castillo agree on one idea, which is that students with disabilities are just like students without.
At the end of the day, Tsubo emphasizes the idea: “Students with disabilities aren’t very different; they are part of our school community and shouldn’t be treated as a separate group.”

By Copy Editor Caroline Ren