What I did Last Night 12-17-08

The van picked me up and then we went and picked up Toby. The van took him home and then took me home. When I got home I took a nap for a hour.

Then I had a conference call with the Government Committee from Idaho Disability Council for Developmental Disabilities. We went over all the cut back that Governor Otter is proposing for People with Disabilities. One program that is gone is the Katie Beckett waiver. There will be other cuts in the amount of respite and personal care that children will receive. This will have a great impact on families.

Ann and I started reading another book, "How to write Fiction." Zelda, one of my providers and I are going write a book about my life. I guess it is going to be fiction!

What I did Last Night 12-16-08

Yesterday, I got picked up from work by the van about 1:30, and then we went to pick Toby from his work for Center on Human and Development, and we took him home. I though that he lived with his parent, but the van took him to another house.

Then the van took me home. I always take a nap for a hour. After I got up I watched T.V.

until my provider arrived. We read for an hour and then we had dinner.

I have two brothers and one sister and I have six nieces and one nephew. All of nieces accept one play in the band at at St. Mary's school. They all have band concerts. Tonight they have Christmas Play that I went to.

My sister's oldest daughter is in six grade at St. Mary's School, and she had a big part in the play and she was great. I have to say they were all wonderful.

When that done we went shopping at Winco and after I got home I watched the Charlie Brown Christmas was on T. V. and went to bed.

What I did over the Weekend 12-14

On Friday morning I went to Mass because every Friday they have Mass for St. Mary's School and I try to go. My sister's children go to school there. After I got back home A Full Life Agency (my care provider agency) had their Christmas party in Lewiston and Zada took me down there. That was fun. I have been with them for awhile and I always wanted to go and I finally did!

On Friday night I went to a Moscow High School basketball game. I go to the games in my push wheelchair and my friend parks my chair by locker room and my friend walks me up sit by other fans. I also go to University of Idaho games. They have a place for wheelchairs and it is behind players bench.

On Saturday I had a Bovill day, that is where I grew up. It is a small logging town. I just got to visit for the day. I used to go home to Bovill every other weekend when my parents still lived there. At that time, when I went home I would spend the weekend there.

On Saturday and Sunday night I went to my parents for dinner and watch T.V.

What I did Last Night 12-10-08

Yesterday after I got off work I went down Center on Disabilities and Human Development to visit some friends that I know there.

After that I went home, I have lived at Camas Village Apartments for over a year and I love it, but this fall they have new people living upstairs above me. They have been driving me nuts, about once a week they come down and tell me that I am making to making too much noise at night. They have a baby and I hear it, they are having another one. So I went to talked to the manger and she will talk to them.

I went home and took a nap, and when Ann (my provider) came we read together. I am reading every night because I'm going to take some classes next year at Unversity of Idaho. I had dinner and went to a birthday party for one of Ann's nieces. She is six years old and I brought her an outfit.

After that I went home and went to bed.

What I did Last Night 12-9-08

When I got work yesterday I went over to Moscow City Hall, because last Friday night my provider and I went out to Plantation and it is not accessible. It is a private club. I like to sing Karaoke, but this club isn't accessible for somebody that uses a wheelchair. At City Hall we talked to two City Council members and they told us the club is private and we should talk to the owner. I will keep you up to date on that.

After I got done with that, I went home and took a nap. When my night provider came I had her to read to me for a hour, because my morning provider is enrolling me at the University Idaho to take some classes in spring. Then Ann (my provider fixed me dinner.

My latest trip to Boise October 21-24

In October, I went to Boise to for the fall Idaho Developmental Disabilities Council Meeting. We had a presentation on Inclusion in Idaho. The presenters were Max Waxpper and Jeniffer Larson, who work for Center on Human and Development.

The report had the following five sections: 1. Least Restrictive Environment Appeal Trends, 2. Survey of Idaho Teacher Preparation Programs, 3. Survey of Current Teachers and Administrators Perceptions About Attitudes Toward Inclusion 4. Survey of Parentsof Students with Disabilities in Idaho and 5. Data Analysis.

I am going to touch on all five parts a little bit so you know how Idaho Schools are doing teaching our students with disabilities.

1. Least Restrictive Environment Appeal Tends: Students with Disabilities LRE Placement Date from Idaho SDOE. They conducted research from 2003 to 2007. In 2003 the score was 15-25% in and in 2007 it rose up to almost 50% which is wonderful.

2, Teacher Education: I was very disappointed with Teacher Education becaues I thought University Idaho, Boise State and Idaho State University would be better at educating our teachers for students with disabilities. In my opinion, the best college is Lewis Clark State College, because they have a former Professor Michelle Joddy of University Idaho and she is doing a great job educating future special education teachers!

3 Teacher Demographcs: Teachers with one year of experience and teachers with up to fourty years of teaching were surveyed. 93% of teachers reported feeling that students with disabilites should be in regular, inclusive classrooms.

4. Survey of parents: Parents have mixed feelings regarding inclusion. Some parents are not happy with full inclusion in schools. One parent felt that the older teachers are better at teaching students with disabilities than younger teachers.

5. Data Analysis: In the Data Analysis, schools across the state were compared. They found out how Idaho School teachers are doing teaching students with disabilities. In Idaho, as in many other states, there is a 50% approval rating on the current inclusion practices.

In a couples years Max Waxpper and Jeniffer Larson, will do an other survey. They are hoping to see improvements in of approval.

My Speech to a college class in Oct 2008

I am forty-five years old and I have Cerebral Palsy. I started working for Families Together in 1992.

Today, I would like talk to you about what frustrates me. First of all, my biggest frustration is when I am trying to talk to someone and they say ok, but I know they never got it, or they talk too loud or too slow. When I have someone like this I just laugh because they're the ones with the problem and not me when this happen I say a prayer for them. I live in my own apartment with care providers coming in helping me. You can bet I have went through lots of good and bad people since I was eighteen years old, and I would like to share something that I went through so you understand.

When I was eighteen years I wanted to moved out on my own, just like most teenagers I thought I knew what was best for me. My parent didn’t know how I felt, WAIT A MINUTE! I have a disability and I am not like my brothers and sister or even my friends. I forgot I couldn’t feed or groom and dress myself!

In 1981 things had just started in Moscow for people with disabilities and they had started transitional apartments. This would be where I would live with a roommate and they would teach me how to handle my own money, how to shop, and even teach me go around Moscow. Did it happen? No, they taught me how to clean the floor on my hands and knees. Also they wanted me to feed myself which I tried when I was boy and I couldn't do it. Back then my Mother and I had to find my own providers, but now I go through an agency.

You would think it would be better. However, last year I had a provider that smelled so bad that she made me sick. I told A Full Life (my agency ) that I did not want herworking with me. . The head of the agency reassured me that the provider had changed and I needed to give her a try. The provider came with the supervisor last Tuesday and she was ok. But then on Thursday night she came by herself and she had a bad odor.

So on Friday I called the head of the agency told them that I didn't want her. They told me that Sara had to come that night because the supervisor went out of town and it would be the last time. So there are still lots of problems getting the help that I need. I have to be an advocate for my self.

I am also an advocate for the others. I serve on the Idaho Council for Developmental Disabilities. I have been on the council for four years. I travel to Boise 4-5 times a year and work with the council to help improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. Every year we speak in to the legislators and let them know what we are working on. We work on self determination for people with disabilities so that we can make decisions on the type of support we want.

I would like leave you something to think about. If you ever work or teach someone with a disability - just teach them the way you would want to be taught. Treat them the way you would want to be treated.

Happy Boss Day to Chris Curry

I would like to tell you about how much Chris Curry means to me. I first met Chris Curry 1991.
first of all I was out of work for a couple years and basically I was staying at home watching a lot daytime T.V. shows and living in a worsts apartment ever.

When I met Chris I told her that I wanted a job and she told me about Families Together and I started in a Church office with someone always with me today I am working down Disability Acting Center working three days a week on my own. Chris have help me by giving me more than job but friendship.

I work on many grants over the years I have been working here. I have been to Washington D.C. two times and San Diego once. When I was a boy my parent and I thought I needed to move to big city to get a good job. I am grateful to Chris because she was a caring person, there should be more people like Chris Curry in world.

Mike

My parents are getting older and I need to grow up!

I have a bad habit, whenever I get frustrated or mad I throw temper tantrums. This started when I was a young boy and when my parents wanted to go out for a night or on a trip. I would throw temper tantrums. This would anger my parents and they would spank me and ground me. When I got older I would baby-sit my brothers and sister for my parents. But I would still have fits even then.

When I was a teenager my Mom had a friend named Betty who lived in Bovill, Idaho where we were living at the time. She had a son who had cerebral palsy and a cognitive disability. Betty and Mom heard about a place in Seattle for people with cerebral palsy and they were going to look at it while Michael and I went summer camp. For several weeks before my Mom went to Seattle I was angry. I was very mad that my Mom was going without me and I threw the biggest temper tantrums that you have seen.

The whole week before camp I threw horrible temper tantrums. I would kick my bedroom door until my feets had red mark on them. My Mom still took me to camp and I had fun and she went to Seattle and everything was all eight. But Mom was scared because the people at the camp thought that my parents was abusing me due to self inflicted redness on my feet

When I turned eighteen years old I wanted be on my own but in 1981 they were just starting things for people with disabilities in Moscow, Idaho. They had something in Pocatello, Idaho and my parents wanted me go down there where I could get help and live with a man who ran a group home. For months I had several tantrums because I wanted Mom to go with me to make all decisions for me. That time I throw the worst temper tantrum ever and I knew I needed to move out of my parent's home.

After I moved out, I would still get very upset when things went wrong. I got in the habit when something was going bad or I didn't have a provider or something else went wrong of calling 911 and they would take me take me down to hospital in Moscow until I was transported to hospital in Lewiston. My mom was always called in to help out. I would see a psychiatrist who would talk to me and my mom and see if we could get it together. He couldn't understand my speech so my mom would interpret for me. After a few days I calmed down and I would go back home.

I am now 45 years old and a few weeks ago I had another temper tantrum. I called 911 after my Mom called my service coordinator and told me she scheduled a meeting for 1:00 and I didn't want a meeting. But this time when I called 911 my Mom told me that she was not going to help me out. She told me good by and left. She said she was tired and too old. The police came to my home and told me I needed settle down or go to Lewiston to the pyschiatric hospital. So I calmed down.

I am telling this story because my mother and I are close. I mean really close. I always worry what will happen when my parent die. I know my brothers and sister would be there and other families and friends but my mother has been there for me through everything. It is a good thing that my mother knows that I need to turn to others and not just her. But I think this will be very hard for me to do.

My latest trip Boise

Today, I want to tell you about my latest trip to Boise and how to forgive someone even though its hard to do.

Last Tuesday afternoon my mom took me down to Lewiston so I could catch my airplane so I could go to Boise because I'm on the Idaho Developmental Disabilities Council. I usually get $63.00 because I come home on Friday night, but last weekend I was staying with some friends of mine.

So Mom gave me $100 for my meeting and for the weekend. So I got down to Boise and got to my hotel. I got checked in and I got some milk for my nighttime pills and went to bed. On Wednesday I got up and got ready for my meeting.

I went to my meeting and at break I went down to the lobby of the hotel to buy some snacks. When I got my snack and went to take out my money to paid for it, all of my money was gone.
I was in shock, so the council gave me a check from last month. One of my friends went to cash that.

When I was ten I spent a year in Boise with a foster family and went to a school for children with Cerebral Palsy. My Mom, in Moscow, called my foster Mother to explain what had happened and to asked her if she could give me $50.00 for the weekend because I was staying with my friend.

I was thinking ok, now I would realize and the council is going to have a barbeque and also I had asked a couple of friends to do something after the barbeque. After the barbeque we went back to our hotel, a couple friends of mine wanted to go across the street to TCI to buy Ice cream cones.

When we got over there I told James and Alomomlo I'd buy. I told James' care provider who was with us that I wanted to buy his ice cream cone. So John, James' care provider, got my money out of my saddlebag and paid for it. Then we went back I brought a candy bar and we went back to James' room and talked for while.

Then Friday I got ready to go, went to eat breakfast, and went to the meeting. We had another break again I went out to get another snack. Once again I was robbed, Alomomlo told me we need Marilyn Sword. She is the Executive Director of the council. She said, we are calling the police.

So the police came and we made my report. The police called John and asked him if he took it, and he told them no. I had so many care providers that week the police just dropped it.

After I got home Marilyn called me and helped me make my a statement that week, I will let you know how it all turns out.

Mike

More on Boise Trip

The main woman her name Sherry I never got her last name but she talked lots about our rights, and all of us who have a disabilities need to get involved in some of Government on local level.

She told us people with disabilities need to keep up on what people who run our Government are doing.
Some of them don't understand what we want. So all of us when get back home need to do a project. by first of year. In Moscow we are working on getting more sidewalks accessible.

While we had Partners Reunion, the Idaho Developmental Council with along with Idaho Center on Human Development put on a Youth Leadership Training. This is for students with disabilities in high school. They go to Boise for one week to be a leader in their own community..

So last Thursday night all off people from Partners and the students from Youth Leadership got together for a barbecue. We also have Chris Doty son of Michelle Doty, he's sang for a while. Then after a while he let everybody do karaoke.

Last Friday night we had an other barbecue and all the of partners got a new partners shirt. Some people got to tie die the new shirt.

If you are interested in finding more about Partners in Policy or Idaho Developmental Disabilities contact
Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities
802 W. Bannock St., #308
Boise, ID 83702
208-334-2178
1-800-544-2433
www.icdd.idaho.gov

MY TRIP TO BOISE

Last week I went down to Boise to attend a Partners in Policy reunion meeting. I would like to tell you what Partners is. Partners in Policy is a nine month class where parents and people who have disabilities to come together and learn about disabilities history, their rights and the laws. You
also learn how to work Legislators and work with all forms of Government.

We have been doing this class in Idaho since 1997 or 98. Last week we all came together in Boise to learn more. We had two speakers from Indiana. More tomorrow!

Hello

Hello, my name is Mike Smith and I am forty-five years old. I was born on June 13, 1963 to Lesly and Mimi Smith in Gritman Hospital in Moscow, Idaho. When I first was born I didn't breath right away, and the doctors told my parent that I wouldn't live, but here I am!

I have severe Cerebral Palsy and I have a motorized wheelchair that I can go all over. My speech is
hard to understand at first, but I have a communication book that I point to letters with my fingers with.