Nevada preschool program includes disabled children
RENO, Nev. - When Lennah Martinez comes home a little dirty from school, her mom is thankful.
Just like the other 18 kids in her preschool class at the Child and Family Research Center on the University of Nevada, Reno campus, it’s not unusual to have paint from an art project or sand from the playground on her clothes.
“It’s exactly as it should be,” said Ashleigh Martinez, who wants her daughter to be treated and educated like every other child.
Lennah, 4, was born with gastroschisis, a condition where intestines are outside the abdominal wall. She had six surgeries before she was a year old. At 6 months, she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
But at school she is just another kid, thriving in an inclusive preschool program.
On a recent morning, student Diggory Mardock, 4, showed Lennah his penguin superhero made from pipe cleaners, cork and Q-tips. Both children smiled, oblivious that school could be any other way.
Reno disability advocate Diedre Hammon told the Reno Gazette-Journal that the inclusive program at UNR is one of the best.
“It’s one that shows how it should be done everywhere,” she said. “It shows the benefit of including children instead of segregating.”
It’s why Martinez picked the program for her daughter after looking at another school.
“When they do circle time, she gets down on the floor with the other kids,” said Martinez. “Why should it be any different because she is in a wheelchair?”
The 30-year-old program is the collaboration between UNR and the Washoe County School District for children 3 to 5 years old with disabilities. It has spots for 20 children with a range of disabilities who are enrolled in preschool classes with peers.
“There are benefits for children like Lennah in terms of language but also for all the children in the class,” said Yvonne Williams, who oversees the program and is a school district special education teacher.
“The children in the class learn compassion,” Williams said. She said one of the other children goes home and plays school, modifying her play time with her dolls to also work with children who may have a disability.
The program also benefits future teachers, said Williams. The center relies on student workers, many going on to work in education.
“Even if you aren’t a special education teacher, you are going to be a teacher who has students with an IEP,” she said of an individual education program, a federally mandated document that outlines how a child with disabilities will be educated and how progress is measured.