West Newsmagazine 4-19-17

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Educating Harper – what one family learned
about meeting their child’s unique needs
April 19, 2017
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
I SCHOOLS I 23
By BONNIE KRUEGER
Roughly one in every 700 babies in the
United States is born with Down syndrome
– about 6,000 each year. While many think
a mother of increasing age is the cause, in
reality 80 percent of all children born with
Down syndrome are born to women under
35. Down syndrome is actually the most
commonly occurring chromosomal condition.
It causes a partial or full extra copy of
chromosome 21, resulting in a person with
47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46.
Four-year-old Harper Wagener was
born with the most common type of Down
syndrome, trisomy 21, which accounts for
about 95 percent of all cases. This means
her extra chromosome is replicated in
every cell of her body.
Harper’s parents – Greg, an assistant
principal at Parkway North High, and
Laura, a former attorney, who now works
as a stay-at-home mom – opted against
prenatal testing which would have revealed
their daughter’s condition. They say learning
about Harper’s physical, social and
emotional needs has been an ongoing process
for the family since her birth.
Down syndrome often impacts gross
motor skills due to decreased or low
muscle tone, but Harper still loves to play
on the playground. She learned to jump
this year, a little behind her peers, but her
fast running helps her keep up with her
older brothers, Logan and Owen.
Since early intervention services through
the state end at age 3, the Wageners have
relied heavily on local organizations like
the Down Syndrome Association of St.
Louis and The Maren Fund, which provide
educational courses for children and support
for their parents.
Selecting the right school environment
for Harper also was a key decision for the
family. The right choice ended up being
not one school but two. Harper receives
speech, occupational and physical therapy
in the Valley Park Early Childhood
program in her home district. She also is
enrolled at Twin Oaks Christian School,
where her older brothers attend first and
fourth grades.
Although she is eligible for kindergarten
this fall, Harper will remain in preschool
for an additional year as she prepares for
her next academic level. She tires more
easily, which makes
the increased activities
of kindergarten
more challenging.
“Our goal was to
keep her in mainstream
classes,”
Laura said. “There
is strong educational
research that
indicates that if
children are able
to stay in a general
education environment, they tend to do
better academically. Harper models the
behavior and strives to keep up with the
other children.”
Harper has strong speech skills, but has
trouble with articulation. With hearing loss
prevalent in up to 80 percent of all Down
syndrome cases, visual clues can go a long
way to enhance communication. Many
children and adults just need a little extra
time. An additional 10-15 seconds to process
auditory direction can help encourage
stronger verbal skills.
Harper’s teacher, Carol Prosser, was
open to watching and learning how best to
Laura and Greg Wagener with Owen [left], Logan and Harper.
{Photo credit Little Fox Photography)
creatively meet Harper’s needs.
“Offering the visual clues have been
helpful for all the kids in Mrs. Prosser’s
classroom at Twin Oaks, not just for
Harper,” Laura said. “Mrs. Prosser has
been a wonderful blessing, developing
strategies to support Harper and the other
kids in the classroom. She had an inclusive
attitude and saw Harper as a valuable part
of the classroom.
“It is beautiful to see the organic, true
friendships Harper is developing naturally.
She is simply a valued part of the class, not
singled out for her differences. Diversity is
a great thing.”
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