disabilities will become full-time students in regular classrooms for the first time. Carol Parker talks to teachers, parents and the children themselves about the benefits and problems of `mainstreaming'.

Cindy and Kay (not their real names) play together every afternoon and weekend. They share secrets, treats and toys like other eight-year-olds.

But at 8.30 every weekday morning they go their separate ways - Cindy to a regular neighbourhood primary school and Kay to a school farther away for "special'' students.

While the names of the above are fictitious, the scenario was common in Bermuda up to a few years ago and, to some extent, it still exists.

Children with physical and r learning disabilities are separated from their peers at an early age under the education system. At one time, Government did not even accept responsibility for educating all of these children. Some were kept out of sight.

But all that is changing.

Government is now trying to integrate children with special needs into the entire community - and particularly the schools.

The rationale behind this is that such children would benefit from contact with their peers, and children already in the regular school setting would learn from the experience too. The process, known as "mainstreaming'', was one of the Education Planning Team's major recommendations on restructuring.

This September, the largest group of students from the Island's oldest special school, Friendship Vale which closed its doors in June after 32 years, will learn in a regular classroom. The 10 students, ranging in age from two to 17, will attend Elliott Primary, Prospect Primary, Dellwood Primary or Northlands Secondary. Friendship Vale teachers will also move with the youngsters to help them cope with their new environment and the school's principal, Karen Simons-Williams, will be responsible for overseeing the integration to ensure its success.

"It's important that parents are comfortable with the arrangements and it's good to have someone they can report their concerns to directly,'' explains Education Minister Clarence Terceira.

Simons-Williams, who shares a long history with Friendship Vale students, says the children were pleased about the move.

As many interviewed point out, it is the adults rather than the children who have been apprehensive about the change.

Dr. Terceira admits there had been some resistance to the early closure of Friendship Vale but says change is necessary in order to have progress and notes that similar moves are underway in North America and the UK.

"There is an increasing international acceptance of the benefits of integration,'' he says, adding that it leads to greater personal fulfilment.

Senior education officer for Student Services, Joeann Smith, who has been involved in special education for years, agrees.

"I think the time is right (for integration),'' she says. "It's been a dream that I and principals of special schools have had for years. For us it's been a waiting game because this is not new (to the world). We knew it could work.'' Smith explains that the time for Friendship Vale's closure was right becauseits students had been partially mainstreamed for the past couple of years. Secondly, there was a growing interest on the part of educators to provide for the needs of disabled children in regular surroundings. Also, four of its students were already preparing to enter mainstream education. This would have left the school with too few students to make it worth continuing, she explains.

While the students transferring from Friendship Vale have varying needs, Smith says some will not need any assistance in the regular classroom, while others will be supported by teacher assistants.

But she says what is critical will be "constant feedback'' from Williams.

Smith says principals at other special schools scheduled to close under restructuring, were also preparing their students for integration.

And while Smith admits there are mixed feelings among teachers about mainstreaming, she says it was natural.

"In order to have more people comfortable with it, I think it will take time because each of us move through change at a different rate,'' she says. "It is a question of responding and being open and willing to accept that certain people are not ready.'' Smith says Student Services last year developed a workshop aimed at sensitising teachers to the needs of special students.

In the workshop, entitled "What If You Couldn't'', scenarios were set up where teachers experienced being physically and mentally disabled.

"It allowed teachers to go through the feelings of not being able to see or hear,'' Mrs. Smith says. "It's been a very successful workshop.'' The workshop, which was conducted on Professional Development Day last November, will be repeated in September.

"It's our responsibility to assist people through this change process,'' Smith stresses. "But it's also our responsibility to allow them to go through the change process and let them know that it's okay to be afraid. The trick is to recognise where they are and decide what to do to help them with their fears.'' A special education course for "regular'' teachers is also hoped to come on line next January.

Smith says teachers also need to remember that there are more similarities among children than there are differences. "When we have a community that looks at a child and recognises (him or her) first as a child, the difference is second. And we have a school system that takes responsibility for educating all children, then we will have a society where the disabled will have as equal a role as other people.'' "What we're trying to do is go from a school system that has been sort of divided to a unified system that is meeting the needs of all children. And I have no doubt that will happen.'' Smith says part of the reason she is so confident about this is because more parents of children with disabilities are interested in having their children be with children in regular school settings.

"And now they want the support that will be required to ensure that this happens,'' she says.

Her sentiments are echoed by Friendship Vale PTA president Gary Williams and his wife Shalimar. Their nine-year-old daughter Shalimar will soon be attending Elliott School.

"This is something that Gary and I have pushed for years,'' Mrs. Williams says. "I just hope that when we say that Shalimar is in need of this or that, that someone does not turn around and say there's no money in the budget.'' The Williams say that while Friendship Vale served its purpose as "a stepping stone for students to go on to the next stage'', all children need to beprepared for the real world.

"That's one of the reasons we're for mainstreaming,'' Mrs. Williams says.

"We believe that it's like early intervention - teaching them about life, about being around other people their age.'' The Williams believe Shalimar, who has a rare physical disorder, will fit in well at Elliott. The school already has ramps and will be permanently accessible by September, even offering bathrooms for wheelchair-bound students.

"She gets tired of people constantly asking her why she is in a wheelchair and why she is wearing a cast,'' Mrs. Williams says, "But I think being at Elliott is something that she will thoroughly enjoy, particularly being around her own peers because right now she has a limited pool of friends.'' The Williams advise people who are afraid or apprehensive about talking with Shalimar to treat her as they would any other child.

"At the same time we try to brace her and teach her that people are going to ask questions and we're trying to teach her how to answer them accordingly,'' Mrs. Williams says.

The Williams, like the parents of other Friendship Vale students, have met with PTAs at the schools where their youngsters will be attending in September to try to sensitise the schools about their children's needs.

They have also joined a New York-based support group called Mucopolysaccharide Society or MPS, which is heavily involved in research of Shalimar's rare disorder - Morquio Syndrome.

Mrs. Williams explains that the disorder, of which there are only about 100 cases worldwide, is a result of one born without the enzyme essential to breaking down keratinsulphate, a sugar molecule which if left stored in cells causes damage to the body.

Shalimar will have to learn to live with the disorder, Mrs. Williams concedes.

But she says after learning of a 28-year-old woman who has the same disorder but is functioning well as a genetic counsellor in New Zealand, she "could not allow anyone locally to limit Shalimar''.

"They did not know anything about this disorder here,'' she says. "And I did not know anything about this either. But now I've done my research and I know that she can be somebody. So the time to start is now.

"I feel good about the move. The teachers at Elliott are very good. I just want Government to keep up with their end of the bargain and make sure that they do what they says they would for these children.'' One educator who has already given her assurance that she will make the transition as smooth as possible for Shalimar is Primary Four teacher Deanna DeShield.

DeShield, who taught another wheelchair-bound Friendship Vale student last year, says: "I'm going to keep things as normal for me and the children as possible. Of course, I have to think of the physical arrangement of the classroom and about what happens to Shalimar when her assistant does not show up. But it (integration) is something that has to be done and teachers will have to be open-minded and flexible.'' Shalimar's remedial reading teacher at Elliott, Wilma Johnson, says she does not expect her to have any problems with reading and comprehension in Primary Four.

But she says Shalimar would need a full-time assistant because of her physical disabilities.

That full-time assistant will be Charlotte Sherlock who has worked with children with physical and mental disabilities for the past 20 years. And while she has not worked with Shalimar before, Sherlock believes that Shalimar is clever enough to adjust to the regular classroom setting.

"Some of her school work, as far as writing, I may be able to do for her,'' she says. "But she will be given the same work and tested as the other children.'' Sherlock explained that Shalimar may be able to use a computer under test conditions, to increase her speed.

"She has writing skills,'' she adds. "But she tires rather quickly. "I will be acting in some areas as her hands and legs.'' During lunch and recess breaks, Shalimar will be accompanied at the playground by an older student who can either play table games with her while she is in her wheelchair or stroll along side Shalimar when she is in her walker.

In addition, Shalimar will have a Fonovation Extended Ear FM system to help her hear in the classroom even if the teacher is facing the blackboard and she is sitting at the back of the room.

The device, which costs about $1,900, reduces background noise and allows Shalimar to hear from a distance.

Other provisions will also be made for all the students transferring from Friendship Vale.

Maxine Lowe, who will move with three Friendship Vale students to Dellwood, believes this is sensible.

"The main objective is to have them participate with students as much as we can,'' she says.

Lowe, who worked at Friendship Vale for three years, says she views the integration as an opportunity for teachers from special and regular schools to share what they know. She is not overly concerned about the former Friendship Vale students adjusting because two of them attended classes at Prospect Pre-school.

"I think we have to get them used to being around children different from themselves, but emphasise the sameness as well.'' Giving advice to teachers who have never worked with special students, she says: "I would suggest they get to know the kids first. If you try to get to know the kids and find out what turns them on, you will get them to interact more with other kids.'' "It's a new beginning for many of the students,'' she adds, "because sometimes you can be so protected that you can miss what is going on in the real world.

"I think these children were ready for this so they will interact well. I just have a positive attitude. It will work.'' Lowe also praises Dellwood principal Vivlyn Cooper for being "very co-operative''.

"I'm sure with her support, we will have no problems,'' she says. Somerset Primary principal Carol Bassett also received high praise for welcoming an eight-year-old girl who is visually impaired into the school and making her feel at home.

Teacher of the visually impaired Martha Davis says when Tamara Fubler was ready for primary school, the Ministry approached schools in her neighbourhood and talked to principals. It was Bassett who believed that Tamara's condition would be appropriate for her staff.

"To Tamara it was a dream come true,'' Davis adds.

She notes that both Tamara's and four-year-old Matthew Johnson's entry into regular schools was successful due to "a winning combination'' of parental and educational support and two "wonderful, positive'' children.

And the teacher in charge of the hearing impaired, Jennifer Jeffers-Grant, agreed.

"There needs to be a fundamental change in the way teachers, administrators, parents and students perceive the ability to achieve,'' says the educator who herself is hearing impaired. "That ability to achieve academics is inthe hands of all students regardless. Teachers and students both need to be sensitised and the "challenged'' student has to be made aware of the complications that will arise as a result of the whole situation, but in time it will iron out provided everyone is willing to really see that the needs of the students are viewed with high regard.'' Jeffers-Grant added that the success of any student depends on parental involvement.

Both Tamara's and Matthew's parents stress that they always wanted them to attend regular schools.

"We can make children handicapped, just by the way we treat them,'' Tamara's mother Donna Fubler says. "I don't have any problem with Tamara being at a regular school because I felt that she's like any other child. She needs love and care. If she's going to be growing up in our society, she has to be prepared and able to take care of herself. That's the only way she can reach her goals.'' Energetic Tamara says she wants to be a veterinarian because of her love for cats and dogs. The Primary Three student also enjoys playing the piano, the maraca, and gymnastics.

But Tamara, who has attended summer day camp at Warwick Academy for the past two years, says her favourite past time is playing outdoors with friends. "My favourite thing is to go out and play,'' she says. "I have a lot of friends and they don't ask about my blindness. The best friend I ever met is Katelyn.

She let's me use her things at school.'' Matthew's mother, Linda Johnson, says he also has no problem making friends.

"My husband and I were both determined that he was going to a regular school because when the children are with `typical' children, they're just one of the kids. From nursery school kids have been treating him the same.

"With Matthew being in that typical setting he is a help to them and they are a help to him. Matthew is open. He's gung-ho. He'll try anything.

"Tamara sort of paved the way for Matthew and other children who are visually impaired. So we had no problems at all when he entered Kids Adventure. And he doesn't get any special treatment.'' Johnson says she firmly believes that "even if a child is not capable of learning at the same speed as his peers, that child should go along with his peers''.

"Just being brought up with their peers, they will have someone to talk to,'' she says, adding that she wants Matthew to lead a productive life.

Matthew, who already knows his way around the kitchen and has become a handy man around the house - helping his father at his workbench, is doing just that.

The youngster plays the piano and in January there are plans to enrol him in a karate class to boost his confidence.

"We just let him go,'' Johnson says. "If he doesn't like something, he will let us know. He goes out boating and thinks he knows everything. He's a typical four-year-old.'' Carol Parker is a senior reporter with The Royal Gazette. This is her first piece for RG Magazine.

Pictures: Tamel Simons and David Skinner.

Nine-year-old Shalimar Williams, who has a rare physical disorder, is looking forward to fitting in at Elliott School.

Five-year-old David Simons, who has a learning disability, is making plenty of friends at Warwick pre-school.

SEPTEMBER 1993 RG MAGAZINE