Name: Jessica Morrison (Told by her mother, Kelly)
Location: ???

Jessica is not deaf, she can hear and understand everything that she is told. Her speech is the only reason why she was put in special education. She is still in the process of learning sign language - she has been in speech therapy since she was 2 although she was not actually labeled as having CP until she was 6. At the age of 2, a neurologist had a CAT scan done on Jessica to see if there was any brain damage - the CAT scan didn't show any damage. She was diagnosed as having delayed development. At the age of 6 our pediatrician decided to have a MRI done on her because her speech still had not improved. Looking at my daughter, you cannot tell that anything is physically wrong, until she tries to talk. The neurologist who worked with us this time diagnosed Jessica with CP, when the results of the MRI came back we were sent to a neuro-surgeon. We were advised that she also had an Arnold Chiari Malformation (that is where the cerebellum part of the brain is elongated and is putting pressure on the brain stem, which controls everything in the body). Jessica had surgery 2 weeks after the MRI. They cut the base of her skull off, cut open the lining of her brain and put in a dura patch to allow the cerebellum room to grow without putting the pressure on the brain stem. Even on the MRI they did not find any brain damage. Because she had been labeled with delayed development, the speech therapist didn't want to do sign language with Jessica because they thought that, with therapy, her speech would improve. Because she isn't deaf, I cannot put her in a deaf school, and I can not put her in a hearing impaired classroom. There are no other children that I know of that have the same problems with their speech. Jessica is definitely a unique case in our county. When she was in kinder garden, the school physiologist told me that if there was a class for severely disabled speech, that Jessica would definitely be in it, but because we wouldn't be able to get the funding for it, that it would never happen.

My husband and I have been trying for the last 3 years to get Jessica out of the special education classes and into a regular classroom with a assistant that knows sign language. Jessica has very mild cp, she has a slight problem with her right hand and her speech is affected. And of course the school system is treating her like she has no mind because she can't talk. She is supposed to be in the fourth grade, she is in a third grade level, but she is actually at a beginning 2nd grade level with her math and reading. Needless to say, we are not to pleased with this, and are trying to get all our information together so that we can fight the school over this. I need to talk to the advocacy center, and I suppose I will need to obtain a lawyer. They don't want to supply a tutor for her to help catch her up to her level, but at this point I feel it is their responsibility since they have dropped the ball with her education. We have already had the meeting with Jessica's school advising them that she will be going to a different school, and that we will be putting her in a regular classroom. In her IEP meeting 2 years ago, I had to actually tell them that I wanted them to work with teaching her to read. I shouldn't have had to ask them for this. The teacher that she has this year is a Saint - we finally have a teacher that is teaching and pushing Jessica to learn, and it is a shame that we didn't have her 5 years ago, if we had, we wouldn't be in this situation today.

 I don't know anybody who has already been in this situation, and it is trial and error on our part, God knows they will not willingly provide any information that will help us. But we are to the point that we will fight them with everything that we can. We want our daughter to have an independent life and a choice in her future. I am just so frustrated with this, I know what I want for my daughter, but I don't know how to get it, and I don't want to do something that is going to overwhelm or hurt her. I know in my heart that there is more to Jessica than what she is getting at school, and I want her to have her chance in life to be happy. I know that it will be hard on her and a long road, but I would rather her be strong and accomplish it, than to sit back and slide through life dependant on everyone else for her survival.

Kelly Morrison

When I first received a message from Kelly, I was really shocked to learn of the fight she is having in giving her daughter the education she deserves. We all know that everyone comes up against problems in fighting for their rights, but the problems this family are having go beyond what any person should have to do for what should be given to them on a plate. As you have read, Kelly feels very much alone in her fight so if theirs anyone out their who has has a similar experience or who can offer Kelly help, please mail her at kellyam@cyberatl.net.

Robert :-)