Abby’s Road
By Ellen Doman
Abby is in first grade this year. She reads above grade level and is great at math computation. Her reading comprehension is strong. She handles herself in an evaluation the way you would expect an older child to behave. She works independently and diligently. She converses easily on a number of topics, including her Hannah Montana shirt that was a Christmas present, she explains, from her grandparents. Her parents have done such a great job with her on program. The not-so-happy part of this story is the fact that Abby’s parents have had to battle to have the school district to allow Abby to ride on a regular school bus. They continue to battle to keep Abby in regular education classes. In fact, Abby’s parents continue to need to educate Abby around that long public school day while they fight for a better education during the school day. So, Abby’s road is tough. This is not because Abby is not a good student. It is because Abby has Down Syndrome. It is so unfortunate that parents who are tremendously invested in their children and who have taken responsibility for educating their children still have such a battle with school districts. We see it all over the country. Abby’s mom is a nurse. She is fighting long and hard to get Abby to be treated fairly in her school. It’s obvious that this will be a long road. Some day I truly hope that every child will have the right to be educated. NACD Newsletter, Volume 3 Issue 1, 2010 ©NACD |