This video is about Charlotte, an eight years old girl with a motor disorder. She suffered a cerebral palsy, which leaves her quadriplegic, so she needs a wheelchair.
The short documentary show Charlotte’s perception, her school routine, and some strategies of the professionals who help her.
The teacher remains us the most important, from my point of view, statement while we are treating children with special needs: “you have to treat every child as an individual, and try not to allow their additional needs to define them.” First, it is important that Charlotte has her physical needs met safely, she explains. On the other hand, it is essential to ensure her inclusion, that she is not only in the classroom but that she is taking part.
They emphasize the importance of providing independence to Charlotte. Cerebral palsy has other impacts such as: the way she processes information, how she learns, the speed to answer… The hand control it is really difficult for her, this affect many areas of her daily lives, for example, writing. Sometimes teachers must write for her and adapt her curriculum. When professionals ask her what is the most difficult at school, she responds “keeping in touch with friends and understanding my disability”.
Which areas of need can motor disorders be related to?
Sensory and physical needs
Cognition
Learning
Communication and interaction
Social, emotional and mental health difficulties.
The school has some adaptations to granter that the wheelchair can slide easily: ramps, special tables, large gaps between tables, specific material for P.E, etc. Also, they have adapted her curriculum program, the goal is to provide Charlotte as much autonomy as possible, so that in the future she will be able to be more or less independent.
Another sentence from the video I liked to share is the following: “Raise your expectations, because actually, quite often, they can achieve much more than you originally think.” I think we must keep this in mind when we treat with children with special needs, normally we tend to reduce expectations and this can negatively affect their development.
During the video, there are some written explanations about this disorder. In my opinion, it is interesting to see the real impact of the disability, it helps to understand all the definitions, symptoms and education strategies we have learned in class. Also, it helps us to normalize and empathize emotionally with these children.
Centre for Education and Youth (28, març 2020). Introduction to Physical Disability. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcJcIOpF2T0&t=127s
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