Emotional Wellness vs. Academic Achievement

Karen Estevez

When I was growing up, my mother taught me to respect that which was different from me and accept it as something that God had created. I had just moved from the Dominican Republic, my home country, to Miami and did not know any English. Going to a new school was hard and not being able to speak with other children who were in my kindergarten class was worse. However, because I was so young, I was able to acquire the language rapidly and soon made friends.

The teacher welcomed me and accepted me into her classroom even though I couldn’t communicate with her. Because of this, the students in the classroom opened up and made me feel part of the group. Throughout the time that I was learning English, I was never taken out of the classroom to be tutored, but instead I was immersed in an “All English” environment which made it easier for me to learn the language. By the time I was in first grade, I had caught up academically with the other children in my class.

While living in Miami, my baby sister Ivanna was born, but there was something different about her that made her special. At first, doctors could not figure out what was wrong, so they just told us to wait and see how she would develop. Time passed and we finally reached the doctors’ final diagnosis which was “Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum” or ACC.

The corpus callosum is the connection between the 2 hemispheres of the brain. Information passes from one hemisphere of the brain to the other through it, allowing movement, feeling and complex thinking. Ivanna’s corpus callosum was narrower than the average. Because of this, she would never be able to develop at the same rhythm as other children. At this time my parents were asked to be very patient and to be prepared to give Ivanna special attention for her needs. After living for 2 years in Miami, we moved back to the Dominican Republic.

Back home, my mom tried to find special schools and therapists for my sister, but she was unsuccessful. No one would take a child so different, and those that did charged large amounts of money, which my family did not have at that time. One day she found a rehab center that was opening a small school for special children. It was a one classroom school, where kids with different disabilities could work and be with one another rather than just staying home. This school was not only properly equipped and furnished to meet the necessities of every student, but it also had qualified teachers and therapists that worked with the children. Thrilled with the new school, my mother enrolled my sister, and it was amazing to see how she progressed.

Everyday, Ivanna would learn new things as she worked with her teachers. They focused on strengthening her body and teaching her basic things like colors, numbers, the names of her family members and friends. However, there was something special about that school. It was more than just a community of learning, it became a family. The environment in that one classroom was rich and loving. The children, even though some couldn’t communicate, loved each other; and because of this, the families of the children were also very close.

As the years went by, Ivanna developed more skills than any of her other classmates. She would talk about her school day, her friends, and was able to say when she wanted to go to the bathroom. But the progress stopped one day. My mom noticed that she was copying noises and behaviors that the other children with more severe disabilities would make. She imitated involuntary movements and gestures that she did not have before. My mother also noticed that Ivanna had no one to learn from that was more developed than herself. So, my parents started thinking about changing schools again but the big question that echoed in their minds was “Where?”

At that time, my mother started working in a school called MI-El Christian School. Although she wasn’t sure about how this would work out, she took Ivanna to the school where she was working. After several evaluations, she was integrated to a kindergarten class where she fit socially and emotionally, although she was older than the other children in that class. When she was in the classroom with the other children, she didn’t look very different because she was really small. Ivanna loved the school since the first day she stepped in, and she still does today. My parents felt like a very heavy weight was taken off their shoulders as they saw their child happy in an environment that valued her differences.

At MI-EL Christian School, Ivanna was not forced to do or meet the requirements of the children in her classroom, but instead the teachers would prepare special worksheets and assignments that she could work on. She learned to accept the help that others offered, but also to do things on her own and be independent.

The beautiful thing about this experience was not only to see our family involved, but to see 5 year old children helping a friend that they knew was different and needed their help. They took it upon themselves to help her with her needs, from tying her shoes to helping her with her food. They would even help her with her assignments, like the time that she had to glue a piece of paper on her worksheet and they were there by her side. She participated in all the school activities and fieldtrips just like any other student.

As a family, we were able to get involved in many school activities with Ivanna, like the time that she had to prepare a science fair exposition about the aquarium. With our help she was able to present her aquarium display by telling in one short sentence what she learned.

Her friends never laughed at her or said mean things to her. She was invited to sleepovers, play dates, and birthday parties. Listening to other children speak Spanish in a clear way helped her broaden her vocabulary and even pronounce letters that she could not say before. By the end of the year, the school gave a special award to each one of their students, including Ivanna, who received an award that acknowledged her for all her effort during that year. She had grown academically, but also socially and emotionally.
As the years passed, the school’s psychologists were able to start special programs and arrange a schedule to work with her in order to attend her special needs. She has had therapists come to the school and work on her language skills.

Today, her classmates have moved on from kindergarten all the way to fifth grade. Ivanna has moved along with them, although she doesn’t have the same academic level as her friends. She is able to take electives like art, P.E., and computer class with her friends, while working with the therapist during some periods of the day. Throughout the years, Ivanna has amazed those around her and taken refuge in the heart of many. She is known and loved by all the children in MI-EL Christian School. She is also cared by the entire faculty and is able to communicate with them when necessary.

If only all could understand and support Ivanna and those with the same diagnosis. However not all think alike. What about those who say:

“Why did Ivanna move along with her classmates if she doesn’t have the academic level to perform well in fifth grade?”

As teachers and future parents, we need to understand that every need is different, just as every child is different. Sometimes we forget that the school is the place where a child builds character, self-esteem and independence, where he/she learns to love and respect others who are different. It is the place where the child may feel accepted even though he cannot perform at the academic level.

Do not misinterpret my point. I am not saying that academic performance is not vital, because it is. As a teacher myself, I understand the importance of developing thinking skills in my students. However, it is also essential for children to develop social skills that will help them show their academic skills in the future. I have been taught the importance of an educational system based on equity, giving every child what he or she needs according to their individual learning style and understanding. For some kids, the only thing they need is a little “push” to help them move on academically. Others, who can not learn the academic concepts because of major disabilities, need the skills that will actually help them in their lives.

In the beginning of my writing, I present two sisters with completely different challenges. One who is perfectly normal but who is overcoming her English barrier and one who is a special child with developmental delays that made her stay behind in every area of her life.

In my case, I was the foreign child that did not know the language in a new school. I was able to break that language barrier because my teacher tried her best to help me understand what she was saying and what I should do. On the other hand, Ivanna is a special child who in the beginning adapted to a learning environment with other special needs children. Then she was placed in a classroom in which she could develop social skills, rather than just grade-level academic performance.

When we are dealing with children who have very difficult needs like Down’s syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, ACC, Developmental Delays, or any other disability, we need to understand that it is very unlikely that the child will develop at the same rate as the other children, or may never have the same academic performance as other children with no disabilities.

I know this may come off a bit strong but the truth is that a injured brain will not accomplish the same tasks as a brain that works at full potential. So why force a child to learn to do things that he or she will not be able to do? Why frustrate the child by making him or her feel incapable because they are different?

My parents knew that Ivanna would never be able to receive her high school diploma because of her condition. Because of this, it was very important for them to find a place where Ivanna would feel accepted. Today, Ivanna loves her friends and likes working with them in school activities.

Let’s not forget that the special child is not the only one that benefits from being in a classroom with other children. His or her classmates will learn what it means to respect others, and to not only accept but embrace differences in each other.

Now, putting yourself in a parent’s or teacher’s place, answer one question:

What is more important, emotional wellness or academic achievement?

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