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Special Needs Q and A

Stephanie is keen to answer your questions about her, about Special Needs and about Shannon. If you have a question for Steph, feel free to email our webmaster! We'll field your inquiries, pass them along to Steph and post her responses here.

Questions about Stephanie:

Q:

I'm mainstream, and I've had a friend in a wheelchair, and I smile at strangers who look like they have special needs, but sometimes it seems wrong to do it just because they look like they have special needs. It kind of seems like a different kind of discrimination. Can you make any suggestions on how to learn not to discriminate in any direction?

A:

It's up to you to accept everyone for who they are and for their talents. We have so much to offer. You don't have to worry about discriminating if you just treat everybody well.

Q:

I am intellectually disabled like you. I participate in Special Olympics. What are your favorite sports?

A:

Swimming. It makes me feel free to be in the water. I should be a fish!

Q:

How are you doing these days?

A:

I'm doing awesome. I'm doing really good.

Q:

What was the hardest thing about living in your own apartment?

A:

Learning how to do everything. It took a couple of months to get the hang of it but now living on my own is one of the best things I've ever done.

Q:

What types of books do you enjoy reading?

A:

I like reading comic books, especially For Better or For Worse (of course)!

Q:

What are your goals for the future?

A:

To keep doing what I'm doing now - talking to people about special needs, and living life!

Q:

Hello there Steph! I have a younger cousin who is in a similar situation as you. She does not learn at quite the same pace as her peers, (She's 10 now) and only in 2nd grade. Do you have any advice on how to keep her spirits up, and how to tell her it is okay to be different?

A:

Just tell her to work for her own goals, because she has talents that no one else does - she just needs to find out what they are. She should also remember that she's loved. Things may be hard, but she'll get there one day at a time.

Q:

Did you like Home Ec?

A:

Yes, very much.

Q:

How did you learn to cook?

A:

I learned in cooking class in grade nine. We made a bunch of different foods.

Q:

Do you try new dishes sometimes?

A:

Sometimes. I make pasta pretty often.

Q:

Do you ever cook for friends?

A:

If my friends and family come over, I cook with them. We make whatever everyone wants. When I'm by myself I prefer the microwave and toaster oven. My mom's teaching me how to use the stove right now, and she helps me cook.

Q:

How long were you in high school?

A:

I was in high school for six years. I started when I was 15 and finished when I was 21.

Q:

Did you receive a diploma after high school?

A:

I earned the TIL (Toward Independent Living) Program Certificate.

Q:

Did you have help finding a job?

A:

Yes. My co-op teacher helped me. Immediately after I finished high school, I accepted the job I still have today. I'm a receptionist - I answer the phone, greet people, make photocopies, send faxes and do whatever else they need me to do!

Q:

Did you have main-stream people in your circle of friends in high school?

A:

Of course! They taught me a lot.

Q:

What has your presence on the website done for you personally?

A:

It has been absolutely incredible to be able to share my experiences with millions of people around the world. I'm very proud of it.

Q:

Did you enjoy the Special Needs programming in school?

A:

Yes! Very much so! Each of my classmates was at a different learning level, and the teachers were able to teach us at our own pace. We may have been at different learning levels, but we all understood each other.

Q:

Can you go to the mall by yourself?

A:

When I was 15 it was difficult, but now in my early 20s, it's not a problem.

Q:

How did you react when other teens teased you?

A:

I would feel bad. I would do my best to just ignore them. They didn't understand what I was going through. It still hurts today to think back about the teasing.

Q:

When we read and learn about Shannon, are we reading and learning about you?

A:

Shannon and I are not exactly the same, but she does give me the strength to be open about Special Needs. It makes me feel good knowing that I may be helping someone else.

Questions about Shannon:

Q:

Do you like being with the mainstream kids in cooking class?

A:

It is nice to work with them, but it is hard sometimes. I am glad because it gives me a challenge. I learn lot from them—I love it.

Q:

What does Shannon like about her Special Needs E.A?

A:

She likes her a lot and Pat helps Shannon to work in class better when she has trouble. She is always there for Shannon.

Q:

What would Shannon say to others like her?

A:

Don't give up and try to do your best, be yourself.

Q:

What tips and tricks did you learn in Home Ec. that have helped you the most?

A:

I learned how important it is to make sure you have all of the ingredients for a recipe BEFORE you begin to prepare something! I also have great respect for my stove and am very careful about the potential dangers of it!