Students in Northern Burlington’s Multiple Disabilities program performed "The Power of a Dream" for their fellow students.
By: William Wichert
Being disabled doesn’t matter when it comes to dancing in a conga line around the auditorium at Northern Burlington County Regional High School.
Eighteen students in the school district’s Multiple Disabilities Program showed just that to the audience watching their performance of "The Power of a Dream," an original production staged by the students on June 9.
Between a Beatles jam session and the conga-inspired version of "Don’t Worry, Be Happy!" playing inflatable guitars and wearing hula skirts, the students demonstrated that they may have disabilities such as autism and Down syndrome, but they know how to have fun.
"It brings awareness to our kids, but in a better light," said Terri Neipert, a special education teacher in the middle school. "They need to be known in the community."
Last week’s play, which was written and directed by Ms. Neipert and special education teachers Wendi Giuliano and Vicki Phelan, is an extension of the school program’s continuing mission of bringing more social interaction to the disabled students.
Dancing and singing on stage was not a problem for most of Ms. Neipert’s students. "Seeing them amazes me and I have them every day," she said. "We don’t have too many shy kids."
Students in the program learn the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic to prepare them for a self-sufficient job in the future, Ms. Neipert said, but the greater challenge is making them feel like a part of the school community and making other students aware of the disabilities their classmates face.
Throughout the play, the high school students acting as peer mentors to the disabled students would discuss different disabilities between musical acts. "That’s why it’s important for you all to say ‘Hi’ when you see someone with autism," one peer mentor said to the audience. "We could all use more friends."
Michael and Susan Crawford, whose daughter Caitlyn is autistic, said the program and the peer mentors have given her a sense of acceptance. "It’s a warm feeling for a parent knowing that your child is accepted in school and the community," said Mr. Crawford.
Given that autistic behavior includes poor communication skills, the atmosphere of the program has had a great impact on Caitlyn, making her a "social butterfly" of the seventh-grade, said her mother, who founded a fundraising group for parents of children with disabilities.
Ms. Crawford said she still gets chills when she thinks about how Caitlyn first said "Mommy" at the age of 4. "She would say ‘Mommy’ and I would come running in and make a big to-do about it."
Since leaving Burlington County Special Services and joining the NBCR program last year, 17-year-old Kyle Stricker, who has several disabilities, has become what his mother, Karen, calls a brighter person.
"He loves it. He smiles every morning. He refuses to stay home if he gets sick," said Ms. Stricker. "Over here, he’s gone much further than anyone thought he could."