Mark Riley is an 11 year old boy who has cerebral palsy, a developmental disability that affects the ability to control movement.  The muscles in Mark's mouth, hands, and legs are affected.  Mark's problems with muscle tone make him unable to walk.  This doesn't stop Mark, though!  He uses his "cruiser" or wheelchair to get around and loves the freedom it gives him.

In addition to muscle stiffness, the kind of cerebral palsy Mark has can cause seizures.  That's why he wears a helmet.  During a seizure, he might fall out of his chair and hit his head.  Mark says, "I wear this helmet to protect my great brains!"

For Mark, one of the hardest parts of having cerebral palsy is talking, because the muscles in his mouth and throat are stiff.  His words come out slowly and sound slurred, and it is sometimes hard for people to understand what he is saying.  Mark is working with a speech-language pathologist, Ms. Johnson, who helps him learn how to better control his muscles so he can swallow more easily and is able to speak more clearly.

Mark works with an occupational therapist, Tricia, who comes to his classroom two days a week. Mark also works with a physical therapist, Roger, who helps Mark by developing exercises to improve coordination and balance.  He gives Mark exercises to do at home to help loosen, strengthen and prevent further stiffness of muscles.

Mark has a great sense of humor and is very outgoing!  He has a positive, optimistic outlook.  He likes to try new things and approaches new challenges with a courageous attitude.  As Mark says, "I'm a regular kid and I like it when people treat me like one."

"Why do you guys do this?"  

A ten year-old asked us that question last week during the puppet and audience discussion session that follows each script topic.  The Kids on the Block is an educational program, and the topics that are covered during the performances are geared towards preventing mental illness, suffering, bullying, drug use, and other health issues, all of which are under-girded by mental health.  During the month of March, however, KOTB usually performs for Exceptional Children's Month.

Exceptional Children's Month is geared toward the principle of inclusion and helping students--those who have disabilities and those who do not--appreciate the value of respecting others' differences.  Our greatest lesson during this month is the one of empathy.  Mark Riley tells the audience how he puts out his clothes before bed each night ("How many of you do that too?  See, a lot of us do that!"), and describes how he plays basketball in his cruiser.  Jennifer Hauser has a learning disability, and she shares how name-calling has affected her at school.  These puppet characters do not speak for a disability; each character represents one perspective of having a disability or a disorder.  After each skit, the students have plenty of time to ask our puppet friends questions.

 

What people are saying about Kids on the Block:

"We will use this information to help students understand the difference between bad days and depression"

-         Teacher, Jackson, GA

"People with a learning disability can learn as many things as a person without a learning disability".

-         Third Grader, Decatur, GA