Blair

Blair lives with her parents, and her big sister. She has multiple diagnoses of Cerebral Palsy, Spastic Quadriplegia with athetoid movements and upper body hypotonia, and a Seizure Disorder. She is quite mobile, with the help of adaptive equipment such as a walker, standing table, molded chair for working on table tasks, and a new power wheelchair which she recently acquired.

One of her biggest challenges has been her seizure disorder, which has been difficult to get under control with medications. Her seizures can be very fatiguing, and have frequently interrupted her school attendance. Her parents have been working very closely with Blair’s doctors at UCLA, and have started her on a ketogenic diet, which it is hoped will bring her seizures under control.

Blair’s parents began working early on towards the goal of full inclusion. While Blair was attending a special education program for toddlers with orthopedic handicaps, her mother also enrolled her part-time in a regular, community, parent-participation pre-school. When Blair was four, her mom and the members of her Individual Education Planning team began planning her entry into regular kindergarten.

She attends Grandview Elementary School in Manhattan Beach, California, and is fully included in a regular 5th grade class, where she is a popular student working at grade level. To support her participation in this class, Blair needs many accommodations including physical assistance, a little more time to respond, larger print, and help with written work.