Just Another Kid
...classroom, two sisters were added Shemona and Geraldine. They were from Belfast, Ireland and were brought to the states by their aunt and uncle. Their parents were killed due to terrorism. Shemona, six, also did not speak thus Geraldine, nine, thought and did all the answering for her younger sister. At this point, Torey began to notice the children taking a liking to Ladbrooke, Leslie’s mother the alcoholic. Torey, needing an extra pair of hands and wanting to help her with her alcoholism, asked Ladbrooke to be her aid. Ladbrooke accepted the position with honor. Shortly after Ladbrooke started, one last child was added to the classroom. He was the cousin of Shemona and Geraldine, also from Ireland, however was generally a normal child with a few signs of being delayed. The story then goes into the children and the techniques Torey Hayden uses to get them out of their shell. With Mariana, she puts her in her place, making her focus on being a child and not a bossy adult. Dirkie finds his fixation on long hair. When he touches the hair of a teacher or student he becomes out of control. This is how his loneliness comes out from not receiving touch as a child. All individuals with long hair needed to have it pulled back at all times. Leslie received one on one attention with lots of repitition, until finally she spoke. She was also taught the skills needed to use the toilet on her own. The sisters were separated, giving Shemona her own personal time with Ladbrooke. They spent lots of time dressing up and role-playing and soon she too started talking. Her mutism was caused from the killing she saw in Ireland, included in these were her mother, father, and younger brother. The main focus in the classroom was building the children’s self esteem. One way they did this was through celebrating their birthdays with cake, games, decorations, etc. It gave each child its own day to feel special. Finally the school year ends and Torey Hayden broke through to each one of the children except Leslie. Her mother, Ladbrooke, abandoned her and her father and moved on with her life soberly. Leslie’s father felt that it was best for her to stay in special education classes. Mariana, Dirkie, and S...