Paper Research: Interesting Conversation

This is the ninth of these process logs from Mom's folder. They're sort of logs that document her research for her spring 1994 paper From Dependence to Independence. Instead of a log, though, these are more like mini-papers that are interesting on their own. 

In this one, Mom recounts the interview she had with the mother of one of her religion students. Mom also talks about a speech she was to give at the church.

The photos are of Mom from the 1950s at the family farm from a photo album of Mom's.

Thank you very much for your help with my paper. I have been working on revisions. I'm not sure if I will get all of them fixed. I had a very interesting conversation with the mother of the little boy in my class. I guess I have really changed my mind on mainstreaming all kids. The only exception are the kids that may be disruptive and destructive. This kind of exposure for the other kids can be very damaging.

I had some interesting questions to ask her. This is far too much information to put in this paper, but I found it very interesting. She asked if I had ever read the book Under the Eye of the Clock, by Christopher Nolan. I had not, so she is going to get me her copy. Apparently Christopher Nolan was and is like her son. I guess it is real soul searching.

I asked her what her goals were for her son. The first and most important goal is being able to communicate with people. She says that she knows what he wants usually, but that is because she lives with him all the time. The psychologists were able to do an IQ test on him, by using a very patient and adaptive process. It was shown that he has a good IQ. Now to be able to tap that knowledge. I asked her if she was able to see improvements in her son in the last few years. She said there was quite a bit of difference. He is able to recognize pictures of things.

I was also curious on how the experts decided when he passes to the next grade. Obviously the usual methods won't work. She said that the teachers and parents get together and do an IEP (Individual Evaluation Profile). Here everyone gets to evaluate the child's progress.

Grant Wood Area Education Agency (AEA) Used early childhood intervention with regular visits to her son since he was 2 months old. He has gone to all day preschool very early. It was essential for him to begin a regime early as he can't soak in as much from other sources as normal kids can.

There are many programs used in the schools for the severely disabled. One is called a circle of friends. Here, there is a group of kids volunteered to be a friend. They call on the child and just visit. Much of this comes very natural to kids, especially kids who have been brought up in this atmosphere. Kids are very flexible, if you let them be. The kids are not put off by the chair, or even by the fact that this child cannot talk back. It is kind of like when you put two kids together that don't speak the same language, somehow they manage to communicate.

I asked her if with this child in the classroom it is more work for the teacher. The little kids are constantly begging for turns to take care of him. They fight over who is going to do things for him today, much in the same way we used to fight over who got to help the teacher erase the board. I do know that with myself and my class they always want to help me, too. Last year, I had three kids fighting over who will carry my books, who will open the door, etc. It brought back memories when I was younger that my nieces and nephews wanted to help me with my braces. They loved all those buckles.

The mother also said that the city is advanced far in helping kids like her son. She lived in California for a year and couldn't find an agency to help her. I personally feel that this city is more accessible than most cities its size. There are few stores or businesses where I cannot go. The grocery and variety discount stores like Wal-Mart and Kmart, go out of their way to accommodate with wheelchair shopping carts. I wonder how often they get used. All of the schools are pretty much accessible. The university, however, needs a lot of help. There are many buildings here that cannot be gotten into, or the accessible doors are rather obscure back doors. There is a lot of work that has to be done here.

I asked Julie in the class if in her research there were many mothers doing home schooling if they had a disabled child. I was a little surprised by her answer. I guess it is not recommended for the disabled child as the child becomes much too dependent on the mother. If this is all the child knows, he cannot expand his knowledge. I would think this would be a worry with a very withdrawn child. It is easy to feel comfortable at and at home only. That is one reason why I don't think that I could do home schooling. I would be afraid that I would be making them too dependent on me.

I'm having trouble keeping my mind focused today, but I know that I have to get this log done. I have to give a speech tonight at church and the closer it gets the more nervous I get. Sometimes this Mass is very crowded, anyway, it is very big. I want to do a good job. I always feel that anything I do is not only for me, but for all of us. Maybe there will be someone in the church that will think "If she can do it with her busy schedule, then why can't I?" Guess I will never know if that happens. I would love to be asked to speak at classes or businesses on this topic. Enough of that, it will be over soon and I will either fall on my face or do a good job. I will let you know next week.

I really want to write. I have a sewing class going on now, also. I would love to write a sewing column for the newspaper. I think it could be very helpful. I approached the local paper on this. They said that they didn't have room. I want to get some articles made up when I get time.

Connie, April 9, 1994

Paper Research: By Just Living

This is the fifth of these process logs from Mom's folder. They're sort of logs that document her research for her spring 1994 paper From Dependence to Independence. Instead of a log, though, these are more like mini-papers that are interesting on their own. 

In this one, she talks more about trying to contact veterans groups for her paper, and about other things, including educating people about the disabled by just being there. She also references her Devil's Advocate paper.

The photo is of Mom on Mother's Day 2005 with a clock we gave her.

There is so much information running around in my head. I have called and talked to many people. Some of them I wasn't able to reach, while some people I had not thought of came out of nowhere and proved very interesting. The Devil's Advocate paper has been very difficult to write, without getting my personal opinion in it. Some of the arguments that I have found are arguments that I agree with - or until now I agreed with them. Then I talked with this friend of mine at Hospital School, who has a Down's child now 5 years old. I will talk to her fully later on. She did give me much literature and a new perspective. I don't know why I didn't think of her earlier.

On the other end of the spectrum I also have an appointment with a gentleman with the Vietnam vets group in Cedar Rapids. This may prove a very interesting meeting. I got his name from the director of Community Relations at the Veterans Hospital, Annie Turtle. She seemed also a very interesting person. She also gave me names and numbers of a group in Des Moines, but I've had a hard time getting through to them as I'm not home usually during the day and I can't call from work. I think I'll see what I get from Cedar Rapids. None of these people have disagreed with me on this theory on my timeline. Ms. Tuttle did say, however, that maybe I should be careful and not speak specifically about Vietnam vets, but generalize it to relate to all veterans.

It is clear that I am speaking from two different arenas here. On the one hand we have the born disabled or early childhood disabled, and on the other hand, there are the young accident victim or the war victim. These young people have already proven their intelligence earlier before the accident or war injury. It is just a matter of furthering that education in whatever manner can be done; as opposed to the early childhood disabled who is often looked to as retarded or uneducateable.

Many times these children are not only expected to keep up their school; but they are also expected to keep up a regimen of exercise perhaps and a strong desire to fit into this strange world of the "normal" children. Many children can be so cruel, especially those children never exposed to this kind of child. Maybe their parents have never been exposed either. Consequently, these children are labeled as not expected to perform.

Now back to our vets or young adults. They, too, can have a very grueling exercise schedule in addition to their learning schedule. The difference is that they have already proven what they can accomplish. They probably can already read and comprehend everything that is given to them to do. These people are the ones with voices. They are still unable to get into the buildings, because of the physical obstacle. Some of these young men may be engineers, who could say, "Look, it doesn't have to be this way. We can easily replace these steps with ramps or elevators." Many times with the backing of the government, as most of these young problem are veterans, remember, they can build the new innovation that makes life more bearable. Even the hand control used for us to drive a car was invented by someone in the government. These things are so sophisticated that you can barely have movement to use one. Yet these fellows can operate automobiles very safely. It is inventions like these that have given disabled the independence that is needed.

Unfortunately, there are some disabled children and adults that will never be this good. These are the ones that will take delight from just watching what is happening. They cannot even speak or react to what is going on. It is difficult to be in contact with them as there doesn't seem to be much encouragement. Education for them may just be a visual experience. I know such an individual. I happen to have him in my second grade religion class. I, who should know how to act, did not. I am used to a reaction from my kids or anyone that am speaking with. Here there is none, save for an occasional grunty noise and a reflex movement of an arm or leg. I may need to talk to this mother further to see what benefits she has seen with him in the classroom and how far mainstreamed he is. I may talk to her this week. I hope she doesn't feel that I am prying.

I have so much to sort through. I will have to take time to sit down and work out my plan as to which direction to go with it. Once this assignment of the Devil's Advocate paper is done I will be able to concentrate better on the things coming up.

It was real interesting to hear all the other topics. It would be fun to read their papers. It will also be fun to see their art objects. I love to watch people and what they come up with. I teach a sewing class for adults. Everyone comes up with new ideas there too. There are lots of times when they teach me. That is with the little kids too. They are a fountain of knowledge waiting to happen; and oh, the excitement of watching it happen.

I will love it when I have my basic rough draft done. At least then I will have some of the idea where I'm going. I'm anxious to do a good job as this subject has always interested me and all the changes that have occurred over the last 25 years. I think things have improved, but of course life is not perfect and isn't going to be. So we do the best we can and educate all those people as we go along by just living.

Connie, Feb. 19, 1994

Someday, As I'm Sitting In My Studio

One of the stories written by Mom for her first 1990s writing class. This one looks forward, with Mom seeing herself years in the future as a successful writer on sewing.

The photo is of Mom at her sewing machine in 1979.

Someday, as I'm sitting in my studio completing my latest assignment for my editor, I will look back and consider what I have accomplished to this point in my life. There were many years when I wondered if my struggles would be rewarded.

The years of working a very stressful job at the hospital, plus creating an image of the expert in construction and altering clothing (were worthwhile, as was) the time spent in the classroom to drill into me the dos and don't of writing. Old habits die hard.

Now I've started a new career altogether. I'm well known around the country as an expert in my field. I have written a simple manual for beginning sewers, any age, that is used in many classrooms. I hold class in my studio for anyone who wants to attend. I am contracted for wedding ensembles, making the bride's dress and the attendants' dresses.

I have been asked to conduct seminars on tailoring. I am now working on a manual for tailoring made easy. Regularly, I have a column appearing in the newspaper on sewing and alterations. Each week time is set aside for answering my mail.

I now employ two assistants to help with much of the routine. One of them helps me with some of the paperwork, the other assists me with the sewing.

The Public Television Network has asked me to set up a series of programs on sewing and the money to be saved. I've worked on my outline, but I've not settled on anything for sure.

I enjoy my life now. I really feel like people look up to me. That is important in a strange sort of way. I need to contribute, and with the sort of clothing these days, if I can help people look good at a smaller investment, then I have done what I set out to do. Yes, the struggles were worthwhile.

Connie, Nov. 14, 1991

Hemming A Skirt Is Easy

In addition to everything else Mom did, she also often taught sewing classes through the local college. Mom was always sewing something for someone. In this story, written for a 1992 writing class, Mom basically tells how to hem a skirt.

The only thing odd about the story, is it's premised on Mom buying a skirt. I can't remember Mom ever actually buying a skirt, or anything else for that matter. She always made everything. The photo is of Mom working at her sewing machine in her sewing room in 2004.

A sale! Wow! This is a good price for a well-constructed skirt. I have many blouses and sweaters to match this wonderful soft color. Oh my, it's too long, but I can't beat this price so I will have to hem it. Hemming a skirt is easy, if you follow these simple steps: marking and cutting to the correct length, overcasting the edge, pinning and sewing, then pressing. Because I'm so short everything I buy is too long, so hemming has become a second nature to me.

Once at home, I try the skirt on. This time, I pin the hem where I want it, so I can cut it off. This color is unusual, so it will be difficult to find thread to match. To solve this problem, take the hem, which I have just cut off, and find the end thread. It should pull off in one long piece. Wind the thread on anything you have handy: a piece of cardboard, a pen, an empty spool. There is more than enough thread to do the hand work.

Next, I take the skirt to the sewing machine or serger. Put on the color of thread that matches best, as this part will not show, and overcast the edge (which was just cut off) of the skirt with a zig zag stitch. This will keep the edge from raveling.

After pinning the skirt in place, I thread my needle with some of the thread from the original hem that I wound on the spool. Use a single thread and knot one end. Starting at a seam, pull up the needle from the bottom so the knot is inside the hem. Make a small stitch in the main part of the skirt then back into the hem at almost the same spot. I make about a half-inch stretch of thread inside of the hem; to make sure that most of the length of thread is inside of the hem. Again I take the small stitch in the body of the skirt. I continue in this manner around the skirt, keeping as much of the work inside the hem as possible. Reinforce at all seems by taking several stitches at the seam as no one sees that. When I take the smallest stitch in the skirt body nothing will show on the outside.

The final step is the pressing. I use a steam iron, with the heat set to match the fabric, and test a corner. I steam press the rest of the hem. Now I can wear my sale skirt, altered to fit me. I feel good for my investment both in money and time.

Connie, April 20, 1992