United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

My daughter is 13 years old and was born right opbi. She has adjusted/adapted very well with the help of therapy. She is a hard worker and pushes herself to do well. Now that she is in Junior High GPA is important. Last school year teachers started deducting points for her penmanship, legibility and neatness. She has always struggled with PE because she has asthma and is not very athletic. This year she is in a computer class and I never realized how difficult it is for her to type on the computer. She has always typed one-handed and did a nice job on her papers. I never wanted her to receive special services, but now I think it is necessary to implement a 504 plan. What kind of adaptions/accomodations have you or your children needed to receive? Were the educators willing to help or was it difficult for them to understand and put up roadblocks?

I hope you have been pursuing the 504 Plan. We did not do that for our now 15 year old daughter, and regret it. She is paying the price for the first time with a summer school PE teacher and principal who refuse to provide accommodations--and her grade suffered. Now we have had to hire a lawyer to represent our daughter's appeal to the school district administration--a situation that would not have occurred if we had insisted on a 504 Plan. I am a teacher, and even I trusted the school district; I should not have.

Kathy, as a teen in high school I know what your daughter is going through. Every time I get a new teacher I have a personal talk with them about my arm and hand and what I can and can not do. So far I have not been marked off any points. Just talking with my teachers is enough for me. By talking to my teachers I have been able to maintain straight A's. As for typing just encourage her to keep typing. I have to admitt that I am a slower typer but I am getting faster and better. By the way I am 16 years old and I also have a right bpi (Erb's Palsy). I would love to talk to your daughter so I will give you my email address and if she wants to she can email me any time. Just have bpi in the subject box. hope16_05@hotmail.com
Amy