Awareness and Understanding are the Theme for a Special 3rd Grade Lesson

“Tell me and I will forget, show me and I will remember, involve me and I will understand.” These ancient words by Confucius take on a special meaning when applied to the challenges experienced by students with disabilities as they navigate their way through the educational system. Understanding and communication become the key elements to school success for everyone involved. Students in Rose Battaglia’s third grade class at K.C. Heffernan (KCH) Elementary School took a giant step toward that understanding as Michelle Stottlar shared her experiences as the mother of Trevor Stottlar, a student with disabilities in Battaglia’s class. Among the topics touched upon by Mrs. Stottlar were:
Diet and eating habits: “Trevor’s mouth muscles don’t work well, so the more spicy or strong the taste the better.”
Transportation: “Trevor rides a unique bus with a wheelchair lift.”
School: “Trevor attends school all summer long in North Syracuse.”
Daily Schedule: “Trevor’s schedule is very similar to all of yours.”

Mrs. Stottlar created the opportunity for meaningful dialogue as she responded with sensitivity to student questions. When asked why Trevor sometimes shakes his arms, Mrs. Stottlar responded that movement is controlled by a part of the brain and that “Trevor does not always have control, no one knows why.” When asked, she also shared that “coming to school is Trevor’s favorite activity, he loves being with friends.” Students in the class also expressed an interest in the braces that Trevor wears on his legs and Mrs. Stottlar explained that the AFO braces keep Trevor’s ankles strong enough so that he can work on standing. She demonstrated the process for putting on Trevor’s braces as the class attentively looked on. The empathetic connection among all students and staff in Battaglia’s class was in full bloom as one by one the class traced their hands on a special sweatshirt for Trevor. Mrs. Stottlar expressed the class sentiment best when she shared that “talking about Trevor makes us feel real good that Trevor is here with his special friends.”