We just received this fantastic transition success story and wanted to share it with all of you!
A TRUE RIGHT OF PASSAGE
By: Mona Tremblay
There are those special moments in life, particularly when a child has a disability, that are cherished and savored; when a milestone of accomplishment is reached. On April 28, 2006, one such milestone occurred for a 17-year-old young man named Julian Tremblay, of Putnam. Seeing Julian through the pre-prom preparations, watching him try on his first tuxedo, and having all the prom jitters as every other parent of a “typical” teenager does, there are no real words to appropriately describe how monumental this occasion was; to see Julian succeeding, belonging, and most importantly, enjoying this special night, along with the rest of his peers.
These glorious success stories do not come easily, but they can come, they will come, and they MUST come. With each parent and professional who advocates, each neighbor, support staff, and classmate, who step forward, not back: for each teacher who goes the extra mile, each school system that pays more than lip service to promoting inclusion of all students; events such as this one will not just be “best practice,” but the ONLY practice, of communities across CT.
The pictures speak for themselves…
We are currently in the process of completing our booklet entitled:
My Road to Success: Journeys into Adulthood
Here is just one of the many
great stories included in the booklet.
Yana Razumnaya
Story Written By Yana Razumnaya
Yana is 19 years old, lives in West Hartford, CT, and has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
My story began in 2001 when I entered the ninth grade. Freshman year is hard for most people, but for me it was more so. My friends from middle school had blossomed into teenagers, while I still had the emotional and mental maturity of a middle school kid. They began to talk about boys and dating, subjects I wasn’t interested in or ready for at the time. I felt completely alone from freshman orientation to the end of the year. I tried joining a school club that had kids with disabilities and non-disabled kids doing activities together. It was ok at first, but then I began to feel out of place in the group. I couldn’t relate to the students with disabilities or to the non-disabled kids, so that was the end of my going to that club. Then in April, I joined another club, it was called “The Connecticut Youth Forum.” It is a club where teens meet every month at a different high school to discuss issues of relevance to teens. I would definitely recommend joining this club if your school participates. So, that was freshman year.
Sophomore year was my worst year in high school. It started out smoothly and then it started to get worse and worse. It seemed as if everything came crashing down on me. I felt off and different and that sometimes frustrated me. I distinctly remember losing my cool during P.E. when I heard the girls discussing drivers ed. I would also seethe with jealousy every time one of the girls (or guys) came in with their license. Everyone else seemed to be growing up, everyone that is, besides me. My grades began to fall and I was depressed a lot. On top of everything my grandmother, who was my only friend, had died that past summer and I was still getting over her death. But with the help of my parents and my therapist, I soon realized that getting my license wasn’t the most important thing and that I, in fact, had grown.
Junior year was a lot better, my grades went back to the usual and I made some acquaintances. I would say that my biggest achievement of that year was taking the SATs and going to junior prom.
Senior year was my best year of high school. I think it was good because I had finally come to terms with who I was. I made a decision that year to be myself and to stop comparing myself with other girls my age. I joined the Senior Class board that year and that was successful. I also began to invest myself in my studies more. With all honesty, I can say that my favorite moment of senior year was graduation.
This year I will be a freshman at Tunxis College. I want to become a social worker and develop programs for neurotypicals to help them better understand people with ASDs. A few words to the wise: don’t miss the prom: it’s your only chance so force yourself to go. Also, I would encourage applying for the Youth Leadership Forum program sponsored by the state. It is a four day program for teens with disabilities that teaches self advocacy skills. It was a lot of fun and I would encourage other teens to apply.
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