My son, Josh, was born a month early at just over three pounds; while we thought he was perfect, the army of doctors that surrounded him in the hospital tried to convince us he wasn’t. We soon found out he had a cleft (hole) in the roof of his mouth, a hole in his heart, kidneys that were running backwards instead of forward, an immune system that wasn’t working properly and a rare genetic condition that would severely impact his mental as well as his physical development. When Josh was seven days old, we were told to consider putting him in an institution.
When Josh was 21 days old, we had our first connection with The Belle Center. His therapists gently guided us through the never ending maze of paperwork and appointments that is known as "First Steps," Missouri’s early intervention program. Those first few months especially, they hugged me as I cried, they encouraged me through my fears and they believed in Josh.
Josh’s five years with The Belle Center, two of which were at the preschool, have made an immeasurable impact on his life as well as ours. He has grown from a frustrated, aggressive little boy who grunted and bit himself into a confident, social and happy little boy with plenty of friends. He is a bright and outgoing kindergartener with a big personality who loves to make his friends laugh. As one teacher told me, "He could sell a trunk to an elephant."
Seeing my son with the other "typical" kids is so fun for us. He's just another "kid." Whether it's walking into school on Monday and a "typical" kid tells me he wants my son to come over for a play date, or being at a kid's birthday party on Saturday and seeing the kids all yell out when my son arrives. That is the beauty of inclusion!!!
Because of The Belle Center, our [typically developing] girls have learned acceptance of others who may not be exactly like them. I have been touched at how all the children embrace each other without any consideration of a difference, whether it was physical, mental, race or religion.
My senior project was at The Belle Center. Everyday, twenty different kids from different backgrounds would play together. I was amazed at their ability to completely ignore their differences. They knew that some kids were fragile and they were careful when they gave them hugs and shared their toys. They learned from each other. I realized that including everyone makes everyone a better person.
I learned the amazing ability for humans to overcome the obstacles they face. One little girl has Down syndrome. She was extremely bright and I could often see her get frustrated because she could not do things as quickly as the other kids could. However, she would never give up and I was amazed by her determination. She showed me how incredibly blessed I am. I need to follow her example and live everyday as a gift.
"Mommy, I am so glad to see you!" When my five-year-old, Daniel, joyfully says this as I pick him up from preschool, it’s hard to believe that it took him 3½ years to speak full sentences. Moments like these remind me of how far Daniel has come since he started preschool and therapy with The Belle Center. When I see Daniel confidently walk into his classroom and his friends run over to say hi, I know with all my heart we were blessed to find The Belle Center.
The Belle Center provided our daughter, Caitlin—who is 21 years old and in the workforce—with a leg up in development. Our doctor referred us to The Belle Center, and we were impressed by the full inclusion preschool program. We saw all of the children—including those with disabilities—together all of the time, and they were never separated. Caitlin attended The Belle Center’s preschool and received therapies, and was ready for kindergarten. Caitlin gained valuable social skills, understood rules and thrived throughout school. Belle also educated us about Caitlin’s rights when we had no idea where to start. We learned how to effectively advocate for her, which has contributed to her success.
Caitlin graduated high school a few years ago, and will soon start volunteering at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Caitlin is very good at clerical work, and her volunteer role will mostly likely turn into a paid position. From what we have been told, Caitlin will be the first person with special needs—other than attorneys—to be hired by an U.S. Attorney’s Office in the entire country!
We are truly indebted to The Belle Center. There are no words to describe what The Belle Center did for us. Geoff, who’s in fifth grade, enjoys playing soccer with friends from school in a recreational league. When he scored his first goal, EVERYONE on the sidelines stood and cheered. It was one of the most wonderful moments in his/my life.
Geoff is doing so well in school. He has a great facilitator and part-time aid. They have wonderful expectations for him and expose him to many different things. It is a great year! Geoff is looking forward to moving to middle school next year.
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