Special Inclusive School

I spent the day at the Special Inclusive School. Isaac, my host, is the headmaster of this special needs school. They had class work today so it allowed me to see how the children interact in a classroom setting. The main lesson of today was on personal hygiene. They discussed the proper steps and what was needed in order to bathe and brush one’s teeth. It was a very simple lesson, but very important considering poor hygiene could mean death here. Cholera and typhoid are two of the common diseases that occur here due to poor water and food conditions.

There were about 12 students at the school today. Unfortunately, the students with more severe physical challenges are not able to make it to school right now since the bus broke down in December. Before the bus broke, about 30 kids attended school daily. From a physical therapy standpoint, I saw very few things that I could help out with. The things I did notice I made sure to tell the instructors about so they could try and modify it.

My little buddy, Wisdom, would benefit from help with adaptive utensils to write and eat with. Wisdom has cerebral palsy. He has a slight gait abnormality, but is very functional with his walking. He has poor hand dexterity. His biggest difficulty is with speech. The teachers have worked with him long enough that they can understand him some of the time. Also, Wisdom nods appropriately so you know he understands you correctly when you ask him a question. I was unable to tell if his difficulties with writing stem from the fact that he cannot grip the pencil or if there is a learning disability affecting him. I think is probably a combination of the two. He lives behind Isaac so I’ve gotten to spend a lot of time with him. He often will not allow anyone to help him, but him and I seem to get along well so I’ve enjoyed spending time with him.

My buddy from Friday was at the school today also. I think I was more of a disturbance to him than helper. He constantly wanted me to come over to him. Whenever I tried to help him with his work, I ended up distracting him and everyone around him. Luckily, the 3 boys sitting around him wanted to show off their work so they did a very good job with their lesson!

I really enjoyed watching these kids learn today. Yes, they are not learning calculus. They will never be the doctors and lawyers of Ghana; however, with patience and proper instruction, they all have a chance to be productive members of society. My second little buddy is always carving a stone. Who knows he may be the next great artist of Ghana with the right guidance. Some of the children like gardening or tending animals. Some may make good carpenters. All of the trades are important; thus, this school is very important. However, the teachers here do not have as strong of a special education background as in the US, so they do not always know how to unleash their talents. Any teachers or therapists with a good special education background would be much appreciated here if anyone wants to volunteer!!

I plan on going back to the school on Thursday. I think I could observe a few more times to see when they are doing labor tasks if there are modifications that they may need.

Tomorrow, I will be back helping at the hospital. I pray it will be less sad then Monday!

Love, Kari