[IEP_guide] Down syndrome student first for Xaverian high school

[Guest guest]

Down syndrome student first for Xaverian high school

By P. Matysek Jr.

9/29/2006

The Catholic Review (www.catholicreview.org)

BALTIMORE, Md. (The Catholic Review) - Standing at his locker in a

hallway at Mount St. ph High School, Irvington, Ben Stevick

attracted the kind of attention that might otherwise be reserved for

a quarterback on game day.

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Just about every guy who passed through the bustling corridor seemed

to call out to the short-in-stature, 17-year-old sophomore, many of

them patting him on the shoulder and one playfully punching him on

the arm and yelling, " Yo, Ben, my man, what's up! "

The conversation soon turned to that perennial topic at an all-boys

school: girls.

" You ready for the dance tonight? " a student asked.

With a big smile that seemed to engulf his entire face - exposing

metal braces on his teeth, Ben nodded. It would be his first dance

and he had been practicing his moves.

" Is Theresa going to be there? " he asked haltingly, adjusting a pair

of wire-rimmed glasses. The other guys returned the smile and assured

their sandy-haired friend that his crush would be there, along with

plenty of other girls.

The Friday afternoon scene at Mount

St. ph from late

September

could have played out in any high school in the Archdiocese of

Baltimore. What made it extraordinary is the fact that Ben has Down

syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes mental retardation.

Ben is the first student with Down syndrome to enroll in a Catholic

high school in the archdiocese. His presence at Mount St. Joe has

changed Ben in significant ways and touched many hearts in the Mount

community.

There was never any doubt in Ben's mind about where he wanted to go

to high school. Matt, his older brother, had attended Mount St.

ph, and Ben was impressed by his big brother's experience.

Ben had attended St. of the Mills

School, Laurel,

in the

Archdiocese of Washington, and since some of his friends there

planned to attend the Xaverian school up north in Baltimore, there

was added incentive to apply to the Mount.

When Dick and Doris Stevick approached Barry Fitzpatrick, principal,

about enrolling their son, Fitzpatrick prayed about it before

agreeing to the historic arrangement last year.

Cheryl Hall, a special education teacher who had worked with Ben at

St. , serves as Ben's personal tutor who accompanies him to

classes. Ben takes the same academic courses as his buddies, but they

are adapted to his skill level by Hall. The teachers sometimes work

with him one-on-one after class, and Ben also completes a work study -

stocking shelves, assisting in the gymnasium and doing other tasks

that will help prepare him for later employment.

In three more years, Ben won't receive a diploma when he graduates,

but he will get a certificate of attendance.

" In just one year, his academic skill level has already far surpassed

what we thought he was capable of, " said Hall, noting that Ben's

intelligence level tests at about late second grade or early third

grade.

While Ben's speech remains difficult to understand, it has improved

greatly over the last 14 months, Hall said. She credits that to the

fact that Ben is daily exposed to conversations from other students

and he's better able to model his own speech after what he hears.

If Ben had not been accepted into Mount

St. ph, Hall said he

would have enrolled in a self-contained public school program for

children with special needs. While he probably would have learned

practical skills there, Ben would not have been challenged

academically in the way he has at Mount

St. ph, she said.

" We don't want to put limits on kids like Ben, " Hall said. " We

need

to push them and see how much they can do. "

In a recent history course, Ben sat near the front of the class and

studiously highlighted sentences in his textbook that his teacher

said were important. When it was his turn, he read aloud a paragraph

about indulgences and how they helped spark the Protestant

Reformation. While the other boys couldn't understand every word Ben

said, there was no smirking as he plodded through the passage at a

careful pace.

Xaverian Brother , president of the school, said it's " a

testament to the caliber of our students " that Ben has been warmly

embraced. No one has ever picked on Ben. Students have instead gone

out of their way to help him, he said.

" I think he inspires them, " said Brother , noting that Mount St.

ph is the first Xaverian school in the country to accept a child

with Down syndrome.

" They see him working hard and struggling to learn while some of the

others can be lazy at times, " he said. " He's a great blessing to our

community. "

Abbo, a 15-year-old classmate and Ben's best friend, said

students feel close to Ben because he is a genuine and caring person.

" With Ben, you can't get mad, " said . " He never does

anything to

hurt you. He's not going to judge you. He considers everyone his

friend. "

The biggest challenge to enrolling students like Ben is the financial

cost, according to Brother . The inclusion program launched with

Ben's enrollment is being funded this year by a grant from the

Catholic Coalition for Special Education. The St. Giles program,

named after the patron saint of people with disabilities, is

currently operating on a year-to-year basis depending on the

availability of funding, but Brother would like to add another

student with special needs next year.

Not every child with disabilities can be accommodated, he said, but

there are those like Ben who would do well if there are enough

resources to enroll them.

For his part, Ben said he loves everything about Mount St. ph.

He

enjoys being on the swim team, he likes his teachers and he said he

has made many friends. Asked what his favorite subject is, he

unleashed his characteristically warm smile.

" Chemistry, English, social studies, religion, math and P.E - and

lunch, " he said.

With his religion teacher sitting by his side, the teen then returned

his attention to a map of the Middle East that

outlined ancient

rivers, deserts and Biblical jurisdictions. There would be a quiz in

his religion class next week. He had to study.

- - -

Republished by Catholic Online with permission of The Catholic

Review, the official publication of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Md.

(www.catholicreview.org).

[Guest guest]

Here’s the link for the picture that goes with the article:

http://www.catholicepaper.net/eeusers/catholicreview/

From:

Down Syndrome Treatment

[mailto:Down Syndrome Treatment ] On Behalf Of Kathy Ratkiewicz

Sent: Friday, September 29, 2006

3:18 PM

Down Syndrome Treatment ;

'Down Syndrome'; MichianaDownSyndrome ;

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Subject:

[iEP_guide] Down syndrome student first for Xaverian

high school

Down

syndrome student first for Xaverian high school

By P. Matysek Jr.

9/29/2006

The Catholic Review (www.catholicreview.org)

BALTIMORE, Md. (The Catholic Review) - Standing at his locker in a

hallway at Mount St. ph High School, Irvington, Ben Stevick

attracted the kind of attention that might otherwise be reserved for

a quarterback on game day.

Advertisement

Just about every guy who passed through the bustling corridor seemed

to call out to the short-in-stature, 17-year-old sophomore, many of

them patting him on the shoulder and one playfully punching him on

the arm and yelling, " Yo, Ben, my man, what's up! "

The conversation soon turned to that perennial topic at an all-boys

school: girls.

" You ready for the dance tonight? " a student asked.

With a big smile that seemed to engulf his entire face - exposing

metal braces on his teeth, Ben nodded. It would be his first dance

and he had been practicing his moves.

" Is Theresa going to be there? " he asked haltingly, adjusting a pair

of wire-rimmed glasses. The other guys returned the smile and assured

their sandy-haired friend that his crush would be there, along with

plenty of other girls.

The Friday afternoon scene at Mount St. ph

from late September

could have played out in any high school in the Archdiocese of

Baltimore. What made it extraordinary is the fact that Ben has Down

syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes mental retardation.

Ben is the first student with Down syndrome to enroll in a Catholic

high school in the archdiocese. His presence at Mount St. Joe has

changed Ben in significant ways and touched many hearts in the Mount

community.

There was never any doubt in Ben's mind about where he wanted to go

to high school. Matt, his older brother, had attended Mount St.

ph, and Ben was impressed by his big brother's experience.

Ben had attended St. of the Mills

School, Laurel, in the

Archdiocese of Washington, and since some of his friends there

planned to attend the Xaverian school up north in Baltimore, there

was added incentive to apply to the Mount.

When Dick and Doris Stevick approached Barry Fitzpatrick, principal,

about enrolling their son, Fitzpatrick prayed about it before

agreeing to the historic arrangement last year.

Cheryl Hall, a special education teacher who had worked with Ben at

St. , serves as Ben's personal tutor who accompanies him to

classes. Ben takes the same academic courses as his buddies, but they

are adapted to his skill level by Hall. The teachers sometimes work

with him one-on-one after class, and Ben also completes a work study -

stocking shelves, assisting in the gymnasium and doing other tasks

that will help prepare him for later employment.

In three more years, Ben won't receive a diploma when he graduates,

but he will get a certificate of attendance.

" In just one year, his academic skill level has already far surpassed

what we thought he was capable of, " said Hall, noting that Ben's

intelligence level tests at about late second grade or early third

grade.

While Ben's speech remains difficult to understand, it has improved

greatly over the last 14 months, Hall said. She credits that to the

fact that Ben is daily exposed to conversations from other students

and he's better able to model his own speech after what he hears.

If Ben had not been accepted into Mount St. ph,

Hall said he

would have enrolled in a self-contained public school program for

children with special needs. While he probably would have learned

practical skills there, Ben would not have been challenged

academically in the way he has at Mount St. ph,

she said.

" We don't want to put limits on kids like Ben, " Hall said. " We

need

to push them and see how much they can do. "

In a recent history course, Ben sat near the front of the class and

studiously highlighted sentences in his textbook that his teacher

said were important. When it was his turn, he read aloud a paragraph

about indulgences and how they helped spark the Protestant

Reformation. While the other boys couldn't understand every word Ben

said, there was no smirking as he plodded through the passage at a

careful pace.

Xaverian Brother , president of the school, said it's " a

testament to the caliber of our students " that Ben has been warmly

embraced. No one has ever picked on Ben. Students have instead gone

out of their way to help him, he said.

" I think he inspires them, " said Brother , noting that Mount St.

ph is the first Xaverian school in the country to accept a child

with Down syndrome.

" They see him working hard and struggling to learn while some of the

others can be lazy at times, " he said. " He's a great blessing to our

community. "

Abbo, a 15-year-old classmate and Ben's best friend, said

students feel close to Ben because he is a genuine and caring person.

" With Ben, you can't get mad, " said . " He never does

anything to

hurt you. He's not going to judge you. He considers everyone his

friend. "

The biggest challenge to enrolling students like Ben is the financial

cost, according to Brother . The inclusion program launched with

Ben's enrollment is being funded this year by a grant from the

Catholic Coalition for Special Education. The St. Giles program,

named after the patron saint of people with disabilities, is

currently operating on a year-to-year basis depending on the

availability of funding, but Brother would like to add another

student with special needs next year.

Not every child with disabilities can be accommodated, he said, but

there are those like Ben who would do well if there are enough

resources to enroll them.

For his part, Ben said he loves everything about Mount St. ph.

He

enjoys being on the swim team, he likes his teachers and he said he

has made many friends. Asked what his favorite subject is, he

unleashed his characteristically warm smile.

" Chemistry, English, social studies, religion, math and P.E - and

lunch, " he said.

With his religion teacher sitting by his side, the teen then returned

his attention to a map of the Middle East

that outlined ancient

rivers, deserts and Biblical jurisdictions. There would be a quiz in

his religion class next week. He had to study.

- - -

Republished by Catholic Online with permission of The Catholic

Review, the official publication of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Md.

(www.catholicreview.org).