wheelchair user...

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2003 : October : 10

wheelchair user...
By tgs

I had a student in the 5th grade last year who used a wheelchair. He was PHENOMENAL! My students didn't even notice that he was using the chair, except when he ran over their toes. There were several things that I found
were important to this student.
1. Let him/her remain as independent as possible. Don't ask other students to do things for this student that he or she is completely capable of doing. My student would need to turn something in, and he was expected to do it himself (of course my intray was accessible, and close to his desk).
2. Don't let other students push the student's chair unless

the student using the wheelchair asks. This used to drive my student CRAZY. People would be trying to wheel him all over the place, and he wanted to do it on his own.

My student played football, basketball, basically participated in EVERYTHING that he could with his classmates. He was paralyzed from the waist down, and after speaking with his mother, really the only thing he hadn't been able to do was sleep over at a friend's house (he wore a colostomy bag). I'm not sure how active your student will be, but if he or she has a good attitude, I'm sure you won't have any problems with your other students.