Yesterday I arrived at Allie's school to find her standing in this walker. All the kids who could stand with this kind of assistance were. They were playing red light, green light. In this picture, Allie has a green light and Mary is helping her go.
Most of the kids in Allie's school have difficulty talking. They're all vocal, mind you, but making intelligible words is the hard part. So they teach the kids to use a switch box. The switch box wires speakers and big buttons together. In this case, one button is programmed with "green light, go!" and the other, you guessed it, "red light, stop!"
You remember the game from recess, right? Well, at Allie's school, they're using the game to teach the kids to walk and interact. It was a hoot to watch. But it made me want to cry a little to see these kids having so much fun yet struggling so hard to do the things I take for granted. It's a whole new world for me.
I must say that these teachers are amazing; heroic. They are so dedicated to the success of these kids. Their hope is infectious. That also makes me want to cry a little.
After Allie made it across the room, it was her turn to man the switch box. She had so much fun pushing those buttons and making the other kids go and stop at her beckoning.
The walking part is really difficult for her and she struggles so hard to do it. I'm amazed at what she's learning and doing. What a fighter.
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