Disability is not Inability
“Why, pa, why me?” Shiva cried out as he held a picture of his mother in his hand while his father tried to comfort him.
“It’s okay, son, everyting is going to be fine,” his father said with a little sniffle.
“No, how she could dead just so? Dey say she was getting better!” Shiva shouted. Shiva and his father, Angus, had just come from the funeral of his mother, Janice, who had died after being treated for months for an aggressive tumour on her leg. He was the second of her two sons and, because he was a Downs Syndrome child, she devoted herself to his care and she had the resources to educate him because she was a trained teacher. It took him 2 years to walk and, even at 14, his speech was not clear. He had actually said his first words at 6 after much coaching. He was a hyperactive child, noisy, clumsy and restless but his mother was determined that he should develop every ounce of his potential. In this she was greatly helped by the special school he attended. He attended Lady Hochoy Special School from the age of six months in the Early Intervention Programme where his mother, a physiotherapist and volunteers did exercises to stimulate his brain. Then, as he grew, he was trained with speech therapy, occupational therapy, functional academics, social skills and basic life skills. Shiva had settled down nicely and was beginning to learn the lessons he was being taught when the tragedy struck. He was 14 and alone with his father who had played very little part in his life up to then and his brother who was about to leave for university. He was comfortable at Lady Hochoy School where everybody knew him and he would have been happy to remain there but his father had other ideas.
“I’m withdrawing Shiva from this school”, he told the astonished principal who pointed out that Shiva still had a lot to learn.
"But Sir that's not the best idea because Shiva still has a lot more he can learn here. He should stay in school,” said the principal trying to
“It’s okay, son, everyting is going to be fine,” his father said with a little sniffle.
“No, how she could dead just so? Dey say she was getting better!” Shiva shouted. Shiva and his father, Angus, had just come from the funeral of his mother, Janice, who had died after being treated for months for an aggressive tumour on her leg. He was the second of her two sons and, because he was a Downs Syndrome child, she devoted herself to his care and she had the resources to educate him because she was a trained teacher. It took him 2 years to walk and, even at 14, his speech was not clear. He had actually said his first words at 6 after much coaching. He was a hyperactive child, noisy, clumsy and restless but his mother was determined that he should develop every ounce of his potential. In this she was greatly helped by the special school he attended. He attended Lady Hochoy Special School from the age of six months in the Early Intervention Programme where his mother, a physiotherapist and volunteers did exercises to stimulate his brain. Then, as he grew, he was trained with speech therapy, occupational therapy, functional academics, social skills and basic life skills. Shiva had settled down nicely and was beginning to learn the lessons he was being taught when the tragedy struck. He was 14 and alone with his father who had played very little part in his life up to then and his brother who was about to leave for university. He was comfortable at Lady Hochoy School where everybody knew him and he would have been happy to remain there but his father had other ideas.
“I’m withdrawing Shiva from this school”, he told the astonished principal who pointed out that Shiva still had a lot to learn.
"But Sir that's not the best idea because Shiva still has a lot more he can learn here. He should stay in school,” said the principal trying to