Man With Cerebral Palsy Teaches Special-Ed Teachers

View PDF | Print View
by: ten
Total views: 4
Word Count: 388
Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2010 Time: 8:43 PM
0 comments

The old saying is, "Those who know, do. Those who don't, teach." But cerebral palsy patient Wilson Buswell is rapidly making sure special-ed teachers in Colorado know what it's like to have special needs. Buswell, 30, is the official co-instructor of special-ed courses at the University of Colorado along with associate professor Christi Kasa-Hendrickson.

Teaching Style

Buswell cannot talk because of his advanced Cerebral Palsy symptoms and condition. He is only able to move his head to answer "yes" and "no" questions. But he has also created PowerPoint presentations to help with more complicated questions. Buswell's younger sister, Bronwen, usually accompanies her brother to help assist in any emergencies, wipe away drool, help give drinks and interpret some of her brother's complex yet silent facial expressions.

The presentations show that despite the blank stare, inability to swallow drool or form a sentence, the mind of Wilson Buswell is just as sharp and curious as any of the able-bodies teachers attending the course. In a few well-chosen sentences and pictures of him at Christmas and enjoying concerts, Buswell was able to convey what life is like for him. He also states that he is no different from other special needs students.

"Presume Competency"

Both Buswell and Kasa-Hendrickson are challenging the normal teaching boundaries between able-bodied children and those with special needs. Kids in wheelchairs or other difficulties are usually segregated from normal children with the understanding that, well, they aren't normal.

But children with special needs are normal in terms of their ability to learn, argues Kasa-Hendrickson. She constantly drills into her students the motto "presume competency." All children, no matter what their physical condition, should be taught the same information in the same room. This also helps the children to fulfill their need to interact and make friends, which can also help stimulate learning in ways that can only be tested in real life.

Inspiration From Overseas

Part of the inspiration for the unusual University of Colorado course came from England. The world's leading theoretical physicist and best-selling author Professor Stephen Waking also is confined to a wheelchair and can only speak through a computer program designed for him in the mid 1980s.

About the Author

Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) when he was only 21 back in 1963, but has defied doctors again and again by not only surviving but managing to father several children. He began losing his power of speech in the 1970s.
Although not a professor, Buswell has a high school diploma, enjoys hikes with his family and enjoys learning.